I have two people from Niagara who are here today with the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy. We have Kristen Jarvis and Wayne Oliver, who are with the Niagara region delegation. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

My friend Fabrice Colin is here. He’s the president of Laurentian University Faculty Association. He also brought some friends from OCUFA: Gautam Das from Lakehead University Faculty Association, Kristen Shaw from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University Faculty and Staff Association, Todd Horton from the Nipissing University Faculty Association. They’re joined as well by Kimiko Inouye from OCUFA staff.

Joining the congratulations to our friends from OCUFA who are here, particularly professors Dipto Sarkar and Dominique Marshall from Carleton University, my old stomping grounds—it’s nice to see you here—and particularly professor Nigmendra Narain, one of the OCUFA leaders who I had the pleasure to go to grad school with. Nice to see you here, my friend.

I, too, would like to rise today to recognize the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy and its principal and founder, Robert Johnston, and Adriana Sauvé, the vice-principal and CAO, as well as a number of their staff and graduates who are here with us from across the province.

I would like to welcome, from the OCUFA Ottawa delegation, Dipto Sarkar and Dominique Marshall from the Carleton University Academic Staff Association, and from the Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa, Philippe Frowd and Tyler Chamberlin. Thank you for a great meeting this morning.

Et de ma circonscription d’Ottawa-Ouest–Nepean, Ronald Bisson, récipiendaire de l’Ordre de la Pléiade : bienvenue et félicitations.

The plan was to introduce my mother-in-law, Florence Warner, this morning, but I just got a note that she’s been delayed because she got started celebrating her 101st birthday this morning. She’s decided to continue to celebrate and not join us—only by watching us on television.

Florence, happy birthday.

I, too, would like to welcome members from OCUFA, particularly Paul Andrews, McMaster; Helen Booker, Guelph; Ryan Ladner, Wilfrid Laurier; Melody Viczko, Western; and OCUFA staff Michael Savage. I look forward to our meeting today.

I would like to welcome, from OCUFA, Gautam Das from Lakehead University—I also want to note that Gautam helped me through some difficulties when I was teaching at Lakehead; looking forward to speaking with you again—Fabrice Colin, Laurentian University; Kristen Shaw, Northern Ontario School of Medicine Faculty and Staff Association; Todd Horton from Nipissing University Faculty Association; and Kimiko Inouye, OCUFA staff. Welcome to your House. I look forward to meeting with you this afternoon.

Bonne journée de la Francophonie. I’d like to welcome to the House, from the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, from my old stomping ground, York University, Patrick Phillips; Cliff Caines from the Ontario College of Art and Design; Dave Mason from the Toronto Metropolitan University; and Rachel Heydon from the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association. Welcome to your House. I look forward to meeting you this afternoon.

Continuing on with our guests from our isotope advocacy day: From CNIC, we have Peter D’Amico, Melody Greaves, Andrew Thiele and Sabeeh Masud; and from OPG we have Terry Campkin. We may have Karin Stephenson from McMaster, and then from our wonderful sponsors of the event, Bruce Power, we have Clint Thomas, James Scongack, and I don’t know if she’s there, Lindsay Grummett—if you’re listening, you’re in my heart. Welcome to your House. So looking forward to our lunch.

I’d love to welcome from the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy Wayne Oliver, Kristen Jarvis and Matthew Olson. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

It’s a pleasure today to introduce two very important people to me. Many people here know these two individuals. The first one had her booties changed when she was learning how to walk upstairs and got a big cake when she was a page here: my daughter, who has now turned 19—she’s not a baby anymore like she was up in the gallery when I got first elected 18, 19 years—Victoria Varner. You can just wave to people.

The second person is my husband, Joe, who, of course, was my campaign manager over the past six elections. I fired him many times, but he has stood by me, particularly for the last couple of years when I’ve been sick. When I lost control, this guy took the driver’s seat and he looked after the wheel. He’s here today too. You can wave.

