I thank my colleague for the question. Mr. Speaker, I will tell you, no government in history has stood up for Ontarians more than this government. When we raised the Ontario Disability Support Program by 5%, tied that to inflation and as a result saw an increase of an additional 6.5%, the opposition was not supportive of that.

Mr. Speaker, we went a step above and beyond that: We removed and changed the earned income threshold from $200 to $1,000 so that people can earn more income, and we’re seeing the results.

Now, the opposition unfortunately has not supported any of these initiatives to help Ontarians. At a time when life is unaffordable, you have heard time and time again, Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Energy, every single member on this side get up, stand up from their seat and say, “Stand up for Ontarians. Your counterparts in Ottawa control—they are able to make sure that they wipe the federal carbon tax and make life more affordable for—”

I thank my colleague for the follow-up. Mr. Speaker, our government believes that no student should go to school hungry. That’s why we’ve partnered with organizations—including the Arrell Family Foundation, the Breakfast Club of Canada, the Schad Foundation, and the Grocery Foundation—to improve these programs. The $1.67 million already raised by partners, alongside our government’s $5-million investment, shows how public and private entities can come together to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Ontario students. I’m grateful for the generous support, and I encourage all Ontarians to get involved and support the success of our students. Together, we can provide a strong foundation for their academic achievement and overall well-being in the province—because, again, they’re 100% of our future, and we need to continue to invest in them.

I thank the honourable member for the question. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to remind the honourable member that it was her and her party that voted against the 5% increase and another 6.5%—the largest increases in ODSP rates in decades in the province. It’s this government and this party that’s fighting to make life more affordable for Ontarians.

But along the way, Mr. Speaker—you have discovered this—all day, all week, the week before, they’re against housing, they’re against long-term care, they’re against schools, and they’re now clearly showing they’re against the people of this province, for us to be able to lift them out of poverty, to make sure that we provide the supports for people who need them. The largest increase in support in social assistance—every single member across voted against it.

But, Mr. Speaker, that’s okay, because Ontarians elected this government, members of this caucus and the majority middle to stand up for every single person in this province, and we won’t let them down.

I thank the honourable member for the question.

I just want to remind every single Ontarian of the decisions that have been made by this government. We have made the largest increase to ODSP rates in decades. Further than that, we have increased the income threshold from $200 to $1,000 so that more Ontarians can keep more money in their pocket.

Every single decision that we’ve made—you’ll hear, time and time again, the members opposite from both parties talk about affordability for Ontarians, yet when it comes to actually supporting doing something about it, they vote against it. It’s always when the lights are on and the camera is rolling, they’ll say one thing—but when it comes to action, this is the lights, camera, no action party.

We will stand up for every single Ontarian. We will make sure that no one is left behind in this province.

That now means the NDP has to stand up and tell the people of this province why they continue—

I just want to remind the member, here is what they have voted against: the increase to support for Ontarians on ODSP, the largest increase in decades—they voted against it. Aligning it to inflation, which, as of July 1, will further increase supports for Ontarians—they voted against it. The $200 limit, which was increased to $1,000 so that more Ontarians who can and are able to work can get out there and earn more—what did they do? They voted against it.

Again, every single measure that this finance minister has put forward, not just in this recent budget, not in the fall economic statement or the budget before that—every single measure that we put forward to make life more affordable for Ontarians, the NDP votes against. They’ll say one thing here in the House—but I’ll assure Ontarians: You have nothing to worry about. This side of the House, and the majority, will continue—

Mr. Speaker, we have invested more than $1.2 billion towards helping communities through the Social Services Relief Fund—$1.2 billion to help with food, to help with the cost of housing; investing $83 million through the Ontario Trillium Foundation to support non-profit organizations, including food banks; $8 million in support for funding Feed Ontario. Mr. Speaker, every single measure that we’ve taken to help Ontarians during the cost of high prices everywhere, the NDP continuously votes against. They will never support lowering costs in this province. You’ve seen them; you’ve heard them. They’ll say one thing here in the House, but as soon as it comes to actions, they’re MIA. They don’t exist.

It’s this Premier and it’s this government that says we’ll make sure that every single Ontarian is supported and no one is left behind, and we’ll put—

Interjections.

I thank my honourable colleague for the question. It’s been this government that has been there for every single Ontarian when we said we’re not going to leave them behind. I will just remind the member of all the decisions that they have voted against.

