My question is for the Premier.

Mr. Speaker, over the years, I’ve received numerous emails, phone calls and letters about the state of our education system. Recently, Catholic teachers reached out to articulate concerns about the teacher shortage, the billions in repair backlog, and the lack of per pupil funding. But what I’ve rarely been asked about is greater access to the sale of beer and wine.

I don’t mind selling beer and wine at the corner store, but as a fiscal conservative, I do mind the billion-dollar price tag that comes along with it. I wonder how this government is going to make up the billion-dollar shortfall, already having ballooned the provincial debt by nearly $100 billion. Taking on more debt is not a fiscally responsible approach.

My question: To avoid taking on massive amounts of new debt, why won’t this government auction licences to sell alcohol and beer, like Conservative governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and use that money to better fund our education system?

How can they justify two million Ontarians going without a family doctor? Imagine, Mr. Speaker, every resident of the combined cities of Ottawa, Windsor, London, Kingston and Guelph—no family doctor.

Is the price tag of a billion dollars really worth the opportunity to go buy a six-pack at the corner store? Is that really what’s going to solve our problems? How about a billion dollars to reduce the surgical backlog that a quarter-million Ontarians are facing?

Auctioning the licences like true conservative governments in Alberta and Saskatchewan have done would raise hundreds of millions of dollars, money that could be invested—

Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is really saying is that what their party would do is they would increase the taxes and the fees on the consumers and the small businesses of Ontario. Is that the right thing to do? I don’t think so.

We heard from people, we heard from businesses, and they want to stimulate the economic activity of Ontario. The convenience store association said this will create thousands of jobs. The grape growers, the wine growers, the craft brewers, the cideries across Ontario—this is good for Ontario.

I don’t know what the member opposite has against Ontario businesses. I don’t know why the member opposite would want to increase fees and taxes.

This is a government that cuts fees and taxes.

We’ll update the numbers this fall, for sure.

I’ll remind the member opposite, this member’s party also increased the debt to the highest subnational debt in the world. Their government got downgraded—

Interjections.

In fact, that’s reversing the trend. It took 15 years to bury this province. It’s taken us six short years to turn the economy around.

As my colleague here says, 300,000 tail lights leaving Ontario, 700,000 headlights bringing jobs back in Ontario.

This just never occurred to the member opposite, that you can be fiscally responsible—

Against.

I want to thank the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for his leadership on ensuring that we have a strong tourism sector here in the province of Ontario.

But I have to tell you, Speaker, when I heard that the Liberal members of Parliament were saying that people shouldn’t be going on road trips this summer, my jaw hit the floor. And I’ll tell you right now, when we talk to the people of Ontario, we know that they want to get out there, and they want to hit the road, but I’m thinking that right now the federal Liberals should be hitting the road, too, because when you look at the fact that we have a long tradition here in Ontario of people being able to get out and enjoy small towns and big cities across this province, whether you’re going up to Kenora, whether you’re stopping by Lanark county, whether you’re visiting Kingsville, we know that the people of Ontario have the right to be able to enjoy those opportunities.

We, unlike the federal Liberals, believe in the rights of the people of Ontario to go out, enjoy a road trip and ensure that they’re spending a little bit of money on the road as well to support our local businesses. So we’re going to continue to cut costs for those families and encourage them to be able to get out, make a road trip.

Come down to Niagara. We’d love to have you.

Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé. Today, paramedics and dispatchers from Thunder Bay to Kingston and all across our province have come to Queen’s Park to share with us legislators the challenges they are facing on the front line of emergency care here in Ontario.

All political parties are sending representatives, but a month after the invitations were sent, only one representative from Mr. Ford’s government is confirmed to attend. Will the minister accept the paramedics’ invitation and join them any time between 1 and 3 this afternoon right here at Queen’s Park?

The paramedics are not just bringing concerns from the front line; they have solutions to offer. They need the ears of decision-makers like yourself, the minister; like your parliamentary assistant; like your ADM for emergency services, who were all invited to attend.

Minister, paramedics want to know: Will you come today and listen to the concerns of the people who answer the call and help us often on the worst day of our life?