Je demande le consentement unanime pour permettre aux députés de faire des déclarations après le dépôt de projets de loi aujourd’hui pour souligner la Journée internationale de la Francophonie, avec cinq minutes accordées aux députés indépendants en tant que groupe, cinq minutes accordées à la loyale opposition de Sa Majesté et cinq minutes accordées au gouvernement de Sa Majesté.

Le député d’Orléans a demandé le consentement unanime pour permettre—

Interjection.

D’accord? I heard a no.

The government House leader, to speak to the point of order.

The supplementary question.

The Premier can respond.

J’aimerais reconnaître qu’aujourd’hui nous célébrons la Journée internationale de la Francophonie. Alors, bonne journée de la Francophonie, tout le monde.

My question is for the Premier. The NDP has unearthed new documents revealing plans for a phase 2 of the Ontario Place redevelopment that, for some reason, this government kept secret from Ontarians. We know what phase 1 is. That’s the backroom deal where government, we know, is spending hundreds of millions of public dollars and handing over public land to a private luxury spa company for 95 years. But what is phase 2 and why has the government kept it a secret from Ontario?

My question is, when was the Premier going to tell the public his secret plan to pave over Lake Ontario?

The whole Ontario Place redevelopment scheme has been cloaked in secrecy from the beginning. The Premier won’t tell the public the terms of the 95-year lease that they have with Therme. Time and again, the only reason why we know anything about this government’s real intentions is because of our own investigative work.

I would like to know, on behalf of Ontarians: What else is the Premier keeping secret from the people of Ontario?

I’m going back to the Premier. Late last year, the government jammed through a bill that would exempt all undertakings at Ontario Place from the Environmental Bill of Rights and from the Environmental Assessment Act. Did the Premier change the laws to try and get away with his secret plan to pave over Lake Ontario?

The Premier—I will remind you, Speaker—jammed through a bill that would allow the government to ignore the provincial laws when it comes to Ontario Place. I remind the members here that the bill even lets the government commit acts of misrepresentation, misfeasance, breach of trust and bad faith without any consequences, and this is the same government under RCMP criminal investigation for another scandal.

I wonder why they passed that bill. Did the Premier jam through this wildly irresponsible bill because he knew that his secret plans for Ontario Place would not survive public scrutiny or judicial review?

Interjections.

Thank you to the member opposite. Now, I’m not sure where she was on April 18, 2023, when I joined the Premier and Live Nation at Ontario Place. The entire Queen’s Park press gallery was there and that’s where we showcased the fact that we’re building a new science centre, a water park facility, a wellness facility on the west end, 50 acres of public realm space and a brand new marina, as well as a brand new amphitheatre stage for Live Nation. That is our mission for Ontario Place, and we are under construction today.

Today, we are under construction and we will make sure to bring Ontario Place back to life for the people of Ontario.

I am very excited, because construction is under way at Ontario Place, and finally, after years and years of neglect, the people of Ontario will have a wonderful Ontario Place to enjoy with their families.

Interjections.

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition nailed it: It’s “no, no, no, no” to everything we do, and that’s why we’re in the position we were in when we inherited a bankrupt province five and a half years ago. Let’s move forward now.

We’re putting $184 billion into infrastructure. We’re building $50 billion worth of new hospitals. We’re building the 413 and the Bradford Bypass. We’re adding new doctors; we’re adding new nurses. But guess what? “No, no, no, no.” That’s why we walked into an absolute disaster when we inherited this province.

But guess what? We’re the leaders in the world. We’re an economic powerhouse now. We have $28 billion of EV vehicles being built here in Ontario. We have tens of billions in tech. We have $3 billion when it comes to life sciences. Everyone in the world is talking about Ontario Place.

Thank God you and the Liberals aren’t still in charge. It would be a complete disaster.

Interjections.

Order. I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

Final supplementary.

The Premier.

Minister of Infrastructure.