First of all, the largest increase to support the most vulnerable here in the province—what did the opposition do? They voted against it. Then the rates were aligned to inflation, which was the right thing to do to provide more support for Ontarians at a time of high costs and everything as a result of the carbon tax that they supported, that we are against, Mr. Speaker. Time and time and time again, it’s this government that’s fighting for Ontarians. The NDP will say one thing when the lights are on and the cameras are rolling, and then when it comes to actually voting and supporting Ontarians, they’ll continue to turn their back on them, just like they failed, supporting the Liberals in 15 years, Mr. Speaker. We said from the beginning—

Interjections.

I thank my honourable colleague for the question. The member is right: What we did is we made sure that, during a very difficult time, every single Ontarian here has a chance to succeed. That’s why we made the largest increase to ODSP rates in decades. Not only that, it was tied to inflation. The food bank, I’ll remind my honourable colleague, referred to it as a laudable move by this government.

That’s not where we ended. She’s absolutely right. We also made sure that the income threshold is raised from $200 to $1,000 a month. Why? So that people can have more money in their pockets, so that more people who are able to work and want to get out there and work to fill some of the great jobs that are available here in this province can do so and earn more and keep more of their hard earned money.

The people of this province were being let down, not under the leadership of this Premier, not under our government. When we say, “We’re not going to leave anyone behind,” that means every single person in this province, Madam Speaker.

That’s not it, Madam Speaker. We initiated the LIFT tax credit and the CARE tax credit so that some of the lowest earners don’t have to pay the Ontario tax for it. Why? Because we wanted to make sure they keep more money in their pockets.

She referenced housing, Madam Speaker. This is why the Associate Minister of Housing is working hard to make sure that housing becomes more affordable across our province.

But Madam Speaker, it’s my honourable colleague and his party that had the balance of power here in this Legislature. They could have made sure that those supports are provided to Ontarians. They didn’t. It’s this Premier who increased the ODSP rate that hadn’t been done in decades. The largest increase in decades, Madam Speaker.

We went further to make sure that no one is left behind. We tied the rate to inflation for future—again, under this government, under the leadership of this Premier, no one will be left behind.

We’ll make sure that not only do they have the support, those who need it, we’ll make sure that the 400,000 jobs that are going unfilled, thanks to the great work of the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and this Premier—

I want to thank my honourable colleague from Burlington for the question and all the great work that she does in her riding.

Mr. Speaker, our legislation was clear: The More Homes Built Faster Act was intended to build on previous housing bills to further cut red tape and remove unnecessary barriers that were preventing the construction of new units in Ontario.

One key approach that we’re taking is by encouraging density around major transit areas, which will make it easier for Ontarians to take a bus, train or streetcar to and from work, and visit family and friends.

We want Ontarians to have the flexibility when it comes to housing: one that they can afford and one that meets their needs and their budgets. The only way that we can do this is by increasing supply in the areas that make sense, like major transit corridors, which is exactly what our government is doing.

I want to thank the member from Burlington for her strong advocacy when it comes to housing on behalf of her constituents.

Study after study is telling us that we are in a housing deficit, but we’re ensuring that more supply is created—of all types—to make sure that home ownership is within reach for more Ontarians; for example, the attainable housing program through the government surplus lands, exploring rent-to-own options and land lease communities.

To make housing more affordable and easier to enter the housing market for Ontarians, our government is increasing the term period for homes located in land lease communities from 21 years to 49 years, which, by extending it over time, will make homes more affordable. In fact, I saw first-hand the life-lease community of Sandycove in the great member’s riding of Barrie-Innisfil.

We know more work is needed, and we’ll continue to explore more options to make it easier for first-time homebuyers, seniors, young families and future generations to find a place to call home in our province.

I thank the leader of the official opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see one day the leader or the members of the opposition get up and actually stand up for Ontarians and support us in building more homes across the province.

We should be looking at our numbers. In 2021, in 2022, a record number of housing starts in our province—no thanks to the opposition. I mentioned this last week, when the previous government was in power, they held the balance of power. The lowest housing starts came in the three years when they had the opportunity. They could have made housing a priority for Ontarians. They didn’t. It took this Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, under the leadership of the Premier, the caucus members on this side and in the middle to say, “No more. Housing is going to be a priority for Ontarians. We’ll make sure to deliver it to them. We’re not going to let down anybody.”

As I said before, and I’ll say it again, no government in the past 70 years has provided more protection for tenants in this province than this government.

We paused rent increases during COVID. We made sure that tenants had protection when they needed it. The rent increase guidelines that the member is referring to in 2021 last year was capped at 1.2% increase. This year, because of our actions, we capped that at 2.5%, well below inflation. If it wasn’t for our actions, the rent increase guideline would have been at 5.3%.

