I’d like to start off today by acknowledging I’ll be splitting my time with the parliamentary assistant; the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; and, lastly, the parliamentary assistant for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Mr. Speaker, when our government first took office, we made a promise to the people of Ontario. The promise was to get it done, and we have kept that promise. We are building the infrastructure we need to support our growing population and getting it done by making life more affordable when many hard-working Ontarians are struggling to make ends meet with the rising cost of living.

Our track record speaks for itself. We won’t back down in our efforts to build this province for the future, while keeping costs low for businesses and families across Ontario.

We’ve all experienced the devastating impacts of gridlock. Experts say one of the worst things you can do for your mental health is be stuck in gridlock, stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. And it’s not just a frustrating experience for drivers; it destroys our economy and our productivity. Gridlock costs our province $11 billion a year in lost productivity, a number that will only grow if we don’t take bold action today.

Our province proudly welcomes over 500,000 newcomers each year. These men and women are the ones that will help us build a stronger Ontario for everyone, bringing their expertise in the skilled trades, medicine, information technology and other critical industries. But if we don’t act quickly to build the highways, transit, housing and other critical infrastructure that we need to support these newcomers, gridlock will only get worse.

When you look at the projections, my ministry’s traffic modelling data shows the majority of highways in the GTA will be operating at overcapacity by 2031. This also includes the 407. Even when factoring in actions our government is taking, including historic investments to widen highways, expand public transit—over $180 billion over the next 10 years—the data is clear: We need to do more to help fix gridlock in the long term. If we try to divert drivers from one highway to another without building, we will find ourselves with the same problem that we have today, but even worse off a decade down the road.

When we all make the leap into politics, we make the commitment to ourselves to leave Ontario better off than when we found it, not worse. If you’re a commuter who is tired of being struck in gridlock, wondering when you’ll get home to your family, or if you’ve been struggling to pay your bills while the cost of living keeps rising, I want you to know the actions that our government takes to try to help these issues. We hear you and we have a plan for you.

The Get It Done Act is that very plan. It will improve lives all across this province by streamlining the approval processes. We will finally be able to build key infrastructure projects and create more jobs and more homes, keeping those costs down for the hard-working Ontarians who are the backbone of our economy.

When it comes to expanding our transportation network, our government has the most ambitious capital plan in the province’s history. We’re spending nearly $100 billion over the next 10 years to build new highways, roads and public transit. The investment isn’t only to keep people and goods moving; it will connect communities from across this province. This includes more than $27 billion to build, renew and expand highways. These highways we intend to keep toll-free.

However, we need to get to work quickly so we can build our economy for years to come. But we can’t do that if we maintain the status quo. Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario’s development moved at a snail’s pace. The people of this province have paid the consequences of that for far too long—for 15 years. We know Ontarians are waiting for the critical infrastructure they desperately deserve.

Madam Speaker, that’s why our government is getting shovels in the ground to get it done. We were elected on a promise to build Ontario, not cross our fingers and hope for the best while our highways, roads, bridges, infrastructure and schools deteriorate. We’re a government of builders. We’ve seen how that turns out, Mr. Speaker. We want to build, to keep pace with our growing population, not wait and hope for problems to solve themselves. We just know that doesn’t work.

We have a plan to spark investment in our province. We want businesses to have the conditions they need to set up shop here, thrive and contribute to our economy, creating well-paying jobs. That’s what we’ve delivered from day one, since we took office. The Get It Done Act is another step in that plan.

Our government has always acted quickly to slash red tape and get shovels in the ground on the projects that matter most to Ontarians. The Building Transit Faster Act is a perfect example of this. When the bill passed in 2020, it gave the province new powers to streamline the construction of critical public transit projects. Our government has not let those powers go to waste. The Building Transit Faster Act allows us to accelerate priority transit projects that will put tens of thousands of Ontarians within walking distance of public transit. These projects include the Ontario Line, the Scarborough subway extension, the Yonge North subway extension and the Eglinton Crosstown West extension. Now with this piece of legislation, Madam Speaker, our government is moving forward to declare the Hazel McCallion LRT extensions to downtown Brampton and downtown Mississauga that we announced a priority transit project. We’ve heard the needs of commuters, and we are acting on them.

