Thank you. The next question.

The Attorney General.

The Attorney General.

Thank you to the member from Newmarket–Aurora for the question. She’s a great, great member.

We know that this carbon tax is about to go up a staggering 23% on April 1. That’s just next week, just a few days away. We know the provincial Liberals support this hike.

The Ontario Liberals, ruled by the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, refuse to call on the federal Liberals to get rid of the punitive carbon tax. In fact, if Bonnie Crombie is the queen, that makes the independent Liberals the princes and the princesses of the carbon tax. We’ve got carbon tax nobility in our midst.

To the great communities in rural Ontario: Don’t worry. Our government is saying yes to rural Ontario, keeping energy costs down. We’re cutting the gas tax, investing in northern Ontario through our biomass program—$60 million going to strengthen the forestry sector and create jobs in the north. Our government will continue to build and support rural communities across Ontario.

It’s clear from the carbon tax that the Liberals across the way just don’t want anything to be built in Ontario. It just shocks me how completely out of touch the members opposite are to think that a 23% increase in the carbon tax is acceptable and a way to build Ontario.

But it’s no surprise that the Liberals and the NDP aren’t listening to the people. Why expect them to start now? The people have been talking about the carbon tax for years, and the members opposite have done absolutely nothing about it.

But we’re doing something about it. We’re extending the removal of the gas tax—14 cents on every litre, ensuring that resources can move across Ontario to get houses, roads, transit lines built for Ontarians.

We’re building the province at a rate the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and her Liberals could never imagine. We’ll continue to do that and continue to support Ontarians and the building of this great province every step of the way, despite the carbon tax.

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. The federal carbon tax is making everything more expensive for everyone in this province. People in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora and across Ontario are paying more for groceries, for services and for fuel since the implementation of this disastrous tax.

To make matters worse, the federal Liberals are increasing costs at the pump, from about 14.31 cents per litre to about 37.43 cents per litre in 2030. This is punishing drivers across the province, especially in rural areas, where they rely more heavily on their vehicles. No one should have to choose between filling up their gas tanks or filling up their pantries.

Can the minister please tell this House how our government is supporting Ontario’s rural communities through this challenging time?

The previous Liberal government neglected rural communities for 15 years. Their disrespect for rural Ontarians continues to this day.

Individuals and families are greatly concerned about what the future will hold as the federal government continues to impose further tax hikes.

It is impossible to understand how the federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts are content to pass additional costs on to people who are already stretching their incomes.

The carbon tax effects are widespread, including negative impacts to industries in the natural resources sector.

Can the minister please explain why our province is better off without the federal carbon tax?

My question is to the Premier.

Today, we are joined by two courageous women, Emily Ager and Cait Alexander. Both of them experienced horrific gender-based violence. The police investigated, evidence was collected, charges were laid, and they took their accused to court, only to have their cases then thrown out due to unconstitutional delays. Cait frequently contacted the courts to remind them of the looming deadline and ask for a hearing date, only for her case to be then scheduled after 18 months, after the Jordan deadline had passed. When she pointed this out, they said that nothing could be done.

Violent abusers and rapists walk free in our communities today. The government’s underfunding of the court system has led to that.

Will the Premier commit today, in front of Cait and Emily and their families, to fund the courts, to clear the backlogs, so survivors can have their actual day in court?

Interjections.

Emily’s rape trial began, but it could not finish because the timeline ran out. Yesterday, Emily told me that her legal and court part of her story is now over. She’s now fighting for all survivors after her so that they can have a chance to have their day in court.

How many other survivors have to come forward to tell their painful stories again and again before this Premier and government is willing to admit that they’ve let them down, that the courts are in shambles and they refuse to do anything about it?

Interjections.

I don’t have the luxury of being able to address individual cases, so I will talk in broader terms.

We are doing everything we can. We’re investing in the courts. I can tell you, the opposition tells the stories, but we’re taking the action. We have hired over 340 individuals in the court system, be it crown prosecutors, victim-witness assistants, court employees, court staff and bail vettors. It is incredible, the amount of resources this government is putting into the system to deal with the lack of progress that happened under the Liberals, previous to us.

