Mr. Speaker, I’m incredibly disappointed at the member across the way, that she would characterize the Premier’s statements supporting workers in this province as anything but just that.

But it’s typical, Mr. Speaker, that they just don’t get the brief right. They don’t hear and see what is going on, what this government is doing for northern Ontario. Of course we want that mill open in Terrace Bay, and we’ve talked numerous times with leaders in the area about how we’re working on doing that.

More importantly, Mr. Speaker, what we’re doing is saying, “We look after workers in this party,” and everybody in the north knows that, because everybody is tired of 15 years of disrespect during the previous government when they were linked up with the opposition that did nothing for the north.

So, again, no lessons from the opposition today. We’re working for the people of Terrace Bay. We’re working to get that mill back open. We’re making investments—

Interjections.

We could tell stories, time after time after time, about the investments that we’ve made. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we continue to make those investments today. I’ve talked about the biomass program that we’ve expanded for the next three years—$60 million of investment strictly for northern Ontario to grow and prosper, to work with Indigenous communities, to find new pathways. That’s just part of what we are doing.

What we are doing is looking at an integrated forestry sector—how it works together. Terrace Bay is part of that. Opportunities that will come in the future are certainly part of that.

The NDP never understood forestry. They show their ignorance every time they stand up. We’re working on behalf of the forestry sector here in Ontario. We’ll continue to do it every single day.

I’d like to wish everyone a belated happy Tartan Day; that was on Saturday.

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. The people of northern Ontario are being treated unfairly by the federal Liberal government. The cost of transporting goods is already much higher in the north than anywhere else in the province. It’s a vast land where many individuals have to travel by car, and in many cases large vehicles are needed for safety due to the many backroads and unpredictable weather conditions. It’s not fair that they’re being hit hardest at the gas pumps and in the grocery stores.

Speaker, while our government’s position on the carbon tax has always been crystal clear, the NDP and the Liberals representing these communities continue to ignore their concerns. It’s time to scrap the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the carbon tax negatively affects northern municipalities?

The carbon tax is, in essence, a tax on everything: your groceries, your gas, heating your home and so much more. It is not right. The businesses and families in northern communities are negatively impacted because of this regressive tax. Rather than offering support, the Liberals and the NDP have turned their backs on northern communities.

Unlike other parts of our province, northerners face unique challenges when it comes to fuel costs that need to be understood and to be respected. It’s disappointing to see how the opposition continues to underplay the repercussions of the carbon tax on northern and Indigenous communities.

Speaker, can the minister elaborate on the detrimental effects the carbon tax is having on people, communities and the businesses all across the north?

Writ large across the region of northern Ontario, Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Minister of Energy and I have been talking with First Nations leaders from the Matawa communities. These are the final five, in the spirit of basketball, and I’ll tell you something, Mr. Speaker, what they have in common is that they’re still all on diesel, but they are seriously motivated, as never before, to try and understand what kinds of opportunities the province of Ontario can give them to provide relief from diesel fuel.

It’s environmentally irresponsible. It needs to stop, Mr. Speaker, and those conversations culminated in an announcement by our Premier in beautiful Kakabeka Falls just last week to begin more formal discussions about how we can bring clean, green electricity to their regions and get them off costly diesel, which now, with the carbon tax, the price is going to grow exponentially.

It’s time to scrap the tax, Mr. Speaker.

A responsible government puts policy contours into action that relieve people from the cost. So we cut the gas tax. We provided a cut to the cost of fuel to transport goods into the isolated north, and what did the federal government do for the isolated communities in northern Ontario? I think the member from Kiiwetinoong knows.

My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Globe reported that his Attorney General refused to meet the Federation of Ontario Law Associations, an organization that represents 46 district and county law associations—literally thousand of lawyers across Ontario. They have expressed outrage, Speaker, and grave concern that this government is admittedly out to politicize judicial appointments by hand-picking Conservative and like-minded judges. FOLA wonders why the Attorney General is so afraid to meet with one of the ministry’s most important stakeholders, the actual legal community that’s keeping our justice system running.

The Ontario association of family lawyers has warned that the Premier’s political interference meddling could result in judges being appointed without any experience in the areas of law that they adjudicate. “It would be like going to an artist for an oil change,” wrote family law association co-founder Mary Reilly.

