Il me fait plaisir de vous présenter l’Association des gestionnaires de l’éducation franco-ontarienne : Jean-François Bard, président de l’AGÉFO et surintendant de l’éducation pour le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est; Jennifer Lamarche Schmalz, direction générale de l’AGÉFO; Jean-Guy Fréchette, Grande-Ourse Consultation; mais en particulier Guylaine Scherer, qui vient de mon comté, qui vient de Kapuskasing. Bienvenue, Guylaine. Elle est la vice-présidente de l’AGÉFO et direction des communications au conseil scolaire public du nord-est. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

I’d like to welcome to the House Director General Jin-Ling Chen and members of the Taiwanese community who are here to celebrate the birthday of George Leslie Mackay. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I, too, on behalf of the official opposition, would like to welcome the director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Toronto, Jin-Ling Chen; staff Ethan Liao; and the rest of the members from the Taiwanese community. Welcome.

It’s with great pleasure that I welcome Julia Martin and Elizabeth Martin, who I think will be here shortly. Julia is the mom of Christopher, one of our pages. We’re very happy that you’re in the House today. Thank you for coming.

And Speaker, I’d be remiss, even though he’s not here in person—today is Ed Broadbent’s birthday, and he’s with me right here.

I’d like to welcome some members from my community who are here today and who were instrumental in getting me here in this seat today. I’d like to welcome Blake Koehler, Adam Mobbs, Damon Liu, John Fiorni, Matt Buist and Stephanie McCleave. Welcome to your House.

I’m happy to introduce and welcome Harold Wang, lead counsel for the Audemus Law Firm located in my wonderful riding of Markham–Thornhill. Trained in Canadian, American and Chinese law, he also serves as vice-president for the Canadian Fujian Business and Trade Association. He’s joined by his assistant, Ashley Kwan Yi Mui, and Zijian Cui, my wonderful student assistant. Welcome to the Legislature of Ontario.

It’s my great honour to welcome the amazing crew from NDP Western who are visiting Queen’s Park today, including Austin Wang, Liam Solomon, Alex Wild, Marek Brooking, Can Batili, Nicholas Pestill and Ismael Sayal. You’re all an inspiration.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t welcome members of my legislative and constituency team, Marie Rioux and Sarah Lehman.

I hope you have a great visit today.

I’d like to introduce folks from the Lake Simcoe area who have travelled here to recognize World Water Day: Ann Truyens, from AWARE Simcoe; Linda Wells, from Barilla Park Residents Association; Penny Trumble, Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation; Rostyslaw Pityk from Innisfil District Association; Jean Ucar, Innisfree cottagers; Jack Gibbons, Lake Simcoe Watch; and Katharine Harries, Midland field naturalists. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

From the ZAKA search and rescue organization, I’d like to welcome Irene Nurith Cohn to the Ontario Legislature.

Speaker, following the lead of my colleague from Hamilton west, I’d also like to welcome Erik Schomann, Donna Deneault and Verne Deneault from Save Our Water Tiny township, and the Thomas Moore from Simcoe County Kairos. Welcome to the Legislature.

Meegwetch, Speaker. I want to welcome to the Legislature the people from Rescue Lake Simcoe: Margaret Prophet, Claire Malcolmson, Susan Sheard, Jessica-Margaret Paige Merriman, William Alexander Agnew, Diana Wells and Carolyn V Boyer. Meegwetch for being here.

I’m so sorry. I’m just trying to catch my breath here.

We announced $3 billion for infrastructure today with the Premier and the Minister of Finance as part of the 2024 budget—very happy to see that happen.

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear: There is no phase 2. There is no paving of the Brigantine Cove. What we decided to do, Mr. Speaker, was instead to expand the public realm space to 50 acres. We’re building a brand new stage, wellness facility, park and, as well, a new science centre, marina and food and beverage on the site. That is what we showed to the public in April; that is what we are constructing today.

What’s most exciting is that Ontarians will finally have an Ontario Place that they can enjoy for years to come.

Good morning. This question is for the Premier. Speaker, the closer you look at the government’s Ontario Place scheme, the worse it gets. Yesterday, we revealed a previously unknown phase 2 of the project that even involves a plan to fill in parts of Lake Ontario to build a “large-scale entertainment centre.” While the minister tried to brush this off, she didn’t directly deny it.

So, I want to hear from the Premier: Does he plan to fill in parts of Lake Ontario for this vanity project, yes or no?

