I want to thank my friend from Thornhill for that question.

I want to thank Chief Jim MacSween and the amazing people at the York Regional Police service who keep York region safe every day.

It’s undeniable; as much as this government is doing everything we can to graduate more people at the Ontario Police College to fight auto theft—because we’re in a crisis with people stealing our cars—to get those violent and repeat offenders off our streets, we have a carbon tax that’s affecting public safety.

Chief Jim MacSween will say that to fill up every car at YRP costs a lot of money. That money could put more boots on the ground—and Bonnie Crombie knows this, the Liberal Party knows this. It’s time they do the right thing, call their friends in Ottawa and say, “It’s affecting the public safety of Ontario. Scrap the tax.”

It’s one thing that the proxies for the Liberals and the NDP try to sink the police service budget in Toronto, in Ottawa, in Hamilton and in London—it’s unbelievable. They knew that in addition to trying to sink the budget, they were affecting public safety.

What makes matters worse is that Bonnie Crombie served on the board of the Peel police service. She knew the budget. She knew it’s undeniable that the carbon tax is affecting every fill-up of a vehicle to keep Peel safe. Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? In spite of that, she will not come clean with Ontarians and say, “I know this. It’s affecting public safety. I will do something about it, and I’ll tell the people I’m against it.” She’s in favour of it, and everyone knows it.

We will do everything we can to fight auto theft, Mr. Speaker, and I’ll tell you why: because we have a right to live safe in our own homes and communities and not be subject to people who think they can knock down our doors and demand our keys. It’s completely unacceptable, and we’re not going to stand for it.

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 184, An Act to amend the Metrolinx Act, 2006, the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act and the Shortline Railways Act, 1995 with respect to transportation / Projet de loi 184, Loi visant à modifier la Loi de 2006 sur Metrolinx, la Loi sur l’aménagement des voies publiques et des transports en commun et la Loi de 1995 sur les chemins de fer d’intérêt local en ce qui concerne les transports.

The ayes are 27; the nays are 61.

My question is to the Premier.

In 2022, the government threw the vehicle registration system into disarray. But instead of cleaning up their mess, they decided to double down and eliminate vehicle registration entirely. Now there’s a spike in vehicle thefts. Coincidence? Not so much. In 2023, a billion dollars was lost in Ontario alone. Thieves are exploiting this loophole, to sell stolen vehicles to unsuspecting Ontarians. Car thefts are so high that police are telling people to keep their car keys close to the front door.

Will this government help police identify stolen vehicles by re-implementing vehicle registration?

My question is to the Solicitor General.

The Liberal carbon tax is pushing families and businesses in my riding of Thornhill and across the entire province to their limit. Ontarians have to pay more for their daily necessities, from their grocery bills to filling their cars at the gas pumps—and I did that just the other night. And with this month’s 23% hike, Ontarians are justifiably concerned about the impact this will have on our public safety system.

Public safety is a top priority for communities, and it’s essential that our first responders have the tools they need to keep people safe.

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

It’s encouraging to hear that our government is supporting our vital first responders and calling on the federal Liberals to scrap the tax. The same can’t be said for the NDP and the independent Liberal members in this House, as they choose to side with this unjust tax grab.

With media reports about criminal activities in communities across this province, people in my riding want to make sure that our front-line police officers have the support they need to carry out their duties. They’re concerned that the Liberal carbon tax is placing a strain on policing budgets.

Our hard-working police officers deserve to have the resources they need to respond to emergencies so that Ontarians can live safely in their communities.

Can the Solicitor General please elaborate on how the carbon tax is negatively impacting police services?

The member knows quite well that the minister and the Premier have been working very closely with First Nations, because we understand how important it is to unlock the resources of the north to power not only the economies of northern Ontario, but to help empower the manufacturing might of southern Ontario. That is why we are working very closely with First Nations partners in that area who have told us that they want to be partners in helping unlock these resources for all Ontarians and for First Nations communities.

That is why we are taking enormous steps to ensure that every community in northern Ontario is no longer using diesel generation, for instance. I know the Minister of Energy has ensured that—I think almost every community now will be hooked up to the grid to help us support what we are doing in northern Ontario.

The member is absolutely correct; First Nations are going to be partners with us in getting this done, and I look forward to that continuing collaboration.

I know that the Minister of Indigenous Affairs has worked very closely with First Nations partners to ensure that we not only work with First Nations—we’re hearing from so many partners, not only in northern Ontario, but partners from across the province who say that they want to participate in helping us rebuild the economic powerhouse that was the province of Ontario, and that no community wants to be left behind. It is so vitally important that our partners in First Nations communities are a part of that. They want to be a part of that. And we’re going to continue to work very hard—I know it’s a priority of the Premier; I know it’s a priority of the Minister of Indigenous Affairs; and I know how hard the Minister of Mines has been working to ensure that we get that.

We can’t power the south, we can’t power the north, unless we unlock the riches of Ontario.

Meegwetch, Speaker. We cannot boast about having a full supply chain for EVs in Ontario without the free, prior and informed consent of First Nations where the minerals are.

Can this government confirm that you have the free, prior and informed consent of all the First Nations in the north for mining for EVs?

Interjections.

Speaker, my question to the minister: Has the minister personally met with the leadership and the rights holders of these lands impacted by the Ring of Fire?

