I’ll tell you what we’re not doing: We’re not driving 300,000 manufacturing jobs out of this province, like the former government did and which a punitive carbon tax would continue to do.

Instead, we have hard-working members like the member for Whitby, who is building up his community and building up Ontario, building on transit—this member takes GO train transit every day—and that’s a vision our government wants for all Ontarians.

We’re getting more cars off the road and more people into transit. If it was up to the opposition, the cost of these transit projects would go up. But no fear, Speaker: Instead, this government will continue to build transit, and we’ll lower fees by introducing the One Fare program for all Ontarians, making it more economical to get more cars on the road and to transit.

In addition, just next door to the member’s riding, we’re building the first urban provincial park. If it was up to the opposition, the cost of building this park would also go up.

But don’t worry, Speaker. This government is lowering the cost of gas by 10 cents a litre. In addition to that, we’re building the EV infrastructure by putting EV charging stations in Ontario parks and making sure we’re using clean, green steel to build these electric vehicles—again, creating jobs and building up our economy.

My question is to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

The federal carbon tax continues to drive up the cost of the goods we buy and the interest we pay. At a time when prices are out of control and people are having trouble paying their bills, the federal Liberals hiked the tax again by 23%. It’s not fair. We know that it’s possible to improve on the impacts of climate change without forcing people to pay a costly, job-killing carbon tax. The Liberals must reverse this tax, so that Ontarians can put food on their table.

Can the minister please share how our government is protecting the environment for future generations to enjoy without introducing a punitive carbon tax?

Speaker, our government continues to invest in the future of Ontario and create a legacy of environmental health for generations to come.

The people of Milton and the people of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex sent a clear message on May 2—a very clear message. They rejected the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and the carbon tax she supports. They, and everyone else in Ontario, want to see our government continue to stand up for them, to fight for affordability and oppose the Liberal carbon tax.

Can the minister please explain how our government is keeping costs down for hard-working families in Ontario without imposing a costly tax?

My question is to the Premier.

Over a month ago, I brought forward Bill 173, the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act. The government sent it to committee instead of making the declaration immediately. They have yet to call it at committee, pass it, enact it or declare IPV is an epidemic.

The 2022 Renfrew county coroner’s inquest report had 86 actionable recommendations, 75 of which were for this Conservative government to implement. The very first one: Declare IPV an epidemic in Ontario.

More women continue to be killed in this province due to this government’s inaction.

Survivors, victims, their families, communities, municipalities, advocates, experts are all wondering: Will the Premier declare today gender-based violence and IPV to be the epidemic that it clearly is?

If you really wanted to take action, you would declare intimate partner violence an epidemic today and implement the 75 recommendations from the Renfrew county coroner’s inquest.

The Conservatives claim they won’t declare intimate partner violence an epidemic until they have actionable measures, and yet for nearly two years they’ve had 75 recommendations from an inquest into the deaths of three women in Ontario. Nearly 100 municipalities have made the declaration. And I have a letter that was sent to the government House leader and other government members from the warden of Lanark county imploring the government to pass my bill and declare IPV an epidemic before the House rises in a few short days.

Last week, Shannan Hickey, a 26-year-old nurse from Belleville, was killed by her partner.

Will you make the declaration—

Again, it is the subcommittee and it is the committee which will decide the fate of that study, and I trust that they will do their job very well.

I need no lessons from the member opposite on respecting the rights of victims of crime in this province—and to suggest anything else is beneath the dignity of that member. I have two daughters of my own. Do you not think I want them to be made safe, Speaker?

Interjections.

Interjections.

If the NDP are that afraid to work over the summer, to try to do something effective here, to bring forward legislation that will make a difference in the lives of the people of the province of Ontario, like our human trafficking work has made a difference in the lives of people not only in Ontario but across the country, I feel sorry for them.

Interjection.

Interjection.

I appreciate that. Thank you.

Question?

Interjection.

To the member for Kanata–Carleton.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Health: Today, thousands of concerned citizens are outside Queen’s Park protesting this government’s disastrous health care policies and privatization scheme. Among these citizens are residents of Port Colborne and Fort Erie, who have now gone 330 days without after-hours services at their local urgent care centres.

Nearly 10,000 residents in Port Colborne alone are without a family doctor, and many are forced to rely on their local urgent care centre.

Through you, Speaker: When will this minister finally listen to the citizens of Niagara and step in to restore full urgent care services in south Niagara?

To the member opposite, who I believe is on the record for supporting a carbon tax and thinking that’s great for the people of Ontario—well, that gives us a sense of where you’re coming from.

