My question is to the Minister of Finance. Over the past few months, all members have been receiving postcards with the slogan “#5ToSurvive,” a campaign started by Community Living Ontario. Of the 10,000 letters sent, response from my riding of Haldimand–Norfolk has been most pronounced. Families of loved ones with developmental disabilities see agencies like Community Living Haldimand, the Norfolk Association for Community Living and Community Living Access being starved of the resources they need to assist some of society’s most vulnerable people—agencies that are so important to families.

This government has done some good things, like tying ODSP to inflation. There has been good news, but if the agencies that sustain the people they support aren’t sustainable, it’s a moot point.

Over the past 30 years, community living organizations have seen a meagre 3.9% increase to base funding. This is a sector that needs an immediate infusion.

Speaker, through you to the minister: Will Ontario families supporting loved ones with developmental disabilities see the long-awaited 5% increase in the upcoming budget?

I’ve met with a number of these agencies a number of times, and they are beaten down. They simply cannot find further savings. Programming has been and is being cut, and there has been an exodus of underpaid staff. A 5% increase would be just enough to stabilize the sector and keep the lights on. It represents about $145 million to the base budget.

I sat through pre-budget consultations last year, where Community Living rang the alarm bells. They were back at the budget table this year. How many times do they have to show up before this government will take responsibility that they are the government of the day and they have to take meaningful action? I suggest this government stop talking about building houses for five seconds and listen to the 100,000 people who are currently needing this government’s help. It’s time to put the tires back on the car and let the rubber hit the road.

Speaker, will the minister promise the 100,000 individuals and their families that the 2024 budget will ensure there will be no further cuts to their supports and services?

I thank my honourable colleague for the very important question. Let me make it very clear: We said it, and the Premier has been very clear that we will make sure that no one in Ontario is left behind. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are investing over $1.5 billion in the sector, to make sure that everyone receives service. Just to put it in perspective, that is $1 billion more than the previous government was investing, over half a billion dollars more than when we formed government, in supportive living for those who require service.

The previous government simply did not do enough. That wasn’t good enough for this Premier. That wasn’t good enough for this caucus. We said that we were not going to leave anyone behind. We are going to be there to provide them with the service. We’ve been there. I have visited literally every Community Living service, including the one in the member’s riding, to make sure that they know they have a partner in this government, and we will not abandon them like the previous government did. We will—

The member is talking about investment. I’d be more than happy to repeat that. Mr. Speaker, we’re investing over $3.7 billion in the developmental services sector this year. That is a billion dollars more than when we formed government. The member talks about housing. I’d be more than happy to repeat that, Mr. Speaker: Nearly a half a billion dollars more is being invested in supportive living for people in this province who rely on the housing.

And no, we’re not going to stop. We’re going to make sure that every single person in this province who relies on supports and services gets them, because before, in the previous government, they simply weren’t getting that. That’s not good enough for us. We’ll continue to fight for them. We’ll sure that they have the support they need.

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. From coast to coast, elected officials of all political stripes have been very vocal in calling on our federal government to stop the planned carbon tax hike on April 1. Even the Liberal Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador has come out against the 23% carbon tax hike. And yet, Bonnie Crombie and the Liberals in this House still stand shoulder to shoulder with their federal counterparts in support of the carbon tax.

Unlike them, we’ve knocked on doors. We’ve heard loud and clear from the people of Ontario: They do not support another carbon tax hike. Speaker, can the minister please share what he’s been hearing from businesses and workers when it comes to the Liberals’ planned carbon tax hike?

The message we are hearing from the people of Ontario is loud and clear. It doesn’t matter if it is the minister’s constituents in Nipissing or my constituents in Thornhill; we all want the carbon tax gone. We hear their concerns and that’s why we’ve been so persistent in calling on the federal government to stop their planned carbon tax increase on April 1.

We know what happens when Liberals implement tax hike after tax hike, because the previous Liberal government tested out this same playbook. Speaker, can the minister please remind us of how the previous Liberal government’s agenda of high taxes played out?

