This question is for the Premier. Recently, through a freedom of information request, the NDP has obtained nearly 4,000 pages of records from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing that discussed the Premier’s infamous greenbelt grab. The documents include emails that were forwarded to Ryan Amato, the former chief of staff to the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. One thing that kept coming up in these documents is several uses of the phrase G-asterisk or G-star.

So my question to the Premier is, does the Premier have any idea what that means or why it would be used in internal communications with Mr. Amato and the minister’s office?

So my question back to the Premier: Was anyone directed to avoid or conceal references to the greenbelt in their written communications so they could avoid being captured in a freedom-of-information request?

So I’m going back to the Premier again, hoping for an answer: Did anyone in the Premier’s office direct others to avoid email or use code words when discussing the special project of carving up the greenbelt, and when is the Premier going to be disclosing this to the RCMP?

Interjections.

Speaker, back to the Premier: The reason this is important is because it is part of a growing mountain of evidence that the government has deliberately tried to cover up the details of its $8-billion greenbelt grab. Last year, the Auditor General uncovered evidence that government officials had inappropriately used personal email accounts and devices when discussing the greenbelt grab. Today’s FOI shows more of the same between Mr. Amato and Mr. Sackville in the Premier’s office.

Back to the Premier again: Is it standard operating procedure to have staff use personal devices and accounts when discussing the “special project” known internally as “G*”?

Speaker, the stench of this scandal has seeped into everything this government touches. That’s the truth.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner has already warned the government, I’ll remind them, about deleting emails and concealing information through the use of personal emails and personal devices after we uncovered that government officials were already doing that.

Deleting emails related to this massive government policy, using personal accounts or not, is in contravention of the law. When the Liberals did that, someone went to jail.

So back to the Premier: Why did your staff delete emails related to the greenbelt grab?

We know it wasn’t just emails. The Premier has admitted to using his personal phone for government business. He says it all the time, every day, and yet he refuses to share his phone records. Why? What is he hiding?

Brown envelopes, coded messages, burner phones, Speaker—at every turn, it looks like the Premier’s office took deliberate steps to cover their tracks. We’re going to get to the bottom of it. We sure will, or the RCMP will, because this government is under criminal investigation. But they could come clean right now, and they might help themselves.

Speaker, I want to ask the Premier again: When will he finally own up to his role in this scheme, or do we have to wait for the RCMP?

Interjections.

Member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order.

The supplementary question.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The next question.

I’ll remind the Leader of the Opposition that when the Liberals broke the law it was the NDP that kept them in power, which has led to the economic catastrophe that was the province of Ontario in 2018.

Now, we have moved on so many fronts to restore Ontario as the engine of the Canadian economy. Look, we’re doing things that put more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario. Look at what the Associate Minister of Transportation has been able to accomplish with respect to One Fare. Now, they talked about it a lot, but they were never able to get it done. This government got it done. That’s about $1,600 in the pockets of the people of Ontario.

We are able to build subways. Do you know why? Because we’re focused on getting results for the people of the province of Ontario. Now, they announced it a million times. They kept announcing and announcing and announcing, getting nothing done. We’re building hospitals and long-term-care homes in parts of the province that have never had them before. We are restoring Ontario as the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family, not only in Canada but the entire world.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, once again, we know what this is all about: It’s about their campaign to stop Highway 413, and we will not listen to them. The people of this province elected us to build Highway 413. In fact, they lost three members for being on the wrong side of that.

Everything that this government has done under the leadership of Premier Ford has put more money back into hard-working families of this province, whether it’s 10 cents a litre on the gas tax; whether it’s removing tolls on the 412 or 418, which that member voted against when this Premier put that forward; or whether it’s removing $125 val-tag fees from each car or truck that an individual owns in this province.

And on top of that, we are fighting against the 23% increase of the carbon tax that’s coming on April 1. I hope that member also raises her voice to the federal members that she knows and her counterparts to make sure that we keep more money in the pockets of hard-working families in Ontario.

My message to both the Liberals and the NDP is: Get out of the bubble. Come to cities like Brampton. Come to cities like Mississauga. Travel the streets and roads all across this province, whether they’re in northern Ontario, southern Ontario, and listen to the drivers. We need to build more infrastructure. We need to build the Bradford Bypass. We need to build Highway 413, and as we do that, we’re going to continue to fight against punishing policies like the carbon tax, which is about to go up by 23% on April 1.

We will continue to fight for hard-working families in this province and put more money back into their pockets.

My question is to the Minister of Transportation. When the 407 was built, there was a plan for it to be paid by 2027 and then we would own it. Instead, the Conservatives sold it for a song, the tolls have gone up about 300%, and the 407 ETR owns us. The 99-year lease was highway robbery, actually.

