I’m honoured to rise today to talk about Bill 180, the Building a Better Ontario Act, our budget measures for 2024.

I want to start by saying that we have to go back to where this session of Parliament started. I remember the throne speech from Her Honour Madam Dowdeswell that day very well. I remember words that she spoke about Ontario’s unofficial anthem in 1967. If some of us remember that—I was a little baby, so I was very young, but I remember hearing it later. It talked about our aspirations. In 1967—this was Canada’s centennial—it talked about our aspirations for what we wanted our province to look like. The words and the lyrics were: “A place to stand and a place to grow.”

This budget today in 2024 takes its roots from 1967 and that theme song. We want to build an Ontario so we have a place to grow, and that is very, very important. This is why we’re building a better Ontario. It’s a better Ontario for everyone in Ontario. It’s a better Ontario for the people that are coming to make Ontario their new home. It’s a better Ontario for families like mine that trace their roots back here in Ontario for over 100 years. It’s a better Ontario no matter what culture we come from, no matter what our religion is. It’s a better Ontario for absolutely everyone.

I want to thank the Minister of Finance for his leadership in recognizing that when we have a better Ontario for everyone, this is something of a legacy that we will leave another generation. That’s exactly why I’m speaking today.

Building a better Ontario is about acknowledging the continuity from generation to generation. It is about understanding the continuity that everyone’s welfare is important. It’s understanding that the historic investments that we make today will be there for another generation to enjoy.

Part of the greatest honour that any of us can have, being elected to this Legislature, is touring Ontario. No matter what side of the House we are on, those who have had the ambition and the opportunity to tour see something amazing.

I think about my tour last year in the riding of Timiskaming–Cochrane. I asked my colleague my friend from Timiskaming–Cochrane to meet me in Cochrane. It was the first time I was there, even though my wife’s family historically traced its roots to South Porcupine in the riding of Timmins.

What fascinated me there in Cochrane was not only a warm community and a great fire service and a great OPP detachment, it was actually understanding the route that people take up to Moosonee in the summer on the rails and how our government, as an example—and we’ve mentioned this before—is making investments to make travel to the north that much easier. You understand the distances by going there to see for yourself.

That’s why we are, as Premier Ford has said so many times in this Legislature, a government that has never raised one tax. That will be etched into the indelible record of the Legislature that people in other generations will understand.

Our budget clearly reflects the need for Ontario to allow for a stronger future. For me, as the Solicitor General, the honour of a lifetime is that every day I work hard so that everyone has an inherent equal right to live safely in their own home and communities, budget 2024 continues on with this fundamental theme as well.

For me, on the public safety side—every time I have an opportunity to debate on anything, I always want to acknowledge everyone who keeps us safe each and every day because without them, we have nothing; with them, we have everything. So we say thank you to the police officers and the firefighters; the corrections, probation and parole officers; the special constables; the auxiliary officers, civilian and sworn; the animal welfare inspectors; and I’ll never forget those 911 call operators.

Public safety matters. Public safety in the themes for building an Ontario for everyone matters because of who we are.

Madame la Présidente, la raison de leur service est pour faire une différence dans la vie des gens lorsqu’ils ne s’y attendent pas, et parce que nous croyons en notre province et notre avenir. Ensemble, nous bâtissons l’Ontario.

Because we believe in our province, and together, we will build a better Ontario.

Today, whether we’re talking about the historic investments that our government has made—when we look at how we transformed our investments on infrastructure, it is really quite impressive.

As questions from the member from Nipissing–Renfrew–Pembroke mentioned, our government has stood up against a wall of opposition from the federal government to fight against the carbon tax. Day after day in this Legislature, questions are asked of ministers, including myself as Solicitor General: What negative impact does the carbon tax mean on our lives?

On public safety, I have said this many times: It means that the police officers have fewer resources to put more cars on the road; the fire departments have fewer resources because they have to spend 21.5 cents per litre for diesel to fill up an average fire truck, which is 200 litres. When you do the math, it’s substantial.

I’ve also said in this Legislature, it’s obvious who’s for the carbon tax and who’s against it. To be clear, and for the record, our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is against it. It’s unfortunate that the leader of the Liberal Party of Ontario is for it because, as the mayor of Mississauga, she knew both on the police and the fire side how much this impacted them. But we’re going to stand up against the carbon tax each and every day.

And we’re going to stand up for seniors. We’re going to stand up for seniors so that they have places of residence that are dignified for them. They were there for us; we will be there for them, and I’m proud to say it as a son who is also caring for my own parents, who are seniors.

