Supplementary question? The member for Kiiwetinoong.

The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

First Nations policing is funded as a program, not as an essential service. Extra resources are needed to ensure women experiencing intimate partner violence on-reserve get the referrals to victim services they need. If First Nations policing were essential services, they wouldn’t need to apply to get this kind of funding.

Speaker, will this government stop underfunding First Nations police support services?

I want to thank the member for the question. We take public safety all across Ontario very, very seriously. And as the federal government is considering making it an essential service, as the member opposite said, this is something that we will absolutely support. But in the meantime, as the member knows, as the Community Safety and Policing Act came into force just last week, First Nation police communities have the right to opt in, and we hope they do, so that we will continue to fund adequate policing services and to provide those monies for the communities that they need.

I take this responsibility very, very seriously. I take public safety across Ontario very seriously.

My question is for the Minister of Transportation. The carbon tax is hurting our economy and businesses. When I spoke with many families and business owners just last week in my great riding of Newmarket–Aurora, they were telling me that they feel that the federal Liberals are out of touch.

They are especially concerned about how the federal government is adding to the cost of living by increasing the carbon tax yet again. People in our province are already struggling with high interest rates and living expenses. The last thing they need is another tax hike. Unlike the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals, our government will not stop until the federal Liberals scrap the tax once and for all.

Can the minister please explain the impact the federal carbon tax is having on Ontario families and businesses?

Can the minister please explain the impact the federal carbon tax is having on our trucking industry?

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is absolutely right. In fact, last week, we joined farmers, truckers, small businesses owners and workers in urging the federal government to scrap the 23% increase to our carbon tax.

We know it makes life harder for businesses and families across this province. While those businesses and families are struggling, the federal Liberals continue to pursue an increase to the federal carbon tax, and we know there are going to be more of these. But what’s most surprising is that Bonnie Crombie and the provincial Liberals refuse to add their voice in asking the federal government to scrap the carbon tax.

We will always be supporting small business owners, truckers, and farmers in our fight to stand united against this carbon tax.

But let’s listen to the Ontario Trucking Association that says that the carbon tax raises the cost of deliveries by 6%. That doesn’t even take into consideration the cost to truckers as they deliver these goods: $15,000 to $20,000 is what the carbon tax costs a long-haul truck driver in this province. That is $15,000 to $20,000 that could be going towards their families. That’s $15,000 to $20,000 that could be going to them to make life more affordable and easier for themselves.

We continue to call on the federal government and our provincial Liberals to condemn this 23% hike because we need to support the drivers and the people of this province.

My question is to the Premier. Eighteen months ago, I stood here—right here—demanding action on the Renfrew county recommendations. What did we get? Half measures and empty promises.

Since then, Niagara declared that intimate partner violence is an epidemic. Since then, Niagara’s women’s shelters, like Gillian’s Place and Gateway, have had to turn away nearly 1,000 women for lack of space.

It’s a disgrace, a complete disgrace. You’ve had a plan on your desk for two years and to agree to only now commit to another study is, frankly, not enough.

Minister: Boost the shelters. Commit to increase base funding, and give our survivors the resources and affordable housing they desperately need right now. Minister, if you’re serious about inter-partner violence and you care about the survivors and respect them, when will you act on this and implement it?

I’m wearing purple today in support of the very brave women who endure violent and often unseen crimes. There is no excuse for violence against women, ever.

The Violence Prevention Coordinating Council of Durham represents 35 local agencies and they have reported a significant increase in demand for assistance. These aren’t numbers; these are women.

I’m pleased that Durham region, a year ago, adopted the number one recommendation of the Renfrew county inquest: to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in this province. We’re glad to hear that the province is going to, but I can’t just say, “Thank you.” I’m going to say that many women that Luke’s Place resource centre supports and is working with don’t have access to a lawyer. Legal aid could waive the eligibility requirements for victims of domestic violence. The province could put money into legal aid.

So we’re going to ask for specifics: Will the government put money into legal aid to ensure women leaving abuse have the legal support that they need?

Mr. Speaker, retired judges have warned this Premier to give up his agenda of taking away Lady Justice’s blindfold and replacing it with blue-tinted glasses. Justice doesn’t come from judges thinking like the Premier, but from judges believing they have a duty to follow the law and their conscience, and to serve the people.