We know public transit will play a key role in our province’s economic growth in the years ahead, and to keep people and goods moving across Ontario, we also need to build new highways. It’s that simple. The GTA is already home to some of the most congested highway corridors in North America and we won’t sit back and watch while traffic gets even worse. The greater Golden Horseshoe will have a population of almost 15 million people by the year 2051. Doing nothing is not an option, Madam Speaker.

For far too long, building new infrastructure in Ontario has been slow, it’s been burdensome, and its delays have cost taxpayers too much money. Our government has seen enough of that. Ontarians have seen enough of that. We need to slash through the red tape so we can get shovels in the ground for critical projects like Highway 413 so that we can save commuters as much as an hour each day and five hours a week. The Get It Done Act, if passed, would allow the province to streamline the approval process for building highways, railways and transmission lines, allowing us to get to work quickly on the projects that matter most to Ontarians.

Few of our government’s priorities are more important than building housing and our housing goals are ambitious. Our government plans to build at least 1.5 million homes across the province by 2031 to support the fast pace in our growth in population. Our government knows the importance of rewarding municipalities that build houses beyond the target. And, Madam Speaker, we’ve been quick to do so, but there is always more support we can lend to municipalities looking to grow with us.

Madam Speaker, as we know, hundreds and thousands of newcomers are arriving in Ontario each year. It’s important for us to take a step back and remember why they’re coming here: for dreams of a better life; to have a good-paying job for themselves and to support their families. Our government wants to make these dreams a reality. That’s why we’re focused on building: building highways, transit, homes, schools, hospitals that will help make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family.

As our government rolls up its sleeves to build new highways and expand existing infrastructure across our province, we’re cracking down on rising costs for families. That’s why our legislation bans any new tolls on provincial highways, including Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. People have to get to work, to school and make it to special moments with friends and families, and they should have the confidence that government won’t add unfair costs to their trips now or in the years to come. We’re building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass to get people moving and goods moving across the province toll-free. Many Ontarians feel like they’re fighting to keep up with the rising costs. It’s time they keep more of their money where it belongs, in their pockets.

That is why our Get It Done Act would amend the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act to prohibit any new tolls on provincial highways. If a future government decided to pick a fight with hard-working Ontarians by introducing new tolls, they would need to consult with the public first. Madam Speaker, no one should have to pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars per year on top of their other day-to-day expenses just to get to work, their medical appointments or visit loved ones. This doesn’t even factor in the rising costs of commercial goods. If trucking companies were forced to pay highway tolls to transport the goods we rely on every day, it doesn’t just end there, Madam Speaker. These costs are carried over to our shelves, and families and consumers are left to carry the burden of the hiked-up food costs, clothes and household essentials.

The people of Ontario deserve to have their say if a future government tries to introduce new tolls. This is why, Madam Speaker, we have also fought so hard against the carbon tax that punishes families, businesses and those who try to take their kids to a hockey game, a special performance or even just to school.

We know that eliminating highway tolls can make a real difference. In April 2022, we eliminated tolls on Highways 412 and 418. By the year 2027, this move alone will save hard-working drivers $68 million. These are the kinds of savings that hard-working Ontarians deserve and that our government will continue to deliver by banning new tolling. We will always say no to new tolls, and yes to saving Ontarians hard-earned money.

As I mentioned earlier, municipalities looking to grow have a strong partner with our government. Last year, we announced that the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway would be uploaded to the province from the city of Toronto, subject to due diligence. We plan to keep those highways toll-free, and if the Get It Done Act passes, we’ll be one step closer to protecting Ontarians from new highway tolls for years to come.

Madam Speaker, our act doesn’t stop there. It includes numerous measures to put money back in families’ pockets, right where it belongs. It’s a government’s job to ensure people keep their hard-earned dollars, not to hike fees, especially for essential documents that people across the province rely on to go about their daily lives. We aren’t going to gouge taxpayers on drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. People depend on those documents, and our government won’t take advantage of them by raising them.

