My question is for the Minister of Finance. Across the world, economic challenges continue to grow, and we know that Ontario is not isolated from this geopolitical uncertainty. Families, workers and business in my riding of Windsor–Tecumseh and throughout Ontario are feeling the financial pressures that have been caused by ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and high interest rates, and with the federal Liberals proposing a scheduled 23% carbon tax hike next week, Ontarians are looking to our government for much-needed support to make life more affordable.

Speaker, we know the people of Ontario need and deserve more relief. That’s why our government must continue to demonstrate through legislation, investments and other initiatives that more financial support will be provided to Ontarians.

We have a strong plan for the future. Speaker, will the minister please tell this House how our government is keeping costs down and putting money into the pockets of the people of Ontario?

On April 1, the long-delayed Community Safety and Policing Act will come into force. Under the CSPA, First Nation laws are exempt from being enforced.

The chief of the United Chiefs and Councils of Manitoulin Anishnaabe Police Service told us last week that criminal behaviour on-reserve has gotten worse while Ontario delays the changes needed to enforce laws on-reserve.

Speaker, fixing it will only take a simple amendment. Will the Premier commit to making that amendment immediately?

The Ontario Regional Chief said, after his meeting with government members, “We didn’t hear any commitments to reach a timely resolution.” April 1 is six days away.

Will the government work with the chiefs and amend the Community Safety and Policing Act?

Interjections.

Parliamentary assistant and member for Oakville.

The Solicitor General.

The Minister of Energy may reply.

Thank you to the great, hard-working member from Windsor–Tecumseh.

Members of the Legislature, today is budget day. This is a big day. We are excited about rebuilding Ontario, continuing that path and to make life affordable for the people of Ontario.

Speaker, just yesterday, under Premier Ford, our government announced an extension of the gas tax cut, now saving the average household $320 per year. This represents the largest tax cut this century in Ontario. And yet, while we are cutting taxes and putting money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario, the federal Liberal Party is set to implement a 23% tax hike on the carbon tax in less than one week. The Liberal plan to tackle affordability is to make life more expensive for the people of Ontario and Canada. That’s why we continue to call to scrap the tax and stand with our government as we make life more affordable for the people of Ontario.

Speaker, I am proud to say that in just a few hours, our government will deliver the 2024 budget, our plan to build a better Ontario. Even for my great colleague the member—I know we can’t reveal too many details yet. But what I can say is our government has a plan. It has a plan that supports Ontarians through these difficult times of high inflation and high Bank of Canada interest rates, and it’s a plan that will help keep costs down. This is a budget that will continue our government’s plan to build up our province without raising taxes on the people of Ontario.

Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for that response. It’s great to hear that our government is consistently introducing measures that will provide real financial relief for Ontarians.

I know the people in my riding will be thrilled to hear that we are extending the gas tax cut. Obviously, we’re the automotive capital of Canada, and they look forward to seeing our government continue to find more ways to reduce costs and make life more affordable. That’s why we must continue to show leadership and demonstrate a strong economic vision that that will help families during this challenging time. Unlike the members opposite, who refuse to stand up for Ontarians on this carbon tax, our government must remain committed to investing in what matters to most people as we build for a stronger future.

Speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please explain what our government is doing to help Ontarians during these challenging economic times?

I want to thank the member for the question. The Community Safety and Policing Act, which will come live on April 1, replaces a piece of legislation that’s 35 years old. And under both the old act, the Police Services Act, and the Community Safety and Policing Act, police can enforce municipal and First Nations bylaws equally. Our government, as the member knows, takes public safety very seriously all over Ontario.

But I want to say one other thing. Thanks to the Chiefs of Ontario, who made a suggestion to establish a collaborative table under the Ministry of the Attorney General, we did just that. The collaborative table is an excellent table to table ideas for us to consider. That’s exactly why it exists.

Mr. Speaker, we take public safety seriously all across Ontario.

Just two weeks ago, I was at the Ontario Police College. This was my sixth march past ceremony. I made a point of meeting with all of the cadets that are going to First Nations police services. It was over two dozen.

We take public safety in the four corners of Ontario very seriously. That’s exactly why the Community Safety and Policing Act, that will come live on April 1, will provide an unparalleled opportunity for communities all across Ontario to feel that the legislation brings them up to the times that they’re in.

One more thing: It is very important to know that I stay in regular contact with the police chiefs on a regular basis, including those serving First Nations communities.