Mr. Speaker, through you, thank you for the question from the member opposite. Colleagues, do you know why we’re here? It’s her party that signed one of the worst contracts in the history of the province: a 10-year monopoly, a 10-year bad contract.

Interjections.

Let’s take a look at what this is going to do for our economy, because clearly the economy is paramount on this side of the House—economic prosperity, good jobs for people. The study from the Convenience Industry Council of Canada projects 7,000 to 7,500 new jobs in Ontario and $165 million to invest in convenience stores. The study also estimates up to $213 million in new annual tax revenues, 69% of which will go to the province.

This government has the priorities of the people of Ontario. We’re building the economy, we’re building the infrastructure and we’re supporting the workers in this great province to get it done.

If I had a billion dollars

If I had a billion dollars

Well, I’d buy you a house

I would buy you a fourplex in this housing crisis

And if I had a billion dollars

If I had a billion dollars

I’d buy equipment for your house

Maybe a nice heat pump with a rebate!

But, seriously, Mr. Speaker, how can this government possibly think getting booze in convenience stores one year early would be a priority for Ontarians in an affordability crisis, in a housing crisis, in a health care crisis, in a climate emergency?

My question to the Premier: Are you that nervous about the next election that you have to resort to games and gimmicks?

—a new Secord public school, which I talked to you about last week—they’ve been waiting forever;

—funding for Michael Garron’s redevelopment—hospitals aren’t that important these days, are they;

—cooling systems for our schools with extreme heat upon us;

—operational costs for TTC;

—family doctors for everyone;

—more affordable housing, especially assisted living.

If I had a billion dollars, I would invest in Ontario.

My question, through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: Why are you spending a billion dollars on booze? Why are your priorities so skewed?

You know, I hope as you do the round table with the paramedics, you are able to highlight some of the incredible investments that we’ve been able to do, working with our community paramedicine.

When we do 911 models of care where we ensure that patients voluntarily can be diverted to other places to get service in community, it is actually working directly with paramedics and paramedic organizations. When we do the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program, embedding individuals paid 100% by the province of Ontario to ensure that paramedics could get back out into community faster, it’s as a result of conversations that we have had with paramedics and their organizations.

We’ll continue to listen and respond to their input. We have done that since 2018. And I have to say that paramedics have stepped up every step of the way to ensure—

We have done a lot of work with community paramedicine. I have seen first-hand how it impacts our communities, particularly our seniors, who are staying at home and have more confidence because they have that community paramedicine program.

We’ll continue to do this work; we’ll continue to invest. Of course, we are a 50-50 per cent partner with our municipal partners and paramedic services, and we will continue to do that.

I think that the member opposite really spoke very eloquently about the benefits of the people of Ontario getting out and enjoying some of the incredible sights and attractions that this province has to offer.

We know that unlike the federal government, our government is not penalizing those who want to have a summer vacation or who want to spend a few days on the road. We’re actually encouraging that. We’re encouraging those people who have the opportunity to get out and visit small towns, spend a few bucks on a nice meal, take their family out for a visit to the beach, and maybe visit one of the sights, sounds and small businesses that make up this beautiful province.

So what we’ve done is taken a different approach. We’ve actually cut the gas tax. We’ve cut licence plate sticker fees, because we know that the majority of the people of this province are drivers and we want to encourage them to be able to enjoy every single corner of this province. And it’s not only that; it’s the millions of dollars that we’ve devoted to the Experience Ontario program, the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, our Sport Hosting Program. In so many ways, we are ensuring that the people of this province have the opportunity to enjoy every square inch of this beautiful province, and we’ll—

Thank you very much.

Supplementary question?

I just wanted to express congratulations for Mark Stoddart, who is not only a friend of our Ontario Poet Laureate, but was also a recipient, if I’m not mistaken, this year of the Scarborough Walk of Fame award.

On behalf of the Tibetan Women’s Association of Ontario, I’d like to invite all members to a lunch reception in rooms 228 and 230 starting now.

I’m just inviting everybody who would like to listen or talk to paramedics, they are in room 351 from 1 till 3 this afternoon. Everyone is welcome.

I thank my colleague for the question.

