Yes, that’s a good question. I applaud the member. That’s a very good question. A number of parameters: If there is outstanding public concern that is substantiated. We’ve had ERO postings—measures and permissions are still subject to our duty to post on the Environmental Registry of Ontario, and issue decisions.

Something I would add: This government has reduced the backlog from the previous government significantly—by 95%, in fact. That ability for massive projects still exists, and I think, again, public. If, in the opinion of officials—I don’t want to presuppose what a deputy or what an ADM or director within my ministry may or may not say, but, on numerous occasions, they recommend or flag a number of challenges.

Again, I would go back to what is done within the EA process where it’s a living piece, where they’re back and forth with proponents. Once that’s complete, on every process I’ve seen, all the conditions have been met—it’s, again, just waiving the sitting on the hands. I think it is a very important piece, giving the minister the ability to do so.

I have to set the record: Everyone here heard him say “elimination.” That’s not what’s happening. It’s the ability of the minister to waive that waiting period and if that member honestly can look himself in the mirror and think that, for the EA process, the minister closes his eyes and ears? The public comments start months before. It’s a back-and-forth with ministry officials.

Please come to 777 Bay. Let me educate you on how the actual EA process is being done. We’re not eliminating the 30-day waiting period. We’re giving the minister the ability if, in his or her opinion, public comment has been responded to and there’s been a robust process that warrants not sitting on our hands for 30 days—as he’d be content to do, given that he supported it when the previous government did it for 15 years.

And on that project, I know that the public were engaged, that this was a long back-and-forth project, that engineers are involved, that that comment has been captured and that there was no willingness from the community, from the engineers or from anyone in this project to sit on our hands for 30 days and do nothing while the minister plays euchre or cards. This is outrageous, that we would sit when all metrics have been met, when it is the opinion of scientists and others in the ministry that permissions have been followed, that we can move—just give the ability to continue with the process and to get things moving. That’s all this is doing.

This ability to waive that 30-day waiting period—they’ve said “waive and eliminate.” All we’re doing is giving the minister the ability, should conditions be met, to not sit on our hands for 30 days, a needless 30 days, which is the difference for vital waste water treatment plants that could get in ground today for cleaner water tomorrow and not waiting tomorrow to start those projects. I say, “Yes, let’s start it today”—in her community, in my community, in the growing communities of Ontario.

I really hope she will take me up on that offer to come meet with some of our officials to talk a bit about that.

Not that member, but that’s the reality for so many. I spoke to a young mother in my riding over the weekend who is so desperate for home ownership and wonders if she can ever move beyond trying to find affordable rental units in Cobourg.

The members opposite voted against when we waived development charges for purpose-built rental units. I spoke to Trinity Housing, a housing co-op in my riding, on what waiving development charges meant for them. It’s that minor bit between making a project viable and making it not viable. Waiving development charges mattered for them. We codified what the town of Cobourg—and a shout-out to the town of Cobourg—is doing to ensure that we can get these purpose-built rental units built.

I know, for quite a few around here, it has been quite some time since quite a few around here lived in rental units. It’s not so far for myself. I recall with my wife really saving for years to be able to put that down payment on a home, to be able to become a homeowner. For too many that’s become a lost dream. We have to acknowledge that there are processes and there are realities that are a fundamental barrier, that are doing nothing to actually protect the environment, nothing to provide more affordable housing and nothing to make that dream of housing come sooner.

As I said, water and sewer mains, important infrastructure projects to bring cleaner water, to support waste water discharge for growing communities: These are all things that we’re working on with the sector, working with industry, not taking the approach of previous Liberal governments of driving those manufacturing jobs out or, in the skilled trades with the ratios, of making sure that we don’t have those workers. We had Happy Bucks at Rotary this past Friday, where Stadtke Plumbing acknowledged the number of youth they’ve been able to get into plumbing because of changes this government has made.

I’m going all over because I’m connecting the dots here. You need skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen to build the critical infrastructure we need to support a better environment, to support cleaner water discharge, cleaner water when you turn on the taps. Why do you need that? Because you need homes.