My question is for the Minister of Energy. Families in my great riding of Newmarket–Aurora are concerned about the ever-rising cost of living. They are paying more for everything from their energy bills to groceries.

The carbon tax is only making things worse. While our government continues to advocate and fight for Ontarians, the federal government continues to disregard the people’s concerns by ruling out any future pauses or exemptions on this carbon tax. That’s unfair to Ontarians who work hard to make a living, to raise a family and to support their young children and their aging parents.

But despite the affordability struggles many people in our province are facing, the NDP and the Liberal members opposite continue to remain silent. It’s shameful that they refuse to join us in calling for the elimination of this disastrous tax.

Speaker—

We’re five days away from the federal carbon tax increasing by a massive 23%.

Interjections.

Bonnie Crombie was out last week announcing the new hand-picked members for her advisory committee. Kathleen Wynne’s environment minister Chris Ballard helped design the Liberals’ multi-billion-dollar cap-and-trade program; he’s on the committee. And before being voted out by rural voters for this giant-slayer right here, Lisa Thompson, the new agriculture minister, Carol Mitchell wanted to impose a carbon tax on farmers, and she was the agriculture minister. Let’s scrap the tax while we—

Interjections.

It’s Groundhog Day.

Thank you very much.

The Minister of Energy.

The Minister of Health.

The next question.

Thanks to the member opposite. We’re taking a common-sense approach and ensuring that energy and electricity prices are affordable in the province of Ontario, something that those in the Liberal caucus and even the NDP caucus really don’t understand. It’s because we have brought that stability to energy prices in Ontario that we’re seeing our economy grow.

Now, Bonnie Crombie, the queen of the carbon tax, and her Liberal caucus are telling the people of Ontario that we’re better off with this federal tax. As a matter of fact, the federal environment minister said last week that Bonnie Crombie was happy to have the federal increase on carbon taxes—a whopping 23% that’s going to happen five days from today when we’re in the midst of an affordability and cost-of-living crisis in Ontario.

It’s completely unacceptable that Bonnie Crombie and her cast of Liberals are supporting this expensive tax that’s driving up the cost of everything in our province. It’s time to do the right thing. It’s time to scrap this tax.

My question is to the Premier. OPSEU/SEFPO Local 5115 workers, the front-line workers of the Regent Park Community Health Centre, are on strike for fair wages. This government is starving public health care. Their wages were frozen by Bill 124 during an affordability crisis.

These health care professionals are doing some of the most difficult work in this province, literally at the epicentre of a poisoned drug supply and opiate overdose crisis. Despite all of this, they continue to show up for our communities, doing that hard work. Will this government show up for them in today’s budget and fund public health care so that they can get back to work and receive the fair wage they deserve?

Real, honest Ontarians like Kirsty Millwood, who actually is in the chamber today to listen to this debate—she is a front-line foot health worker and the president of OPSEU/SEPFO Local 5115. She tells me, “We need funding for community health care centres. We need to provide critical services. We keep people out of hospitals. We save lives daily.”

We lost so much because of Bill 124, Speaker, but they continue to show up for work. Now is the time for the government to stop forcing them out of their jobs because they are living with unlivable wages. Will this government properly fund community health care centres at the health care rate of inflation?

Interjections.

While I’m obviously not going to talk about specific labour relations that are happening, I will say that public health units have had a 16% increase since 2018, when we formed government, and that is of course outside of all of the investments that we made sure were in place for our public health units to protect the people of Ontario during the pandemic, obviously making sure to distribute the vaccines to people to keep them safe. I will say a 16% increase for public health units across Ontario is unprecedented.

Of course, in the last Association of Municipalities of Ontario, we also made a commitment and shared with our municipal partners that a 1% increase was part of our plan to invest in public health infra in the province of Ontario.

The $110-million investment in primary care multidisciplinary teams does in fact include community health centres, and they do get an increase in their annual operating budget. Why, Speaker? Because we see the value in the multidisciplinary teams. Why do we continue to expand primary care in the province of Ontario? Because we see the value in making sure that we have a stable health care force that is connected to the people in our communities.

We’ll continue to make those investments and rebuild the province of Ontario and our health care system, and the people of Ontario will watch who votes in support of those investments.

The dream of home ownership in Ontario is no longer a dream for young people and families. It has become a nightmare under this government.

Speaker, they claim they are the government of yes. To quote the government members in this House:

The Minister of Housing: “We’re trying to end NIMBYism.”

The member from Brampton North: “NIMBYism is one of the most dangerous forces in our politics today.”

