There’s the member from Renfrew right there, folks.

—In northern Ontario, we are reconstructing the provincial highways such as the stretch of the 101 through Timmins.

—We’re widening Highway 17 from Kenora to the Manitoba border.

—We’re widening Highway 11/17 between Thunder Bay and Nipigon and resurfacing the stretch between Coughlin Road and Highway 582.

I need a few more pins, Mr. Speaker.

—We’re continuing to widen Highway 69 from two lanes to four lanes from Parry Sound to Sudbury.

—In Wellington county, we’re constructing a new interchange on Highway 6 as part of advance work for the Morriston Bypass.

—We’re rehabilitating the Bay of Quinte Skyway bridge.

—We’re replacing bridges on Highway 417 in eastern Ontario.

—We’re widening Highway 3 and Highway 4 in southwestern Ontario.

Are we out of pins yet, Mr. Speaker?

Because that’s what getting it done looks like.

Interjections.

While some politicians don’t believe in investing in roads and highways, we will not abandon every person in Ontario who is counting on us to deliver. This is why we are uploading the Gardiner and DVP, to make sure these critical highways will be maintained for people to get to work or get home to be with their families.

We will keep Ontario moving ... and that includes transit.

We might as well get a few more pins ready for our map, Mr. Speaker.

Let’s start in Missisauga and Brampton, where we have a few members. We’re expanding the Hazel McCallion light rail transit line including a two-kilometre extension and loop in Mississauga through to Confederation Parkway, as well as an extension to Brampton. This is the right time to make this investment in these fast-growing communities.

Mr. Speaker, we are proud to bring back two daily trips on the Milton GO line every single weekday, moving forward with our plan to provide two-way, all-day GO service to Milton.

What we need to deliver, Mr. Speaker, is a willing and true funding partner in the federal government.

This is one of the fastest-growing parts of the province and we are going to ensure your transit service grows right along with it.

We are also well under way on no fewer than four priority subway projects in the GTA, including:

—the Ontario Line;

—the Scarborough subway east extension;

—the Yonge North subway extension; and

—the Eglinton Crosstown West extension.

This is the largest transit investment in North America, and we are not slowing down.

We’re investing in GO Transit expansions in:

—Kitchener;

—Oshawa to Bowmanville; and

—Niagara.

Making new investments in GO stations in:

—Bramalea;

—Aurora; and

—Stouffville.

All part of one seamless transit network. One network. One Fare.

More communities served. More comprehensive service.

Mr. Speaker, the GTA deserves better transit—let’s get it done.

Now, Mr. Speaker, we need to move fast because Ontario is growing fast.

Ontario’s population is expected to grow by over five million people over the next 20 years.

These people need homes.

To date, our government has taken action to remove the provincial portion of the HST from new purpose-built rentals.

We’re also supercharging municipal efforts to get housing built through the Building Faster Fund. We announced a $1.2-billion investment to provide funding to municipalities who have reached at least 80% of their annual target for new home construction.

Milton is a great example of how that fund is encouraging housing construction. In Milton, they did not just meet their housing construction target, they exceeded it, with over 1,900 new housing starts—a full 27% above their target. They are doing their part, and we are doing ours, which is why we are proud to invest an additional $8.4 million in Milton through the fund.

And to date, municipalities ranging from Toronto, Hamilton, Brampton, Guelph, Caledon, North Bay, Sarnia, St. Catharines and more have all received Building Faster Fund cheques.

And in my own riding, Pickering has received $5.2 million for surpassing their housing targets.

But we didn’t stop there, Mr. Speaker.

In January, the Premier told the Association of Municipalities of Ontario that we would be expanding the eligibility for the fund to include housing-enabling infrastructure.

And in the 2024 budget we are taking the next steps by investing over $1.8 billion for housing-enabling municipal infrastructure.

It starts with waste and waste water.

Which is why we are increasing our investment in the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund. In fact, we are more than quadrupling it, to $825 million.

And this funding will unlock more housing opportunities by helping municipalities repair, rehabilitate and expand water and waste water infrastructure. This is vital to getting more homes built faster.

We will also be providing municipalities with improved flexibility on financing for housing-enabling water and waste water projects under the Infrastructure Ontario loan program.

Mr. Speaker, we are also investing $1 billion in a new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program that municipalities can access to build housing-enabling infrastructure—this includes water projects, but it also could include transportation projects like roads and bridges—$1.8 billion, Mr. Speaker, in total.

Mr. Speaker, we are asking our municipal partners, “Will your project get more people in new homes faster?” and if they can demonstrate that the answer is “Yes,” we are saying, “Well, we want to help.”

Our government is saying yes to building more housing-enabling infrastructure.

This complements the $1.2 billion that was announced in the Building Faster Fund to enable faster home construction right across the province.

We’re doing our part, and we need the federal government to do the same. To date, housing-enabling infrastructure has been a gap in federal housing programs. We’re prepared to work with the federal government to correct this and get this done.

