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.

The supplementary question.

The supplementary question.

The Attorney General to reply.

Thank you to the minister for that response. We’re all indebted to the dedicated workers in the trucking industry who deliver essential goods that Ontario’s families and businesses rely on. It is unfortunate that the impact of the carbon tax on the trucking industry ultimately affects the consumers and the drivers. We are all forced to pay for the additional cost to fuel the trucks that transport the essential items for our everyday living. That’s not fair, Speaker.

Our government hears these concerns day after day, and that is why we will not stop until this tax is scrapped. Can the minister please explain further why the carbon tax must be eliminated to protect Ontario’s trucking industry?

My question is to the Premier. Ontario can now fine landlords that illegally evict up to $250,000, but it never does. A Toronto Star analysis found that the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit and the Landlord and Tenant Board issue very small fines to guilty landlords, fines the landlord can quickly recoup by hiking the rent on the next tenant.

My question is to the Premier: Will this government start enforcing its own illegal-eviction laws?

Rental protection laws are useless if they’re not enforced. We have presented practical solutions to this government to help renters stay housed. We have introduced amendments in committee. We have introduced bills in this Legislature. When will this government start taking effective action and do its job and start enforcing its illegal eviction laws?

Back to the Premier: As someone who has owned several small businesses, I know first-hand how hard it is to get a small business off the ground. I launched my businesses before today’s challenges of every fast technology change and costly inflation hikes.

Sonja Scharf, a small business owner in my riding, told me, “The Digital Main Street Program helps small businesses like ours offset costs and build an online presence. This program is an extremely valuable asset to small businesses. I can only praise their work.”

Now is not the time for the Premier to pull the plug on Digital Main Street funding, and it’s never time to abandon small businesses in Ontario. Yes or no: Will the Premier reverse course, listen to the small business owners and maintain funding to keep the lights on for the Digital Main Street Program?

My question is to the Premier. Small businesses have not fully recovered from the pandemic. They are still struggling with inflation and economic uncertainty. The government’s website encourages small businesses to sign up for the Digital Main Street grant program, but this Conservative government told the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas members that the funding for the program will be cancelled in three weeks.

Why is the government abandoning small businesses yet again?

They did so with good reason, Mr. Speaker. And I want to thank the honourable member for his question.

We heard earlier this morning about a Prime Minister who backed up his words with policies, commitment and change. So I’ve got to take the Prime Minister at his word when he says, “We’re walking the road of reconciliation,” and then says, with respect to costs, “Indigenous communities on affordability and supports”—you’d think he would do something. Silence, Mr. Speaker.

The calls from First Nations communities across the province, but particularly from communities in the isolated parts of northern Ontario, who look at $7 loaves of Wonder Bread with a built-in cost for transportation of those goods, have put the carbon tax front row and centre. And what did the federal government do? Well, they have pledged 0.7% of total charge proceeds to First Nations communities in Ontario. We don’t know where this is and how it will materialize, Mr. Speaker, but it’s a small sliver, a fraction of the costs that First Nations communities are paying as a result of the carbon tax—

In light of a difficult winter road season, all-season roads have become the topic. And since it will be a little while before electric vehicles provide part of that transportation solution, not only communities on diesel but communities who need transport this winter and winters moving forward—you’d think the federal government would remove the carbon tax as a starting point and join in our discussions around all-season roads, Mr. Speaker. Again, radio silence.

This government is laser-focused on challenging the federal government to reduce costs for our northern communities, and it starts with scrapping the tax.

The supplementary question.

The supplementary question: the member for Toronto Centre.

The next question.

I want to thank my colleague for the question. Ontarians have told us very clearly: Public safety means everything to them. And do you know what, Mr. Speaker? It’s a top priority for our government, led by Premier Ford.

The carbon tax has significantly increased the cost of public safety, and in a few weeks, as we know, the federal government will do it again and raise the carbon tax by 23%. It’s affecting our firefighters and our police officers, our special constables and our first responders—people who are there to fight crime. Every day, thousands of vehicles are on the road that help keep our province safe, and the police budgets have to cover the carbon tax on these cars that get fuelled up.

My message is simple: The Liberals across the way can call their friends in Ottawa and say, “This is not fair. Scrap the tax.”

My question is for the Solicitor General. We all know that the carbon tax is making it more expensive for Ontario families and businesses. Not only is it increasing the cost of goods, but it’s also driving up the cost of fuel and gasoline for everyone in our province.

