My question is for the Solicitor General. Despite opposition from provincial leaders of all political stripes, last week the federal government hiked the carbon tax by another 23%. Ontarians are now forced to pay an extra 17.6 cents per litre on gas. We know that the impact does not stop only on gas, Speaker. How is that right?

The federal Liberals, much like their provincial counterparts, don’t seem to care about the impact this punitive tax has on various sectors in our province.

Speaker, I’ve heard from people in my riding who are concerned about affordability issues and how this additional tax bill will affect our public safety.

Speaker, can the minister please explain the implications of the carbon tax on front-line workers who keep Ontario safe?

I want to thank the member from Ajax for the question. She knows how hard first responders and police officers and firefighters work, and everyone that keeps Ontario safe.

Mr. Speaker, last night, I attended the Toronto Police College to watch people receive awards for doing heroic acts. They work hard every day, but like everybody else in Ontario, like everybody else on April 1, they’re now paying 3.3 cents more a litre on fuel and on diesel. Let me put this into context: An average police car, an average vehicle in public safety, is now paying over $2,000 more a year just for the increase on April 1.

And do you know what, Mr. Speaker? Bonnie Crombie served on the board of the Peel police service board. This is absolutely true. She should come clean with the people of Ontario and say, “I’m not going to support this tax.”

Interjections.

Thank you to the Solicitor General for that response. It’s encouraging to hear how, unlike Bonnie Crombie’s Liberals and the opposition NDP, our government stands up for the hard-working men and women who keep our communities safe.

Last week’s hike is one of the many planned increases from the federal government. The federal Liberals actually want to exponentially increase what they call “a price on carbon” until 2030. Enough is enough. We know that front-line workers deserve to have the support and resources they need to protect Ontarians instead of paying for additional fuel costs because of the carbon tax. It is time to scrap the tax.

Can the Solicitor General explain the effects of the costly carbon tax on our public safety system?

The carbon tax is paid on everything that’s involved in public safety. Mr. Speaker, let me be specific, because it’s important for the people who live in Milton, as an example, to know that Halton police service has to pay the carbon tax on their vehicles—and they can call Chief Steve Tanner if they want to know—and for the people living in Strathroy, they can call Chief Mark Campbell.

But I want to give another fact to the Legislature. Bonnie Crombie, as the mayor of Mississauga, knew exactly what the fire department budget is there. So let her know this: Because of the 3.3 cents that went into effect on April 1, on this regressive tax, an average fire truck now has to pay over $2,000 a year just for the latest increase. She’s out of touch with reality. She should come clean with the people of Ontario.

Absolutely. The first thing I hope you have recommended to your constituent is that she sign up for Health Care Connect. It’s a little-known fact that, in fact, individuals who are on Health Care Connect and have signed up to get connected with a primary care physician have a 90-day-or-less matching rate, so there is an existing process there.

In terms of expanding primary care, I want to remind the member where we were. Under the previous NDP government, your government actually cut medical residency seats by 10%. The Liberal government, when they were in power, cut residency positions by 50 seats per year. What has that put us into? A position where we are building the health care system.

We are expanding. Last week, we had an incredible announcement in Vaughan with the Minister of Education, announcing a brand new medical school that is coming to Vaughan. This medical school will actually focus on training primary care family physicians. That’s what we’re—

I have to give a shout-out to one of our members. Minto township, in fact, has already hired a nurse practitioner and they are already seeing new patients from a February announcement. These are the changes that are happening in our communities across Ontario, and we’ll continue to get it done.

My question is to the Premier. For years, my constituents have been contacting my office looking for help to find a doctor. Over 2.2 million people in Ontario are without a primary care provider. The government has made announcement after announcement, but yet, we haven’t seen doctors.

My constituent Kathleen has not had a family doctor for over nine years. She has MS and has recently lost her doctor who specializes in MS care and cannot find another neurologist. Can the Premier tell people like Kathleen where she can find a doctor?