We know there are some in this Legislature who just don’t want to build those homes, who just don’t want to build rental units, who don’t want to build subways. It’s not surprising, given that when the previous government held the balance of power for 15 years, and when that balance of power was in a minority government, supported by the NDP, they didn’t build the subways. They didn’t build the purpose-built rental units. We have a record year in rental starts last year, thanks to this Minister of Housing.

And we’re doing it, Madam Speaker. We’re doing it while also launching one of Ontario’s largest-ever freshwater initiatives, plastic-capture technology in Lake Ontario. These sea bins are all over, including in harbours like mine. We’re building the vital water and waste water infrastructure we need to support a growing Ontario. This vital technology, this modern technology—when I visit a waste water treatment plant today, it’s like going onto the bridge of the Enterprise. It’s so modern. They’re using technology, but members opposite would rather have us using the same infrastructure from decades gone by. I say no. We need to leverage the technology today. We need to build modern infrastructure to support growing communities.

They also didn’t support the previous government in building any new public transit. You think about the Ontario Line, arguably one of the largest low-carbon public projects in North America today. That’s done by this Premier, by this government. It’s going to be incredible—hopping on that line, the crown jewel at the end, a modernized, revitalized Ontario Place. I remember my parents taking me to Ontario Place ages ago and enjoying Ontario Place with my nana, my papa, my mom, my dad. And since, what is it, 2012, the doors have been locked? You’re lucky if I can get a dog walk in with my dog Max there. It’s dilapidated. It’s stale—stale like the attitudes of the previous government.

But we’re building a stronger Ontario; a hopeful Ontario; an Ontario where a young boy or girl can receive an opportunity in the skilled trades, where they could become an entrepreneur or start their own business—a sense of fulfillment in building and completing projects that are going to support a growing Ontario, that are going to protect our environment; an Ontario, a Canada that welcomes half a million immigrants, and the disproportionate number, over 250,000 or 300,000, of which choose Ontario. And where do the majority of those immigrants come? They come to the GTHA.

So again, we welcome that. I think to my own family experience, as do so many in the place. I think to stories of one of my grandfathers, who came off the boat from Italy with no money, who built a career in the steel sector—I’ve often referenced that before, but it bears repeating—building a future; my father, who was the first to go to university on that side of my family; and now his grandson, who is sitting in this place. That is the Canadian dream. That is the opportunity that this great province offers new Canadians. I think they would be happy.

I remember the member from Danforth, when we spoke a bit about clean steel. I think we can all acknowledge, and that member as well, that that steelworker today—those jobs have been protected and secured in this province, not through driving industry out like we saw in years gone by but through partnering with industry to build the cleanest steel on planet earth right here in Ontario, good union jobs right here in the province of Ontario.

I think to opportunities I’ve had to tour on what Stelco is doing. It is not the Stelco, for example, of my grandfather’s yesteryear. It’s not the Dofasco of generations gone by. They’re doing incredible work—and a big shout-out to the men and women of Algoma, Dofasco and Stelco and work that they’re doing. We’re proud to have those industries here in Ontario, and we’re securing jobs for generations to come. Clean steel; it’s incredibly exciting.

And, Madam Speaker, I think to when this government was elected, the fact that building in the province was one of the records that I think was unfortunate. Usually, you want to hold records. But I’ll contrast two records: The time it takes to get permits and to build in this province was one of the worst on planet earth. That’s unacceptable when we have to build modern infrastructure not only to support a growing population but to protect our environment at the same time.

Now, today, we hold the very prestigious record. I think last year alone was one of the largest years for projected areas in Ontario’s history. Don’t take my word for it; our federal database that compiles protected areas that is released every March shows what Ontario has done for protected areas.

You ask, “How do we do that?” You think to programs like the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program that has protected Vidal Bay, that has protected the Boreal Wildlands, the largest protection for boreal forests in Canadian history; the South Shore Joint Initiative for migratory birds, so that we can support a growing Ontario with active and passive opportunities for Ontarians to get out and enjoy and appreciate nature to better connect with the birds and the bees and the species that we’re so blessed to live alongside.