For everyday disputes, people rely on Ontario’s tribunals and expect to get a fair shake. The powers that be can’t just do whatever they want. But under this government, experienced adjudicators appointed under the previous government were not reappointed, leaving many vacancies. The Landlord and Tenant Board, the Social Benefits Tribunal and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario lost 35% of their members by 2020.

Will the Premier admit that he is taking his time to find and appoint like-minded adjudicators for Ontario’s tribunals?

Will the Premier acknowledge the grief and financial losses because landlords and tenants and victims of accidents, harassment and discrimination have had to wait too long? Will he admit that this can’t happen again whenever the government changes?

Will he support Bill 179, the Fewer Backlogs and Less Partisan Tribunals Act and send it to committee?

To reply, the Attorney General.

Not only are the tribunals independent, but so is the recruitment process.

I’m very proud of the fact that we have doubled the number of Landlord and Tenant Board adjudicators in the last little while.

It’s unfortunate that the tremendous members that we have across the 15 tribunals under MAG are being slighted by the member opposite. They are professionals who are doing the work of the people of Ontario in an independent and fair manner, and it really is unfortunate that the member wouldn’t celebrate that with us.

My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Speaker, last week, when I was in my riding of Hastings–Lennox and Addington, I heard from so many constituents about how the federal Liberal carbon tax is simply making their lives unaffordable. Ontarians are already coping with high interest rates and a rising cost of living, and the last thing they need is another tax hike. With last week’s hike, the Liberal carbon tax is now forcing Ontarians to pay 17.6 cents on every litre of gas. That’s hundreds of dollars a year for an average household.

Unlike the Liberals and the NDP members across the aisle, who are still refusing to admit that the carbon tax costs all of us, our government will always speak up on behalf of Ontarians. The federal government needs to scrap this tax now.

Will the minister please tell this House how our government is keeping costs down for Ontarians while the members opposite continue to remain silent?

It’s just not fair to punish the hard-working people in our province with this carbon tax. Life has only become more challenging for individuals and families in both rural and northern Ontario, who end up relying exclusively on their vehicles for transportation. They are being hit hardest at the gas pumps and at the grocery stores. And what’s worse is that Bonnie Crombie, the queen of the carbon tax, and her Liberal cohort, want to keep on increasing your gas prices and bring back the cap-and-trade system. They’re just like the federal Liberals, who take every opportunity to add more costs to Ontarians’ bills. They’ve never met a tax they wouldn’t raise.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to make life more affordable for the people of rural and northern Ontario and all across this province?

First, I want to thank the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington for being a great PA for me for almost two years. He did an absolutely fantastic job, and I know the member for Newmarket–Aurora is going to do an equally fantastic job.

Speaker, we all know that when you go to work every day, you’re paying the carbon tax in your vehicle driving on the road, but you’re also paying it off the road too. We’ve got members of the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders here today that are supporting responsible trail use all throughout Ontario with off-road motorcycles. Every time you gas up that motorcycle now, you’re paying a carbon tax. Every time you want to enjoy the great outdoors by riding your ATV, using a snowmobile, filling up your boat, you’re paying a carbon tax.

It’s almost like the federal Liberals and their Ontario cousins here do not want people to enjoy the great outdoors in Ontario, because they’re taking away a little bit of fun a little bit at a time with the carbon tax. It’s time for them to end this carbon tax. It’s time for them to support people getting out and enjoying the great outdoors in Ontario.

Let’s think about the life of a northern Ontario person. They’re going to get up in the morning. They’re going to take their kid to school. They’re going to fill up their truck and pay a bunch of carbon tax, go to the grocery store and pay a bunch of carbon tax on the food that got shipped there, go to work for a while, go home, pick those kids up again—all of this carbon tax baked into it. They’re going to want to go out for a little bit of fun afterwards, maybe take the kids to the arena or get on that off-road vehicle and enjoy it—carbon tax, carbon tax, carbon tax.

Mr. Speaker, the madness has to stop. I know April 1 has come and gone, but it’s never too late to do the right thing, as somebody once said, right on the other side of the aisle one time. Let’s get rid of that carbon tax. Our friends across the aisle know that it’s the wrong thing for Ontarians. Tell your—

My question is to the Premier.

Anne-Marie and Jasmine Ready were killed in their family home almost two years ago by a young man with a history of assault and sexual harassment. Their father, Raphael Ready, has now devoted his life to ending violence against women, and he wants this House to act on recommendations 32 and 33 of the Renfrew county inquest report so we can reach perpetrators of violence against women and people who are likely perpetrators of violence against women.