Kathleen, along with millions of Ontarians, had been languishing for years on Health Care Connect. They spend hours calling every doctor in London. As soon as the word gets out there’s a new doctor taking patients, they’re inundated with applications. People with pre-existing conditions find it even harder to access primary care.

Doctors are telling you that they need help with increased workloads, so they can take on more patients. Premier, will you implement the NDP’s health care strategy today to increase the number of staff supports for doctors so they can spend time treating patients instead of pushing paperwork?

My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development.

Individuals and families across Ontario, especially in northern and Indigenous communities, face unprecedented economic challenges due to additional costs arising from the Liberal carbon tax. Residents in the north rely more heavily on their vehicles for work and for other everyday essentials; it’s not fair that they’re being hit the hardest at the gas pumps.

Unlike the opposition members and independent Liberals, who remain silent even after last week’s 23% hike, our government will continue to stand up for all Ontarians and call for the end of this tax.

Can the Minister please share with the House the negative impacts of the disastrous carbon tax on the northern and Indigenous communities?

As the former Liberal MP Bonnie Crombie stood resolute with Prime Minister Trudeau as the carbon tax received royal assent, that would make her the queen of the carbon tax.

The NDP’s position has been a little bit more higgledy-piggledy. It’s not clear. They support it; they’re against it. We don’t really know.

I went on a zetetic exploration to understand from the people in Sudbury how they felt about this. One owner of a roofing company said that the carbon tax has made its way into every aspect of building materials, making it more expensive to repair homes and making it more difficult for people to decide to repair those homes.

Another fellow, Richard Diotte, the owner and president of Barné Building, said the cost for residential upgrades and repairs has gone out of control. He puts it squarely on the carbon tax. That’s not good for families, as the member for Kanata–Carleton said—

I would like to welcome to the House Mrs. Phoebe Wasfy, the principal for Philopateer Christian College, which is celebrating 25 years of excellent education in Mississauga. She is here today with Gloria Doss, the school registrar. Thank you for coming to Queen’s Park and congratulations on your 25-year anniversary. I wish you many years of success to come.

I’d like to welcome today—she’s actually just stuck in traffic, but here shortly—Sumeeta Kohli, a constituent of mine. It’s also her birthday today, so happy birthday, Sumeeta.

Interjection.

I would like to welcome to the House a long-time friend, publisher of the Uthayan Tamil newspaper and member of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, Logan Logendralingam. Welcome to the House.

I’d like to welcome Tiffany and Scott and their family, parents of Lyra, a page. They join us and visit us from my riding of Kitchener Centre. Welcome to your House.

Point of order.

The ayes are 95; the nays are 0.

Order.

The supplementary question.

That concludes our question period for this morning.

Deferred vote on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 155, An Act to amend the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario Act / Projet de loi 155, Loi modifiant la Loi sur l’Institut de recherche agricole de l’Ontario.

The division bells rang from 1142 to 1147.

On April 10, 2024, Mr. Leardi moved third reading of Bill 155, An Act to amend the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario Act.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1152 to 1300.

Report deemed adopted.

On the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, Mr. Bailey replaces Mr. Harris and Mrs. Martin replaces Mr. Leardi—

Interjection: Dispense.

Is there any debate?

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? The motion is carried.

Motion agreed to.

Again, I’d ask members to keep the presentations with regard to the petitions as brief as possible.

I do want to correct my record. When speaking to an answer earlier in the week, I had said that the Liberals had lost 300,000 jobs. In fact, it was greater than 300,000 jobs that were scared away in the province of Ontario by the Liberals. And, in fact, it’s actually over 700,000 jobs that have come back to Ontario since we were elected and not the 699,000—

On Monday, April 15, in the afternoon we will continue debate on Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act.

On Tuesday, April 16, in the morning and in the afternoon we will concentrate on Bill 185 again. At private members’ business we will have the member for Kitchener South–Hespeler’s private member’s motion number 85, reducing distractions in schools.