But let’s go back. We ran, in 2022, on a key promise to deliver convenience and competition to the people of Ontario. The people of Ontario spoke. They want competition. They want convenience. They’re sick and tired of the Liberal deal that they put into place—a 10-year monopoly deal which gave higher prices and a monopoly to large, foreign-owned companies.

We, on the other hand, care about small businesses. We care about the people of Ontario.

Some 7,500 jobs are going to be created by our change here in Ontario that we’re putting forward—good-paying jobs for the people of Ontario. Our GDP is going to grow by an estimated $200 million. New investments in infrastructure, in cooling systems for various companies are going to expand. And most important, it’s going to give—

But let’s get back to what the member was asking about, with respect to the liberalization that we are bringing in.

The previous Liberal government signed a multitude of bad deals. I know the Minister of Energy could certainly point to the Green Energy Act, which was probably one of the worst bills ever signed in the people of Ontario’s history—but also the Master Framework Agreement, a 10-year deal which gave high prices, high taxes and high profits to foreign corporations.

We are acting on the promise that we ran on in 2022, which is to give liberalization to this, stop the old agreement—a 97-year monopoly—bring convenience and competition to the people of Ontario, and bring back economic growth. This is what the people of Ontario want, and we’re delivering.

I thank the member for Richmond Hill for her question and also for being such a strong advocate for seniors not only in her riding but across the province of Ontario.

Madam Speaker, the member is absolutely correct; as the minister and I travel across the province, what we hear from operators is that the carbon tax is increasing the tax of absolutely everything, including construction of new homes. That is why, in our recent budget, in 2024, our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, stepped up to the plate and invested $155 million to the construction fund subsidy. We talked to the industry and heard them loud and clear. However, the Liberals—surprise, surprise—voted against this increase in funding to make sure seniors can receive the care they need. Instead of supporting our government’s plan to build Ontario, they continue to support this cost-hiking carbon tax.

Speaker, I stand with the Premier, and I stand with the minster, who is making life easier for Ontarians, especially our seniors.

Contrast this with Carbon Crombie’s record of failure as the mayor, where she failed to build almost any housing—Mississauga is one of the only jurisdictions in Ontario that actually lowered, under her leadership. She didn’t build then, and she isn’t building now. We just can’t afford her.

Once more, I ask Carbon Crombie and her high-cost Liberal caucus to join us and call on their federal Liberal cousins to finally give people a much-needed break and scrap this tax.

Speaker, inexplicably this government doubled down, saying that the retention and—

Interjection.

Inexplicably, this government doubled down, saying that the retention and recruitment of doctors is not a major concern. Excuse me? Some 2.3 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor, yet nothing is happening because we are told the cupboards are bare.

It is true that this year’s budget forecast a $10-billion deficit, and it is also true that in the past six years this government has added $86 billion to Ontario’s debt. So the money is being spent somewhere; just not in health care.

Speaker, I want to ask the Premier how he could possibly think that spending $1 billion to expedite beer and alcohol sales should be his priority instead of solving the family doctor crisis.

Speaker, I want to ask the Premier once again: How could he possibly think that the priority of this government should be renegotiating beer contracts instead of investing in the solutions that Ontarians urgently need?

It highlights just why they are so irrelevant in the province of Ontario. This is an irrelevant party that has nothing to say—

Thank you to the member for Don Valley North. I must say, that was a very good question.

In terms of the liberalization and the changes that we are making, it’s going to have a tremendous impact, not only on families across Ontario and individuals who just want to buy a bottle of wine on a Friday night and not have to go to the LCBO or the Beer Store, but it’s also going to help small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of the province of Ontario. Speaker, 7,500 new jobs will be created in small businesses and convenience stores and other areas, so this is going to have a tremendously positive impact.

In fact, I can assure the member opposite that there has been great support from the convenience store industry. In fact, the president of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association said, “This is great news for all convenience store owners and their staff in Ontario. We at the” Ontario Convenience Stores Association “have been petitioning the Ontario government for beer and wine” in corner stores “for the last 30 years.” We’re delivering.

My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business.

Speaker, the cost pressures driven by the federal carbon tax have placed a significant burden on Ontario’s small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs. Young people in our province with innovative ideas are finding their dreams stifled by the increasing affordability challenges stemming from this tax. The carbon tax is not only driving up operational costs for existing small businesses, but it’s also hindering the ability of these budding entrepreneurs to get their ideas off the ground in the first place.

Our government must continue to demonstrate leadership in helping Ontario’s young entrepreneurs succeed during their start-up phase.

Speaker, can the associate minister tell us how our government is supporting aspiring entrepreneurs in our province who are negatively impacted by this disastrous tax?