Yes, we have to do more. We do have to do more for those species and for protected areas. That’s why I was proud that this year, in budget 2023, we saw another record: the largest single in-year investment for protected areas in Ontario’s history; $14 million, thanks to the Minister of Finance.

We’ve worked so closely together with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. I think to hikes I’ve taken in my own backyard with groups like the Willow Beach Field Naturalists.

I think to Hazel Bird Nature Reserve where I go with my dog Max all the time. We’re out there in Hazel Bird Nature Reserve. That has increased by a third thanks in part to the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program.

I think to the South Shore Joint Initiative, the migratory bird corridor in Bay of Quinte.

I think to the land trusts and the environmentalist groups I’ve walked shoulder-to-shoulder with. We’re protecting that area on the shores of Lake Ontario forever for generations to come.

I think to work we’re doing all over this province, to Vidal Bay. I think to Alfred Bog, that we have now protected under the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act forever. That is peat moss, carbon sequestration. It’s important. We’re doing that.

That largest in-year investment that this government has made has shown that you can support a growing population with growing numbers of protected areas. Interesting number: I was on Moore in the Morning this morning with John Moore, talking about the province’s first urban provincial park. We announced that on Saturday, on Earth Day. That’s going to be in the town of Uxbridge. Shout-out to Mayor Dave Barton, to regional chair John Henry, to John MacKenzie from the TRCA, Rob Baldwin from the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and so many more who we’re partnering with to make this historic announcement.

I’m very excited for that new provincial park. It’s going to be a great opportunity to get outdoors. That is the first in 40 years, since before I was born; Madam Speaker, since before you were born; since so many—the first in 40 years. This is truly incredible.

I was on Moore in the Morning this morning, and I think a stat that bears repeating: Through programs like the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, we’ve protected almost 400,000 acres in just the last few years. That is four times what the previous Liberal government protected between 2014 and 2018, a full mandate—four times, Madam Speaker.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done with partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.

Why I mention this, to tie it back to the changes we’re making, is you can support growing protected areas. You can support the environmental assessment process—the EA process that we’re modernizing not just for building homes, building public transit that we need, but yes, building parks.

When I was first a minister, they were saying it takes 10 years to build a park, 10 years to protect the environment, to add an area to actually protect it for trails. That’s wild. That’s not acceptable. It’s not acceptable because while I still have my best friend, my loyal friend, my four-legged Max, I want him to get out there and enjoy these trails with me. I’m not going to wait 10 years to protect those parks, to protect those areas.

When we look at that 50-year-old, dated process, that’s one of the reasons—my “why.” Why did I get involved? Why did I seek office? Often, people have these carefully scripted stories. They bring all the comms experts and they bounce ideas and it becomes—sometimes, it exacerbates and embellishes a bit of the truth. My “why” was pretty simple, and I don’t need 10 groups to soundboard it off. My “why” was, I’m a young man growing up in rural Ontario and I see manufacturing jobs fleeing. I saw a Kraft plant close. I saw buddies I played soccer with put out of a job. I saw the reckless federal and provincial policies of the Liberals driving out manufacturing jobs in Campbellford, in Brighton, in Port Hope and in Cobourg, and I just said, “You know what, there’s got to be a better way.”

I didn’t have all the answers. I still don’t. I think in public office you’ve got to listen to the people you serve; you’ve got to form meaningful partnerships with industry to work in collaboration to find those answers. But my job is, I looked around the room, I looked at my predecessor and I looked at others—someone I have great respect for, my predecessor—but I said, “You know what? I’m going to do a better job. I’m going to bring these jobs back. I’m going to give it my best shot,” because there can be a stronger Ontario. There can be a better Ontario.

Fast-forward to today: CpK, Beneco Packaging, Mirmil, Jebco, Premier Tech in Brighton—all of which have benefited from $8 billion in reduced costs of doing business, all of whom are expanding. When I called the plant manager at Jebco in Colborne and said we are stabilizing class A and B industrial electricity rates, after the disastrous energy policies of the previous government—none of whose members are here, in part because they were voted out; none of whose members are here because they have so few seats in this Legislature today, because Ontarians said that we have to do better.