Yesterday, the minister said over and over and over again that the government only plans to move the science centre to Ontario Place. They only came up with that plan in 2023. Today, the official opposition is sharing more documents that show the plans to relocate the science centre were already in motion in January of 2020. That’s three full years before the plans were announced to the public.

We need some transparency from the Premier today. When exactly did the government decide to move the science centre, and why did they hide it from the public?

The final supplementary.

I’m going to caution the Leader of the Opposition on her choice of words.

To reply, the Minister of Infrastructure.

Government House leader.

The minister’s timeline keeps changing, and that’s what happens when you make major infrastructure decisions in the shadows and the backrooms.

The government had already decided on this plan more than a year and a half before they announced that Therme won the contract. The documents we uncovered appeared to show the undisclosed attraction plan for Ontario Place has the exact same footprint as Therme’s proposal—quite a coincidence.

So, Speaker, did the government give preferential treatment to Therme for its luxury spa proposal?

Last year, the Premier confirmed that his family friend Carmine Nigro was negotiating a mysterious sole-source agreement with Ontario Live. Ontario Live happens to be run by another family friend, Zlatko Starkovski. What is the relationship between the secret Ontario Live agreement and the secret phase 2 plan for Ontario Place?

People shouldn’t have to make freedom-of-information requests to find out about a major infrastructure project happening with their money. People shouldn’t need a chart of the Premier’s friends and family to find out who is securing sole-source contracts.

We need this Premier and this minister to come clean about this project. So to what extent were these deals made to benefit the Premier and his personal friends?

How can this shady deal proceed considering this government is already under investigation by the RCMP?

Interjections.

I’m happy to repeat myself again: In 2019, we did a call for development where we encouraged people to participate in the process. In 2021, we picked our partners, which are Therme and Live Nation, and in April of 2023, we presented the whole vision of Ontario Place, which included a brand new stage, 50 acres of public realm space, wellness facility and water park provided by Therme and a brand new science centre.

We have been fully transparent with the public throughout this entire process. We have consulted with close to 10,000 people throughout this process. But again, what is most important is that a site that was forgotten about by the Liberal government will now come to life and be a site that families and Ontarians can enjoy for generations to come.

The Liberals closed the site—of course, there’s Trillium Park, but the rest of the site is deteriorating, is flooding, to the degree that Live Nation actually had to close down their shows in 2017. And that is acceptable to the NDP. It is not acceptable to us.

We have a vital asset on the waterfront that is not being used. We are building attractions on the site so that families can enjoy the site once again.

We have kept the public apprised of this project the whole way. We have spoken about this project almost on a daily basis in the Legislature, and we will continue to keep the public apprised of our project. In fact, we just wrapped up a consultation with marina operators. We are planning on rebuilding and revitalizing the marina, making it a more inclusive marina. We have every intention to bring food and beverage on the site, because we know families with children need to have a drink and they need to have food for their children and have ice cream on the site. And that is how we are proceeding, Mr. Speaker.

Interjections.

Meegwetch, Speaker. Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

Neskantaga First Nation is coming on its 30th year with a boil-water advisory. That is 10,641 days. Once again, tomorrow is World Water Day. In the riding of Kiiwetinoong, I have 14 First Nations that have boil-water advisories.

Speaker, it is racism to do nothing. Next week’s budget is an opportunity for change. I ask, will there be any allocations for money to lifting boil-water advisories on reserves?

Interjections.

I appreciate the question from the member opposite. Look, I can’t confirm anything that will be in the budget. The member will have to wait until next Tuesday for the details of the budget.

At the same time, I know that the minister has continued to work very closely with our federal partners. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the federal government made a commitment to First Nations back in 2015 that they would provide the necessary funding to remove all boil-water advisories across the country. That is a promise that has still not been kept by the federal government. We will continue to hold their feet to the fire to make sure that we can get this promise, not only for First Nations, frankly, across the province of Ontario, but I think all First Nations across the country who are relying on the federal government to live up to this promise back in 2015.

Speaker, tomorrow is World Water Day, March 22, and we have many people here in the gallery who have travelled from the Lake Simcoe area. They, along with the Chippewas of Georgina Island, are very concerned with the health of this beloved lake. We have a majority government. There are five Lake Simcoe area Conservative MPPs, including the Minister of the Environment, in this area. There’s existing legislation dating back to 2008, and yet, we have seen no action in cleaning up the phosphorus issues in Lake Simcoe.

This budget, the Conservative budget, is coming next week. Will the Premier finally adequately—adequately—fund the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan, yes or no?

Interjections.