Through you, Mr. Speaker, I’d like to thank the member opposite for that question. I’m sure, as we go to vote for the budget, the member opposite will dutifully consider supporting what’s in the budget, which includes the Guaranteed Annual Income System, which is indexed to inflation for the first time ever for low-income seniors.

And I’m sure the learned member opposite will also take a look at how we cut the gas tax for many people who have to move around this province, Mr. Speaker, and my colleague over here, with One Fare, for those taking transit, saving daily riders $1,600 a year. This is real money for the people of Ontario, and I’ll have more to say in the supplementary.

Good morning and thanks so much for the question. Mr. Speaker, I’m very appreciative of the Premier and our government and our partners who are doing great work with Community Living across the province here, which is why we backed them up with support.

We are investing more than $3.4 billion on developmental services this year. That, Mr. Speaker, is over a billion dollars more than the previous government was doing. Now, why do I mention that? It’s because the NDP held the balance of power for three years. You’ve been here long enough to know what you can do when you hold the balance of power. They could have forced the Liberals to invest more in amazing partners who are doing great work across our province. They didn’t. They failed the people of this province. It took this Premier, it took this caucus to stand up for people with developmental disabilities across the province and say, “We will have your back,” just as we have since we formed government.

Interjections.

In fact, I will tell you what they have done. They have voted against every single measure that we have put forward to make sure that the service providers have the tools and resources to serve the people of Ontario. This member has been here long enough, but of course, when the cameras are running, you’ll hear the NDP get up and talk a big game, Mr. Speaker—

Interjections.

Interjections.

Speaker, I want to thank the great member from Markham for that question. It made a lot of sense.

And the previous question that we heard, from the Liberal member from Scarborough–Guildwood, was actually a very fair question as well. She was talking about the fact that it’s difficult for people right now to afford paying their heating, paying for the price at the pumps. Their groceries are going up in price. I can almost sense a little bit of a chasm forming in the teeny, tiny Liberal caucus led by the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, because the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, is in full support of the federal carbon tax, which is driving up the price of gasoline and home heating and groceries. Maybe this member is going to stand up to Bonnie Crombie and Justin Trudeau and talk about the issues that are facing Scarborough, because I’ll tell you right now, her leader isn’t doing that, Mr. Speaker, and her leader just got wiped out in Milton and just got wiped out in Lambton–Kent–Middlesex.

What does that plan not include? A carbon tax, which is driving up the price of everything in our province.

And it’s these Liberal quixotic points of view—unrealistic, unpragmatic views—that have cost our province in the past and are continuing to cost our province now. It’s just a different group. It used to be Kathleen Wynne, and it used to be Dalton McGuinty bringing in the Green Energy Act, now it’s Justin Trudeau, supported by the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, who’s driving up the price of everything.

In spite of that, our plan is working. Again, it’s called Powering Ontario’s Growth, and we’re seeing multi-billion dollar investments in our—

I’m happy to look into the individual example that the member opposite raised. But I want to reinforce and remind people that we have done a lot of work with pharmacists across Ontario to expand their scope of practice to make sure that people have access to treatment of those minor ailments that are so important.

But specifically to your constituent’s concerns, I’m happy to take them away and do further investigation.

I don’t think that we can compare all of the 5,000 pharmacies that operate across Ontario with one specific example. I will look into it, and then we will have further conversations.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I’m sure the member opposite has read and will consider voting for the budget, Building a Better Ontario. And had she actually read the budget—she seems to be referring to the additional 100,000 low-income seniors who will now qualify for the Guaranteed Annual Income System.

While we’re at it, Mr. Speaker, let’s think a little bit about the area she represents, Scarborough: I hope she’s going to support building the subway to Scarborough for the first time in 50 years or the extension for the Sheppard East line, or perhaps health care and the hospital that we’re building in Scarborough.

I feel like Columbo today, because I almost forgot one thing: the medical school right in Scarborough, the first one in a hundred years.

While they talked about things for 15 years, we are getting things done right now.

Mr. Speaker, groceries have never been more expensive. It is impossible for our young people to even dream of buying a home and our hospitals are overcrowded—

Interjections.

Premier, are you going to keep letting the affordability and housing crisis spiral out of control, or are you going to put a stop to the Conservative gravy train once and for all?