Mr. Speaker, here’s the real challenge: Will the member opposite, in front of these individuals, stand up and tell them that they will support the budget that says we are investing $6 million over three years for the children at risk of exploitation; $4.5 million over three years for the victim quick response team; $2.5 million over three years to increase the outreach to children and youth; $27 million over three years to enhance sexual assault and domestic violence services; and $6.5 million over three years to support—

We are supporting all parts of the system. We recently put $18.7 million into 400 gender-based service providers. You voted against it. We put additional money into emergency shelters, to counselling and to 24-hour services. You did nothing; you voted against it. Indignation does not pay the bills.

We are supporting the victims in this system. We’re adding resources, we’re adding capital, we’re adding the staff and the people who need to make the system run. It was left in shambles by the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP. And now they vote against every single improvement to protect the vulnerable in our society.

To respond, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Last year, from April to October, 441,000 hectares of forest burned in Ontario. We all remember the orange skies, the unbreathable air and the community evacuations of last summer, which is why it’s such a disappointment to see that climate change is ignored in this do-nothing budget.

Do you know what this budget has done to firefighting? Since 2022, $100 million of funding has been slashed. Quebec is hiring more firefighters. Alberta has declared their wildfire season open in February. Ontario? We cut $100 million from the firefighting budget.

I have a question for the Premier. Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned around him. What instrument will the Premier choose?

But I’ll tell you what I’ll give the minister: I will give the minister a chance.

A lack of snow this winter and a dry spring spells disaster for our wildfire season. Ontario has historically hired 800 firefighters; this year, we’re projected to hire 440—that’s half of our firefighting teams.

The government is fully aware of this crisis. They commissioned a $100,000 third-party audit on firefighter retention, and then they didn’t publish it. They know what it will take to fix the problem, but they want to hide it because they’re not doing what needs to be done.

Will the Premier commit to publishing the final report of that audit?

My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation.

The carbon tax is punishing the hard-working people of Ontario. Residents in my riding of Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke tell me every day that this regressive tax is adding further strain to their household budgets. It’s raising the price of everything, from groceries and services to the cost of fuel. And with next week’s 23% hike, drivers across the province will be paying even more at the pumps.

The dire effects of the carbon tax are felt by our trucking industry, which serves a critical role in transporting the goods that we need in our daily lives.

Can the minister explain the impact of the federal carbon tax on Ontario’s trucking industry?

It is clear that the federal carbon tax is affecting the everyday lives of truckers across Ontario.

Up until this point, the federal government has increased the carbon tax on fuel not once, not twice, but five times. To make matters even worse, they plan on increasing it another seven times by 2030.

The opposition NDP and independent Liberals continue to ignore the harmful effects the carbon tax is having on our industries. Rather than standing up for their constituents, they’re choosing to support the federal government’s unjust tax. Our government will continue to advocate for Ontarians and call for the elimination of this tax once and for all.

Can the minister please further explain the lasting impact that this punitive tax will have on Ontario’s truckers?

Thank you to the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke for that question.

Mr. Speaker, truck drivers are the backbone in keeping our economy moving. My uncle is a truck driver. I know truck drivers navigate the long, quiet roads throughout the night to deliver the goods that we often take for granted each morning.

It is very clear that by increasing the carbon tax, the federal Liberal government does not support the hard-working truck drivers. The carbon tax increases the cost of diesel. Every kilometre costs truck drivers more not just in fuel, but the precious moments they spend away from their families cost more than ever.

Truck drivers are not asking for a free ride, but asking for a fair one—a road where their commitment to our economy is not answered with a penalty.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, this government and this transportation minister have always stood with truck drivers, and together, we will fight the carbon tax.

The federal Liberals, supported by the Ontario Liberals and NDP, fail to understand that the increase in the carbon tax has a significant impact on the budget of every household in Ontario. The carbon tax is in fact an unwanted guest at the table of every single hard-working Canadian.