Madam Speaker, I would just like to repeat, as I did at the start, that I will be sharing my time with the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the member for Cambridge as well.

We aren’t just talking the talk. In 2019, we froze the fees for drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards, saving Ontarians millions of dollars. Since that time, the fee freeze has saved Ontarians $22 million, and it will help save $66 million more this decade.

These savings are game-changing, Madam Speaker. I’ve heard first-hand the huge impact, whether it be removing tolls, fighting against the carbon tax, fighting against photo card or drivers’ licence fee increases, these can have on families and businesses across the province, and I can tell you, our government has no plans to hike those fees and take advantage of hard-working taxpayers. In fact, since being elected, we have never raised a fee and we have never raised a tax on businesses or families in this province.

With the Get It Done Act, we’re bringing forward legislation so that we can maintain the current fees for drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. We don’t just want Ontarians saving money today; we want to keep those costs predictable so taxpayers can save money for years to come. If the Get It Done Act passes, future governments would need to introduce legislative amendments and explain to the people why they are increasing fees. The people across this province work hard for their money, and they deserve to keep it and we’re helping them do just that.

Unlike Bonnie Crombie, the queen of the carbon tax, and the Liberals, our government isn’t trying to make things more expensive. Time and time again, she has voiced her support for increasing prices through costly carbon taxes. That’s a shame. It’s not the government’s place to put a price on carbon, and ours certainly won’t. That’s why we didn’t waste any time delivering on our promise to scrap the cap-and-trade system we inherited when we took office. These are cash grabs, plain and simple. Whether it’s a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system like the one we got rid of, we see how damaging the federal government’s carbon tax really is, and Ontarians and Ontario are sick of it. Increased prices at the gas pump, hiked-up business costs, grocery costs and the price of everything we buy, even clothes: The impacts of the carbon tax are endless, and none of them are positive.

If passed, the Get It Done Act would require future governments to hold a referendum before introducing any new carbon pricing measures. This would not only cover carbon taxes, but any new system that puts a price on carbon, cap-and-trade or otherwise. With so many people across the province struggling just to make ends meet, we are taking a stand and we are saying no to carbon taxes and other faulty carbon-pricing systems. If a future government wants to put a price on carbon, the people of Ontario deserve to have their voice heard, and if the Get It Done Act passes, they will.

Since day one, our government has had a mandate to save Ontarians money, but it doesn’t end there. We are laser-focused on saving them time, so they can spend less hours on the roads and do more of what they love with friends and family. That’s why we’re building generational projects such as Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. This is in addition to carrying out the largest transit expansion in Canadian history. We don’t want Ontarians struck in gridlock wondering if they’ll ever make it home, when they could be spending time with those who matter the most, doing what they love.

In 2022, our government scrapped licence plate renewal fees. This move has saved vehicle owners up to $120 per car or truck every single year. Although free, vehicles owners currently need to renew their licence and their vehicle permits online or in person, something we plan to put an end to as well.

If passed, the Get It Done Act will bring in more common-sense benefits for vehicle owners in Ontario by enabling the automatic renewal of license plates for passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks. This will save drivers across the province more than 900,000 hours each year. Automatic license plate renewals will apply to owners of cars, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds who are in good standing.

Our government not only prioritizes saving time and money, but also the safety of Ontarians by rewarding drivers who are following the rules and cracking down on those who don’t. Until the automatic renewals process begins, I encourage all vehicle owners to renew their license plates at no cost, online or in person at ServiceOntario.

As we continue building a better Ontario and making life more affordable, we are always focused on the future, on our infrastructure needs and the jobs that will secure Ontario’s place as a global economic hub for decades to come, after the previous 15 years of a Liberal government that drove out over 300,000 manufacturing jobs.