I want to talk about some of the highlights of the bill, which is important: GO Transit and TTC and Brampton Transit and Durham Region Transit and York Region Transit—the common theme now is that daily riders will save $1,600 per year through our One Fare program. I want to thank my colleague the Associate Minister of Transportation, who has led, until his voice is hoarse—to stress how important this program is.

Our government’s philosophy of putting more money back in people’s pockets is absolute and constant.

We’re ready to build the roads and the bridges and the highways and the transportation infrastructure for another generation. Never before in the history of Ontario have we seen something this ambitious. It’s quite exciting.

To my colleague from Windsor–Tecumseh—and I’ve been down to see him in Windsor–Tecumseh, to see how wonderful his constituency is: Shovels are already in the ground to expand Highway 3, with planning well under way to build a new interchange connecting the 401 to the Lauzon Parkway. I think when I was there, I saw that area, and I know how important it will be for the flow of traffic.

We’re also supporting a new interchange at Banwell Road and the E.C. Row Expressway to support the NextStar Energy EV battery plant. Why is this so important? Anybody can go to St. Thomas to see the area that will help revolutionize what an Ontario of the next generation will look like from our historic investments in EVs, and I have to tell you, it is mammoth; it is on a scale never imagined. And it took the vision and the ambition of Premier Ford to move this forward. It is something to see. I’ve seen this for myself. I’ve been to St. Thomas. I’ve seen the land area, and it’s unbelievable. To have the third-largest building on the entire planet in St. Thomas is a testament to the conviction of Premier Ford and Minister Fedeli to actually move this forward, and I really wanted to acknowledge that.

In order to build this envisionment of what our economy will look like, we need to have the infrastructure, and that’s the transportation, as well. That’s why, locally, in the GTA, we are advancing Highway 413, which will provide much better relief to commuters. Others have said it’s not necessary. Others have told us to stop. Others have said, “Wait. You’re not looking at this with a clear lens.” They’re dead wrong, because we know, unless we have an aspirational dream of seeing people live all over Ontario, to combat our housing shortages, to have the ambitions that members in this Legislature had, to set a target to build homes—you know what? We need the roadways. The roadways will be done and enjoyed by generations to come, and I’m proud of that.

In Niagara region—all we have to do is see the commute from Toronto to Niagara, and we know it’s already congested, because people want to live there. Houses are being built there. Hospitals are being built there. That’s why we’re moving forward with the QEW Garden City Skyway bridge twinning project, and I’m really proud of that.

We’re replacing a bridge that I myself have been to, in Little Current—the swing bridge on Manitoulin Island. I’ve been on that bridge, and I’m happy that our government is announcing we’re replacing that, as well.

In northern Ontario, we’re making infrastructure improvements on the roadways. We’re doing this absolutely everywhere.

The other thing that I want to comment on, that I think is very important as we look to the future is, how do we envision the other infrastructures that are required to build homes? You need roadways, but you also need the critical infrastructure, and the Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing have spoken to this. That’s why we’re not stopping. Again, we are not stopping.

The member from Mushkegowuk–James Bay spoke passionately about communities in his riding. I’ve been to some of them. He spoke about the sensitivities in the resource sectors, which are absolutely real. Governments can’t control commodity prices. If we could, then we’d have a lot more certainty. But we are a government that believes in free enterprise, and the markets dictate commodity prices. But governments have to be there to provide the support as well when we have the fluctuations that provide uncertainty for communities.

I do believe, very much so, that our government has stood up—has stood up for the communities in Hearst, has stood up for the communities in Kapuskasing, has stood up for the communities in Thunder Bay and in Sault Ste. Marie. I’ve had the privilege of visiting some of these communities myself, and I know how important they are to the fabric of Ontario.

I sit right next to the minister of northern affairs. Our government believes the north is important to the south of Ontario. This is important, and that’s why, as a member of provincial Parliament from the greater Toronto area, one of the greatest privileges I have had is to tour the north to see for myself.

Our investments that we’re making are important, are historic and will leave lasting benefit to the communities. The $50 million for northern and rural communities to recruit and retain health care workers is important. The $45 million over three years to enhance the Northern Health Travel Grant is important. We have to look seriously to make sure that health care is provided to everyone in Ontario. The Minister of Health and Deputy Premier has said that everyone who has an OHIP card, that is their proof of payment, and that is important. That’s why our government continues to make record investments in the health care system.

Madam Speaker, if it’s okay with you, I want to give a shout-out to the Humber River hospital in my own riding of York Centre because I see how transformational this hospital has been to our local community. I see the passion in the people that work there. I see the fact that this is one of our first digital hospitals, a hospital of tomorrow, built to help communities like mine today.