Imagine a single mother juggling multiple jobs, struggling to pay for groceries because the carbon tax increases her expenses. Think about a small business owner trying to keep their doors open, or a truck driver who’s trying to get their goods moved across our province, or a farmer who is trying to feed our nation.

We must push back against this tax hike on April 1—which is increasing 23%.

Our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, will always fight for the hard-working—

To the Premier: Over 400 Art Gallery of Ontario workers are on strike, and many of these cultural workers are artists themselves. They’re here today. These are the people who welcome us into the AGO. They set up and they dismount art installations. They hang the art. They provide educational enrichment through tours. They helped raise funds for the AGO’s new building. They clean the gallery. But they are struggling to pay rent and buy food. Because of their hard work, the AGO has become a world-class destination, and yet this government hasn’t increased the AGO’s budget in over 10 years.

My question is to the Premier: Will this Conservative government properly fund arts institutions so their deficits aren’t being balanced on the backs of the least-paid workers? Will the Premier show them the “Monet”?

With respect to what the AGO is going through right now regarding negotiations and into agreements, we will leave that up to the leadership of the AGO. I’m hopeful, as many are, that the AGO and OPSEU will reach a negotiated agreement very soon.

With respect to the work and the impact they make in this community and our province, and frankly, across the country, it’s at a level that most people don’t understand. Their impact on tourism, the opportunities that they create and the great job that they do, not only within and outside the AGO, is outstanding. We thank them for their work. That’s why I remain optimistic that a deal will be agreed to relatively soon.

Thank you to the member opposite. I really appreciate that question, because you did bring up some points about the rising cost of living in Ontario.

Ontario is not an island and immune to the global inflation and rising costs we’re seeing around the world.

But the government of Ontario is taking action. We’re taking action right now in this budget. The Ontario government is currently lowering the cost of gas, cutting the gas tax and extending it until December 2024. This is something that I heard the Minister of Energy just say that Bonnie Crombie and the Liberals and the carbon tax queen would not be doing. In fact, on April 1, it is not only April Fool’s Day; it’s the day the carbon tax is going to go up, penalizing truckers, workers and commuters across Ontario.

We’re taking action to make life more affordable for residents across the province and your riding.

The carbon tax is the most punitive tax the government of Canada is putting on the people of Ontario. It’s hurting everybody in Ontario: truckers, commuters, drivers, families—everything. Groceries are going up.

The government of Ontario is committed to making life more affordable, and we’re going to stand, as we’ve continued to, to fight the federal carbon tax.

I just hope the other independents might take a lesson from that independent and stand with us against the carbon tax.

Supplementary question.

Back to the Premier: Over 60% of AGO workers are precarious part-time workers, and they’re kept that way—they are contract. They can’t make enough hours to meet the full-time threshold, because, they told me yesterday, the AGO puts up roadblocks. All this, while the AGO contracts out, while AGO execs have recently received salary bonuses of up to 59.6%. While there’s “no more money for wages,” we’ve got the AGO CEO making over $400,000 a year, with bonuses of $250,000 annually.

My question is back to the Premier: Does this government think this is fair? How are they prepared to work with the AGO and get the employer to the table to have these workers get what they deserve: fair wages, full-time opportunities, protection against contracting out and livable hours of work?

I won’t repeat what I just said, because of the importance of the AGO and the workers there that we see when we go over every day and the great work that they do.

I did mention at the outset, on the previous question, that they are in the midst of negotiations. I believe they’ve been to the table. I’m not sure if this means—I’m not sure what’s going on, but I will leave it in the hands of the experts and those who run the AGO and OPSEU to come to an agreement that will help the workers and those people get back to where they want to be.

The AGO is an important part of what we do in our community. It drives tourism, in spite of what is often talked about in this Legislature, which makes me really quite sad at times—when we don’t look at tourism as a driving force of this economy.

I’m confident that a deal will be reached, and I’m positive it will be good for both the AGO and the workers.

My question is to the Minister of Finance. I hear from my constituents who feel stressed and frustrated with the rising cost of living in my riding of Don Valley North, which is echoed throughout Ontario. From families with children to young individuals to seniors, people in Ontario are feeling the pinch at home, at grocery stores and gas stations. With the looming further carbon tax hike, these expenses are only expected to soar. With so many people struggling to make ends meet, they are undoubtedly looking for relief.

