I would like to introduce people who are here on behalf of Habitat for Humanity. They include Lynn Fergusson, Brooks Barnett, Jackie Isada, Harvey Cooper, Allyson Schmidt, Hope Lee, Zachary Day and Jonathan Tsao.

Welcome to your House. I hear you are having a reception at 5 p.m. today in the dining room. I look forward to attending.

I’m honoured today to welcome to Queen’s Park, along with my colleague the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services, the team from WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound program. They’re here with us in the gallery: Yordanka Petrova, Maisie Watson, Eric Mariglia, Danielle Mulima, Sonya Goldman, Azfar Islam; as well, from Halton region’s Home Suite Hope, Sara Cumming and Catherine Villasenor. Welcome.

I’d like to welcome the people who came and shared with us about the Homeward Bound program from WoodGreen community centre. I’d like to welcome Dorothy Quon, VP of community; Yordanka Petrova, senior manager of Homeward Bound Toronto; Jennifer Ernewein, manager from Homeward Bound Toronto; and Maisie Watson, Homeward Bound Peterborough.

Not to belabour the point, but I would also like to welcome the folks from Habitat for Humanity, especially Jonathan Tsao, who I see up in the gallery. I look forward to meeting with him later today.

Au nom du gouvernement et de la ministre des Affaires francophones, j’aimerais aussi souhaiter la bienvenue aux jeunes délégués de La Passerelle et du réseau des jeunes parlementaires. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

I’d like to extend my welcome as well to WoodGreen and Habitat for Humanity. Also, bienvenue à la délégation des jeunes de La Passerelle-I.D.É. pour leur journée parlementaire à Queen’s Park. J’ai apprécié nos conversations ce matin.

It is my great pleasure to introduce my friend Fiona Coughlin, who is the ED and the CEO at Habitat for Humanity in Windsor-Essex. Welcome to Queen’s Park for the first time.

In the members’ gallery, it’s an honour for me today to welcome, from my riding of Oakville, Evangeline Chima, the founder and CEO of Black Mentorship Inc.; volunteers Pricillia Oyiri and Taiwo Ayinde; graduation coach Akiesha Newton-Williams; staff member Lisa Raposo; students and parents from St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School, just down the street from my office; and students and parents from St. Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School in Milton. Thank you, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yes, it’s not often we catch ourselves outside of our seats, so that was a great transition.

I also, on behalf of the official opposition, want to welcome WoodGreen Community Services to the Legislature, and a special shout-out to their president and CEO, Anne Babcock. I’m looking forward to continuing conversations with you. Thank you for being here.

I recognize the member for Hamilton Mountain.

The member for Oakville.

It’s my pleasure to welcome members of the Canadian Propane Association to the House today. It’s great to see you here. All members, MPPs and staff are invited to a reception hosted by the propane association after question period in rooms 228 and 230. Thank you, and welcome to your House.

Good morning, everyone. I, too, am echoing my colleague’s introduction on Habitat for Humanity, an amazing group that helps us with our housing crisis: Ene Underwood—I don’t know if she was mentioned—Brooks Barnett, Eden Grodzinski and Jonathan Tsao, my old colleague.

I’d like to welcome two constituents all the way from the great riding of Timmins: my great friends Mr. Tom Faught, who serves on the board of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Kraymr Grenke, who is vice-chair of Timmins and District Hospital, a member of the Timmins Police Services Board, a board member of the Timmins Economic Development Corp. and a board member for the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. Welcome to your House.

I rise today to welcome members from WoodGreen: Eric Mariglia, Danielle Mulima, Yordanka Petrova and Sonya Goldman. Welcome to your House today. I’m looking forward to speaking more with all of you.

I’d like to echo my colleague in welcoming Fiona Coughlin from Habitat for Humanity Windsor–Essex, as well as Greg Fryer from Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I believe that concludes our introduction of visitors for this morning.

Start the clock. Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Restart the clock. Supplementary question?

The Attorney General can reply.

Let’s do a little bit of contrast here: under Liberal leadership, continued to increase tuition in this province so that it was the highest in Canada; under the leadership of Premier Ford, in 2019, decreased tuition by 10%. Look at the NDP government: voted against those measures.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday’s historic announcement: $1.3 billion in new funding for post-secondary education in this province, and not on the backs of our students. We will continue to make tuition affordable for every student in this province.

We are going to ensure that students in this province have access and affordability in post-secondary education. We can all agree there’s an affordability crisis in this province and across Canada. It’s expensive to heat, to eat, for gas, and we acknowledge that.

I see OUSA in the crowd with us today; thank you for your support.

This is why we are doing this. We want to ensure affordability in tuition in this province. Thank you to the Premier for his strong leadership in ensuring that will continue for another three years.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we announced the largest investment in post-secondary education in more than a decade: $1.3 billion, and not on the backs of our students.

Well, Mr. Speaker, I’m not going to double down; I’m tripling down now. We’re going to triple down on making sure communities are safe. We’re going to triple down on getting judges that believe in throwing someone in jail when they kick the doors in, put a gun to people’s heads, terrorizing their kids, terrorizing the parents to the point that the kids don’t want to stay at home anymore. They’re terrorizing communities, and guess what, Mr. Speaker? They’re letting them out, not going out on bail once, not twice, not three times, not four times—up to eight times. Put little Johnny back on the street, give him a gun until he can kick the next door in and put the gun to the next person’s head and hand over the keys.

I’m sick and tired of judges letting these people out on bail. We’re going to hire tough judges, tough JPs. That’s what we’re doing.

Interjections.

The post-secondary sector is at a breaking point, with decades of chronic underfunding. Now, as we all know, Ontario’s colleges and universities are bracing for the impact of a 50% reduction in international student permits. Under this government, provincial operating grants have been cut by 30%, and at least 10 universities are projecting dramatic deficits. At the same time, international student recruitment has shot up. It has been outpacing, unfortunately, supports and housing. That’s happened since this Premier took office.

This government’s plan seems to be to always break it and then privatize it, and it’s us who pay for it. This time, it’s the international students too. To the Premier: Wasn’t it the government’s strategy all along to underfund colleges and universities, and rely on the exploitation of international student tuition to make up the difference?

These aren’t just numbers. These students came to Ontario with the promise of a better future, with good jobs and a safe place to live. We need those skilled workers here, but they were sold a bill of goods and given false hope by this government. What does the Premier have to say to those students who have had their dreams dashed because of this government’s terrible decisions?

Interjections.

Interjections.

So my question is for the Attorney General: Do you endorse the Premier’s comments on who gets appointed to the judicial appointments committee?

My question, back to the Attorney General—maybe the Premier will let him answer the question: Does he stand behind this Premier’s undemocratic agenda or will he stand up for the integrity of our legal system?

Interjections.