What did that mean for Jebco? Jebco is now expanding their investments. They are hiring more men and women. They’re saying, “Yes, David, it shouldn’t take 10 years to expand our plant because of a 50-year-old EA process. It shouldn’t mean the difference between new jobs and retreating and doing nothing, laying people off because of the reckless energy policies of the previous government.” Today they are expanding.

Today, Beneco Packaging is growing in Northumberland–Peterborough South. Today, we’re benefiting from building small modular nuclear reactors, maintaining our competitive advantage of a 90%-plus clean energy advantage. There is no path to net zero without nuclear. We are building SMRs in my community in Darlington. We’re building EVs. We’re supporting automotive jobs with General Motors in my community, again, jobs that, in this place, public policy-makers seemed content to let flee and leave this province. They are coming back. Clean jobs, green jobs, jobs for the next generation are coming back to Ontario because this government and this Premier understand that when it comes to the environment, it is not an “either/or,” it’s an “and.” You can protect more, something we’re doing to the tune of four times that of the previous government.

It is not an “either/or” when it comes to public transit. The groups of four, five people who frequent council every day, the group of NIMBYs who don’t want to build public transit, the NIMBYs who say—it’s BANANAs now: build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone. They don’t want homes in their community, but when it comes to building a high-rise or intensifying with an apartment unit which will include purpose-built rentals in their own community, they say no to that as well.

I’ve got a message for those people: Your time ruling the roost is gone. We’re building in the province of Ontario. We’re building for the young boy or girl who wants a job in the trades, who wants to have a place to call home; for the young boy like my grandfather in fascist Italy, who looked to Canada for opportunity; for someone like Sayo, from Nigeria, whom I had the opportunity of meeting when our member for Ajax brought Computek to this community, who has taken advantage of the free PSW courses that this government is working on and has provided. Sayo has now got a job. He is working in no more honourable profession than in health care. He is now working, thanks to this Premier, this government and the investments we’re making.

This stands in stark contrast to an Ontario where those jobs were fleeing in my own community. They’re back today, 600,000 manufacturing jobs today, incredible opportunities in my community, where we are expanding public transit, bringing Metrolinx into Northumberland for the first time in Ontario’s history. We’re building the largest low-carbon public transit project, arguably, in North America with the Ontario Line. We’re expanding two-way, all-day GO and electrifying the GO network.

We’re bringing back the Northlander to the people. My predecessor called the north “no-man’s land.” That’s just bananas—and that’s an appropriate term of “bananas,” not “build absolutely nothing anywhere near anyone.” It’s actually bananas that he would call northern Ontario “no-man’s land,” because we recognize that prosperity in the south depends on opportunity and unleashing the potential of the north. We get that, this government.

I’ve had the opportunity to see environmental reclamation projects that you couldn’t imagine, with Mattagami First Nation in the north. I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of partners in the north to see what this government is doing to unlock the opportunities, the critical minerals that are going to help us decarbonize, that are going to help us electrify, that are going to help us become less dependent on fossil fuels. I’m proud that that’s done in Ontario. I’m proud that that’s done working in partnership with Indigenous communities, working with men and women of the skilled trades, and not dependent on corrupt foreign regimes.

We’ve seen with the COVID-19 pandemic the destabilizing effect, the choppy waters that the Minister of Finance alluded to in his budget speech. Ontario is not an island. We’re not immune to global supply chain disruption—the war in Ukraine, the unprovoked attack and invasion of Ukraine. We’re not immune to those choppy waters.

So why now must we invest in the north? Because there is no better time and because there is no time that is more important than today—and a recognition among Ontarians alike. It’s partly the reason we’re back in this place. It’s partly the reason we’re winning seats in the north that previous Progressive Conservatives felt we had no business ever winning. Well, we’re winning them today because those Indigenous youth, those young men and women in the north know that they have an opportunity in the great province of Ontario under Premier Ford’s leadership.