Can the minister please tell this House what this government is doing to protect the people of Ontario and to combat the rising cost of living?

My follow-up question is also to the Minister of Finance.

Speaker, Ontarians are experiencing economic challenges due to the current high cost of living, and yet the federal government is adding more burdens that will cost an average Ontario family $1,674 in taxes, starting next Monday.

The 2024 budget has been presented already, on Tuesday. Can the minister further elaborate to highlight how this government is helping Ontarians weather these difficult times as it continues to work to bring about more economic stability, optimism and prosperity?

My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business.

The federal carbon tax is disproportionately affecting small businesses in our province. It is hindering investment, expansion and job creation.

To make matters worse, entrepreneurs in my riding of Markham–Thornhill tell me the federal government’s promised rebates are simply not offsetting increasing costs.

Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition, our government has always known that the carbon tax only serves to punish hard-working entrepreneurs. That is why we have spoken out against this harmful tax from day one.

I know the associate minister has been busy meeting with small business owners across the province and listening to their concerns.

Could the associate minister tell us what the response has been to the carbon tax?

Speaker, general contractors, tradespeople, suppliers and site prep companies all have a critical role in building our province. Sadly, the carbon tax has been a nightmare for their industry. It is driving up the cost on the material and the fuel they need to create more housing. This is ridiculous. The federal government must cut the carbon tax so that small businesses can continue to do their important work and build Ontario.

Can the associate minister tell the House what impact the carbon tax has on small businesses in the construction industry?

Thank you to the member for Markham–Thornhill for raising such an important question and his hard work for his constituents.

Speaker, I’ve heard a resounding response regarding the impact of the carbon tax. Business owners have expressed their frustrations with the increased costs associated with the tax, emphasizing how it affects their day-to-day operations and overall competitiveness. They’re saying it’s unfair that they pay the most and they get the least. In fact, they’re still waiting on the dedicated 10% of carbon tax revenues that small businesses and Indigenous groups were promised.

Speaker, the Liberals across the floor would like Ontario businesses to believe that they’re better off without the $1.3 billion that they’re owed. The Liberals and the NDP need a reality check. But unlike them, we won’t stop calling on Ottawa to do what’s right for our small businesses: Pay them back—

I also hear the serious concerns expressed by small businesses in the construction industry regarding the impacts of the carbon tax. The business owners who are in charge of building homes in this province and getting shovels in the ground while creating job opportunities say that thanks to the federal carbon tax, they’re paying more for the gas they need to get to the site and to move their materials.

Small businesses like Groupa Construction in Durham are saying, “This heavy tax will be on the backs of hard-working Canadians and our clients in residential and civil sectors.” That extra cost could mean a business must lay someone off to balance their books, or charge more to build homes, further driving up prices.

Speaker, the carbon tax is detrimental to every business in every sector. We will stand up for all Ontarians. Scrap the tax now.

I want to congratulate the member for being a volunteer firefighter, and everyone who stands up to be a volunteer firefighter in the province of Ontario.

The member is right; every time you fuel up a fire truck—300 litres is an average fire truck, and an aerial truck is even more; a pumper, they’re more. They know when they go to the gas pumps, $60 or more for each fill-up is just for the carbon tax. When you add it up, it’s over $8,000 a year just for the carbon tax portion of fuelling that truck. And it’s not fair—it’s not fair anywhere in Ontario. There’s no confusion with our government, but the independent Liberals, in their alternate reality show, think it’s great—and it’s not.

It’s not too late. Pick up the phone, call Justin Trudeau and his cabinet and say, “This is affecting our firefighters. Cancel that tax.”

The carbon tax on every vehicle that is used for public safety is an added cost that could be used to buy more bunker gear, buy more technology to fight auto theft—do something that we can have a tangible, lasting benefit. The carbon tax costs us on public safety. It’s not fair.

It’s not too late. Bonnie Crombie should do the right thing, call her friend Justin Trudeau, because she has the number, and cancel—