The Summer Company program has an important role in supporting young entrepreneurs across our province, and I know many aspiring business owners in my riding were happy to take advantage of this valuable initiative.

However, the challenges posed by the federal carbon tax go beyond just affecting students and recent graduates looking to start their first businesses. Entrepreneurs aged 18 and older are also struggling with the cost pressures this tax is creating, and it has become increasingly difficult for them to secure the necessary investments and resources to start or grow their enterprises.

Speaker, can the associate minister tell the House what additional measures our government is using to support this vital demographic of business owners?

That’s why we’re investing in a new hospital in the Niagara region. We’re also investing in connecting 600,000 more Ontarians to an interprofessional primary care team. The new and expanded teams will include family health teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics, community health centres and Indigenous primary care organizations.

Speaker, I’ll remind the member opposite, they actually voted against our budget that included a $546-million expansion over the next three years to expand the interprofessional primary care teams.

The Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team has already hired a new nurse practitioner. And we’re going to see more in the months to come.

In Ontario, we have a plan, and it’s working.

We will continue to work with all of our health care partners across the province to ensure that we have the best publicly funded health care system in the north, south, east and west.

Speaker, again to the Minister of Health: As a result of this government’s failed health care policies and mistreatment of health care workers, residents in Welland have now endured a staggering 457 days without after-hours emergency surgical services at the Welland hospital—a cut that Niagara Health said was temporary due to staffing shortages. With Welland’s population surging and housing targets being surpassed by 276% last year alone, we should be seeing a historic expansion of services in south Niagara.

Speaker, through you: When will this minister listen to the people of Niagara and step in to ensure after-hours emergency surgical services are restored at the Welland hospital?

Response? I recognize the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health.

Thank you to the great colleague of mine from Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question.

Speaker, I’ve heard from so many young entrepreneurs who are finding their dreams of starting their businesses harder due to the mounting affordability challenges caused by the carbon tax. Many tell me their parents are willing to help, but with the costs of groceries, gas and everyday essentials growing, there’s just nothing left over to help them secure the necessary capital or invest in the supplies needed to start or sustain their businesses through the crucial start-up phase.

Our government recognizes the crucial role young entrepreneurs play in driving our economic growth. That’s why we’ve invested $1.5 million more into our Summer Company program, for a total of $4.7 million a year, so an additional 250 young people can be their own boss this summer.

Speaker, while we're making it easier for our entrepreneurs to get started, the carbon tax is making it harder. That’s why—

Speaker, I’ve been hearing similar concerns from more seasoned business owners who are grappling with the significant cost pressures this tax is creating as they seek to launch and grow their own business.

Our government is taking proactive steps to bolster our support for all prospective small business owners.

Just last week, we announced a $4.8-million investment over the next two years to expand the Starter Company Plus program, which provides training, mentoring and grants of up to $5,000 to help entrepreneurs age 18 and older start or grow their business. This will give an additional 500 entrepreneurs the opportunity to succeed, building on the over 5,500 companies it has already supported and the more than 6,300 jobs we’ve created across Ontario.

Speaker, this Premier, this government is focused on reducing the barriers to starting a business, and the biggest one that still stands in their way is the job-killing carbon tax.

My question is to the Minister of Finance.

For years, consumers and retailers have been urging the government to expand alcohol distribution policies to align with most other Canadian provinces and the US, to allow for an open market and greater convenience for consumers. Currently, consumers can only buy alcohol from a limited number of grocery stores. This often results in the need to make additional trips or makes it inconvenient to pick up a bottle of wine before visiting a friend.

Speaker, my question is: How will this expansion for retailers be implemented to create an open and convenient marketplace?

Speaker, in Ontario, a survey showed that 75% of youth in grade 12 had reported lifetime alcohol use.

Based on research from Alberta, awareness and education campaigns can help shed light on alcohol-related harms.

Alcohol consumption has surged post-pandemic, especially amongst the youth in Ontario. Can the minister please tell this House, what is the strategy to combat this rise, and what is this government doing to promote responsible drinking?

I rise in accordance with standing order 59 to outline the order of business for next week.

On Monday, June 3, in the morning and in the afternoon sessions, we will be dealing with Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act.

On Tuesday, June 4, in the morning, we will be on third reading of Bill 159; in the afternoon, we’ll be on private member’s Bill 45 and third reading of Bill 185. At 6 p.m., we will be dealing with private member’s Bill 192, for the member of Nickel Belt.

On Wednesday, June 5, we’ll be on to third reading of Bill 159 in the morning and in the afternoon. Private members’ business that day will be business for the member for Oshawa.

On Thursday, June 6, in the morning, third reading of Bill 159; in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 194; and private members’ business will be Bill 133, for the member for Sudbury.