Speaker, we have lowered the cost of doing business in Ontario by $8 billion annually. We’ve reduced taxes. We’ve cut red tape. We’ve shown the Liberals the way. This is how you bring business to Ontario.

You know, Speaker, we have an incredibly diverse economy here. No one industry accounts for more than 15%, but each and every one of those businesses that we visit tells us the same thing: “Get rid of the carbon tax.” It is driving up the cost of everything. It is driving up the cost of business. It is driving up the cost in households, and it risks jeopardizing all the competitive advantage that we’ve brought to Ontario.

We need the Liberals and the NDP to pick up the phone, call their federal representatives and tell them to scrap the tax today.

But we took the opposite approach. We cut 500 pieces of red tape. We lowered taxes. That’s why, as you heard the Premier say only a few minutes ago, $28 billion in auto has landed in Ontario, $3 billion in life sciences has landed in Ontario, tens of billions of dollars in tech has landed in Ontario, and all that adds up to 700,000 new jobs created.

Remember, 300,000 jobs lost under the Liberals; 700,000 jobs gained under this PC Party. We showed the Liberals the way. Low taxes are how you create jobs. Stop the tax now.

Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Les francophones du nord de l’Ontario sont les grands oubliés des soins de longue durée. Les gens se demandent s’ils amènent leurs aînés loin de chez eux pour des soins de longue durée en français.

Monsieur le Premier Ministre, vous faites quoi pour augmenter le nombre de lits de longue durée dans Mushkegowuk–Baie James?

Monsieur le Premier Ministre, vous nous avez promis 68 lits à Kapuskasing il y a plus de deux ans. Quand est-ce qu’on va les voir, ces lits-là?

The Minister of Long-Term Care.

Once again, I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor of the House at each other. And secondly, we refer to each other either by our riding name or by a ministerial title, as applicable, not by nicknames.

We can start the clock. The member for Thornhill.

It’s an important issue that’s raised by the member opposite, and I appreciate that he does that this morning. Culturally sensitive homes are very important in this province. We have a diverse population, and a growing aging population at that, and we must be sensitive to the different cultural diversity in this great province of ours. That, of course, includes French Canadians. That’s why, Speaker, we are building record capacity into the system, with $10 billion in expansion—the largest in our country’s history—creating 58,000 new and redeveloped spaces, as well as culturally specific homes designated to cater towards those communities.

Now, the member does raise an important issue when it comes to rural and northern areas. That’s why we need to continue to build and continue to invest and attract health human resources. We’ve done that under the leadership of this Premier: nearly $5 billion, the largest expansion into health human resources in, again, our country’s history. There is, of course, more to be done. That’s why we continue to introduce local priorities, specialized equipment to cater to those unique communities. We’re going to stay on that goal, Speaker. We’re well on the way to making sure that we take care of our seniors, because they took care of us.

Interjections.

There’s a budget—six more sleeps to go—by the fine finance minister over here. I hope that the member learns that if he wants to build capacity in the north, as he wants in Kapuskasing—and the Liberals, who are chirping, want to do better than they did in their past mistakes, by not building beds—well, vote in favour of the budget. I look forward to that support. We’re going to continue to take care of seniors in this—

Interjections.

My question is to the Minister of Transportation. The TTC is falling apart under his watch. It is in shambles. Delays are rampant, streetcars get stuck in unbearable traffic and slow zones on the subway are doubling trip times. After six years of neglect by this government, riders have lost faith in their public transit. This is not just an issue for residents of Toronto. People from across the GTA rely on the TTC to get to work and to their families on time.

This government is letting some of the busiest transit lines fall apart, neglecting existing infrastructure at the detriment of all who use our transit. This government literally allowed the Scarborough RT to fall off the tracks and risk the lives of transit riders.

Mr. Speaker, through you, will this minister give the TTC the financial support it needs?

The provincial funding formula is not tied to inflation, so the TTC is getting the same amount of funding as it did in 2007. The Conservatives are asking the TTC to do more and more with less, and it is transit riders who are paying the price.