This petition is entitled “A More Affordable Life in Spadina–Fort York,” and it’s addressed to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

It talks about how housing, groceries and gas are unaffordable in Ontario. The five largest grocery corporations are making record profits, as are the oil corporations. Rents aren’t affordable. The cost of buying a home is unaffordable. So the people who have signed this petition, they’re asking the Legislative Assembly to take immediate action on this affordability crisis by building 250,000 units of affordable housing, including co-ops, social and supportive housing.

They’re also asking that residential development on public lands, including the Ontario Line stations, mandate 30% of those units be affordable units, because it would be such a lost opportunity if they’re building those stations on public land and there’s no mandate for affordable housing with them—and also to take on price gouging by the oil and gas corporations that are causing both the prices to skyrocket and also inflation to skyrocket.

They’re asking that we keep our public services, particularly health care, public, so that people pay for their health care with OHIP rather than their credit card.

I fully endorse this petition. I will affix my signature and pass it to page Ruby to take to the table.

The funding for ODSP is around $1,300 per month, out of which $556 is for housing. But $556 does not provide any housing anywhere in this province, so the ODSP rates are pushing people with disabilities in this province into homelessness.

The Ontario Works rates are $733 per month. That’s for housing and for all costs. Nobody can live on that amount in this province.

The petition points out that the CERB program during the pandemic gave $2,000 as the minimum that was needed in order to keep body and soul together in this province, and they’re asking for an immediate doubling of OW and ODSP rates.

I fully endorse this petition, will affix my signature and pass it to page Aislyn to take to the table. Thank you so much.

With respect to standing order 59, the agenda for next week, for all members’ benefit:

Monday, May 6: in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 166, Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024. The night sitting is yet to be determined.

Tuesday, May 7: in the morning, third reading of Bill 165, Keeping Energy Costs Down Act, 2024; in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 162, Get It Done Act, 2024; 6 p.m., the member for Perth–Wellington, Bill 186, Growing Agritourism Act, 2024. The night sitting on May 7 is yet to be determined.

Wednesday, May 8: in the morning, a bill to be introduced; in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 165, Keeping Energy Costs Down Act, 2024; 6 p.m., the member for Newmarket–Aurora’s private member’s motion number 92 on artificial intelligence. The night sitting is yet to be determined.

Thursday, May 9, my father’s birthday: in the morning, a bill to be introduced; in the afternoon, a bill to be introduced; at 6 p.m., the member for Niagara Falls’s private member’s motion number 94, Ontario caregiver support benefit—and in the evening, to be determined.

The members will take their seats.

Interjections.

Members will take their seats.

Interjections.

Start the clock. The next question.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The division bells rang from 1141 to 1146.

All those in favour will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Second reading negatived.

Welcome.

The member for Ottawa South has a point of order.

It is my honour now to say a word of thanks to our legislative pages. Our pages are smart, trustworthy and hard-working. They’re indispensable to the effective functioning of this chamber, and we are indeed fortunate to have had them here these last three weeks.

To our pages: You depart having made some new friends, with a greater understanding of parliamentary democracy and memories that will last you a lifetime. Each of you will now go home and continue your studies—including math—and no doubt will contribute to your communities, your province and your country in important ways. We expect great things from all of you. Who knows? Maybe some of you someday will take your seats in this House as members or work here as staff. No matter—

Applause.

Thank you to all of our pages, once again.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1156 to 1300.

I find that the member from Parkdale–High Park is summarizing her petition, and I would ask her to finish up summarizing the petition.

This petition is titled “Improve Air Quality for Our Children” and it is signed by parents from a local public school in my riding, Runnymede public school.

Speaker, we know that good, clean air reduces not only the spread of infectious diseases, but it also lowers chronic conditions, the rate of chronic conditions. It helps children learn better. Studies have shown that it improves attendance. It improves test scores.

But right now, in Ontario, there’s no requirement to monitor air quality either in our public schools or in child care centres. Other jurisdictions are doing it, in Canada and in the United States, and it has shown to work well in our efforts to get clean air for kids. And so, this petition is urging the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to require the Minister of Education to pass the private member’s bill that I have co-sponsored called Improving Air Quality for Our Children Act, 2024.

Speaker, we all know that for those who are living with the support of the Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works, the rates for both of these programs are below the poverty line. Essentially, it is legislated poverty. The rates for ODSP have increased by very, very little, certainly not keeping up with inflation, since the rates were deeply cut under the previous Conservative Harris government and the rates for Ontario Works have been frozen. In order to be able to live healthy, dignified lives, the rates for both OW and ODSP must be doubled immediately. So this petition is calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to ensure that the Ford government does just that: Double social assistance rates immediately.

Speaker, everybody in Ontario should get health care services based on our need, not based on the size of the wallet. And right now, parts of our public health care system is being privatized under this government. We know the consequences of privatization of our public health care system. It will not only worsen and weaken the public health system, it will also worsen the staffing crisis that we have. We have many examples and research to show that privatization of health care usually leads to worse health outcomes for the population.

So this petition is urging the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately stop all privatization of—

I’d like to start off today by acknowledging I’ll be splitting my time with the parliamentary assistant; the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; and, lastly, the parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Mr. Speaker, when our government first took office, we made a promise to the people of Ontario. The promise was to get it done, and we have kept that promise. We are building the infrastructure we need to support our growing population and getting it done by making life more affordable when many hard-working Ontarians are struggling to make ends meet with the rising cost of living.