Speaker, will the Premier explain to Ontarians why, if they are facing a criminal case, a gun violence case, a divorce case, a custody case, a Conservative Party supporter is more qualified to decide who presides over the trial than someone who actually is qualified and has the merit to do so?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question because it gives me an opportunity to talk about the thousands of lawyers and the associations that I talk to on a regular basis. I can’t say that I can be any more accessible, whether it be through social media or whether it be with meeting and phone-calling on a continuous basis.

Now, this issue in particular, I think we’ve had lots of debate about that, both within the House and in public. Let’s be clear. We do want to make sure that people are held to account. We do want to make sure that perpetrators of crime are kept in jail. We do want to put our best foot forward when it comes to making appointments, but there is a process. It’s a committee that makes recommendations, and I’ll make no apologies for that. We are making excellent appointments across the board.

My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business. Businesses in Oxford are telling me that they are facing unprecedented economic challenges due to the carbon tax and high interest rates. It increases their expenses and makes operating their businesses more challenging.

Speaker, that’s why I was honoured to see our Premier last week, along with the associate minister and other cabinet ministers, rally against the federal carbon tax hike. They were joined by groups like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, and Food and Beverage Ontario to come together and took a stand against the job-killing tax.

I know the associate minister spoke with these industry leaders about the harmful impacts small businesses are experiencing due to the carbon tax. Can the associate minister inform the House about what she heard from them directly?

Thank you very much to that great, dedicated member from Oxford for raising such an important question.

The message resonating from groups representing farmers, food processors, truckers, agri-food workers, and so many other sectors was resoundingly clear. From the Beef Farmers of Ontario and chicken farmers to the dairy farmers and grain growers to the greenhouse vegetable growers and fruit and vegetables growers’ associations, our agricultural entrepreneurs have warned that spiking costs from the carbon tax are severely undermining their viability and ability to get food on to tables across our province and beyond.

Let’s be crystal clear what the opposition supports when they back the Trudeau Liberals’ carbon tax: They support increased costs that will hammer small businesses, industries and families in Ontario. They support skyrocketing fuel costs that will make it more expensive to transport goods and services. They support soaring heating bills that will stretch household budgets even further.

This Premier, this government have the backs of our small businesses and consumers. We will continue to call on the federal Liberals to scrap the tax.

The ayes are 9; the nays are 91.

The Attorney General.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1146 to 1151.

On March 27, 2024, Mr. Jones, Chatham-Kent–Leamington, moved government notice of motion number 24.

Mr. Fraser moved an amendment to government notice of motion number 24.

Mr. Hsu moved the following amendment to the amendment to government notice of motion number 24:

That the amendment be amended as follows:

By deleting everything after the word “following” and inserting: “In exercising his discretion under standing order 35(g), the Speaker shall recognize independent members for four questions per day, each followed by one supplementary.”

All those in favour of Mr. Hsu’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Is the House ready to vote on the amendment to the main motion? I heard a no.

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1156 to 1300.

First reading agreed to.

Mr. Harden moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr44, An Act to revive 2038778 Ontario Ltd.

First reading agreed to.

They’re on their way up from downstairs, but the entire Roth family is here to be present for the first petition, on mental health, for their daughter Kaitlyn.

Ms. Hogarth moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr43, An Act to revive Richard Crosby Investments Limited.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;

“Whereas staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidence-based;

“Whereas current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;

“Whereas approximately 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34; and

“Whereas the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for alternative destination clinics in communities across Ontario.”

It’s my pleasure to affix my signature, present these 7,000 signatures, and also to honour the life of Kaitlyn Roth.

I have a petition to raise social assistance rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733 for individuals on OW and $1,308 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP);

“Whereas small increases to ODSP have still left these citizens below the poverty line. Both they and those receiving the frozen OW rates are struggling to survive at this time of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for OW and ODSP.”

I’m happy to support this and affix my name and send it with new page Nate.

I want to thank the Roth family for channelling their grief into advocacy, and also the member for Waterloo for the petition that she has brought to this chamber today entitled “Mental Health Services in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;

“Whereas staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidence-based;

“Whereas current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;

“Whereas approximately 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34; and

“Whereas the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for alternative destination clinics in communities across Ontario.”

