Thanks to the member opposite for the question, the first good question today in question period. Because you know what? It’s impacting the people of Ontario’s daily lives. The number one issue that our friends from Milton and Lambton–Kent–Middlesex heard at the doors in their by-election over the last month and a half or so was the high cost of living in Ontario and in Canada because of the federal carbon tax—as the member rightly points out, a carbon tax that isn’t done yet. It’s going to continue to go up and up every April 1, making life more unaffordable for the people.

We’ve taken a different approach here in Ontario, under the leadership of Premier Ford. We’ve been cutting taxes—the gas tax, 10.7 cents a litre off every fill-up. How do you like that? No more tolls on the 412 and the 418. How do you like that? If you’re a transit rider in Ontario, the minister of One Fare, Minister Thanigasalam—One Fare for transit riders, saving them $1,600 a year. Cutting fees like licence plate sticker fees—I have so many other things I can say that we’re doing to make life more affordable, but that federal carbon tax continues to go up and put people—

The carbon tax is driving up the cost of everything from gasoline to groceries to home heating. The member for Brant who just asked the question, he’s a volunteer firefighter as well in Brantford. We’re surrounded by fire chiefs from across the province here today, and we know the impact that the carbon tax is having on our municipal fire departments. The Solicitor General, right next to me, has answered questions on this in the past. It’s $15,000 more annually per fire truck that the carbon tax is costing our municipalities and our local fire departments. It’s making life unaffordable.

The federal government and the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and the NDPs and Mr. Green all have to get together. Join us, let’s end this carbon tax once and for all.

My question is the to Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. I’m so proud that Ontario continues to be top of mind for businesses that want to invest and expand. However, I think we all agree that the federal carbon tax imposed on the hard-working people of Ontario and our businesses really threatens all of that great progress that we’ve done as a province.

It’s unbelievable the Liberals in this House continue to be silent. They continue to sit on their hands as their federal Liberal colleagues chase investment and jobs out of this province and out of our country. I’d love for the minister to explain how the Liberal carbon tax not only makes life more expensive for Ontarians and our businesses, but how it threatens the progress that you and Premier Ford have been able to make in our province for job creation.

We know that the members opposite are hearing the same things in their ridings that we’re hearing, yet they are ignoring their constituents’ calls to stand up and ask the federal government to scrap the tax. Their lack of concern and the rapid rise in costs just show how out of touch the provincial Liberals and their federal colleagues are.

We don’t believe as a government that lowering emissions by crushing businesses and individuals, making life more unaffordable, is the way to go. So, Minister, can you please elaborate on why it’s so important that the federal government scrap that tax?

My question is for the Associate Minister of Housing. Last month, the federal government increased the carbon tax by a staggering 23%. It is the cruellest April Fool’s joke the province has ever seen.

Speaker, the federal Liberals, with the full support of their provincial counterparts, want to triple this tax by 2030. It’s not right, Speaker. This disastrous carbon tax is burdening Ontarians and adding more obstacles in housing construction, leaving more young families waiting to achieve their dream of home ownership.

The people of this province cannot afford the carbon tax and that’s why we are calling for its complete removal. Speaker, can the associate minister explain how the carbon tax is driving up the cost of building new homes?

The carbon tax is impacting each and every Ontarian who is looking to buy a home. It not only drives up the cost for home builders, but it is making it more expensive to build the critical infrastructure that each community needs to meet its growing housing demands. If we want to be able to build more homes and make housing more affordable for Ontario families, we need the federal government to remove the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the carbon tax is also raising the costs of building housing-enabling infrastructure?

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. At a time of high interest rates and a rising cost of living, the federal Liberals decided to hike the carbon tax by another 23%. The disastrous effects of this costly tax are being felt in communities across Ontario, but especially in the north.

Northerners already pay more at the gas pumps and at the grocery stores as compared to the rest of Ontario. They should not be punished with more tax hikes. Our government will always advocate on behalf of Ontarians. We will continue to call on the federal Liberals to end the tax now.

Speaker, can the minister please explain to the House how our government is supporting northern communities instead of imposing unjust tax?

Speaker, we know that unlike other parts of our province, the north faces unique challenges that should be recognized, not taxed. The federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts need to respect northerners and finally get rid of this disastrous tax. Speaker, can the minister further explain why families and businesses in the north cannot afford this costly carbon tax?

Speaker, I’ve spent the past couple of weeks chronicling the happenings among the carbon tax nobility, and it’s quite a cast of characters. Of course, you’ve got the bafflegab coming from the junior ranks: Prince Carney and—I don’t know what you would call Jagmeet Singh; maybe duke of the carbon tax. Nonetheless, no clear position on this tax; it’s one of convenience, when Canadians speak out against the crushing impact it’s having on their everyday lives, Mr. Speaker.

But one thing is perfectly clear: The king of the carbon tax and the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, are unrelenting in their position. They see this as an environmental policy, when everybody else knows it isn’t. What families and small businesses in northwestern Ontario know is that it costs too much to live, it costs too much to operate a business. That’s why we need to scrap the tax.