Our track record speaks for itself. We won’t back down in our efforts to build this province for the future, while keeping costs low for businesses and families across Ontario.

We’ve all experienced the devastating impacts of gridlock. Experts say one of the worst things you can do for your mental health is be stuck in gridlock, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And it’s not just a frustrating experience for drivers; it destroys our economy and our productivity. Gridlock costs our province $11 billion a year in lost productivity, a number that will only grow if we don’t take bold action today.

Our province proudly welcomes over 500,000 newcomers each year. These men and women are the ones that will help us build a stronger Ontario for everyone, bringing their expertise in the skilled trades, medicine, information technology and other critical industries. But if we don’t act quickly to build the highways, transit, housing and other critical infrastructure that we need to support these newcomers, gridlock will only get worse.

When you look at the projections, my ministry’s traffic modelling data shows the majority of highways in the GTA will be operating at overcapacity by 2031. This also includes the 407. Even when factoring in actions our government is taking, including historic investments to widen highways, expand public transit—over $180 billion over the next 10 years—the data is clear: We need to do more to help fix gridlock in the long term. If we try to divert drivers from one highway to another without building, we will find ourselves with the same problem that we have today, but even worse off a decade down the road.

When we all make the leap into politics, we make the commitment to ourselves to leave Ontario better off than when we found it, not worse. If you’re a commuter who is tired of being struck in gridlock, wondering when you’ll get home to your family, or if you’ve been struggling to pay your bills while the cost of living keeps rising, I want you to know the actions that our government takes to try to help these issues. We hear you and we have a plan for you.

The Get It Done Act is that very plan. It will improve lives all across this province by streamlining the approval processes. We will finally be able to build key infrastructure projects and create more jobs and more homes, keeping those costs down for the hard-working Ontarians who are the backbone of our economy.

When it comes to expanding our transportation network, our government has the most ambitious capital plan in the province’s history. We’re spending nearly $100 billion over the next 10 years to build new highways, roads and public transit. The investment isn’t only to keep people and goods moving; it will connect communities from across this province. This includes more than $27 billion to build, renew and expand highways. These highways we intend to keep toll-free.

However, we need to get to work quickly so we can build our economy for years to come. But we can’t do that if we maintain the status quo. Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario’s development moved at a snail’s pace. The people of this province have paid the consequences of that for far too long—for 15 years. We know Ontarians are waiting for the critical infrastructure they desperately deserve.

Madam Speaker, that’s why our government is getting shovels in the ground to get it done. We were elected on a promise to build Ontario, not cross our fingers and hope for the best while our highways, roads, bridges, infrastructure and schools deteriorate. We’re a government of builders. We’ve seen how that turns out, Mr. Speaker. We want to build, to keep pace with our growing population, not wait and hope for problems to solve themselves. We just know that doesn’t work.

We have a plan to spark investment in our province. We want businesses to have the conditions they need to set up shop here, thrive and contribute to our economy, creating well-paying jobs. That’s what we’ve delivered from day one, since we took office. The Get It Done Act is another step in that plan.

Our government has always acted quickly to slash red tape and get shovels in the ground on the projects that matter most to Ontarians. The Building Transit Faster Act is a perfect example of this. When the bill passed in 2020, it gave the province new powers to streamline the construction of critical public transit projects. Our government has not let those powers go to waste. The Building Transit Faster Act allows us to accelerate priority transit projects that will put tens of thousands of Ontarians within walking distance of public transit. These projects include the Ontario Line, the Scarborough subway extension, the Yonge North subway extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West extension. Now with this piece of legislation, Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward to declare the Hazel McCallion LRT extensions to downtown Brampton and downtown Mississauga that we announced a priority transit project. We’ve heard the needs of commuters, and we are acting on them.

We know public transit will play a key role in our province’s economic growth in the years ahead, and to keep people and goods moving across Ontario, we also need to build new highways. It’s that simple. The GTA is already home to some of the most congested highway corridors in North America and we won’t sit back and watch while traffic gets even worse. The greater Golden Horseshoe will have a population of almost 15 million people by the year 2051. Doing nothing is not an option, Madam Speaker.

For far too long, building new infrastructure in Ontario has been slow, it’s been burdensome, and its delays have cost taxpayers too much money. Our government has seen enough of that. Ontarians have seen enough of that. We need to slash through the red tape so we can get shovels in the ground for critical projects like Highway 413 so that we can save commuters as much as an hour each day and five hours a week. The Get It Done Act, if passed, would allow the province to streamline the approval process for building highways, railways and transmission lines, allowing us to get to work quickly on the projects that matter most to Ontarians.

Few of our government’s priorities are more important than building housing and our housing goals are ambitious. Our government plans to build at least 1.5 million homes across the province by 2031 to support the fast pace in our growth in population. Our government knows the importance of rewarding municipalities that build houses beyond the target. And, Madam Speaker, we’ve been quick to do so, but there is always more support we can lend to municipalities looking to grow with us.

