H-S-T. H-S-T.

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.

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.

I think the member opposite has a reading comprehension issue, because that is not what we have been saying at all.

Here’s the thing: They continue to raise the same issue over and over because they don’t want to talk about things like the fact that the carbon tax is going up. The only stated position of the Liberal Party on the carbon tax is that it’s good for people.

Interjection.

Well, I’ll tell you something, Mr. Speaker: There is some hope. They have a new leader, and the new leader has never heard of the issue before, so here’s what she needs to know: The carbon tax is going up by 23% on April 1, and that should be job one.

My question is for the Premier. The Premier says he wants judges who will be tougher during bail hearings, and on this we can agree. That’s why we worked with the government last year on bail reform. But the Premier also says he wants to abolish the independent judicial system in exchange for a politicized one with like-minded judges—one that’s used and abused south of the border. So he has appointed biased, unqualified political insiders, notably his former deputy chief of staff, to lead the panel that makes judicial recommendations.

But the problem with politicizing the judicial system, Mr. Speaker, is that the Premier’s former deputy chief of staff is also a paid gun lobbyist for Colt’s. How can we expect judges to get tougher on gun crime when the guy recommending them for the job is the guy who sells the guns?

Gun crime is no laughing matter. Police in Ontario reported 4,791 violent gun crimes in 2014. That’s 1,000 more than the previous year. Homicide by gun crime is at an all-time high. The Premier has nice catchphrases like “stop the crime” and “get tough on bail reform,” but he has asked the guy who sells the guns for advice.

Mr. Speaker, there is a violent gun crime in Ontario every two hours. How can we believe the Premier’s tough-on-crime stance when he has asked the guy who sells the guns to appoint the judges?

I guess it takes two parliamentary assistants to be just as great as the minister.

I’d like to thank the member for that additional question.

Our government continues to make investments aimed at keeping energy costs affordable for families.

In the past year alone, we’ve announced the enhancement of the Ontario Electricity Rebate, ensuring stability and predictability in electricity bills. That’s going to save an average household more than $300 this year alone. But that’s not going to help if the opposition and federal government keep pushing a painful carbon tax.

We urge the federal government to join efforts in terminating the carbon tax on home heating for Ontarians, just like they have done for a majority of people in Atlantic Canada. It is imperative for the federal government to act promptly. Winter isn’t over yet, and folks are still paying for the electricity bill.

That sounds like a no to enforcing the law.

Speaker, back to the Premier: Almost 10 years ago to the day, the headline of pay-for-plasma centres is back in the news.

Grifols, this private for-profit company from Spain, has pinpointed it down to postal codes with the highest unemployment rates and the lowest income in the province. They plan to set up shop and prey on our most vulnerable by way of an exemption loophole, in a community where many are unhoused, waiting in long food bank lines and struggling day to day to make ends meet.

Does the Premier think it’s appropriate that people will be selling their blood to survive?

Thank you to the member for Ajax for that question. We know that the federal environment minister is completely out of touch with the realities of Canadians and especially Ontarians. We have called on him—I have personally called on him—to come drive on the 427, the 401, the 410 to see for himself the challenges our truckers and drivers are having across this province. But Minister Guilbeault spends more time flying around the world in airplanes, trying to meet with elites across the world, rather than meeting with truckers that are driving every single day on our roads across this province to put food on the shelves, to put groceries on shelves across this province.

They shouldn’t have to worry about the rise in the cost of gas as they do their job. I’ve stated in the House before that $15,000 to $20,000 are the current costs on a long-haul trucker in this province with the current carbon tax today. That’s about to go up by 23% on April 1, and I hope the members opposite join us in calling on the federal government to stop the carbon tax.

As this government has committed to putting more money back into the pockets of families across this province, the federal carbon tax will increase by 23%. That is unacceptable. We’re always looking at ways to make sure we put more money back in your pockets, whether it’s by reducing the gas tax by 10 cents, whether it’s making sure we eliminate the val tag, a $120 savings for a car or truck for families across this province.

We’re going to continue to urge both the Liberals and NDP to call on their federal counterparts and stop the carbon tax on April 1.

My question is to the Premier. Once again, this morning, there’s been a lot of talk about like-minded appointments, but while this House has had their eyes set on judicial appointments, I’ve had mine set on the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Just before Christmas, I hit refresh on the Public Appointments Secretariat page, and exactly as I had expected: the appointment of the former mayor of Haldimand county, Ken Hewitt, to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

Keep in mind, this is a tribunal meant to protect public good. Speaker, I respectfully ask if the Premier can articulate what skills and qualifications one must possess to be considered an appointee to the OLT?

But it gets worse: A developer friend of the Premier’s plans to build a seasonal cottage development on agricultural land at Lowbanks in Haldimand county, and just days before that developer is to appear before council, he coincidentally cancels and says he’ll take his chances at the OLT.

It’s difficult not to conclude that the tribunal has been hijacked. The Hamilton Spectator reported in 2022 that the OLT rules in favour of developers 97% of the time. Speaker, through you, to the Premier: Is the OLT in place to protect the public good or is it in place to accelerate development and feather the nest of developers and friends of this government?

Interjections.

I’m wondering if the member is asking me if we will pierce the independence of the Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicators. I’m hearing an inconsistency. I’m not quite sure what direction they want us to take in terms of the independence of adjudicators and the enforcement of orders. For us to reach in and make the adjudicators do something—now that would be a question; that would be something that we would have to discuss.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like a clarification, if I could, in the second question.

We are investing in the Landlord and Tenant Board. We have doubled the number of adjudicators. We’ve added more staff. We’ve had more hearings than we’ve had intake. We are making sure that they’re properly resourced and people are having a place to have their hearings.

But tenants also need a place to live. You can take Mississauga as an example, where they only built 12 housing starts in the last term and the development charges are up 27%. That’s a problem because, no matter whether you have a hearing, you wouldn’t have a place to live.

The individuals who apply through an open process are evaluated by the chair of the tribunal, and recommendations come forward for appointment. And I don’t want to speak on behalf of the chair who does the interviews and does the recruitment because that’s a hands-off process, as you would expect it to be. But I can tell you, any mayor of any municipality in this province likely has some exposure to how things work in terms of committees of adjustment and otherwise.

So through you, Mr. Speaker, back to the member: What disqualifies that member?

Interjections.

We have 1.5 million homes to build, and we want to make sure that matters are moving through that tribunal. And if you want to accuse us of meddling because we’re getting homes built, I will tell you, there are rules and professionals in place to help get the job done, and we will get those homes built.