It has never been more clear: Our future is electric, and today we marked an historic day with the largest investments in EV manufacturing right here in Alliston, Ontario. Our province has attracted more than $30 billion in investments to build electric vehicles and battery plants. The EV industry will create thousands of well-paying jobs for Ontarians, connecting young Ontarians to well-paying jobs and a better life as we lead the charge for the electric vehicle revolution.

As more and more drivers transition to electric vehicles, the critical minerals in northern Ontario have never been more valuable. Amid this shift, we need to do everything we can to make our mining sector more attractive to investors. To date, the permitting process to operate in Ontario’s mining sector has been far too slow and far too complicated. It’s time for a change. Our government will slash through the red tape to assert Ontario’s position globally as a competitive jurisdiction as the EV revolution takes hold. The future is electric, Madam Speaker, and Ontario will continue leading the charge.

As our province gets ready to welcome millions of newcomers in the coming years, as we find ourselves on the cusp of realizing the enormous economic opportunities within our mining sector and other industries, we have three choices: We can maintain the status quo and allow red tape to run crazy, slowing down development, impeding investment across this province; we can do absolutely nothing as hard-working people struggle to get ahead and build better lives for themselves and their families; or we can roll up our sleeves and get it done for the people of Ontario.

The Get It Done Act, if passed, will deliver policies that will power our economy for generations to come. It will give us the tools we need to get people and goods moving, to connect Ontarians to opportunities across this province. Madam Speaker, it will help keep life more affordable for hard-working taxpayers, which has been our number one priority since we have taken office. We will continue to build for the future generations of this province.

And further, Madam Speaker, I would like to turn it over to my parliamentary assistant to continue debate.

I want to thank the member opposite for that question. Let’s look at the facts here. We work with local municipal leaders and leadership across this province to come to decisions that are reflected here, but what’s most important is we’re building 1.5 million houses over the next 10 years.

But what does this act also do? It helps us accelerate public transit and the building of the Hazel McCallion line across this province, where we’re building houses and making sure we can build for generations to come. We’re also looking at ways to speed up the building of public transit: $70 billion over the next 10 years.

We’re also looking at ways to speed up how we can build highways in this province. We know how important they are. It doesn’t matter where you live in this province. We’re going to build Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and Highways 11, 17, 69. We’re building all across Ontario because that’s what the future generations of this province deserve.

Thank you very much to the member for that question. What an important question. It doesn’t happen by chance, Madam Speaker. We’re competing with international sites across North America and across other jurisdictions. It’s because of the vision of this Premier that we have been able to land over $30 billion of EV investments.

You know what? It’s because we’re committed to building highways. We’re committing to building transit, we’re committed to building homes, something the Liberals and the NDP have said no to every step of the way. In fact, they continue to campaign against projects like the Bradford Bypass and Highway 413.

We need those critical pieces of infrastructure to attract investment, like the one the member is talking about: a $15-billion investment, one of the most historic—the largest investment in Ontario’s history for an auto manufacturing facility. Thank God we have someone like Premier Ford leading this province because under the Liberals and the NDP, all they know how to do is raise taxes, cancel projects, not build anything, be NIMBYs. But under this government we’re getting it done and we’re getting projects built.

When it comes to fighting for pocketbooks, when it comes to fighting for Ontarians, there’s only one Premier and one government that does it, and that’s ours. Whether it was removing the tolls off of Highways 412 or 418 it was this government, under this Premier, that led that charge. It’s so unfortunate that any time we bring any measure forward, whether it be tax cuts, fee decreases or other measures to support the people of this province, the NDP and Liberals vote against it. We’re always going to put more money back into the pockets of hard-working families.

We’ve landed $30 billion since this government has come in because of the measures we have taken. We have cut taxes on businesses and people in this province, and we have put more money back into their pockets. The NDP vote against every single one of our measures, every single one of these workers who are being supported by these EV investments.

Those members have an opportunity to vote in this budget, in our budgets, to support them. What do they do? They say no to every single thing that this government is doing, whether that’s reducing taxes, fighting the carbon tax or taking 10 cents a litre off your gas costs.

We’re going to continue to get to done. We’re going to continue to build over $180 billion over the next 10 years. This is about building for the next generation.