Madam Speaker, as we know, hundreds and thousands of newcomers are arriving in Ontario each year. It’s important for us to take a step back and remember why they’re coming here: for dreams of a better life; to have a good-paying job for themselves and to support their families. Our government wants to make these dreams a reality. That’s why we’re focused on building: building highways, transit, homes, schools, hospitals that will help make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family.

As our government rolls up its sleeves to build new highways and expand existing infrastructure across our province, we’re cracking down on rising costs for families. That’s why our legislation bans any new tolls on provincial highways, including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. People have to get to work, to school and make it to special moments with friends and families, and they should have the confidence that government won’t add unfair costs to their trips now or in the years to come. We’re building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass to get people moving and goods moving across the province toll-free. Many Ontarians feel like they’re fighting to keep up with the rising costs. It’s time they keep more of their money where it belongs, in their pockets.

That is why our Get It Done Act would amend the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act to prohibit any new tolls on provincial highways. If a future government decided to pick a fight with hard-working Ontarians by introducing new tolls, they would need to consult with the public first. Madam Speaker, no one should have to pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars per year on top of their other day-to-day expenses just to get to work, their medical appointments or visit loved ones. This doesn’t even factor in the rising costs of commercial goods. If trucking companies were forced to pay highway tolls to transport the goods we rely on every day, it doesn’t just end there, Madam Speaker. These costs are carried over to our shelves, and families and consumers are left to carry the burden of the hiked-up food costs, clothes and household essentials.

The people of Ontario deserve to have their say if a future government tries to introduce new tolls. This is why, Madam Speaker, we have also fought so hard against the carbon tax that punishes families, businesses and those who try to take their kids to a hockey game, a special performance or even just to school.

We know that eliminating highway tolls can make a real difference. In April 2022, we eliminated tolls on Highways 412 and 418. By the year 2027, this move alone will save hard-working drivers $68 million. These are the kinds of savings that hard-working Ontarians deserve and that our government will continue to deliver by banning new tolling. We will always say no to new tolls, and yes to saving Ontarians hard-earned money.

As I mentioned earlier, municipalities looking to grow have a strong partner with our government. Last year, we announced that the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway would be uploaded to the province from the city of Toronto, subject to due diligence. We plan to keep those highways toll-free, and if the Get It Done Act passes, we’ll be one step closer to protecting Ontarians from new highway tolls for years to come.

Madam Speaker, our act doesn’t stop there. It includes numerous measures to put money back in families’ pockets, right where it belongs. It’s a government’s job to ensure people keep their hard-earned dollars, not to hike fees, especially for essential documents that people across the province rely on to go about their daily lives. We aren’t going to gouge taxpayers on drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. People depend on those documents, and our government won’t take advantage of them by raising them.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to repeat, as I did at the start, that I will be sharing my time with the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the member for Cambridge as well.

We aren’t just talking the talk. In 2019, we froze the fees for drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards, saving Ontarians millions of dollars. Since that time, the fee freeze has saved Ontarians $22 million, and it will help save $66 million more this decade.

These savings are game-changing, Madam Speaker. I’ve heard first-hand the huge impact, whether it be removing tolls, fighting against the carbon tax, fighting against photo card or drivers’ licence fee increases, these can have on families and businesses across the province, and I can tell you, our government has no plans to hike those fees and take advantage of hard-working taxpayers. In fact, since being elected, we have never raised a fee and we have never raised a tax on businesses or families in this province.

With the Get It Done Act, we’re bringing forward legislation so that we can maintain the current fees for drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. We don’t just want Ontarians saving money today; we want to keep those costs predictable so taxpayers can save money for years to come. If the Get It Done Act passes, future governments would need to introduce legislative amendments and explain to the people why they are increasing fees. The people across this province work hard for their money, and they deserve to keep it and we’re helping them do just that.

Unlike Bonnie Crombie, the queen of the carbon tax, and the Liberals, our government isn’t trying to make things more expensive. Time and time again, she has voiced her support for increasing prices through costly carbon taxes. That’s a shame. It’s not the government’s place to put a price on carbon, and ours certainly won’t. That’s why we didn’t waste any time delivering on our promise to scrap the cap-and-trade system we inherited when we took office. These are cash grabs, plain and simple. Whether it’s a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system like the one we got rid of, we see how damaging the federal government’s carbon tax really is, and Ontarians and Ontario are sick of it. Increased prices at the gas pump, hiked-up business costs, grocery costs and the price of everything we buy, even clothes: The impacts of the carbon tax are endless, and none of them are positive.

If passed, the Get It Done Act would require future governments to hold a referendum before introducing any new carbon pricing measures. This would not only cover carbon taxes, but any new system that puts a price on carbon, cap-and-trade or otherwise. With so many people across the province struggling just to make ends meet, we are taking a stand and we are saying no to carbon taxes and other faulty carbon-pricing systems. If a future government wants to put a price on carbon, the people of Ontario deserve to have their voice heard, and if the Get It Done Act passes, they will.

Since day one, our government has had a mandate to save Ontarians money, but it doesn’t end there. We are laser-focused on saving them time, so they can spend less hours on the roads and do more of what they love with friends and family. That’s why we’re building generational projects such as Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. This is in addition to carrying out the largest transit expansion in Canadian history. We don’t want Ontarians struck in gridlock wondering if they’ll ever make it home, when they could be spending time with those who matter the most, doing what they love.