So let me make that very clear: Once again, it’s this government that will stand up for the people of this province, will protect tenants and make sure—what the opposition wants is for people to be pitted against one another. That’s not going to happen. We’re going to work with our partners to make sure that we have more units in this province, and we’ll continue—

I thank my honourable colleague for the question.

We’re in a housing supply crisis all over the province, including in the member’s riding, and I’m glad that he’s raising this concern—because we’re the only party that has been talking about it.

If you go back—and I’ll just tell you, Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis that we’re in, the supply crisis that we’re dealing with right now, the Minister of Finance addressed this by making sure that the percentage that has been added, the 25%, is across the province, not just a portion, to make sure that there’s more supply in the province of Ontario for Ontarians.

But we need to do more. If you look at the work of the municipal affairs and housing, this minister—the last two years, we’ve seen record housing starts in the province of Ontario. Do a comparison to when the previous government was in power and they held the balance of power—the lowest housing starts. It’s not enough. We need to build more homes all across the province, including in that member’s riding, and we’re going to get it done.

We’ve done that. We’re not going to stop there. We’re going to continue going forward. As I mentioned, we’re in a housing supply crisis.

I’m glad the city of London adopted the targets that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing put forward, because they know these are attainable targets.

When it comes to rent control—I have to tell you this, Mr. Speaker. Through Bill 184, when we put in measures, the measures that this government has put in place—no government in the past 70 years has provided more protection for tenants than this government. Every single protection that we put in Bill 184 for tenants—guess what the opposition did? They voted against it.

Only one party—

Interjections.

Again, I want to thank my honourable colleague for the question. In addition to the record purpose-built rental starts that we had last year, our latest piece of legislation, More Homes Built Faster Act, offers incentives for the construction of more rental units by reducing development fees: 25% on three-or-more-bedroom units, a 20% discount on two-bedroom units and a 15% discount on one-bedroom units.

To further increase rental supply, we also introduced as-of-right policies in our most recent bill to allow for more units to be constructed on existing residential lots. Other legislation allows for basement apartments, garden houses or main residences to have up to three rental units without obtaining additional building permits or paying any additional development fees.

Ontarians deserve to have affordable options when it comes to housing, and as we’ve said before, we’re going to continue fighting for every Ontarian to make sure they do in this province.

I want to thank my colleague for the question. As the Minister of Infrastructure alluded to earlier, we’re looking at every possible scenario to improve housing in the province for the people of Ontario. Through the community renewal strategy, we’ve invested over $4.4 billion over the last three years to make sure that housing is available, and in particular to our most vulnerable.

Through our latest initiative, the bill that passed yesterday, Bill 23, we will have more affordable homes offered to Ontarians. We’re lowering fees for Ontarians so that we can get more housing built.

Unfortunately, over the last few years, we’ve seen both the Liberals and NDP oppose and vote against every single housing bill that we’ve put forward. On this side of the House, we’re for housing, we’re for building homes; on the other side, they oppose housing and they will vote against every single housing bill.

I ask them to change their direction and start supporting housing and support Ontarians in our mission to make sure everyone’s—

Again, I thank my colleague for the question. The short answer is, yes, we are in a housing crisis, so we have to look at existing homes and structures so that we can provide more relief to Ontarians. Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people by 2031, so all options are on the table that will help us add more existing housing supply.

We are already looking at options by introducing as-of-right zoning. Ontarians are now able to create and rent up to three units in their existing home. This will not only add to our provincial housing supply, but will also help pay for the high interest rates Ontarians and others around the world are forced to pay.

We will continue to look for other solutions that will help us add more homes to the market and help us build 1.5 million homes across the province. As we’ve said time and time again, letting Ontarians down, on this side and in the middle there, is not an option.

I want to thank my honourable colleague the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question and the great work that he does on behalf of his constituents.

It’s no secret that a lot is currently at stake with the global economic markets. Inflation is high and food prices have skyrocketed out of control around the world. However, when it comes to housing, we are doing everything we can to deliver on the promise that we made to Ontarians. We have taken important steps forward through legislation like strong mayors, the More Homes Built Faster Act and the Better Municipal Governance Act to get shovels in the ground faster than ever before.

To give an example, we have removed development charges for affordable housing units and provided discounts for rental housing options because we are committed to solving the housing crisis. We believe every single Ontarian deserves to have a home.

I’d like to welcome Sasha and Jamie Larocque and the entire team representing Cystic Fibrosis Canada to the Legislature this morning.

Interjections.