What’s more, public safety services across the province are being impacted by the carbon tax as well. Our police services need more support and resources to protect our communities, not additional fuel costs because of the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain the negative effects of the carbon tax on law enforcement and public safety agencies across Ontario?

I want to thank the member opposite for the question. The Digital Main Street Program was a phenomenal program. Although brought in prior to the pandemic, throughout the pandemic it was key to helping many of our businesses—actually, over 82,000 businesses—to get an online presence and about 24,000 businesses to start or expand their e-commerce journey over two years.

But do you know what’s really exciting, Speaker? The sudden concern for our small businesses by the members opposite. We are talking to our stakeholders. We’re engaging with them constantly. But let me talk about some of the other wonderful supports available to our businesses.

The Digitalization Competence Centre connects companies with innovative digital solutions and helps SMEs across all sectors implement new digital technologies. The Canada Digital Adoption Program—

What would have helped small businesses recently was where the federal government provided absolutely no reprieve for the CEBA loan repayments. When I asked everyone in this House to contact their federal members, they did nothing. They stayed silent.

Another area that could really help our small businesses is if they would pick up the phone, talk to their federal cousins and ask them to scrap the carbon tax, because it hurts every single business and individual in this province. But they won’t do that. They will not call their federal cousins. And Carbon Crombie’s Liberals over there? Silent. They will do nothing.

Pick up the phone. Scrap the carbon tax right now. You can do that for your small businesses today.

This bill aims to provide rental protections at a time when more and more renters are facing high rents and displacement. It asks to reinstate rent control on units built after 2018. It asks to reinstate vacancy control, to prevent high increases between tenancies. It asks for a rental task force to investigate above-guideline increases that have been rampant these days. It amends a requirement for landlords who are looking to renovict tenants, so that they provide protections to tenants to ensure that they don’t lose their housing.

This is what we are doing today—trying to ensure that there are mechanisms in place to make sure people keep their shelter—and we are calling it the Keeping People Housed Act.

Supplementary?

The member for Ottawa–Vanier has a point of order.

Interjections.

The House recessed from 1205 to 1500.

First reading agreed to.

Thank you to the Solicitor General for the response. It is concerning to hear that the carbon tax is affecting public safety efforts in Ontario. With the media reports about the crime and illegal activities in many areas of our province, residents in my community of Richmond Hill are concerned about the financial impact of the carbon tax on the day-to-day work of our front-line police workers. They are worried about how the carbon tax is placing a strain on policing services as well as on the budget. Our government must ensure police officers receive support as they carry out their duties.

Could the Solicitor General provide further details about the government’s initiatives to strengthen Ontario’s public safety in light of the carbon tax?

When people are being confronted by having their doors kicked in and their cars stolen, when people are being confronted by violent and repeat offenders on our streets, we need more boots on the ground as soon as possible.

When we look at what the carbon tax is doing for police service budgets—the OPP alone has spent almost $4 million on carbon tax; $4 million could have put 40 new boots on the ground, and that’s just the OPP. When I look around this chamber and I think of the First Nations police services and the other municipal police services across the province, how many more boots on the ground could we have?

The carbon tax is regressive. It hits us everywhere. It’s hitting us on public safety. The Liberals across the way can do the right thing. Pick up the phone, tell them, “Pause the tax. It is affecting our public safety.”

Last year, the Minister of Natural Resources started the spring with a shortage of 50 crews to tackle forest fires, lacking preparedness and seeking help from across Canada and Mexico.

My question is simple: Given the extreme lack of snow conditions this year, how many wildfire ranger crews do we need to be prepared for wildfires this season, and how many do we have as of right now?

I’m glad the member opposite asked the question, because recruitment is open right now for more fire rangers in Ontario. We’ve got many, many great returning crews from last year. We know that we’ll have new recruits this year to supplement a crew of those in the air, those on the ground fighting fires, keeping communities safe, keeping infrastructure safe in small communities all throughout the north, Indigenous communities—incredibly important.

I’m very, very glad that the member is supporting recruitment and retention of our firefighters. We want more to come into the fold, so I’d encourage everybody to make sure that you’re letting people know that recruitment is open right now and everyone is welcome to apply.

I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 40(e), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to respond to the ministerial statement tomorrow on International Women’s Day.

I would just like to remind all the women in the House that tomorrow, after question period, we will be taking a photo for International Women’s Day here in the chamber.