On Wednesday, April 17: Bill 159, Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act; in the afternoon, third reading of Bill 151, Improving Real Estate Management Act; at 6 p.m., a private member’s bill standing in the name of the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke, Bill 177, the Test Your Smoke Alarm Day Act, 2024.

On Thursday, Bill 155, Improving Real Estate, we’ll continue with that; Bill 159 in the afternoon, the Preventing Unethical Puppy Sales Act; and at 6 p.m., we will have private member’s Bill 179.

I want to welcome back to the Legislature Patrick Porzuczek and Cathy Mauro from the Save the Minden ER group. Welcome to your House.

I move that the following changes be made to the membership of the following committees:

On the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, Mr. Bailey replaces Mr. Harris and Mrs. Martin replaces Mr. Leardi; and

On the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Mrs. Martin replaces Mr. Cuzzetto, Ms. Dixon replaces Mr. Kanapathi, Mrs. Wai replaces Ms. Smith (Thornhill), and Mr. Ke is removed; and

On the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, Ms. Barnes replaces Mr. Byers, Ms. Hogarth replaces Ms. Pierre, Mr. Harris replaces Mr. Smith (Scarborough Centre), and Ms. Bowman is removed; and

On the Standing Committee on Justice Policy, Mr. Bouma replaces Ms. Hogarth, Mr. Riddell replaces Mr. Bailey, Mr. McGregor replaces Ms. Kusendova-Bashta, and Mr. Blais is removed; and

On the Standing Committee on Social Policy, Ms. Pierre replaces Mrs. Martin, Ms. Smith (Thornhill) replaces Mr. Jordan, Mr. Pang replaces Ms. Gallagher Smith, Mr. Grewal replaces Mrs. Wai, Mr. Shamji is removed, Ms. Brady is removed, and Ms. Clancy is added; and

On the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy, Mr. Bresee replaces Mr. Grewal, Mr. Smith (Peterborough–Kawartha) replaces Mr. Coe, Mr. Byers replaces Mr. Pang, and Ms. Clancy is removed; and

On the Standing Committee on the Interior, Mr. Jordan replaces Mr. Bresee, Mr. Cuzzetto replaces Mr. Riddell, Mr. Dowie replaces Mr. McGregor, Mr. Holland replaces Mr. Smith (Peterborough–Kawartha), Ms. Gallagher Murphy replaces Mr. Sarrazin, and Mr. Schreiner is removed; and

On the Standing Committee on Government Agencies, Mr. Fraser is removed; and

That the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be authorized to meet at the call of the Chair; and

That all the changes enumerated above shall come into force at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 12, 2024.

On the Standing Committee on Social Policy, Ms. Pierre replaces Mrs. Martin, Ms. Smith (Thornhill) replaces Mr. Jordan, Mr. Pang replaces Ms. Gallagher Smith Murphy—oh, sorry, Ms. Gallagher Murphy; just added a “Smith,” excuse me—Mr. Grewal replaces Mrs. Wai, Mr. Shamji is removed, Ms. Brady is removed, and Ms. Clancy is added; and.

I’m proud to be able to introduce this petition which has been floating around for more than a few months now, since the introduction of Bill 74, vulnerable persons alert. This bill was created to create a vulnerable persons alert to help police and community in a time where a vulnerable person goes missing.

It started, unfortunately, with the death of Draven Graham a young boy with autism who went missing in his community and, unfortunately, was found deceased when they actually were able to find him, as well as Shirley Love, a senior in the Hamilton community who had dementia and was missing for days before she, unfortunately, was found deceased also.

The missing persons alert would help the community have the opportunity to see first-hand when a person goes missing in their geographical area and help the police aid in ensuring that a vulnerable person comes home safely to their loved ones in a very timely manner.

So I wholeheartedly support this bill, will affix my name to it and give it to page Simon to bring to the Clerk.

I’m pleased to present a petition with regard to the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare board of directors, from the people, that requests that the director’s request to the Ministry of Health be disregarded at this time.

I share this petition with Shivanshee, and I will pass it in.