Sadly, what most of us feel we know about D-Day is, quite frankly, what we see in the movies today, Saving Private Ryan the most notable example. It’s hard to get through those opening scenes. The horror of war is on full bloody display, but so is the bravery, the courage and the humanity of those who were fighting to make and keep the world safer for us at home.

These movies that we watch in the comfort of our homes, surrounded by family and friends, are about real people, in real places, doing real things. They weren’t safe, they certainly weren’t comfortable, but they all wanted to come home to be with their family and friends. For 4,414 of them, that didn’t happen. For more than 350 Canadians, that didn’t happen. For them, it was real.

Months of top-secret planning took place—new tactics, misdirection, decoys, raids—all to distract and mislead the Nazis about the timing and location of this eventual attack. Even then, with all the planning, the success of the operation was far from guaranteed, with some giving it a 50-50 chance of success. But as we’ve heard, on June 6, 1944, the Allies launched Operation Overlord, the long-anticipated invasion of Normandy in France.

Soldiers from across the US, the UK, and, of course, Canada and other Allied nations faced Hitler’s formidable Atlantic wall. As they landed on the beaches of Normandy, 50,000 troops spread across five beaches. The operation was made increasingly difficult due to landings that were marred by challenging weather and very difficult terrain, with many of the Allied landing craft affected by enemy mines, the Allied soldiers having to establish positions on exposed beachheads—I can’t even imagine this—all under very heavy enemy fire.

By the end of the day, over 14,000 Canadian solders had landed or parachuted into France. Those in that first wave suffered the heaviest with nearly every other soldier being a casualty. In the end, Canada suffered over 1,000 of those casualties, and on June 6, more than 350 were fatalities.

The price paid by the Allies on that day cannot be overstated. Across all the five beaches, the Allies suffered over 10,000 casualties; 4,414 did not answer the roll call the next morning. As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we remember them, Speaker, and we honour them.

While it was not clear at the time, with the foothold on the continent now secure, the Allies would begin their march towards Berlin. Less than a year after D-Day, the war in Europe would be over.

Every year, Canadians pause to reflect and remember our veterans and the sacrifices they made for those freedoms that we talk about, those freedoms that we enjoy. These gatherings remind us of the human cost of war and provide the chance to see and interact with the veterans who bravely and courageously served. Some are here today. Today, 80 years removed from D-Day, we are blessed to still have some of those who stormed the beaches of Normandy with us. Thank you for highlighting one of them.

We have a moral responsibility, a human responsibility, to ensure that those stories live on through us. The average age of these vets closes in on 100 now. We are faced with the reality that, for many, this 80th anniversary, this milestone, may be the last anniversary they experience. Let’s embrace the time we have with these heroes. Let’s use it and learn from them, to offer our unending thanks for their sacrifice, and to assure them that we will carry the torch. We will carry that torch forward to be remembered for generations to come.

To the veterans here today—namely, Commander Paul Smith and Lieutenant Commander Stefan Pohl from HMCS York—and representatives from the Juno Beach foundation, Historica Canada, Helmets to Hardhats, True Patriot Love, Coding for Veterans and Together We Stand who travelled here to Queen’s Park this morning to commemorate this important day with us, we thank you and we do salute you.

To all of our vets who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Afghanistan and as peacekeepers around the world in conflicts, their bravery and courage represents the best—the best—of who we are as Canadians. They have made our country and the world a better place, and we’re all forever grateful. Lest we forget. Lest we forget.

The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

I’m pleased to say that we also have with us the Poet Laureate of Ontario, Randell Adjei, and his mother, Esther Ablorh; his father, Fawkins Ablorh; and his friend Mark Stoddart. Randell has done a superb job as Poet Laureate, and we thank him for his service to the Legislature and the people of Ontario.

Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier.

This government knows how to spend big on vanity ads and projects that favour their friends. In fact, their fiscal plans are going to see Ontario’s deficit triple this year. Across Ontario, meanwhile, people are wondering what they’re getting for that money. Rural emergency rooms are closing, northern highways are shutting down, and schools are running out of buckets to catch the leaks.

How can the government justify spending nearly a billion dollars to break a Beer Store contract that is already set to expire?

It’s the Premier’s priorities that are completely out of whack with where Ontarians are at. If he spent some time talking to them instead of for them, he might learn something.