I value the feedback on our EA process, on improving that process so that we can get those critical minerals we need to decarbonize, so that we can support battery creation here in Ontario. There are areas of the world that have no regard; they don’t even have an EA process when they’re mining for these critical minerals. Madam Speaker, we’re never going to follow that example. In Ontario, we’re going to always work in close partnership with Indigenous communities, respecting environmental processes and permits. I’m proud of that.

But no one can tell me that a relic from 50 years ago shall never change, will never change, and that we can never leverage modern technology to improve it. I’m sorry. Nor that this 30-day pause, this random pause for 30 days—that the Minister of the Environment can’t exercise the ability to get proponent-driven projects moving faster, like these decarbonization projects I’m alluding to in the north.

Another record historic first: the investment in boreal caribou that this government has made in the budget—a historic investment. I think to valuable relationships that I’ve had the opportunity to build with Chief Tangie from Michipicoten, with Chief Michano from Biigtigong. I’m going up there in the north this summer, and I value that learning relationship.

I’m going to draw an analogy here from what we’re doing with this bill with the EA process to how our wildlife advisory committee said that you always have to sedate caribou in the process to move them. We’re moving caribou and helping grow the population of caribou. They said that you always have to sedate it. Well, talk to Chief Michano, talk to Chief Tangie, and they’ll tell you that there are practices—they told me about an incredible story, Chief Tangie did, about a youth in her community witnessing a caribou relocation project where they blindfold, in a very humane manner, the caribou to move the caribou.

What does that have to do with this? I’ve drawn an analogy here. If our process of relocating caribou was so rigid, as is this 50-year-old EA process, that we would never listen and never change, we would never incorporate the perspectives of Chief Tangie, of Chief Duncan Michano from Biigtigong. It would remain rigid and a relic of the past. Well, no; today, we’re listening. I’m hopeful that in the next few weeks, I’ll be up north to sign an agreement with Michipicoten and Biigtigong for a historic protection of Ontario’s caribou. We’re going to do it. I’m going out on a limb, but I’m going to say that we’re going to do it, because our relationships have been meaningful, and we’re going to do it.

I’ll hark back to the EA process that we’re talking about. If we’re not flexible to listen, if we’re not flexible to be amenable to new technology, new processes, then why are we here? Why are we serving? Why do we bother getting up in the morning? I could just stay in bed and never get up and never do anything. But I choose to get out of bed in the morning, to listen, to work in partnership with communities to improve our EA process for generations to come, and it’s thanks to that that we’re seeing record investments in public transit, actually getting shovels in the ground, actually taking cars off the road. It’s thanks to that that we’re seeing record investments in manufacturing which is making clean steel for generations to come, building EVs that are actually going to be made in Ontario, not just rebates for millionaires to buy EVs that are incorporating critical minerals that are mined in Africa and in other jurisdictions that have no regard to the EA process and to meaningful partnership with Indigenous communities. We’re going to have those critical minerals here in Ontario.

I know worldwide, we have a commitment—I spent time at the United Nations—and we’re working with other jurisdictions that I have aforementioned to improve processes, to incorporate an environmental assessment process, to incorporate meaningful treatment of workers. I see our Minister of Labour is here. We’re making historic investments to provide dignity on the job site for workers. That’s the constant work here.

And we disagree all the time. I see a member opposite moving their hands like, “Talk to the hand. We’re not listening.” At the end of the day, I value the role that they play. They challenge us to do better. They challenge us to do a better job. We can disagree, we can snicker, we can smile, but at the end of the day, everybody here serves from a good place. They get up every morning to advocate for their communities and to serve to build a better Ontario. We disagree from time to time on how to get there.

But I take this process, I take Ontario, I take Ontario’s EA process, I take the challenges we’re facing in Ontario, I take the meaningful conversation we’re having on reconciliation over any other jurisdiction worldwide because I believe in this province. I believe in its people. I believe in the meaningful relationships we’re building as a government to unlock the potential of a better, of a stronger Ontario; an Ontario that is building public transit, taking cars off the road; an Ontario that is modernizing the environmental assessment process so that we can support growing communities with the critical infrastructure to keep our waters clean—not just clean, but cleaner. My mom is an English teacher and I’m sure will challenge my grammar there.