Interjection.

Stop the clock.

Sorry; the member will take her seat. I had to stop the clock.

I can’t hear the member who has the floor and is asking a question. The government side will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

Start the clock. Member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

The Minister of Finance.

The member for Orléans, come to order.

Minister of Energy.

The member for Parkdale–High Park has the next question.

My question is to the Minister of Health. My constituent Jane, an ODSP recipient, paid more than $1,000 for life-saving diabetes medication that Shoppers Drug Mart told her was not covered under the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan. She submitted a claim to the ministry for reimbursement but received over $100 less than her total payment. When my office inquired, the ministry said pharmacies are allowed to charge more than the ODB listed price for cash-paying customers.

Why is the minister allowing this?

Minister, will you crack down on Shoppers Drug Mart for trying to profit off of vulnerable people?

My question is to the Premier. For those who have been in an automobile accident or know somebody who has been, they are well aware of the added stress dealing with an insurance company can cause.

In 2020, this government undertook a consultation on eliminating the use of civil juries in Ontario, because many felt civil jury trials were creating inconsistencies, delays and unfairness to those involved in motor vehicle accidents, as well as to the average taxpayer. In over 95% of car accident cases, it’s the insurance company for the at-fault driver requesting a jury.

Speaker, this system does not allow victims timely access to justice, and the Attorney General’s office appears to understand this and went so far as to draft legislation in 2022 that hasn’t made it to the floor of this House.

Fast-forward to 2024, and now the backlog of civil cases has grown to levels that are out of control. In some cases, jury trials are delayed until the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Speaker, through you to the Premier, what is the roadblock that is stalling a piece of legislation that would address the backlog and provide injured victims access to the justice they deserve?

I thank the member opposite for the response. As legislators, we should be making the lives of Ontarians less stressful and more affordable.

I’m sure the consultation actually proved this, but nobody can seem to get their hands on it. In fact, there’s an outstanding FOI request from 2022 from a lawyer in Thunder Bay. The FOI requested all of the submissions provided to the AG for and against the elimination of civil juries.

The ministry has advised that this request was lost, then it was reassigned, then an extension was requested and then it was reassigned again. And as of today, 19 months later, 19 months after the request was filed, not one single record, file or submission has been received. I have the file number right here if that helps get this moving along.

We know developers have a foothold in the Premier’s office and I’m wondering who else might have undue influence. Speaker, again, through you to the Premier, who is instructing the Attorney General to sit on this important legislation that would clear the backlog and help accident victims?

As the member opposite knows—and I thank her for the question—we have been working very hard, even pre-pandemic, through the pandemic and now post-pandemic, to make sure that the system is operating as well as it possibly can.

I’m very proud of the modernization that we’ve done. We’re bringing in a backbone system in co-operation with the Chief Justices at all three levels, the Ontario Court, the Superior Court and the Court of Appeal. We are adding resources in FTEs. We’re adding resources in terms of technology.

Mr. Speaker, we’re looking at all aspects, and this is one aspect that we’re engaged in. We’re talking to our partners at the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. I was speaking with the Ontario Bar Association just last week, the Advocates’ Society, the Toronto Law Association. We’re all engaged in making the system better, and this is one piece of the puzzle. I’ll have more to say in the supplementary.

We’re doing a number of things to support victims. It’s a high priority for us—not just intimate partners, but whether it be car accidents, whether it be people that find themselves in unfortunate situations. So I’d be happy to talk about more of those supports, Mr. Speaker.

But I do reject the second half of her question that there’s some malfeasance or some sort of tomfoolery happening, Mr. Speaker. It’s simply not true. We’re working hard, we’re working together and we are making the system better.

The Attorney General.

The Associate Minister of Housing.

My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing. The federal carbon tax is forcing Ontario families to stretch out their household budgets.

As housing affordability continues to be top of mind for Ontarians, the carbon tax is driving up the cost of building materials and the fuel prices to transport these materials to the building site. This ludicrous tax is imposing more obstacles in housing construction, leaving more families waiting to achieve their dream of home ownership.

While our government is standing up for Ontario families and addressing their housing needs, Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals are standing up for the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the associate minister please explain how our government is continuing our progress in building Ontario despite challenges from the carbon tax?