As I’ve said it many times here in this House, the FAO opinions are not representative of actual government spending, as the FAO uses different methodology. I’d be more than happy to share some facts and some numbers with my colleagues across. The funding for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services increased by $600 million this year. Last year, the funding for this ministry increased by $900 million. The year before that, the funding for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services increased by $1.2 billion. So, I’d be more than happy to share some facts.

My honourable colleagues talk about developmental services. Mr. Speaker, it’s this government that is providing more than $1 billion for developmental services across the system, something the previous government didn’t do, that the NDP supported along the way.

When we say we’re not going to leave anyone behind—

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to funding, the member struggles and the opposition struggles with often—

Interjection.

We doubled the funding of the Ontario Autism Program. We added another $60 million to the program. This year, Mr. Speaker, we added $120 million to the $600 million, bringing our total to $720 million. What does that mean, Mr. Speaker? Instead of the 8,500 families who were receiving services and supports before, now more than 40,000 families are receiving supports and services—

My question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

The Financial Accountability Office released a report this morning which projects the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services has allocated $3.7 billion less than what was needed in program spending from 2024 to 2026-27. The ministry is responsible for everything from funding developmental services, child protection, Ontario Works, ODSP payments, the autism funding and much more—all of the programs which are required to serve and support vulnerable Ontarians.

Can the minister explain why there is a $3.7-billion shortfall?

Speaker, $3.7 billion is a huge shortfall for programs that literally keep some of Ontario’s most vulnerable populations alive. The FAO projects that $120 million announced this year in autism funding is one-time funding and that that budget will continue to be $600 million year over year. That would only be enough to enrol 10,000 kids in core clinical services, not even close to the 20,000 that the minister’s binder suggests.

With 60,000 and growing waiting for autism services, does the minister think that this is going to be enough?

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. The Liberal carbon tax is harmful to every single person in this province. It does nothing for the environment, and it only punishes the people of Ontario with higher costs for daily necessities. Families in the north are especially affected by this regressive tax as they already pay more for groceries and for fuel.

Speaker, the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals have an opportunity to advocate on behalf of the residents of northern Ontario. But rather than joining with our government and calling on the federal Liberals to terminate the carbon tax, they prefer to sit in their seats and watch this tax increase time and time again. That is not what the people of Ontario want or deserve.

Speaker, can the minister please tell the House why northern communities cannot afford the federal carbon tax?

Speaker, Ontarians need more relief, not a 23% tax hike on the carbon tax. The federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts need to do the right thing and get rid of the carbon tax immediately.

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

Yes, Speaker, a point of order: I’d like to correct my record. In my question on Monday, I inadvertently said that the government had increased the provincial debt by $100 million. I meant to say $100 billion, which is historic, but not in a good way.

I appreciate the time to say a few words.

MPP Hazell moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 209, An Act to proclaim the month of April as Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice Month / Projet de loi 209, Loi proclamant le mois d’avril Mois de la justice reproductive et de la santé maternelle chez les personnes noires.

Here’s the thing, Mr. Speaker: It’s summertime. I know I can’t wait to get back to Lake of the Woods. But with over 500 seasonal lodges, outfitting camps and campgrounds, of which I know there are quite a few in the member’s—as he likes to say—God’s country, Peterborough–Kawartha, families are going to make some tough choices. I was talking to one of my neighbours the other day, and I said, “Now, where are you going to take that big trailer this year?” Every summer, he just kind of spins the campground wheel and takes his family somewhere in another part of northern Ontario.

He said this year—do you know where he’s going, colleagues, through you, Mr. Speaker? Camp Backyard. Yes, it’s a campground in his backyard. He’s just going to open the trailer there because he can’t afford to hitch that thing up to his pickup truck and go and spend some money in another part of northern Ontario.

Clearly, outfitters, lodge owners, campground owners and families in the thousands who just want to explore our vast and beautiful region are saying one thing: Scrap the tax.

All I can tell you is that the carbon tax royalty is beginning to abdicate their throne, except for one exception: The queen of the carbon tax chooses to be a buttinsky. Not only is she interested in keeping the carbon tax alive, she has a history of raising other taxes.

Listen to the voice of seven out of 10 Canadians and the Parliamentary Budget Officer, if no one else, and scrap this tax.

The ayes are 68; the nays are 39.