Mr. Speaker, with the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, Scarborough was a forgotten part of the city of Toronto.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, after 30 years of inaction, we are building the Scarborough subway. Shovels are in the ground for the Ontario Line. Shovels are in the ground for the Scarborough subway.

Premier Ford made one fare possible. The NDP and Liberals voted against one fare not just once; they voted against one fare—$1,600 in savings—twice.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thanks to Minister Sarkaria for his leadership on this file.

As we get ready to welcome millions of newcomers to our province this year, the need to build new infrastructure has never been more urgent. At a time when many families feel they are struggling to get ahead, we need to take action to make life more affordable for people and, of course, for businesses. The Get It Done Act gives us the tools to build quicker while keeping more Ontarians’ hard-earned money in their pockets where it belongs. It’s time to get it done for the people of Ontario, and that’s exactly what this act, the Get It Done Act, will do.

That’s why our government plans to use the Building Transit Faster Act to designate the Hazel McCallion Line extension as a priority transit project. This will allow us to build these much-needed extensions into downtown Mississauga, as well as downtown Brampton much faster, connecting communities throughout the GTA area and expanding access to jobs and other opportunities throughout the region.

But that’s not all we are doing. To transform public transit fully in our province, we are investing $80 billion over next 10 years to build a world-class transit network for all Ontarians, and this starts with making transit more accessible and also, Madam Speaker, more affordable.

Our government is on a mission to keep costs down for the hard-working people of Ontario. We just launched one fare this Monday with a new program fully funded by our government. Commuters will only need to pay once when they’re transferring between GO Transit, the TTC and other transit agencies across the GTHA. At a time when people across this province feel like they’re struggling to get ahead, putting money back into people’s pockets is the right thing to do, and that’s exactly what our government is doing, Madam Speaker. One fare will save commuters an average of $1,600 a year.

Interjections.

We know that more than 500,000 post-secondary students in the GTA use public transit for daily travel with many spending upwards of $400 a month. A student should not have to skip a class because they can’t afford a bus pass. People should not have to miss out on big appointments or any big moment or the next job interview because of the price of the transit that they’re taking every single day. That’s why one fare is a game-changer for anyone who takes transit in the GTHA. That’s part of our plan to make life more affordable.

Madam Speaker, right after my graduation, one of my first jobs was in Mississauga. I had been commuting from Scarborough to Mississauga every single day, from Kennedy to Kipling, and from Kipling, I would take the TTC to Mississauga, get off and get onto MiWay and pay an extra fare. I understand the struggle, and Minister Sarkaria understands the struggle. The Premier and this caucus understand the struggle.

That’s why our government is fully funding the one-fare program so that we can enable affordable transportation—not just for students, for workers, for daily commuters, as well as seniors. With one fare, our government is saving people time and money and making life easier for transit riders, and we will continue to do just that with this bill that we are debating today. The Get It Done Act will make it easier to get shovels in the ground on priority projects and build transit-oriented communities for the future.

We are working each and every day to make transit better and more accessible. Of course, by having this infrastructure and affordability, we are giving transit riders more choice, breaking down financial and accessibility barriers to take trains, to take buses and streetcars. That’s what we have done with one fare, and that’s exactly what we are trying to do with this act, Madam Speaker.

That is why we’re launching open payment. Moving forward, people can pay for public transit not just through Presto, but also through debit cards and credit cards, on GO Transit, on UP Express and TTC. If they forgot their Presto card, not a problem at all. If they forgot their card at home, if they forgot to load their funds on the card, they don’t have to worry. They can just tap on the credit card or debit card they have. And riders can now tap on their smart watch and mobile wallet as well, Madam Speaker. As I mentioned, we are providing more options and more choices, and our transit network will only get better if this act, the Get It Done Act, passes.

It’s no secret that our province is growing exponentially each year, with more than 500,000 newcomers landing here every single year, Madam Speaker. They come here for a better life and to contribute to our economy, but they’re often met with gridlock every single day. That’s why our government is investing in transit infrastructure in every corner of our province, because we know transit keeps people moving and is a key driver for economic growth.

Madam Speaker, we are not only connecting people to jobs but also connecting them to their family, friends, medical appointments, school and so much more. As our population continues to grow, we need to keep our transit system on check and also to keep it at the same pace as possible. That is why we are using every tool in our tool box to prioritize transit projects and build them as quickly as possible, and that’s why this act, the Get It Done Act, will be very crucial for giving Ontarians the transit network they need and they deserve for generations to come.