People resent that the 407 tolls are out of control. People want to get where they want to go, and this government could save people time, make the 401 safer and improve the flow of goods. We proposed a solution to help, and this government voted against it.

So my question is, why isn’t the government willing to talk about the 407 and toll relief?

So let’s take the tolls off the trucks, get the trucks off the 401 and make traffic better for everyone. Let’s renegotiate the 407 ETR contract. Everyone knows traffic congestion is already brutal, but we could do this now.

So my question is, when will this Conservative government be willing to do something about the 407?

My question is for the Minister of Finance. The carbon tax drives up the price of everything from filling up our cars to heating our homes in the winter. It hurts our economy and punishes the hard-working people and businesses of our province.

At a time of high interest rates and high cost of living, Ontarians need more financial relief, not another tax. While our government has been speaking up against this punitive tax since day one, the opposition NDP and independent Liberals continue to ignore its harmful impacts. Ontarians deserve better from their elected officials.

Speaker, can the minister tell this House what our government is doing to protect Ontario families and businesses from the high cost the Liberal carbon tax has on gas?

The member for Orléans, come to order.

Supplementary question.

Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Thank you to the minister for that response.

Speaker, we hear it from everyone: The carbon tax is simply not worth the cost. Across Ontario, households are struggling to make ends meet, and businesses continue to face economic uncertainty due to ongoing global supply chain challenges. They need support, not a tax that will cause unnecessary harm.

We know that the independent Liberals refuse to stand up for their constituents and call on their federal counterparts to end the carbon tax. Our government will continue to lead by example and fight the carbon tax, while keeping costs down for Ontarians.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontario businesses and families?

Thank you to the hard-working member from Newmarket–Aurora for that great question.

Interjections.

You know, Mr. Speaker, the independent Liberals must think that money grows on trees, because their continued support for a carbon tax on Ontarians makes no sense. Somehow, they continue to reject our great members’ motions to eliminate the carbon tax and save businesses and consumers money when shopping for the goods they need to live. Instead, our government is the one standing up for the hard-working people of Ontario, day in and day out, by stepping in and cutting the gas tax and providing savings for people and businesses across this province.

I look forward to that member and the independent Liberals and the queen of the carbon tax voting against a new carbon tax and for our new bill, the Get It Done Act, 2024.

You know, Mr. Speaker, for too long, governments here and in Ottawa have left Ontarians behind. Workers, families and businesses have had enough, and that’s why they elected our government and our plan to get it done.

That’s why it’s our government who is building infrastructure, who is building more and more in Ontario and keeping costs down. It’s our government who is standing up to protect Ontarians from any party or government making life unaffordable, and it is this government who will continue to build Ontario into the best place to heat your home, fill up your tank and buy your groceries. We’re getting it done.

My question is to the Premier.

Speaker, last week, the federal immigration minister said that comments about the international student cap made by the Minister of Colleges and Universities were “complete garbage.” Now, we may never know what really happened between those two ministers, but we do know that the cap was announced on January 22, and it’s now March 6.

Meanwhile, the application process for international students in this province is at a complete standstill until the government makes a decision on how the cap will be allocated and how attestation letters will be issued.

Speaker, how much longer do Ontario colleges and universities have to wait?

Can the minister at least tell this House how the cap will be allocated? Will the government take into account the track record of individual institutions in their approval rates for international study visas and in the supports they provide to international students?

Interjections.

I’m surprised to hear the NDP defending Justin Trudeau, frankly. And yes, I have expressed my dissatisfaction with the lack of consultation by the federal government. But don’t just listen to me: In fact, the BC Premier, who is an NDP Premier, said, “My message for Minister Miller would be to work with the province on this.... A federally dictated cap could have profound and negative impacts.”

From the NDP BC housing minister, Minister Kahlon: “The concern I have is they need to talk to the provinces on how they are going to do this. Saying they are going to put a cap on might sound good and get them through a media cycle, but these are people we are talking about.”

New Brunswick Post-Secondary Education Minister Holder said the cap “is going to be a major challenge. It’s going to throw a major wrench into the whole recruitment side of things this year ... penalized for their good work” when it comes to recruiting international students needed to help address the local labour market needs.

In fact, the federal minister did absolutely no consultation with any of the provinces, and yes, we are all dissatisfied with the result.

But myself and many members of this House—and I spoke with the minister of small businesses about the impact that we’re going to see on our local economies. Again, not just from me, but I have a quote from the CFIB president Dan Kelly: “The recent changes will impact many small businesses who are grappling with labour shortages, particularly those in smaller and rural communities.... While it’s understandable why government wants to put some limits in place, it needs to move carefully and consider implications for the whole economy.”

