My question is to the Minister of Transportation. When the 407 was built, there was a plan for it to be paid by 2027 and then we would own it. Instead, the Conservatives sold it for a song, the tolls have gone up about 300%, and the 407 ETR owns us. The 99-year lease was highway robbery, actually.

People resent that the 407 tolls are out of control. People want to get where they want to go, and this government could save people time, make the 401 safer and improve the flow of goods. We proposed a solution to help, and this government voted against it.

So my question is, why isn’t the government willing to talk about the 407 and toll relief?

So let’s take the tolls off the trucks, get the trucks off the 401 and make traffic better for everyone. Let’s renegotiate the 407 ETR contract. Everyone knows traffic congestion is already brutal, but we could do this now.

So my question is, when will this Conservative government be willing to do something about the 407?

I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario that has been signed by thousands of students, but this particular page is signed by students at Trent University.

“Whereas since 1980, whilst accounting for inflation, the average domestic undergraduate tuition has increased by 215%, and the average domestic graduate tuition by 247%; and

“Whereas upon graduation, 50% of students will have a median debt of around $17,500, which takes an average of 9.5 years to repay; and

“Whereas the average undergraduate tuition for international students has increased by 192% between 2011 and 2021, and in colleges, they pay an average of $14,306 annually compared to the average domestic fee of $3,228; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario made changes to OSAP and student financial assistance in 2018-19, resulting in over a $1-billion cut in assistance to students; and

“Whereas the so-called Student Choice Initiative was defeated in the courts, students need legislation to protect their right to organize and funding for students’ groups;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, support the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario’s call and petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to commit to (1) free and accessible education for all, (2) grants, not loans, and (3) legislate students’ right to organize.”

I am happily signing this and will send to the table with Mesapé.