I support this petition, affix my signature and send it to the table with page Aislyn.

I’m here to present a petition to protect tenants.

“Whereas Ontario is dealing with a massive housing crisis; and

“Whereas housing is a fundamental human right; and

“Whereas affordable rentals are becoming harder and harder to find; and

“Whereas a few predatory landlords are unnecessarily forcing people from their homes under the guise of renovations or to pay rents they cannot afford; and

“Whereas in addition to building new affordable supply we need immediate solutions to keep people housed;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reinstate real rent controls and increase tenant protections in order to preserve our existing affordable rental stock and keep people housed.”

I agree and support this petition. I will sign it and pass it to page Mariam.

I want to thank the member from Waterloo, who has brought thousands of signatures from across Ontario—including from James Fessler from Niagara Falls—for mental health services in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly...:

“Whereas there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;

“Whereas staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidence-based;

“Whereas current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;

“Whereas approximately 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34; and

“Whereas the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for alternative destination clinics in communities across Ontario.”

I wholeheartedly support this petition, affix my name and send it down to the table with Ruby.

I am pleased to be able to read this petition today. Thousands of people have signed this in the Waterloo area calling for mental health services in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;

“Whereas staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidence-based;

“Whereas current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;

“Whereas approximately 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34; and

“Whereas the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for alternative destination clinics in communities across Ontario.”

Of course, I support this petition, will affix my signature and send it to the table with Shiara.

« À l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario :

« Alors que les enfants francophones ont un droit constitutionnel à une éducation de haute qualité, financée par les fonds publics, dans leur propre langue;

« Alors que l’augmentation des inscriptions dans le système d’éducation en langue française signifie que plus de 1 000 nouveaux enseignants et enseignantes de langue française sont nécessaires chaque année pour les cinq prochaines années;

« Alors que les changements apportés au modèle de financement du gouvernement provincial pour la formation des enseignantes et enseignants de langue française signifient que l’Ontario n’en forme que 500 par an;

« Alors que le nombre de personnes qui enseignent sans certification complète dans le système d’éducation en langue française a augmenté de plus de 450 % au cours de la dernière décennie;

« Par conséquent, nous, soussignés, demandons à l’Assemblée législative de l’Ontario de fournir immédiatement le financement demandé par le rapport du groupe de travail sur la pénurie des enseignantes et des enseignants dans le système d’éducation en langue française de l’Ontario et de travailler avec des partenaires pour mettre pleinement en oeuvre les recommandations. »

J’appuie cette pétition, je la signe et je la donne au page Simon.

I want to thank the Roth family for all these petitions and the member for Waterloo for sharing them with us. It’s the “Mental Health Services in Ontario” petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;

“Whereas staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidence-based;

“Whereas current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;

“Whereas approximately 4,500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15 to 34; and

“Whereas the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for alternative destination clinics in communities across Ontario.”

I support this petition. I’ll affix my signature and provide it to page Emirson for the table.

I want to thank Dr. Sally Palmer from McMaster University for her efforts to collect signatures on a petition to raise social assistance rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and far from adequate to cover the rising costs of food and rent: $733 for individuals on” Ontario Works “and $1,227 for ODSP;

“Whereas an open letter to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, signed by over 230 organizations, recommends that social assistance rates be doubled for both Ontario Works” and the ODSP;

“Whereas the recent small increase of 5% for ODSP still leaves these citizens below the poverty line. Both they and those receiving the frozen” Ontario Works “rates are struggling to survive at this time of alarming inflation;

“Whereas the government of Canada recognized in its CERB program that a ‘basic income’ of $2,000 per month was the standard support required by individuals who lost their employment during the pandemic;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to double social assistance rates for” Ontario Works “and ODSP.”

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table with page Nate.