When I chaired the Great Lakes Guardians’ Council with Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe, we chaired that Great Lakes Guardians’ Council, and we heard an update from officials in my ministry who have been there since long before I have been here and will still be there long after I’m gone. Those officials have worked with research institutes. A number of reports show that the Great Lakes on many metrics—when it comes to PCBs, when it comes to phosphorous, when it comes to a number of metrics, things are getting better. When it comes to delisting areas of concern like Randle Reef, like a number of other areas, this government is making meaningful progress. Working with the federal government, working with partners at the upper and lower tier, conservation authorities, we’re making progress on delisting those areas of concern. Because, again, you can modernize the EA process, you can improve the EA process that will lead to a better tomorrow—a stronger Ontario.

I’ll close today by saying that that EA process, that strong EA process we have here—a strong, robust permissions process—means that we can protect the environment, but we can also get shovels in the ground on public transit to take cars off the road; to build the Ontario Line, the largest low-carbon public transit project, arguably, in North America. We can extract the critical minerals we need in the north to support electrification to decarbonize in the south. We can build homes—homes that are better built today using better environmental standards than at any point in the past—to support the young boy or girl who lives in their parents’ basement, who has been destined there from poor policies of the past, who now wants the dignity of home ownership, who wants to have a home. Purpose-built rental units that can be built for tomorrow’s generation: We’re saying yes to that.

We’re saying yes to the non-sexy things that underpin that, like ensuring that when you turn your tap on, clean drinking water comes out of that tap, or when you flush the toilet, something is done to ensure that that discharge is cleaner. That’s what’s happening at Duffins in Pickering. That’s what’s happening in Newcastle, thanks to investments of this government to upgrade and improve the waste water treatment plant in Newcastle. That’s what’s happening in Cobourg; we’re adding new water power thanks to investments from this government. That’s what’s happening in Brighton. It’s happening all over Ontario. I’ve just illustrated this with a few examples in my own riding to show that when you modernize the EA process, you’re actually strengthening it and improving it to get shovels in the ground on these vital infrastructure projects to support a growing Ontario, a better environment, a stronger tomorrow.

I am so proud to be part of a government making these meaningful investments and listening. Yes, we welcome being challenged by members opposite and others. But there’s a recognition that you can’t just take processes like the EA process that we’re talking about today, throw it up on a shelf, wait 50 years, close our eyes and pretend like nothing is changing, because technology is changing and we can improve the EA process. We can better respond to the needs of Ontarians of tomorrow, to the people who have an eye to Canada to build a better future, who flee, in many cases, war-torn countries to build a better future.

You’re going to have a home thanks to this government. You’re going to have better public transit thanks to this government. You’re going to have better waste water and water services thanks to this government. You’re going to have a better job thanks to this government, because we’re bringing back manufacturing. You’re going to work in clean steel. You’re going to work building EVs so we can drive EVs tomorrow. We’re going to build batteries using the critical minerals of the north to support jobs for men and women of tomorrow’s generation. We’re going to work in partnership with Indigenous communities like Mattagami First Nation on environmental reclamation projects. You’re going to do all of that for a stronger Ontario, and I’m proud to be part of a government getting it done.

It’s an honour to rise in the House today for the third reading of Bill 69, the Reducing Inefficiencies Act. I just want to start by acknowledging and thanking my colleague the Minister of Infrastructure for her remarks and for her leadership. I think it’s important to note that when it comes to building a better Ontario, when it comes to building a stronger Ontario, this minister thinks outside the box, finding meaningful partnerships and investing.

She made an important comment when she spoke about waste water and stormwater infrastructure, smaller projects which she said are no less important, and I can start speaking for the good people of Northumberland–Peterborough South, who I represent. She’s joined me on multiple occasions in my riding to see the important impact these investments are making in communities like mine to support a growing Ontario, because for years previous governments let this infrastructure crumble. That matters when it comes to building purpose-built rental units, when it comes to building affordable housing, when it comes to intensifying in existing urban centres, when it comes to expanding, building more homes so that people can get out of their parents’ basements. All of this stuff matters, so we have to tie everything in this bill into the bigger picture.