In fact, shovels are already in the ground to build new subways; for example, the Ontario Line. This is a monumental project, Madam Speaker. With 15 new subway stations, the Ontario Line will accommodate up to 40 trains per hour, nearly 400,000 new riders per day. That is a massive impact on people’s life every single day right here in Ontario. And wait times for a train will be as short as 90 seconds. We are putting thousands more Toronto residents within walking distance of public transit and expanding people’s access to jobs and other life-changing opportunities. And we are reducing crowds at some of the TTC’s busiest stations in the nation. Contracts have already been given and awarded for building the southern portion of this project, the Ontario Line project, and the Pape tunnel and underground stations—also, the elevated guideway and station contracts has awarded to date. Our government recognizes the importance of building transit that will connect communities and create new travel options for people across the greater Toronto area. That’s why we aren’t wasting any time getting the Ontario Line built, and that’s why we are looking to accelerate the construction on the critical transit projects with the Get It Done Act.

Madam Speaker, we are working on the Yonge North subway extension, which will extend the TTC’s Line 1 subway by approximately eight kilometres into Richmond Hill. The Yonge North subway extension will accommodate more than 94,000 daily trips, offering commuters convenient and accessible connections to local transit services and GO Transit. The extension will put 26,000 more people within walking distance of public transit and save commuters at least 40 minutes a day. They can spend that time with their loved ones rather than sitting in the car in gridlock, Madam Speaker. We are well on our way to reducing that congestion, that gridlock, connecting people to more jobs and making travel between York region and Toronto easier than ever before. And we aren’t stopping there.

Commuters in Scarborough deserve the same access to fast and reliable public transit as commuters here in downtown Toronto. That’s why our government is building the Scarborough subway extension, which will add three stops and almost eight kilometres of track to the TTC’s Line 2 subway. The Scarborough subway extension will offer commuters connections to GO Transit and Durham Region Transit as part of our plan to make the GTA one of the most integrated transit networks in North America. And that is not all; we have other priority transit projects on the go, including the Eglinton Crosstown west extension and the Hamilton LRT project.

Our government is serious about building transit and we are serious about expanding transit projects for commuters in Mississauga, Brampton, Milton and across the province as quickly as possible. The Get It Done Act will help us do just that, and we are getting shovels in the ground quicker than ever before in history, and which we’ll now be able to do for the new Hazel McCallion Line extensions, as well.

I’m sure everyone in this room can relate to the frustration of gridlock. It prevents people from getting to work and other priorities on time, draining our productivity. It leaves commercial goods stuck in transit, which makes prices rise even higher for families. Madam Speaker, the solution to these problems is twofold: We need to take immediate action to build the infrastructure we need to support our growing population before the gridlock gets even worse, and we need to do everything in our power to make life more affordable when so many Ontarians are struggling. The Get It Done Act is the answer to solving these problems, and it’s the only way we will achieve our goals of building a stronger Ontario for everyone.

It’s critical we get shovels in the ground to build the new public transit and the highways, roads and bridges that will fuel our economy for generations to come. We need to put money back in families’ pockets by freezing fee increases and making sure no new tolls are added on provincial highways. We need to streamline our environmental assessment process so priority projects are not derailed by red tape. Madam Speaker, we need to start this work today.

Since we took office, our government has collaborated and co-operated with our municipal partners and our federal counterparts, as well. The Get It Done Act shows that we have heard our municipalities loud and clear: You want to build, and we want to help you.

As you will hear from the Minister of the Environment right after this, our government is streamlining the approval process for building critical infrastructure, and we will do it without compromising any of the rigorous environmental oversights or consultations we have in place today. We are proposing to amend the official plans of our fastest-growing municipalities, responding to their concerns while continuing to pursue our government’s ambitious goal of building at least 1.5 million new homes by 2031. If you’re a municipality, we will always have your back.

All the progress we have made since our government took office is proof of our commitment to building world-class transit and highway infrastructure for the people of Ontario. It’s proof of our commitment to support municipalities preparing to receive millions of new Ontarians in the years ahead.

Madam Speaker, all the points I’ve made show one thing: We are serious about putting money back in families’ pockets, which is exactly where it belongs. It shows that, no matter where you live in the province, no matter how you travel, our government is here for you and won’t leave those transit riders or other people in Ontario behind.

Now I will defer my time to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.