I want to take that Beer Store contract again, for example—even people who are looking forward to having beer in convenience stores are asking why we would ever fork over as much as a billion dollars to make it happen when the contract is going to expire anyway. They want to know why there’s no money to fix the air conditioners in their kids’ schools, but they have hundreds of millions of dollars for that.

Does the Premier think that this billion dollars is money well spent?

Interjections.

Anyway, back to the Premier: In February, we saw the loss of 300 school board positions that support children with special needs in Mississauga, in Brampton and in Caledon. A new report from People for Education found that nearly half of our schools are experiencing a shortage of educational assistants every single day.

Students with disabilities have a right to education in safe and supportive classrooms. So my question to the Premier is, why are children in Ontario being shortchanged by this government?

You don’t need to wait for a coroner’s inquest to start right now to make sure that kids don’t die at school. So my question back to the Premier is, what changes will this government be making today to ensure that no other parent has to go through what Landyn’s mom, Brenda, is going through right now?

Interjections.

The minister hasn’t even said Landyn’s name. He is not a data point; he was a child and he was Brenda’s child.

There is a theme here of a government that is cutting funding and programs that support children. We used to have a children’s advocate in this province until this government got rid of him. Families have been coming here to this place for the last six years warning about the risks and the consequences of this government’s choices.

I want to ask the Premier: Will he contradict his minister and agree that you do not need to wait for a coroner’s inquest to do right by Landyn and other kids like him?

To reply, the Minister of Finance.

The supplementary question.

Minister of Finance.

Minister of Education.

Thank you for the question, to the member opposite.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: The number that she’s putting forward, of course, is a hypothetical number that you can only get to—get this—if you raise taxes and raise fees. Which side of the House wants to raise taxes and fees? I would submit that it’s that side of the House and that side of the House, except for the middle here. This side of the House wants to cut fees and cut taxes for the people of Ontario and the businesses of Ontario.

As we saw last week, we had a number of businesses say that this was a good thing. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said, “Speeding up the process to allow more Ontario small retailers to sell beer and wine is a very positive move for entrepreneurs and consumers.”

What does the member opposite have against—

And where is this money going? Through this Minister of Health and the whole team on this side, this money is going to build more hospitals and acute-care beds across the province. Fundamentally, also, this Minister of Health led the charge to increase the funding for primary care—$600 million—so that there are more patients being taken care of.

But she didn’t stop there. Do you know what she did? She put in a request, and we’re funding $2 billion more for home and community care so we can take good care of people at home.

That’s what we’re doing for the people.

Let’s continue to look at some of the support here from the Ontario Craft Brewers: “These changes are critical to the success of the new system so craft beer operators have a chance to compete and thrive in Ontario.”

The Grape Growers of Ontario: They want to expand their grape growing in Ontario.

The Convenience Industry Council of Canada: They want to increase the ability to sell beer and wine across the province.

One concept that I think the member opposite can’t seem to handle is that we can be fiscally responsible and grow the economy at the same time. This party is getting it done.

We are firmly committed to the safety and security of those very children, which is why, in the most recent budget, we increased the staffing and increased the funding for special education. Speaker, to the member opposite, we’ve now increased spec ed funding to the highest levels in provincial history. It is up over $110 million this year compared to last year.

There are 3,500 additional EAs within our schools as a consequence of our Premier and government’s investment. This year, we launched a new investment to train our staff specifically dealing with a plan of care co-created by the school and the parent for children that have prevalent medical conditions—a new investment we announced some months ago and put in place.

We are committed to the success and safety of children. The funding is there. We’ll continue to increase it and the staffing and the training to keep our kids safe in our schools.

The school board in question, as required by the province, has a plan of care. They actually have a plan for any child with medical conditions. They are required to implement it. This year, to the member’s question of what’s new, we added an investment specifically to deal with consistent training of our staff when we’re talking about children that have these issues. We’ve developed training modules and new investments put out this year to help those very children in our schools.

The member for Hamilton Mountain, please come to order.

The next question.

The Minister of Education.

The next question.

Minister of Energy.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, gosh, Mr. Speaker, you look great today.

My question is for the Minister of Energy. I don’t need any political spin; I want a straight answer. My question is: At a time when inflation and the cost of living continue to rise, the federal government has decided to further burden Ontarians and hike the carbon tax by 23%. Time and again, the federal Liberals and their buddies in the Ontario Liberal Party, led by the carbon tax queen herself, Bonnie Crombie, have continued to put failed policies that show a lack of empathy for Ontarians who are struggling with the cost of gas, groceries and heating their homes.