In 2022, our government scrapped licence plate renewal fees. This move has saved vehicle owners up to $120 per car or truck every single year. Although free, vehicles owners currently need to renew their licence and their vehicle permits online or in person, something we plan to put an end to as well.

If passed, the Get It Done Act will bring in more common-sense benefits for vehicle owners in Ontario by enabling the automatic renewal of license plates for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. This will save drivers across the province more than 900,000 hours each year. Automatic license plate renewals will apply to owners of cars, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds who are in good standing.

Our government not only prioritizes saving time and money, but also the safety of Ontarians by rewarding drivers who are following the rules and cracking down on those who don’t. Until the automatic renewals process begins, I encourage all vehicle owners to renew their license plates at no cost, online or in person at ServiceOntario.

As we continue building a better Ontario and making life more affordable, we are always focused on the future, on our infrastructure needs and the jobs that will secure Ontario’s place as a global economic hub for decades to come, after the previous 15 years of a Liberal government that drove out over 300,000 manufacturing jobs.

It has never been more clear: Our future is electric, and today we marked an historic day with the largest investments in EV manufacturing right here in Alliston, Ontario. Our province has attracted more than $30 billion in investments to build electric vehicles and battery plants. The EV industry will create thousands of well-paying jobs for Ontarians, connecting young Ontarians to well-paying jobs and a better life as we lead the charge for the electric vehicle revolution.

As more and more drivers transition to electric vehicles, the critical minerals in northern Ontario have never been more valuable. Amid this shift, we need to do everything we can to make our mining sector more attractive to investors. To date, the permitting process to operate in Ontario’s mining sector has been far too slow and far too complicated. It’s time for a change. Our government will slash through the red tape to assert Ontario’s position globally as a competitive jurisdiction as the EV revolution takes hold. The future is electric, Madam Speaker, and Ontario will continue leading the charge.

As our province gets ready to welcome millions of newcomers in the coming years, as we find ourselves on the cusp of realizing the enormous economic opportunities within our mining sector and other industries, we have three choices: We can maintain the status quo and allow red tape to run crazy, slowing down development, impeding investment across this province; we can do absolutely nothing as hard-working people struggle to get ahead and build better lives for themselves and their families; or we can roll up our sleeves and get it done for the people of Ontario.

The Get It Done Act, if passed, will deliver policies that will power our economy for generations to come. It will give us the tools we need to get people and goods moving, to connect Ontarians to opportunities across this province. Madam Speaker, it will help keep life more affordable for hard-working taxpayers, which has been our number one priority since we have taken office. We will continue to build for the future generations of this province.

And further, Madam Speaker, I would like to turn it over to my parliamentary assistant to continue debate.

This petition is from the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, and it’s asking the government to stop the cuts and invest in schools that our students deserve.

There’s been quite a bit of discussion about the number of cuts. The inflationary cut to our schools is $1,300 per student, per year, since this government took office, and that totals billions of dollars for school boards. This is the reason that almost every school board in this province is facing a funding shortfall this year.

This is not just a one-year thing. The TDSB mentions it faced a $63-million funding shortfall last year. There’s a $23-million funding shortfall this year. Every year, the TDSB trustees are asked to make cuts. They’re not provided with the funding just to continue the services that they offered the previous year, and that is on this government.

There’s also the government—the TDSB was instructed by the government to use the reserve funds to get through the pandemic to provide computers and other services that students needed to get through the pandemic. That reserve fund was never re-established by this government, so those cuts are also impacting our students. And the net impact is that our students do not get special education. They have larger class sizes. They do not get the health supports. We have an epidemic of mental health issues among young people these days, and they’re not getting the supports that they need.

So this group is asking the government to fix the education formula, to stop this year-after-year round of cuts, because our students deserve better.

I fully support this petition. I will pass it to page Armaan to take to the table.

I have a petition that is signed by a number of residents of London West who either have a child with autism, know a child with autism or are concerned about the lack of autism services in this province.

We know that the wait-list for access to the Ontario Autism Program has increased significantly under this government. There are now 67,000 kids waiting to receive the treatment and support that they need to be able to achieve their full potential, and the changes made to the Ontario Autism Program by this government after the Liberals had botched it have just made things worse.

So the petition calls on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services to make the investment in needs-based, equitable autism services for all kids with autism in this province.

I am very proud to support this petition, affix my signature and will send it to the table with page Emirson.

That concludes the time we have available for petitions this afternoon.

Mr. Sarkaria moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 162, An Act to enact the Protecting Against Carbon Taxes Act, 2024 and amend various Acts / Projet de loi 162, Loi édictant la Loi de 2024 sur la protection contre les taxes sur le carbone et modifiant diverses lois.

This petition is titled “Ontario Needs a Rare Disease Strategy,” because, right now, in Ontario, we do not have a rare disease strategy.

In 2016, the Ministry of Health established a rare disease working group. The working group did their work and presented a report to the Ministry of Health in 2017, and since then, no action has been taken. Meanwhile, those living with rare diseases are left behind without the access to the supports that they need.

So, in this petition, the signatories are calling on the government to pass the Rare Disease Strategy Act. It is a bill that I have tabled and co-sponsored in the House that sets out to implement the recommendations outlined in the rare disease working group report.