To the minister: Does he realize that if they keep neglecting some of the busiest transit lines in the province, this government’s legacy will be a complete loss of faith in Ontarians’ public transit because we have a broken TTC?

You know something, I don’t even know how to respond here, but I’m going to give it a shot.

Fifteen years—nothing was done in Scarborough. They had every single seat in Scarborough, and Triple M sitting beside you—actually, part of the deal with the federal government to build the Scarborough line back in 2010, 2011. We had a historic deal. Guess who shut it down? It was the Liberal provincial government—your government—that shut it down.

We’re actually doubling the size of the subway system. This is the largest subway expansion in North America: $28 billion. As the Liberals ignored the over 630,000 people of Scarborough—just keep in mind again: They had every single riding. Thank God they don’t have any of the ridings.

We’re going to continue fighting for the people of Scarborough because under the Liberal government, they were totally ignored. They aren’t being ignored anymore. We love the people of Scarborough. And by the way: We’re going to get your seat next election.

Interjections.

My question is for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Last Friday, our government joined the international community in recognizing World Consumer Rights Day. This is a time to raise awareness and highlight the importance of knowing your rights when purchasing goods and services in the marketplace.

Speaker, ensuring consumer protection is important for all Ontarians. We need to have access to safe and fair and reliable products and services for our economy to thrive.

I know our government recently passed legislation to advance consumer protections in our province. Speaker, could the minister please explain how this new legislation will enhance enforcement and prohibit unfair business practices in Ontario?

Thank you to the minister for his response and his tireless work within his ministry.

I’m so glad to see that our government is taking the necessary steps to stop bad actors from taking advantage of our hard-working Ontarians through unfair business practices. By updating these rules that protect consumers when they’re shopping or entering contracts with businesses, we’re ensuring that Ontario is a better-adapted place for today’s marketplace.

Speaker, I’ve heard of instances where notices of security interests, or NOSIs, have been used fraudulently against unsuspecting consumers. In many cases, scammers are deliberately targeting the most vulnerable members of our province, including seniors, by registering these NOSIs on properties without their knowledge. This is absolutely unacceptable and our government must do everything that we can do to address consumer harms in all its forms.

Speaker, could the minister please tell the House how our government will protect the people of Ontario from these harmful and fraudulent uses of NOSIs?

I thank the excellent member for Thornhill for that thoughtful question. Last fall our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, introduced comprehensive consumer protection legislation. After a decade and a half of Liberal government neglect, this House unanimously passed the Better for Consumers, Better for Businesses Act, 2023.

I want to emphasize the sheer scope of this legislation. Nearly every single Ontarian engages in marketplace transactions online or in our communities. We’re all consumers. That is why our government is taking responsibility to ensure marketplace fairness and competition. We have tackled unfair business practices, made it easier for Ontarians to cancel subscriptions and membership agreements, protected a consumer’s right to take action in small claims court and increased fines for bad actors using illegal business practices.

We continue to engage now in the regulation-making phase under the act with stakeholders and consumers to ensure consumers are protected and we embrace the—

Back in October, my ministry launched consultations seeking public input on ways to reduce the harmful and fraudulent use of NOSIs. Now I am proud to announce to this House that our government intends to table legislation that, if passed, will retrospectively ban all residential NOSIs in the land registry system. This is a monumental step, not only for Ontario but for Canada, for Ontario has taken the lead on this. Unlike the NDP’s limited understanding of this issue, the misuse of NOSIs has evolved beyond the HVAC industry and has even been used on items as small as camera doorbells.

Doing nothing is not an option. We will take action. Stay tuned for this legislation this spring.

The teacher shortage in our education system is causing chaos for students, families and workers. The government created this problem with its cuts to education, its wage suppression bill and its disrespect for teachers. We now have thousands of teachers leaving the sector, many of them not waiting for the end of the school year, because of the working conditions.

Instead of big words and band-aid solutions, will the Minister of Education actually solve the problem by significantly investing in education and providing every child with the support they need?

