Speaker, this government has a plan. Let’s contrast that plan with the plan that the Liberals—or lack thereof—had since 2003, 21 years ago. They held that power until 2018. In that time, when they exited government, 611 net new beds to show for their efforts. That’s not enough for an aging population. This government knows that.

That’s why, since assuming office, we introduced the largest capital expansion plan in this country’s history to build and redevelop 58,000 spaces for our great seniors in this province of ours. To date, 18,000 spaces have been built or are under construction. However, we are facing challenges indeed, thanks to this carbon tax and the 23% increase on April 1. In fact, that’s why this budget introduces over $155 million to help our government continue to build Ontario’s long-term-care sector, an additional $200 million that homes can use towards capital development.

We have two minutes and 25 seconds until we vote on that budget. It’s never too late to do the right thing. I hope the Liberals vote in favour.

To the member’s point: a 40.5% increase in construction costs in that member’s riding. That is a severe challenge to getting these spaces online and we know that we need it. I know that member’s riding. I have visited that member’s riding. It is a diverse riding. People come here from all over the world, and what we all have in common is that somewhere in our lives, we have a senior who built our lives as we know it, who gave us the opportunities that we have in this great country of ours.

Stand with us, to the Liberal Party over there. Stand against the queen of the carbon tax and say to axe this tax. Let’s get shovels in the ground. Let’s take care of our seniors in this great country.

The member asked for some numbers. Let’s give him some numbers, shall we? The 15 years when they propped up the Liberals, they build 611 beds for seniors in this province. That’s over 15 years. This government, since 2018, has built or shovels in the ground, 18,000.

Now, the member questioned counting those spaces in long-term-care homes as homes. Well, I dare the member to go to Pleasant Manor in Niagara Falls, where we just announced hundreds of new beds, and tell the amazing seniors who live there that they are not living in homes. Because our government disagrees, Speaker. They are absolutely homes, and we are building 58,000 of them under this Premier’s leadership. We are not going to take lessons from NDP. We’re going to make sure the seniors in this province have the respect and dignity they—

Interjections.

I dare the member to walk into Niagara, because here are the new homes we are building: Extendicare St. Catharines; Foyer at Welland; Welland extended care unit, Niagara Health system; Southbridge Niagara; Royal Rose Place; Westhills; Pleasant Manor; Garden City Manor; Linhaven long-term care; Fairview. Speaker, walk with me into those homes and tell those hard-working seniors who built this country, who built this community and who gave us our lives as we know it, that they’re not living in a home.

We’re going to continue to make sure we take care of our seniors. They took care of us. We’re going to take care of them. We’re not taking any lessons from the member opposite.

Interjections.

There’s a lot to update this House on in long-term care, which we’ve been doing for the past several years, to be frank: a $10-billion capital plan with a plan to build and redevelop 58,000—and they’re not beds, they’re homes in this province for our amazing seniors.

In fact, Speaker, the member does mention something very important, which is that construction costs have escalated. That’s why we introduced the construction funding subsidy under the leadership of our last Minister of Long-Term Care, which has led to the approval of 11,000 beds for construction in this province.

The member sits next to the independent Liberals, who built 611 net new beds for the better part of a decade. I’m proud to update this House that, under this Premier’s leadership, since 2018, we have completed—or are under construction—18,000 beds in this great province.

There’s more work to be done, but we’re on track. We’re going to take care of our seniors in Ontario.

We acknowledge that seniors need more homes. It is this government that has taken it upon themselves to actually build that capacity and staff it with health human resources. So I encourage the member: Perhaps instead of standing in question period and saying, “The neighbourhood needs this and that,” come to me and show that information to me and let’s work on that because this government has proven, under the leadership of this Premier, that we are building those very beds in this province.

After a decade of neglect under the people who sit next to her, this government has taken it upon themselves to take care of our seniors. They took care of us—

Interjections.