No one else is going to stand up; I might as well stand up—

Interjections.

I’m going to keep it really simple, talking about the fall economic statement, for my colleagues across the way. In the fall economic statement, the centrepiece, the place where you all got up and clapped and cheered and roared, was the fact that you were creating a bank.

So the Premier—who wrote the Bank of Canada not once, but twice—in his fall economic statement, put at the top of the list making his own bank—absolutely not doing anything for the average Ontarians with regard to affordability. He made a bank. He’s got his own bank now. I’m sure he can be proud of it, but it’s not putting food on the table or paying the rent or keeping the house warm.

So when the Premier had an opportunity to, say, for instance, raise the Ontario Child Benefit by $50 a month to help those families that are really struggling to put food on the table, did he do it? No. He created a bank, which is going to do nothing for those families who are struggling.

When he had an opportunity to return to real rent control in the fall economic statement, to make sure that those people who are living in buildings built after 2018—did he do it? No, but he created a bank. He created himself a bank. Is that going to help any of those families who are struggling right now to pay rent increases that they can’t afford? No, it’s not going to do that.

When he had the opportunity to say to families, “We’re going to help you a little bit with the activities that your children have after school. We’re going to help you out. And so we’re going to make this small credit”—people are looking for some indication this government knows that they’re there, and they’re not getting any. Did they do that? No, but they created a bank. And what’s that bank going to do for those families? Absolutely nothing, but it’s the same bank where all of you got up and cheered like it was the second coming.

We have an affordability crisis here in Ontario, and when the government had an opportunity in the fall economic statement to say to families, “We want to help you. We know you’re hurting. We know you need just a little something,” they couldn’t even give the families of Ontario just a little something. But we’re going to create a bank, and we’re going to cheer about it, because it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s not going to help any of those families one bit.

When you had the opportunity to take the HST off home heating fuel and inputs, you didn’t do it. What did you do? You created a bank. The Premier has got his own bank. I’m not going to say his own little piggy bank—that may be something totally different, and we could talk about that later—but he created a bank.

Speaker, I’m pleased to debate Bill 139. I would like to take this opportunity to have members across the way ask me some questions.

Interjections.

But here’s the thing: You’re right. The government has basically said to universities, “You have to cut tuition costs, but we’re not giving you any support. We’re actually going to hold back.” Now, they’re asking universities to find efficiencies. Here’s the problem: How are we going to get the most highly educated, highly skilled workforce if our institutions are being squeezed and underfunded? We should be investing in it.

The member is right. Happy to answer that question.

Well, you did your hair this morning.