There are 2.3 million Ontarians who do not have a family physician, so they’re not connected to any form of primary care. That obviously puts their health at risk. We know that access to primary care keeps people out of emergency rooms. It promotes health and well-being. It prevents conditions from getting worse. And one of the ways in which we can address the family doctor shortage, as recommended by the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario College of Family Physicians, is to free up the time that doctors are spending on administrative work.

And so, this petition is calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to implement a strategy where support staff can be hired to take over the administrative portion of the doctor’s work so that family doctors can spend their time seeing patients instead of doing paperwork.

I support this petition and will affix my signature to it.

My thanks to the minister for leading off this debate and for presenting this bill before the House.

Speaker, it shouldn’t be news to the members of this House that our government has plans to build a better Ontario. We have the most ambitious capital plan in the province’s history. We’re spending almost $100 billion over the next 10 years to build the highways, the public transit that will keep people and goods moving across this province.

We need to build this infrastructure now, Madam Speaker. It’s not something we can wait around for and hope will magically appear. In fact, it’s never been more urgent. That’s why the Get It Done Act will streamline the approval process for key infrastructure projects. This isn’t a new approach; it builds on the great work that we’ve already accomplished.

The Building Transit Faster Act, tabled by our government, became law in 2020 and allowed us to accelerate the planning and construction of priority transit projects. And, Madam Speaker, we certainly put those powers to use. We now have shovels in the ground on multiple subway and light-rail transit projects that, soon enough, will connect hundreds of thousands of people, more communities across the greater Toronto area, and put tens of thousands of Ontarians within walking distance of public transit.

And, Speaker, we’re not stopping there. Our government will move forward to declare the Hazel McCallion LRT extensions into downtown Brampton and downtown Mississauga as a priority transit project so that we can build this much-needed transit infrastructure faster, expanding access to rapid transit across Peel and the GTA. The Hazel McCallion line and its extensions will transform the way people travel, providing two of Canada’s fastest-growing cities with quicker, more reliable service than existing bus routes. By declaring the Hazel McCallion line extensions a priority transit project, we’re looking toward to the future and building the transit network that Ontario needs now and for years to come.

And if the Get It Done Act passes, we will be able to get to work quickly on other projects that also matter to Ontarians. The Hazel McCallion line extensions will join several other priority transit projects that are currently under way, such as the Ontario Line which will add 15 new stations to Toronto’s Line 1 subway.

The Ontario Line will be a complete game-changer for anyone that takes transit in Toronto. And this is essential, for a city the size of Toronto we need to have more transit options to sustain it. Anyone who takes public transit in Toronto would agree that they’re fed up with overcrowding and limited transit options. Our new subway line will accommodate 40 trains per hour and nearly 400,000 riders per day, offering multiple connections to existing subway stations, streetcars and bus routes.

Our government is all about building quickly—and the Ontario Line will get people moving quickly. Wait times for the next train on the line will be as short as 90 seconds. The Ontario Line will reduce crowding at the TTC’s busiest stations by as much as 15%. This project is the difference between having to miss an important meeting or appointment because you were waiting for the next train. It could be the difference on giving up on public transit altogether.

Our new subway will not only get people moving, it will expand their opportunities, giving them better access to jobs, services and housing. And we already have shovels in the ground on this historic project that will change peoples’ lives. We’re getting started on the process of building the southern portion of the Ontario Line, the Pape tunnel and the underground stations and more. As our population continues to grow, our transportation infrastructure needs to grow with it—and we are getting it done.

Our government doesn’t take a piecemeal approach to transit infrastructure. We have a vision to build an integrated transit network all across the greater Golden Horseshoe, which is expected to grow by five million people over the next 10 years. That means building new transit projects that are integrated into the existing transit, allowing commuters to travel from one municipality to another quickly and safely—and this vision will become a reality, Speaker.

To connect communities and create new travel options for people within the GTA, we cannot ignore the commuters beyond Toronto’s borders. The Yonge North subway extension—another one of our government’s priority transit projects—will revolutionize public transit in the GTA by extending the TTC’s Line 1 up into Richmond Hill. For the North York and York region residents, days of driving to Finch station, parking a car before boarding a subway to downtown Toronto will soon be over.

The Yonge North subway extension will put 26,000 more people within walking distance of public transit and accommodate more than 94,000 daily trips. Commuters will save as much as 40 minutes per day—that’s hours more per week to spend with friends and family doing the things you love. The extension will reduce gridlock by taking cars off the road and offering more transit connections, making travel between York region and Toronto easier than ever, enhancing Ontario’s connectivity as we deliver an integrated transit network for all GTA residents.

The people of Scarborough deserve the same access to fast, reliable transit as the rest of Torontonians. That’s why we’ve declared the Scarborough subway extension a priority project. The Scarborough subway extension will add three stops and almost eight kilometres of new track to the TTC’s Line 2 subway, creating high-speed service for commuters east of the downtown core. Riders will benefit from connections to GO Transit and Durham region transit, making travel across the GTA more seamless than ever. We have an ambitious goal to build one of the most integrated transit networks in North America, and prioritizing this important work will finally allow us to do so.