When the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, was mayor of Mississauga, she built less than 40% of the housing targets she promised to hit. Now, she and her Liberals are propping up the costly carbon tax implemented by their Liberal buddies. It is clear that Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals don’t have Ontarians’ best interests at heart, and Ontarians don’t want Bonnie Crombie’s broken housing promises. Our government continues to stand behind the hard-working people of this province, and we will keep building for Ontarians looking for a home of their own.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is building more homes faster across—

Thank you to the member from Newmarket–Aurora. Since 2018, we have averaged 20,000 starts more than the last 10 years of the former Liberal government. We know, though, there is so much more to do. That is why we introduced Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act. That is why we reduced the HST on purpose-built rentals. That is why we’ve seen a 27% increase year over year, 2022-23. And that is why we’ve seen more housing starts in the last three years than since the 1980s.

Building a house is an expensive proposition. What is the number one component today that is punitively hurting the building of those homes? The carbon tax. In the articulate words of the Minister of Energy, I ask the members opposite to talk to their friends in Ottawa and scrap the tax.

In fact, there was an 1,100-unit housing unit that was proposed to be built. They wanted density, they wanted height, but it interfered with the mayor’s thoughts. She didn’t want her local bakery to be disturbed. So what happened? We don’t have these houses because of height and cookies and cake. It’s sad. Shadows, cookies and cake are why we don’t build houses in Mississauga—shameful.

Speaker, here’s the difference: We’re getting the job done for Ontarians. Think of what those 1,100 units would cost today with the added carbon tax. It’s terrible. Everything about housing is touched by the carbon tax. Scrap the tax.

My question is for the Premier. Thousands in Toronto’s west end rely on the UP Express for their daily commutes. Airport workers, families and many others are stuck paying higher fares because UP Express riders don’t get to benefit from the One Fare program.

Can the minister tell us why UP Express riders and west-end commuters have been excluded from One Fare? Will he commit today to including them?

Back to the minister: The 15,000 Pearson airport workers, the thousands of commuters who use the UP Express and the thousands of people who use the UP Express to get to Pearson to take a flight are not part of the One Fare program, and they desperately want to be. We are calling on the government to include the UP Express in the One Fare program and increase service on the UP Express to meet demand.

Can you do this? Yes or no?

It’s ironic to hear from the NDP and Liberals about affordability for transportation. When this government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, brought forward One Fare, which eliminates the double fare and saves commuters $1,600, both the NDP and Liberals voted against this not just once, they voted against One Fare twice. Now, One Fare is a successful program. Over five million users use One Fare right now. They have benefited from millions of dollars in savings.

We won’t take lessons from parties who vote against affordability like One Fare, which saves $1,600. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’ll continue to build transportation, we’ll continue to increase the service and we’ll continue to put more money back into people’s pockets.

On this side of the House, we got One Fare done. We are getting transportation built right across Ontario. Not just One Fare—we are bringing back the Northlander that the NDP and Liberals shut down 12 years ago.

We’ll continue to make sure we’ll make life more affordable for transit riders in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on the estimates selected by the standing committee for consideration.

I would like to thank the 7,600 people from south Muskoka who signed this petition. Basically, what they’re saying is that their hospital, the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, is under the board of governors of the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare board. None of the people on the board of directors was actually selected by the people of south Muskoka and, given that they did not have a say as to who sat on that board, the community, all 7,600 of them, strongly disagree with the recommendation that has been made by that board.

The board is recommending that the emergency room not act as an emergency room anymore. The board is recommending a 35% decrease in the number of in-patient beds although the demand for in-patient beds has been going up and they are seeing a 12% admission rate increase.

They would like to make sure that the Ministry of Health does not accept any of the changes to hospital services Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has made on behalf of the good people that are served by South Muskoka Memorial Hospital because they are not being represented by that board and they disagree.

They want the government to give them a process that would allow the community to elect who will be on their board of directors. By allowing the community to elect who will be on their board of directors, the board of directors will do what it’s supposed to do: be the eyes, ears and conscience of the community when it comes to making decisions about South Muskoka Memorial Hospital.

I support the 7,600 people that have signed this petition and will ask Rhys to bring it to the Clerk.