Ontario is Canada’s largest life sciences sector, and we have a storied reputation around the world. Ontario is where insulin was discovered. We developed the first cardiac pacemaker right here in Ontario, and we detected the gene that cracked cystic fibrosis. That’s what the 70,000 men and women who work in life sciences do.

In the last three years, we have attracted $3 billion in new life science business. That’s because we lowered taxes and reduced red tape in Ontario. We have 1,900 firms generating $11 billion in annual exports. All of that is because we lowered the cost of doing business in Ontario by $8 billion every single year. You don’t achieve those heights by raising taxes.

Speaker, we plan to grow that 70,000 to 85,000 people and they too will care about a carbon tax. This growth only happens because we keep our taxes low.

We have a delegation from Nigeria—and this may be the nicest business card we’ve ever seen here; I’ll have to share it after. It is the business card of Minister Aliyu, the Honourable Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory. Welcome, Minister. And Ambassador Asekun, Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Canada—welcome, sir.