School boards have already had to cut teacher and education worker positions because of this government’s underfunding, and now they’re looking at even more cuts this year. The Toronto District School Board has to cut $20.8 million. Peel announced they’re closing special education classes and laying off teachers. This government’s underfunding is pouring gasoline on the fire of the teacher shortage. If the minister wants to address the problem, why not start with adequate funding for education?

Mr. Speaker, every single voice in the education system is on the same page here, with the exception, apparently, of the New Democrats, Liberals and teacher unions who opposed a common-sense recommendation supported by every principals’ association, supported by every trustees’ association, supported by common-sense families who want experienced retired educators to be at the front of the class to fix short-term absentee issues.

We have educators in this province, on average, taking 16 days off in the 184 days of work. We have a problem, and we have a solution in the short term: Use experienced retirees. Everyone’s on the same page, but the teachers’ unions—of course supported by the NDP, who are ill prepared to stand up for kids; they’re always prepared to stand up for the special interests. Why not advance a simple request of ensuring we can leverage retirees to keep qualified educators at the front of class?

Today we have put forth a simple request to leverage experienced educators to fill short-term absences, and the opposition have affirmed today that they oppose a common-sense provision that every principals’ association, every trustees’ association, English and French, Catholic and public—we are all on the same page, except for the opposition. They’re going to have to explain to parents why they would rather protect pension entitlements instead of advancing quality, consistent in-person learning for every child in this province.

Thank you.

Supplementary question.

My question is for the Solicitor General. It is clear to everyone but the federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts that the carbon tax is hurting Ontario families and businesses. It is not only driving up the cost of goods, but it is also driving up the cost of fuel and gasoline for everyone in our province.

I’ve heard from people in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora who are concerned about the effects of the carbon tax on the public safety system. They want to ensure the police and firefighters who keep their communities safe are not being impacted by this regressive tax.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General please explain the consequences of the federal carbon tax on our province’s public safety system?

People in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora are concerned about the rising levels of crime in our province, including in my riding. They want to see police services have the support and resources they need to protect their communities and my community instead of paying an additional fuel cost because of the carbon tax. The people of Ontario have spoken time and time again. The federal government must eliminate the carbon tax now.

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

I want to thank the member from Newmarket–Aurora, and she’s right. Last weekend, I knocked on doors in my riding, and I listened to the business owners who are so concerned about public safety. You know, Mr. Speaker, Bonnie Crombie served on the board of the Peel regional police service board. She knows first-hand that there are no exemptions. Nobody is exempted, from police or fire or anybody in Ontario, to avoid paying the carbon tax. Every vehicle that is fuelled up pays the tax.

Mr. Speaker, it’s obvious people in Ontario demand public safety. They have a right to feel safe in their own homes and communities and watch their kids go to school safely. What we don’t need is a tax that penalizes those that keep us safe. The Liberals can help today. Pick up the phone and say, “Cancel that tax.”

I want to again thank the member opposite. The carbon tax, which most people don’t understand, affects public safety. Ontarians have demanded that they have a right to feel safe in their communities, and this government, under Premier Ford, has made it a priority. But when we have, as an example, the OPP spending over $4 million a year, unnecessarily, to pay the federal carbon tax, do the math on how many extra officers, boots on the ground, they could have.

Just this morning, I was in Peel, together with our great member for Mississauga—Malton. We were at the Auto Theft Summit. The chiefs told us that every cent is precious to fighting crime, to getting those violent and repeat offenders off our streets.

The carbon tax doesn’t help at all; it hurts. The Liberals can do something right away: They can call their leader, who can call the Prime Minister and say—

Thank you to the member for the question. That is a member, though, that voted against building the Ontario Line in the first place—our transit plan back in 2019, which doesn’t just include the Ontario Line, but Eglinton West and Scarborough and Yonge North. We developed a transit-oriented communities program that does build housing around our transit, and we are anticipating building 54,000 new homes for Ontarians on our subway lines.

We are building the Ontario Line. Construction is under way. And as part of the Ontario Line construction, we are also building complete communities at our stations, which will include 54,000 new homes for residents in the city of Toronto.