But our government is doing more than just building subways. Light-rail transit will be essential to the transit network that powers our economy into the future. That’s why we recently issued a request for proposals to design and build the seven stations that will make up the Eglinton Crosstown West extension, which alone will put 37,500 more riders within walking distance of public transit. The extension will connect to existing transit lines, including the TTC, GO Transit and MiWay, offering riders anywhere from Scarborough to Mississauga options to get where they’re going. That is what real progress looks like.

In my brief time at the Ministry of Transportation, I am quickly learning that a world-class integrated transit network requires more than just building transit. It requires seamless and affordable transitions from one transit system to another. Hard-working Ontarians shouldn’t have to pay multiple fares for just one trip just because they’re transferring between transit systems, Speaker. The people of this province deserve better than that.

Our government won’t stand idly by while Ontarians miss out on life-changing opportunities because the cost of transit is too high. That’s why, earlier this year, we very proudly launched the hugely successful One Fare program. This new program, fully funded by our government, means commuters now pay only one fare to transfer between the TTC, GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay and York Region Transit. This is how you create an integrated transit network, Speaker: by not only building transit but by removing the financial barriers to taking transit.

Earlier this week, that program officially hit five million transfers by transit users within the program. This program is saving commuters up to $1,600 per year. These savings are real, especially for post-secondary students, some of whom spend upward of $400 on public transit every month. No one should have to skip a class, pass up a job opportunity or miss out on a family event because the cost of transit is too high. Thanks to One Fare, they no longer have to.

One Fare follows the successful introduction of debit and credit card payments on GO Transit, the UP Express and the TTC. Paying for transit should be easy and smooth, not a nuisance. That’s why you can just tap your debit or your credit card—physical or digital—and you can get to where you’re going to quickly and easily. We also launched Presto on Google Wallet, which gives transit riders even more options for payment. The point here is that it’s never been more convenient or affordable to take transit in Ontario. With the Get It Done Act, our government will be able to take those changes to the next level.

I want to interject a little bit here that it’s not just the Golden Horseshoe and the GTA that are benefiting from this. Rural and small communities are also being supported by this government. Just last Friday I had the opportunity to announce some funding from the gas tax program for four small municipal transit systems in my riding. That $600,000-plus is a game-changer for those small municipalities to continue to have even small communities using transit and off the road.

When so many taxpayers across the province are seeing their hard-earned dollars stretched further and further than ever, it is time that we take decisive action to make life more affordable. That’s why our government has been hard at work to save Ontarians money. The Get It Done Act will allow us to build on all the great work we’ve done so far, Speaker. We’re saying no to tolls on new highways. We’re saying no to fee hikes for drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. We’re saying no to putting a price on carbon, but we’re saying yes to building a better Ontario, a connected Ontario that will allow our economy to thrive for generations to come.

We’ve all witnessed the slow pace of development in Ontario, and our government has seen enough of it. The greater Golden Horseshoe will have a population of almost 15 million people by the year 2051. If we don’t act quickly to build new infrastructure, the gridlock on our roadways will only get worse—much, much worse. We can’t have 15 million people stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic when they could be contributing to our economy or spending time with loved ones. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work today so the people who live in this province in the years ahead can have the amazing life in Ontario that they’ve always dreamed of.

Our government is already using the Building Transit Faster Act to accelerate priority transit projects, but the Get It Done Act, if passed, will allow us to do so much more. It will help us build the highways and the critical infrastructure that we need to support our growing population. It will give municipalities across the province the tools and the support that they require to help us build 1.5 million new homes by the year 2031. And it will allow us to slash through the red tape that is holding us back from building a better Ontario.

Thank you very much, Speaker. At this time, I would like to pass it over to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

I recognize the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington.

I recognize the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

I want to thank my colleague for his excellent remarks as well. I’m pleased to join the debate on third reading of the Get It Done Act, an act that would make it easier and faster to build transit, housing and other critical infrastructure. Because all over our province, we’re seeing historic growth—465,000 new residents in the first half of last year alone—and this is a trend that will continue, with almost six million new people expected to come to Ontario in the next 20 years.

But we’re also seeing other incredible signs of growth in this province: 18,000 new businesses opening their doors in Ontario just last year. That’s over 40% of all the new businesses in Canada. And these new businesses are sprouting up in every corner of the province, from Barrie to Brockville, Innisfil to Ingersoll, and from Cornwall to Kenora. This includes investments—and I mean historic investments—in our auto sector.

Thanks to the leadership of this Premier, our government is strengthening Ontario’s position as a global leader across the electric vehicle supply chain. Over the past three years, we’ve attracted record-breaking automotive and EV-battery-related investments from global automakers, parts suppliers, and EV batteries and material manufacturers—and we heard a little bit from the previous speaker, who has a great investment of Umicore in his own riding as well.

But this is making us North America’s hub for building the cars of the future. It’s creating the jobs of the future. It’s historic investments like the one in Windsor, where LG Energy Solution and automaker Stellantis are joining forces to build the province’s first large-scale EV battery manufacturing plant. The NextStar Energy EV battery plant will support 2,500 Ontario workers, with more than $5 billion invested in Ontario. The plant is expected to be fully operational in 2025, and would be the first large-scale domestic EV battery manufacturing in Canada, with a production capacity of 45 gigawatt hours to supply Stellantis plants in North American markets.

And this morning, Speaker, I was in Alliston as Honda Canada announced a milestone $15-billion investment to establish a comprehensive electric vehicle supply chain, creating good-paying jobs right here in Ontario. This is a large-scale project that will see four new manufacturing plants in Ontario, and just next door in my riding of Barrie–Innisfil.