“Whereas we are experiencing a sexual violence epidemic, with Statistics Canada reporting in 2021 that sexual assault was at its highest level in 25 years and community support organizations reporting more crisis calls than ever;

“Whereas 65% of women report experiencing unwanted sexual advances while socializing in a bar or restaurant, and incidents of sexual assaults involving drugs and alcohol most often occur immediately after leaving a licensed establishment or event; and

“Whereas there is no legal requirement for the people who hold liquor licences and permits, sell and serve liquor, or provide security at licensed establishments and events to be trained in recognizing and safely intervening in sexual harassment and violence;

“Whereas servers in licensed establishments also face high risk of sexual violence and harassment from co-workers and patrons;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately pass the Ontario NDP’s Safe Night Out Act to make Ontario’s bars and nightclubs safer for patrons and staff by requiring training in sexual violence and harassment prevention, by strengthening protections for servers from workplace sexual violence, and by requiring every establishment to develop and post a policy on how sexual violence and harassment will be handled, including accessing local resources and supports.”

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and send it to the table with page Duncan.

Mr. Bethlenfalvy moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 180, An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 180, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

I recognize the Minister of Finance to lead off the debate.

Merci beaucoup, monsieur le Président, et au membre aussi, pour votre français. C’était fantastique.

I’ll be sharing my time with the member from Mississauga–Malton and the member from Oakville, who is here.

Today, I’m pleased to lead off second reading debate for the Building a Better Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2024, which I recently introduced in this House. This budget and these budget measures demonstrate how we are delivering on our plan to build. It describes how we are building a better Ontario.

Ce budget et ces mesures budgétaires démontrent que nous réalisons notre plan pour bâtir. Il démontre les actions que nous prenons pour bâtir un Ontario meilleur.

This budget comes at a time when Ontario, like the rest of the world, continues to face economic uncertainty due to high interest rates, global instability and global economic pressures. These are challenges that are putting pressure on the province’s finances and putting pressure, as well, on families across Ontario.

Despite these pressures, we are continuing to deliver on our plan to build. It’s a plan that invests in infrastructure to get more homes built faster. It’s a plan to attract better jobs with bigger paycheques. And it’s a plan that keeps costs down for families and businesses, all while retaining a path to balance.

Madam Speaker, our government is taking a fiscally responsible approach by investing in Ontario’s economy without raising taxes, because we refuse to off-load the costs onto hard-working Ontario families and communities at a time where they’re counting on us to keep costs down. Make no mistake; they are counting on us in this House. As every member here understands, being counted on is a responsibility, a privilege and an honour.

This forward-looking document is a road map. It lays out the road ahead for public services and infrastructure as we continue to foster economic growth and job creation. It’s our vision for the future we want to see for our children and our grandchildren, and the future for all those who may one day come to call Ontario their home, much like my parents did many, many years ago.

With Ontario’s population expected to grow by millions in the coming years, we need a sound plan to meet the needs of our people, to have affordable homes and reliable highways, dependable municipal resources like water and playgrounds, good schools and a robust health care system—everything that one would need to live, to work, to do business and raise a family in Ontario.

This budget—and the actions contained in these measures being discussed today—maintains and improves upon our work to meet the demands of our growing population. It breaks new ground on the road towards our promising future, despite today’s high inflation, high interest rates and global economic uncertainty.

After all, there is no place in Canada or anywhere else in the world quite like Ontario, and no challenge is too large for us to overcome when we work together. There are likely few other jurisdictions anywhere else in the world seeing the kind of growth that Ontario is seeing today, and this growth signals that Ontario is seen as a place that is on the right course when it comes to our priorities.

Il n’existe pas beaucoup d’endroits ailleurs dans le monde qui connaissent l’ampleur de la croissance que vit l’Ontario aujourd’hui. Cette croissance indique que l’Ontario est considéré comme un endroit qui est sur la bonne voie en ce qui a trait à ses priorités.

That is why the budget is drafted with our priorities for the future in mind. This budget provides certainty to markets and, more importantly, confidence to the people of Ontario that the government is prepared for whatever lies ahead. While we don’t have a crystal ball and we don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, we are confident that Ontario is ready for the challenges the world might throw our way.

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, the 2024 budget and its measures are a road map, one that paints a clear picture of how bright Ontario’s future can be and how, despite a challenging economic situation, our government is rebuilding the economy by accelerating Ontario’s plan to build, the most ambitious capital plan in the province’s history. This investment of more than $190 billion over the next 10 years to build and expand highways, transit, homes, high-speed Internet and other critical infrastructure is promoting our economic growth.

More often than not, fostering growth means supporting our municipalities. That is why we are also increasing funding for housing-enabling municipal infrastructure by investing $1 billion in the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program.

Interjections.