Is the government committed to implementing those recommendations today?

I want to thank the member for the question, and I want to just commend that man for the work he’s doing to make sure that the tragedies that have happened have not happened in vain.

I want to make it very clear that no woman should ever be subjected to violence. No woman should ever have to live in fear, be intimidated, and that’s why I know we are working really hard in our government to put strategies in place to ensure that we’re looking to community and organizations.

I want to encourage everybody to take a look at Ontario-STANDS. The minister responsible for community, children and social services—we went and brought this to Ontario, and we said, “We want to hear from you.” Ontario-STANDS, in their second goal, calls for community organizations to bring us the proposals so that we can fund and close the gaps to keep women safe in Ontario. So, please, if community members don’t know about it, share Ontario-STANDS, because we believe every woman has the right to be safe in Ontario.

Again, I thank the honourable member for the question. As the government House leader indicated already, we are looking at passing this and, as he mentioned, taking it a step further to make sure all members of this committee have the opportunity to contribute to the solution. All partners, who are doing great work on the ground, are contributing to this. That is what our government has said from day one.

I have said this on many occasions: This is an issue that affects every single person in every community of our province. We need to work together, which is why we signed the national action plan, an agreement with the federal government for us to be able to work together, because this is not a partisan issue. We will work with municipalities. We’re working with all partners on the ground to make sure that we end violence against women in all its forms in every community, and we need your help. You need to come together. We need to work on this committee to make sure that we hear from survivors, that we hear from community partners.

We invest over $250 million annually on violence-against-women initiatives, over $10 million on preventative measures—

And the supplementary question? The member for Niagara Falls.

Interjections.

The next question.

Supplementary question.

Interjections.

The next question.

My question is to the Premier. Just last year, a Niagara woman, a first responder, was murdered in what police called an act of intimate partner violence. The family is devastated, navigating a broken and difficult system to find justice for their loved one who was so cruelly taken from this world. One of the most heartbreaking realities for a family is the knowledge that this type of violence is far too common.

Nearly 100 municipalities have declared IPV an epidemic, including Niagara. Will the government do the right thing today and support my colleague’s bill to declare IPV an epidemic immediately? A study is not needed. The recommendations are clear. Declare it an epidemic today.

It’s really an ironic question coming from the member opposite, who was a member of a federal government who expanded the civil service by, what, 35%, and whose federal cousins’ policies are literally devastating the community that she represents.

But do you know what we’re going to do? We’re going to go back to the people of the province of Ontario two years from now and we’re going to say to them, “Look, we have put in place the climate that has seen over 700,000 jobs created in the province of Ontario.” We’ve cut red tape. We’re building subways, Mr. Speaker. We’re building hospitals. We have got over $30 billion worth of economic development and jobs created in the province of Ontario. Do you know why, Mr. Speaker? Because we’re doing the work that is necessary to make Ontario the engine of the economy of the country.

Interjections.

Interjections.

What we want to do is build an economy where all Ontarians can thrive. We don’t want a carbon tax. They do. We’ve cut gas taxes. They’ll increase them. The taxes that we reduced, they want to increase. The very first job of the leader of the Liberal Party was to beg for a million dollars to—

Interjections.

This government insists on tightening the belt for everyone but themselves. They’ve cut the salaries of nurses and health care workers, teachers and education workers, even air ambulance drivers, but a quick look at the Premier’s office, and you will see his budget has exploded. His staff are being paid $6.9 million, the most expensive Premier’s office in history—not just in total, but 48 staffers are earning more than $100,000 every single year.

When this Premier was running for office, he said he’d be the one to stop the fat cats, to stop the gravy train, but he’s worse than any of his predecessors. Spending $6.9 million every year, the Premier is the most expensive Premier we’ve ever had, more than double any other Premier. When Ontarians face austerity, how will the Premier explain his runaway and self-serving expenses to the people of Ontario?

Now, it’s not a bad thing to reverse a bad decision, but you need to learn from your mistakes rather than continuing to follow an unintelligible ideology. “Measure twice, cut once” was my dad’s advice.

Why is the Premier okay with wastefully burning through Ontarians’ hard-earned tax dollars while expecting Ontarians to scrimp and save?