Honda will build an innovative and world-class EV assembly plant in Ontario, the first of its kind for Honda and the first in Canada, which will produce up to 240,000 vehicles per year. They will also build a new stand-alone battery manufacturing plant in Alliston, and to complete the supply chain, Honda will also build a cathode active material and processing plant through a joint venture partnership with POSCO Future M and a separator plant through a joint-venture partnership with another corporation.

Speaker, this is huge news. Today’s announcement not only secures the jobs of the 4,200 associates at its two existing facilities in Alliston, but it will also create more than 1,000 new jobs in Ontario. Make no mistake: This is the largest auto investment in Canadian history. It’s a strong vote of confidence in our government’s plan to build Ontario. Businesses know that under our government and under the leadership of this Premier, we have created the conditions for them to thrive and for Ontario to retake its rightful place as an economic engine of North America.

With today’s investment, I’m proud to say that Ontario has now landed over $43 billion in transformative auto and EV investments in the past three years. These are made-in-Ontario EVs that are not just a good-news story, but a great-news story for our environment and for our economy, and it has ripple effects.

Just on my way back from the announcement to the Legislature just now, I got a message from Matt McRae, who is an owner of a Tim Hortons in Beeton, just next door to Alliston where these thousands of jobs will be. He sees the great partnership we have with transforming the automotive sector, taking care of our environment but not forgetting small business owners like him by keeping taxes low and not raising fees, which is good news for his employers and his business. Certainly he’ll be providing coffee, tea and Timbits to way more workers.

But the fact is, over the last three years, Ontario has created more than 700,000 net new jobs—not just the jobs that Matt McRae, as I was speaking about, is creating in his own business, but all across the province, for today and tomorrow. We’re also building the infrastructure that is required. After all, those workers at Matt McRae’s Tim’s need roads to get on to get to work. Those workers are going to the Honda manufacturing plant, whether they’re waking up in Barrie, waking up in Innisfil, waking up in Alliston or today I met someone from Brampton who wakes up in Brampton and drives all the way down. They need roads to get to work.

And this government has an ambitious capital plan. It’s the most ambitious capital plan in Ontario’s history when it comes to building the infrastructure required. That’s because our government has planned investments over the next 10 years totalling $185 billion, getting shovels in the ground to build hospitals, highways and other critical assets for Ontario’s growing population, laying the foundation for a strong Ontario: investments like the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, a $1-billion fund to largely support core infrastructure projects such as roads and water infrastructure, to enable housing for growing and developing communities, because we know that building more homes is critical to accommodating Ontario’s growth. Those workers who are going to be working at those Honda plants need a home to live in. Again, whether they’re in Barrie, Innisfil, Newmarket, Aurora or surrounding communities, need a place to live. They need roads to drive on to get to their jobs.

That’s why investments like the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which helps municipalities repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, waste water and stormwater infrastructure, are important. The government is quadrupling the housing-enabling water systems. Our government announced $200 million for this fund in January of this year, and then announced that it would be quadrupled to $825 million in the 2024 Ontario budget. This increase would make more funding available for municipal water infrastructure projects, which in turn would enable much-needed new housing.

Our government is improving flexibility on loans for water infrastructure projects, helping ensure that this growth does not come at the expense of the environment. We will provide municipalities increased access to financing for housing-enabling municipal water and waste water infrastructure projects under the Infrastructure Ontario Loan Program. Municipalities will be given options that will provide flexibility on things like construction period interest payments, including deferred interest payments until projects are substantively complete, long-term loans, more flexible repayment terms and lower administration costs. Deferring interest and principal payments until after the construction period will better align municipal revenues from new housing with payments on the loans from Infrastructure Ontario.

Speaker, I’ve given you just a few examples of the incredible growth occurring all across Ontario and a few examples of the programs our government has established or is establishing as part of its 10-year, $185-billion infrastructure plan, a plan that is certainly ambitious, a plan that will require everyone to work together. I can assure you that this government is up to the task. And as the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, I am ready and willing to play a vital role.

One of the ways we will be doing this is through modernizing and improving the environmental assessment process. We’ve taken a hard look at our policies and processes and found ways to make them smarter and more efficient, to get shovels in the ground to finish major projects sooner. It’s through these improvements that we will modernize Ontario’s environmental assessment program while maintaining environment protections. Over the past several years, we’ve consulted extensively with municipalities, Indigenous communities and key stakeholders on ways to do just that.

I’m here today to speak about a minor change to the Environmental Assessment Act that we’re proposing in the Get It Done Act, 2024. It will help municipalities, provincial ministries and other provincial government agencies when planning for infrastructure development. It would clarify the ways that property can be acquired for a project before the environmental assessment process is complete. This proposed change would provide greater certainty to municipalities and other proponents as they plan for future projects. Project proponents will still have to comply with all other applicable legislation.

I would like to thank my colleagues for allowing me to talk about building up Ontario’s infrastructure and to emphasize its great importance, and how we are continuing to build up Ontario, and how I, as the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, am playing my role in this government with my great team members as we are creating homes for the future, roads for those who need to get to work and creating lasting investments for generations to come, all while protecting our great environment.