When the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, was mayor of Mississauga, she hiked taxes, just like her federal buddies are doing now. Ontarians cannot afford this Liberal tax grab. The carbon tax must come to an end.

With summer quickly approaching, could the Minister of Energy please explain how the carbon tax continues to affect—

The queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, knew well when she was mayor of Mississauga the cost of the carbon tax, particularly on public safety. The carbon tax costs a police car $6,500 per year; for a fire truck, $15,000 per year. We haven’t done the numbers, but I imagine the carbon tax is pretty pricey for private jets as well.

All parties in this Legislature, including the Ontario Liberals, including the NDP, should be calling on the federal government to abolish this punitive tax. Instead, the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals, led by the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, are choosing to do nothing. Ontarians deserve better. That’s why our government will continue to fight this disastrous tax until it is scrapped for good.

Can the minister explain what our government is doing to stand up against the carbon tax and put money back into Ontarians’ pockets?

I appreciate the advocacy of the member from Kiiwetinoong and the Minister of Education and, frankly, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, who collectively have worked with us to build a very effective partnership with Nishnawbe Aski Nation. We recently committed $2.6 million in funding to support a number of activities to ensure that children in school, especially from the Far North, get the mental health supports that they need.

Part of that funding went to Keewaytinook Okimakanak to lead the NAN Hope program that provides community-driven, culturally appropriate services for young people in crisis. Other supports included students who have come from the isolated communities to places like Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay and ensuring, whether it’s crisis teams or just partnering with a mentor, they have the resources in those schools for mental health supports.

Of course, to the member’s question about the immediacy of support, especially for youth in crisis, part of those resources was dedicated to make sure that Nishnawbe Aski Nation as an organization had the vehicles necessary to get to locations to meet students coming from the north or in cities—

When dealing with a tragedy of a child, the responsibility of government and Parliament is to make sure that there is an independent, fulsome investigation, which the coroner of Ontario is leading, supported by the OPP. That young man, Landyn, has every right and deserves this investigation for his family and for his mother.

That’s why, to the member’s question of what is new, this government stepped up with an investment that took effect this year, specifically to deal with the consistent training of our staff with respect to children that require a plan of care. Every school board is required to have that.

Interjection.

I would hope the members opposite would allow that investigation to take place without the inclination of trying to exploit it for their own political—

Interjections.

We have expanded the Rapid Response Northern School Teams, with an $800,000 expansion this specific year, to assist with respect to connecting access to mental health supports for families and communities, particularly for our children in the most remote parts of Ontario.

We have stepped up with an overall investment in mental health. Because of the parliamentary assistant and the member from Burlington, we have expanded a mental health module developed by SickKids in school mental health. We also have ensured there is culturally responsive mental health services for Indigenous peoples.

We will continue to work with the member opposite and all members to ensure the safety of those in the most remote parts of Ontario.

Speaker, this year’s Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario survey reveals high levels of violence in our schools: 77% of their members have experienced violence in the classroom.

It’s worse in the north. The wait-lists are up to 24 months to access mental health supports. Some students must travel four to eight hours to access service.

Will the Premier commit today to addressing the student support deficiency in the north?

Interjections.

Teachers working in Kiiwetinoong school boards recently told me that the classrooms get evacuated so often because of violence that the students are desensitized. Class sizes and wait-lists for support have only increased under this Premier.

Will the minister commit to increasing the per-student funding for students in the north?

Shame on you.

It’s always a great day when Percy Hatfield is in our presence, so welcome.

Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, or as I dub him, the minister for green automotive production, Windsor-Essex.

The carbon tax is hurting businesses and families back home and right across the province. As the Premier has repeatedly said, it is truly the worst tax. It is an inflationary tax that penalizes the hard-working men and women who are the backbone of our economy.

Ontario is home to a wealth of skilled workers in key sectors that will be vital to the province’s economic success and prosperity in the years to come. The last thing a government should be doing is hiking taxes on workers and chasing them away.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what he is hearing from companies and workers about the carbon tax?

They had a clear choice in the by-elections in Milton and Lambton–Kent–Middlesex. Certainly, knocking on those doors, I received that message loud and clear. They could vote for our government, who will always have their backs and fight to keep costs down, or they could vote for the Liberals and NDP, who endorse the carbon tax and will never stand up to their federal cousins in Ottawa. It’s no shock that they chose to elect two excellent, new PC MPPs, who are already important members of our government, as we fight against unnecessary Liberal tax hikes.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on why Liberals need to scrap their carbon tax?

