My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. From coast to coast, elected officials of all political stripes have been very vocal in calling on our federal government to stop the planned carbon tax hike on April 1. Even the Liberal Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador has come out against the 23% carbon tax hike. And yet, Bonnie Crombie and the Liberals in this House still stand shoulder to shoulder with their federal counterparts in support of the carbon tax.

Unlike them, we’ve knocked on doors. We’ve heard loud and clear from the people of Ontario: They do not support another carbon tax hike. Speaker, can the minister please share what he’s been hearing from businesses and workers when it comes to the Liberals’ planned carbon tax hike?

The message we are hearing from the people of Ontario is loud and clear. It doesn’t matter if it is the minister’s constituents in Nipissing or my constituents in Thornhill; we all want the carbon tax gone. We hear their concerns and that’s why we’ve been so persistent in calling on the federal government to stop their planned carbon tax increase on April 1.

We know what happens when Liberals implement tax hike after tax hike, because the previous Liberal government tested out this same playbook. Speaker, can the minister please remind us of how the previous Liberal government’s agenda of high taxes played out?

My question is for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Last Friday, our government joined the international community in recognizing World Consumer Rights Day. This is a time to raise awareness and highlight the importance of knowing your rights when purchasing goods and services in the marketplace.

Speaker, ensuring consumer protection is important for all Ontarians. We need to have access to safe and fair and reliable products and services for our economy to thrive.

I know our government recently passed legislation to advance consumer protections in our province. Speaker, could the minister please explain how this new legislation will enhance enforcement and prohibit unfair business practices in Ontario?

Thank you to the minister for his response and his tireless work within his ministry.

I’m so glad to see that our government is taking the necessary steps to stop bad actors from taking advantage of our hard-working Ontarians through unfair business practices. By updating these rules that protect consumers when they’re shopping or entering contracts with businesses, we’re ensuring that Ontario is a better-adapted place for today’s marketplace.

Speaker, I’ve heard of instances where notices of security interests, or NOSIs, have been used fraudulently against unsuspecting consumers. In many cases, scammers are deliberately targeting the most vulnerable members of our province, including seniors, by registering these NOSIs on properties without their knowledge. This is absolutely unacceptable and our government must do everything that we can do to address consumer harms in all its forms.

Speaker, could the minister please tell the House how our government will protect the people of Ontario from these harmful and fraudulent uses of NOSIs?