The Niagara chamber of commerce, Hugo Chesshire: “If there is a sudden drop in the number of graduating students in these professions, in these trades and then, years down the line as that gap works down into the labour market, there’ll be another labour shortage to come.” There just won’t be “enough students.”

Mr. Speaker, we will be looking forward to our response coming shortly.

I thank the member for his very passionate question. I know that he is a dedicated representative of his constituents, many of which can include rural communities and farmers who are particularly impacted by this devastating tax. We have heard time and time again in this House just how damaging this is for greenhouse growers, for small businesses, for farmers and for families.

For the federal government to continue ignoring our pleas for a break, to axe this tax, there really is no answer for it. This is the most damaging thing that Ontarians are currently facing, and the fact it’s going up even higher is unconscionable.

My question is to the great Minister of Energy. The federal carbon tax is raising prices on everything, from energy bills, groceries, into everyday essentials. That’s why this Premier and our government fought this punitive tax all the way to the Supreme Court. Our government will always fight for the taxpayer in Ontario.

Last fall, the federal government chose to merely suspend the carbon tax on home heating oil, a source of higher emissions utilized only by 2.5% of Ontarians. But the tax on natural gas, which I use and 70% of Ontarians use, is going to go up. It’s unfair that the federal Liberals and provincial Liberals—who don’t call their colleagues in Ottawa—are ignoring the burden being placed on most Ontarians.

Can the minister please tell this House why the federal government’s selective exemption on the carbon tax is unfair?

Home heating is not a luxury; it is a necessity in Ontario. However, many Ontarians cannot afford to pick and choose what heating fuel they can use. Whether it’s home heating oil or natural gas or other forms of gas, like propane—and they were here last week; great propane members and businesses in my riding—Ontarians should not be unfairly forced to pay additional costs to stay warm during the winter months. And it’s unfortunate that the only party in this Legislature that is focused on providing real relief to Ontarians is this party on this side and the missing middle over there, Speaker.

While the Liberals and NDP are content with the carbon tax going up on April 1, as you can hear in this place, our government continues to keep costs down for the people of Ontario. Can the parliamentary assistant please share the steps our government is taking to provide more affordability for home heating as the federal carbon tax skyrockets?

To respond, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Interjection.

If this persists, I will start warning members. Do you hear me?

Start the clock. The Premier has the floor.

Order. The Premier will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

Start the clock. The next question.

I have a question for the Premier.

Paying for blood and plasma donations is banned in Ontario, but incredibly, this government is allowing a Spanish company to open a centre in Hamilton that will pay for plasma. Ontario’s Voluntary Blood Donations Act prohibits payment for blood. This is a law which the Minister of Health herself voted in favour of.

So my question to the Premier: Will you stand by and allow a for-profit plasma industry, or will you enforce the law?

I think it’s important to remind the member opposite and everyone that Ontario continues to monitor Health Canada’s regulatory approach to drugs for rare diseases and how it can impact our communities. Some of the changes outlined mean that we have seen Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services make some partnerships with others to ensure that we have critical plasma supply in the province of Ontario. There is no doubt the plasma supply need increases. It is a critical part of what we need to do every time there are operations in the province of Ontario.

Canadian Blood Services has made some partnerships, and we will watch to ensure that they follow all Ontario regulatory pieces.

We will monitor what Canadian Blood Services is doing. But I do not want to lose sight of the fact that donations of blood, donations of plasma, donations of organs are a critical part of our health care system, and that voluntary piece is some of the work that Canadian Blood Services does.

Thank you, Speaker. I was waiting to exhale.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. The rising cost of fuel is greatly impacting individuals and families in every corner of the province, including mine. Unfortunately, at a time when Ontarians are already struggling with rising inflation costs, the federal Liberals continue to raise the carbon tax.

I’ve heard from logistics and distribution companies in my riding who have been very vocal about the impact of the carbon tax on their bottom line and the truckers in their industry. It is unacceptable that the federal government continues to punish the truckers that drive Ontario’s economy forward with this regressive tax. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House how the carbon tax is hard on Ontario’s trucking industry?

Here we go again, Mr. Speaker: not doubling down, tripling down, quadrupling down; quintupling down, and I’m proud of it. I’m proud to go out there and tell the people who are seeing violence in their homes, violence on the streets, violence in our subways that we’re going to get judges that are actually going to keep these criminals in jail.

There isn’t a person around the Toronto GTA who hasn’t faced some sort of crime—a gun to their heads in their homes, hand over the keys, kick in the doors—only to see these—

Interjections.

But the Liberals and NDP, they think that’s fine: “Let’s stay the status quo.” I’ll tell you one thing: We aren’t staying the status quo. We’re going to get judges that are tough on—

Interjections.