Speaker, when people have the courage to reach out for mental health help, there must be someone there to listen and guide them to proper services.

When Amanda called a 24/7 hotline, and despite the receptionist exclaiming, “Wow, that’s a lot,” there was no one Amanda could talk to in that moment.

Children’s mental health wait-lists are years long. Students aren’t getting any mental health supports in schools. There are just so many other areas where this government can’t get their act together.

Why is this government underfunding CMHA and disregarding their wise funding requests in budget 2024?

This week, Canadians are celebrating the introduction of universal pharmacare. A big part of this commitment includes access to contraception. This will make a huge difference to realizing reproductive health and equity for women, queer, trans and non-binary people. We can make it easier for people to plan their pregnancies and improve maternal and child health care outcomes. We could eliminate the cost burden for these communities at a time when cost of living is becoming unbearable. But this government is refusing to make this happen.

My question is to the Premier: How long will Ontarians have to wait for this Ontario government to commit to universal pharmacare?

Interjections.

But anyway, back to the Premier: This government is playing political games with people’s health. They don’t care about the health and safety of women, queer, trans and non-binary people. Just ask them. If they did, they would understand the urgency of bringing no-cost contraception to Ontarians. They’re ignoring the problem, just like you’ve done with $10-a-day childcare.

This government has shown community members and their families their well-being is not their priority. Ontarians deserve better. So I’m going back to the Premier: When will this government start prioritizing the things that actually matter to Ontarians, stop playing political games and stop prioritizing beer and wine? Prioritize the people.

Interjections.

Speaker, we just returned from the BIO International Convention to promote Ontario’s thriving life sciences ecosystem. We talked about companies around the globe, and they’re intrigued by how rapidly Ontario life science is continuing to grow.

Ontario has the best talent pool with over 70,000 STEM grads annually coming out of our renowned post-secondary institutions. We want those workers to stay here in Ontario and succeed, which is why we’ve taken action to lower taxes, so they can keep more of what they earn.

But with the Liberal carbon tax, the federal government is moving in the opposite direction. They’re making life less affordable and risking the progress that we have made, Speaker. We need them to come around. Follow our lead. Scrap the carbon tax today.

The Liberals put up mountains of red tape. They hiked tax after tax after tax and they scared businesses away: 300,000 manufacturing jobs fled the province and key industries were on the brink of collapse. And now, the federal Liberals are trying to do this all over again with their carbon tax.

We need the Liberals to reverse course. Speaker, we ask them: Listen to the hard-working people and businesses in Ontario. Scrap the carbon tax today.

Frankly, we’re still trying to figure out when the federal government is going to share their plans.

We have been in the pharmacare space in Ontario for many, many decades; the member opposite would know this. We have OHIP+—25-and-under individuals who have access to free pharmaceuticals. We have a seniors-plus program. We have a Trillium drug plan program. We have ensured that we fill those gaps where we see the need in our community, and we’ll continue to do that.

I think if the member opposite would like to be of assistance, she could actually talk to the federal NDP and say, “Why are you supporting a program that has no details and no benefits?”

Speaker, earlier this morning, I had an opportunity to talk to over 600 providers who are working in community health centres doing the work that this member is, frankly, dismissing. We will continue to make those investments, because we see that when we work with people, when we work with communities, when we make those investments, that’s when you see a difference—not when the NDP members spew facts that, frankly, have no reality.

Members will please take their seats.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Minister of Health.

We’ve cut the gas tax, as I mentioned, by 10.7 cents a litre. We’re reducing fees: One Fare for transit riders right across the GTHA. We’ve cut licence plate sticker fees. We’ve cut the Drive Clean program that was just a grab—oh, my goodness; it was driving up the price for everyone. We brought in all of these accomplishments, and more, for the people of Ontario. But the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and Gang Green here and the NDP, they’re in full support of Prime Minister Trudeau’s federal carbon tax, which is driving up the cost of everything, from the pumps to home heating to groceries that we buy every day.

We’ve taken a different approach. We’re continuing to build on our clean energy system that we have in Ontario. As a result, we’re seeing multi-billion-dollar investments in our province. The 300,000 jobs that left under their watch? Seven-hundred thousand of them have come back to Ontario.

Our economy is thriving. We can do this without a costly carbon tax, Mr. Speaker.