Whether we’re talking about assisting with over $128 million to help enrolment in nursing spaces, to have more nurses graduate—we’re building new medical schools. We’re dealing with the fact that the investments we need to make in mental health and addictions are the largest in the history of Ontario, over $400 million over three years. I’m proud to sit alongside Ontario’s first Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. How important is this, that the topic of such serious concern is represented by a person in our cabinet? I think this is very important.

We’re going to continue in new special education projects. We’re going to continue to make investments, especially—and I want to go back to public safety because there’s one thing that’s very important. Just as the people who think it’s okay to steal our cars at 5 a.m., to knock down our doors and to demand our keys—and you know what? It’s not acceptable. That is why the government came forward with a $51-million auto theft grant. And now, in this budget, in Bill 180, we’re now announcing monies to support police services across Ontario by having aerial support and purchasing new helicopters for the GTHA, as an example. This is very, very important.

I want to also give a special shout-out to our firefighters. Between our firefighters, I have to tell you, it has been an honour of a lifetime to stop the car—as I like to say—and visit fire halls.

We listened to the stakeholders at the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs. We listened to the stakeholders of the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association, the OPFFA. I want to give a shout-out to Deputy Chief Rob Grimwood, from Mississauga, and the president of the OPFFA, Greg Horton. These are amazing people. We talked about what we can do to help the fire services, and we came forward in this budget to provide $30 million so that, through a grant-based program, fire services can have the protective equipment. This is very important.

Et pour moi, madame la Présidente, c’est personnel.

I am so happy that our government reimagined not only our province—go back to 1967. For some members around the Legislature—I don’t want to age them, but the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will have a better, clearer memory than I or the member from Eglinton–Lawrence will have—because we’re the same age. What did Ontario in 1967 envision the Ontario of 2024 to look like? We said it should be a place to grow, a place to stand and a place to grow.

I think our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, has provided that stability, that constancy, the integrity to say we are building an Ontario not only for today—because we’re living today, we need to have it for today—but for tomorrow and generations to follow. It has been a privilege for me to rise to speak on this bill.

I’ll start by saying we’re treating the firefighters with respect, the respect that they deserve. And we’re acknowledging the volunteer firefighters as well: the member from Brantford–Brant and Sarnia–Lambton and others who have served in this place who have on their licence the emblem of a volunteer firefighter.

Madam Speaker, when we look at what we’re doing for the firefighters, we’re looking at treating them with respect; as an example, by changing the rules of inclusivity for those who have suffered esophageal cancer on the presumptive cancer elements. We have to treat them with respect, and that’s why the Fire Protection Grant will go a long way to make sure smaller services have the equipment that they need.

I’m listening to the stakeholders every single day, and just in the last 24 hours, I’ve spoken to both of them and I’m asking them, “What are we doing in 2025? What are your priorities?” So I encourage everyone, stand up for our firefighters.

Our government is tough on crime. Our government has set a priority that there is no crime, there is no form of criminality that we will accept.

To those victims and to the survivors, we are very, very empathetic and we’re sincere in saying that what you went through is not acceptable. That’s why we’re making investments to support victim services. That’s why we’re making sure there is education at the Ontario Police College. And that’s why we will always stand up for the survivors and victims who have been victimized so inappropriately.

Madam Speaker, we’re here in a Legislature, in a public Parliament of democracy, and part of the democracy is the committee process. When we go to committee—I was at the committee last week on the PUPS bill. People from the opposition asked me questions on the PUPS bill. That was their right.

So I’ll say it again, and to the member who asked the question prior: When it comes to supporting people who have been so brutally victimized, we take this matter seriously. We’ll make the investments in victim services, as we have done. We’ll work across the different ministries to make sure it’s an all-of-government approach. We’ll teach the education at the Ontario Police College. And we will not stop until everyone who feels it is okay to commit these crimes is behind bars.

Yesterday, there was an incredible announcement with the Minister of Transportation, and I was there. One thing we’re doing, in sending a message for people who think it’s okay to steal cars, is, we’re going to keep your licence suspended—you do it once, it’s 10 years; you do it twice, it’s 25 years; you do it three times, you’re gone, there’s no way of getting it back.

When it comes to fighting auto theft and understanding how serious it is, when it comes to understanding that there has never been a government that has taken public safety more seriously—to work with stakeholders, to work with the auto manufacturers, to work with police services—it is this government that’s standing up for public safety every day.

I want to thank the member from Mississauga Centre for her remarks and her most recent comment about public safety. She represents an area that’s protected by the Peel police service, a phenomenal police service in Ontario, a flagship service.

In the budget, there was reference to us providing monies for helicopters so that Peel and other GTHA services would have the special aerial support they need to fight crime.

My question to the member is, how important are these investments to making a difference in her own community, to keep Peel safe?

Point of order.