Speaker, I’d also like to welcome a few members from the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. Allison Chase is Canada’s regional director for Ontario and is also a member of the Ramers Wood Co-op, which is located in my riding. We also have manager Simone Swail, director Patricia Tessier, and Tina Stevens here with us this morning.

Colleagues, they’re hosting a reception this evening in rooms 228 and 230, so I encourage all of you to stop by if you can.

I’d like to thank each and every one of them for the incredible work that they do behind the scenes for all Ontarians across the province.

I want to thank my honourable colleague for the question and certainly for the advocacy he does in his community when it comes to housing.

My colleague is right. Nationwide housing starts did fall, and our province wasn’t immune to this. There are global factors at play here that go beyond what our government can control, like high interest rates and the rising cost of building materials. And while we would like to see more from our federal counterparts, we never said the road ahead will be easy for Ontarians, and we never said that there won’t be bumps along the way.

But if we continue to work together and make changes for the things that we can control, like approval delays and unnecessary fees, and by introducing legislation every year for the next four years, I am confident that, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we will get the job done and we will deliver on our promise to build 1.5 million homes for Ontarians in the next decade.

Our municipal partners play a huge role when it comes to the number of housing starts. In fact, not only have we sent 29 of the largest and fastest-growing municipalities housing targets, we also have allocated more than $45 million under the Streamline Development Approval Fund to help Ontario’s 39 largest municipalities modernize their approval processes. And we have also introduced strong-mayor legislation to give local municipalities the tools they need to get more shovels in the ground and do them faster. We are serious about solving the housing crisis in our province and we are willing to work with all levels of government to once again give back the dream of home ownership to all Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, my message to the member’s niece is: We will not give up on you. You will realize the dream of home ownership under this government.

Again, I want to thank my honourable colleague for that follow-up question. Speaker, at a time when Ontarians are facing a rising cost of living, we recognize the need to keep costs down for all Ontarians. It’s a concerning trend to see municipal fees and charges levied on new and affordable housing skyrocket by up to 36%. Without considering the impact fee increases have upon tenants and future homeowners, housing prices will rise and affordability will worsen.

Our proposal, if passed, will reduce the cost of residential development by freezing, reducing and slowing future growth of municipal charges. Speaker, as I’ve said before, our government will not shy away from bold and decisive action, under the leadership of this Premier, to streamline municipal approval processes and reduce costs for Ontarians entering the housing market. Like we’ve said time and time again, the previous government let down the people of this province. We will not.

I want to thank the hard-working member from Mississauga Centre for that very important question.

Speaker, we know that the status quo is simply not working. If we continue on this path without making bold and transformative changes, the next generation will not have the same opportunities for success as previous generations had. The proposed legislation will take several steps to make sure Ontarians get the additional housing supply we so critically need.

By permitting more gentle intensification, an issue that the opposition have many times said transcends party lines, our proposed changes will lay the foundation for more missing-middle housing, giving Ontarians more choice and flexibility. Additionally, we’re reducing building costs to incentivize our private sector and non-profit partners to get more housing built faster.

Together, with all hands on deck, we can ensure that home ownership is attainable for all Ontarians across our great province.

Again, I thank the member for the question.

One third of Ontario’s population in the next 10 years is going to be in Ottawa and in Toronto—so you absolutely are correct.

We are going to do everything we can to make sure that we increase the supply, because there’s a challenge here that some of my colleagues in the chamber don’t seem to understand—that we don’t have the supply to meet the demand. We haven’t—because they failed the people of Ontario. We’re not going to continue on that path.

We told Ontarians; I told Ontarians; every single person in this caucus, when we were campaigning, told the people of this province, “We’re not going to let you down.” We’re going to make sure we build homes. We’ll work with municipal partners, we’ll work with all our community partners to make sure that we not only build homes, but we build all types of homes for all Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, 15 million people are depending on us. The next generation is looking at us to not let them down—and unlike them, we’re not going to do it.

I thank the honourable member for the question.

Speaker, 34 out of 35—that’s where Canada ranks when it comes to getting approvals to build more homes. The opposition might be okay with that. They were okay with it for 15 years. They let the people of this province down—we’re not. We campaigned on building 1.5 million homes so that we don’t let down the people of this province. They have continuously said no to housing. They have supported them.

We have said to every single Ontarian that we will do whatever it takes—we will use every tool and work with our municipal partners and our federal partners to make sure that we do not carry on the tradition of the previous government to let Ontarians down. We will build 1.5 million homes. We will work with every partner to make sure that happens, with or without their support.