As you know, Madam Speaker, some elements in this bill come from my Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. I’m happy to take a few minutes to paint a bigger and fuller picture as to what this means.

I’m going to start off with the obvious, a number: 50 years. I’m a big political junkie, and I recall a mayor in Brockville with a fantastic set of hair—perhaps not here today, but a fantastic set of hair. This was—

But what has happened since then and now and these historic announcements he’s going to be joining me on? Well, the EA process has not changed. It isn’t touched. I don’t have to think back much farther—Madam Speaker, yourself as well, I think—to a time in university; when I went to university, social media was barely a thing. I remember getting my first cell phone in university. Today, these things are a part of our daily lives. We use them. I think to eDNA and the important work eDNA is having within the environmental permissions process for endangered species. But yet, this process hasn’t changed at all. Notwithstanding and despite the fact that technology has evolved incredibly to support the EA process, this process hasn’t changed in 50 years. I’m very proud that this government is taking long-overdue steps to modernize and improve the environmental assessment process.

Everything has changed, and the environmental assessment process must change with it. Simply put, it’s outdated, and Ontarians deserve better. Leaving Ontario with the ineffective and inefficient act that requires urgent updates our government is proposing—the foundations of the Environmental Assessment Act remain incredibly strong. This act does not fundamentally alter the act in any way.

The changes contained in this bill are not a revolution. We’re doing a lot of things in this government that are a revolution, a lot of great things to build more homes, to build more critical infrastructure, to build new subway lines, to transform and modernize Ontario Place so that people can actually get back in and enjoy the space. We’re doing a lot of things as a government, but I’ll acknowledge that this slight change we’re making through my ministry is not revolutionary, and it’s not one of those things.

This, of course, requires—and I will encourage everyone in this Legislature to take time to truly understand what we’re proposing here. It’s a planning and decision-making process that evaluates potential environmental impacts. That’s the environmental assessment process. The environmental assessment process identifies and mitigates potential environmental issues before a project is implemented. They consider the effect and inputs from groups like Indigenous communities, government agencies, the public.

The environmental assessment process: Let’s discuss within that what we’re actually changing. This is important as, quite frankly, listening to some in the debate on this so far, I do not believe that there is an in-depth—and I wonder whether there’s a true appreciation of what is being proposed here. The proposed amendments to the Environmental Assessment Act are merely to provide the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks with the ability to waive or alter the 30-day review period, allowing projects to begin sooner. It’s a 30-day review period. That’s after the process is done. That’s after all of the work has been done. We pause in time, just freeze and sit still. I think there are a number of instances; I think to waste water treatment plants, which are improving water quality for communities, where perhaps the minister would want to waive that waiting period to allow the proponent to move forward faster to build this critical infrastructure.

This doesn’t change or alter the ability for community members to request a bump-up request to the minister for a full environmental assessment. It doesn’t change any of the big the pieces within the act itself. It merely provides the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks with the ability to waive or alter the 30-day review period.

I think to where this started. As many good policies start, this started with a Bombardier project in Mississauga, where the mayor and where the community asked us and said, “This 30-day waiting period doesn’t make sense,” and where this project that was going to bring good-paying jobs and was going to bring investments into our aviation sector would have been kicked to another construction season. You think of the inflationary costs that that would have meant. This just enabled us to get shovels in the ground sooner. It didn’t do anything to change permissions, permits to take water, endangered species. A number of these permissions were not there in this instance, but it bears repeating that it wouldn’t change any of those permissions. Madam Speaker, I think this is the right thing to do.

As you can see, this arbitrary 30-day period here is delay. Usually we see this place in question period filled with youth, the next generation. I see our young member from Brampton, who is doing a fantastic job. I see some young people in the gallery today. What I hear is a generation who can’t see beyond their parents’ basements. That is what Ontario is for too many: their parents’ basement.