The former Minister of Housing: “We’ve gone past NIMBYism. I think we’re now in BANANAism ... ‘build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone.’”

But as we found out, they are the government of, “no, not in my backyard,” and “build absolutely nothing near anyone anywhere.” My question is, when did this government decide to make like a BANANA and split on building housing for the people of Ontario?

Meanwhile, the Premier and the head of the provincial housing supply action team are dead set against gentle density that will help Ontario get on track with the housing crisis. They are losing out on crucial federal funding because they refuse to be bold and lead the charge on allowing fourplexes. The legacy of the government will be one of NIMBYism.

But it’s not too late to change course. You can even borrow the Ontario Liberal housing bill; we’ve done the work for you. Start with fourplexes and start now.

Speaker, my question is: When will this government actually get the shovels in the ground instead of leaving them on the shelf in Home Hardware?

Thank you to the minister for his response. People’s household budgets are being stretched thin as the carbon tax drives up the cost of daily necessities like food, home heating and transportation. Our government has shown time and time again that we do not need the carbon tax to cut emissions.

Unlike the previous Liberal government, which oversaw skyrocketing electricity rates that forced families into energy poverty, we have made energy more affordable so Ontario families do not have to choose between paying their electricity bills and putting food on the table. While carbon-tax Bonnie Crombie and her minivan caucus continue to work against us, we will not stop getting it done for the people of Ontario.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to counter the impacts of the costly Liberal and—

Oh, Speaker—

Interjection: Where do you start?

Let’s get this straight: The Liberal leader, who takes one position one day, another position the next day, one position one day, another position the next day—it’s like one of those weather vanes in a hurricane; you never know which way they’re going.

Do you know what the reality is? We made the decision to work with our municipal partners, and do you know what they told us? The number one obstacle to building homes is the infrastructure deficit that was left behind by the previous Liberal government. They said that because of the infrastructure deficit, there’s not enough sewer and water in the ground to build millions of homes. That is why Liberals advocate for policies that will build hundreds of homes while we want to build millions of homes. We are not ashamed to work with our partners to put infrastructure in the ground to build millions of homes so that everybody can have the dream of home ownership.

If I was to borrow Bonnie Crombie’s housing plan, I would have the massive record that she had as the mayor of Mississauga. What did we see? The population of Mississauga actually decreased when the population of the province was exploding. In fact, in her last months in office, she had a massive start of 12 homes in her community. So thank you very much. I don’t think this caucus here wants to borrow anything from that small group of individuals over there who, for 15 years, stood in the way of building homes.

You know who agrees with me? The former Liberal cabinet minister who testified at one of our hearings and said that the crisis started under the Liberal watch, Mr. Speaker.

What I’m going to do is this: I’m going to put infrastructure in the ground, and I’m going to make sure we build millions of homes instead of the hundreds that they would like to build.

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The people of Ontario are tired of Liberal tax hikes. They remember what the province was like under the previous Liberal government, when it was hiking taxes at every opportunity. Businesses fled the province in droves, and workers’ hard-earned paycheques shrunk, and the future of Ontario’s economy looked bleak.

Our government came in and reversed course. We know that lowering taxes and reducing costs are the keys to prosperity for our workers and for our businesses. That’s why we’re calling on the federal Liberals to stop their carbon tax hike of April 1.

Speaker, can the minister highlight what we’ve done to lower costs across the board so that the federal Liberals can learn from our example?

It just goes to show you that, even with a new leader, the Liberals have not changed—not one bit. They’ll watch as Prime Minister Trudeau hikes the carbon tax again, even though they know it punishes businesses and households across Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please tell the Liberals how lowering costs creates growth and new investment across our economy?

Supplementary question?

Look, we have shown the Liberals the way—shown the Liberals that cutting red tape and lowering taxes are the keys to creating growth and jobs in Ontario: 11 red tape reduction bills, nearly $1 billion in cost savings, 500 unnecessary pieces of red tape reduced—all voted against by the Liberals and the NDP. A 10% Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, $2 million in savings per business per year—voted against by the Liberals and the NDP. The gas tax reduction, 11 cents a litre—voted against by the Liberals and the NDP.

Speaker, that’s how you get 700,000 jobs created: by lowering taxes and cutting costs. Listen to the people of Ontario. Scrap the tax today.

We’ve shown the Liberals the way: lower taxes, cutting red tape, that’s how you create jobs, not by bringing in a carbon tax.