So, our message to the feds is this:

We’re doing it.

Let’s work together.

Let’s get things built.

People are counting on us.

Let’s get it done!

Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight that our government’s commitment to getting things built is more than just about housing.

That is why, as part of our 2024 budget we are also investing $200 million in a new application-based Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund that will support new and improved sport, recreation and community facilities across Ontario.

Because of our growing population, not only do they need new homes and critical infrastructure, but they need sport and recreation centres, too. They need rinks and gyms and arenas right across this province.

These facilities are often the centre of the entire community where families gather, particularly in rural Ontario.

They are key outlets for improving physical and mental health, including for families with children and seniors. They are centres of the local sports and community scenes. And they help bring the entire community together in civic life.

To continue on our commitment to get things built, we are launching an infrastructure bank, the Building Ontario Fund, with an initial $3 billion that is ready to invest and ready to build. Mr. Speaker, we’re getting it done.

And this brings me to one of the biggest investments we continue to make—in our health care system.

That is why as part of our plan to build, we are investing an additional 4% on average this year in our public hospitals, including investments that will maximize and expand our surgical system in order to keep bringing down those surgery wait times.

Our government knows that connected and convenient health care goes beyond our hospitals, which is why we are investing an additional $2 billion over three years in home and community care.

This commitment extends to the long-term care system. We all know that building long-term care homes reduces pressures on our hospitals.

That is why we are investing $155 million in 2024-25 to increase the construction funding subsidy to support the cost of developing or redeveloping a long-term-care home.

We need this investment in long-term care, and we need to continue using this funding specifically to fast-track construction so that we can get shovels in the ground.

But, Mr. Speaker, as I think every member of this House knows, health care is about more than buildings—it is about the people. And here, there is always more work to do, but we are acting with urgency to get the right people in the right places to make the biggest difference for patients.

Earlier this year, our government announced an investment of $110 million in primary health care. Today, we are increasing this new investment, bringing the total to $546 million over three years starting in 2024-25 to connect 600,000 people to care through new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams.

We expanded the Learn and Stay Grant program to help the shortage of health care workers in underserved communities as well, in the north, in the east and, of course, the southwest.

We’re investing $45 million over three years to enhance the Northern Health Travel Grant Program, to mitigate the financial burden of medical-related travel for people in northern communities, as well as investing $50 million for northern and rural communities to recruit and retain health care workers.

For women and children, we are investing $15 million for mobile maternal care in remote communities, $24 million to increase access to the Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program.

And, Mr. Speaker, I’m very pleased to announce the first new medical school in Canada that is focused on training family doctors, with York University in Vaughan.

Mr. Speaker, we have been there for our front-line workers, and that includes our nurses. This is why we are investing $128 million over three years to support sustained enrolment increases in nursing support at publicly assisted colleges and universities by 2,000 registered nurse seats and 1,000 registered practical nurse seats.

And Mr. Speaker, as we have since day one, our government will continue to invest in more supports for people with mental health and addictions issues—almost $400 million more over three years. This includes $124 million to support continuation of the Addictions Recovery Fund that will maintain 383 addiction treatment beds for adults who need intensive support and help 7,000 people per year.

Moving next to education, Mr. Speaker—our government is continuing to build, including nearly 300 school-related projects including child care, of which more than 100 are currently under construction, and making sure our students have the fundamental skills they need to succeed in work and in life.

Starting in September 2025, we will introduce a new kindergarten curriculum that will include clear and direct instruction in reading, writing and math.

We are also investing $15 million for new digital math tools to help all students succeed.

Our vision for education includes everybody, which is why we are investing $18 million in new special education funding to help those kids who need help the most.

And increasing our investment in the Ontario Autism Program by $120 million—double what was provided last year, to help 20,000 children and youth access critical services.

In the post-secondary system, Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of financial stability for institutions to ensure continued high-quality education experiences for students.

This is why our government, in addition to freezing tuition, is stepping up to the plate with a $903-million investment into the Postsecondary Education Sustainability Fund, along with an additional $10 million for small, northern and rural colleges and northern universities.

We are doing our part. Now we expect colleges and universities to do their part. This is why we introduced legislation that will require colleges and universities to provide students and parents with clear information about all ancillary fees and other student costs, such as textbooks.

Earlier this year, we also announced $16.5 million into the Black Youth Action Plan’s Economic Empowerment Stream, which is supporting better outcomes for over 60,000 Black children, youth and families in Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, our 2024 budget also makes some urgent investments to help law enforcement protect our communities from crime.

Mr. Speaker, parts of Ontario, and in particular the GTA, are in the grips of an unacceptable spike in auto thefts.

Just as the organized crime rings behind auto thefts are becoming increasingly sophisticated, so, too, must we be. The federal government, the RCMP and municipal police services all also have a role to play here, but our message to the government of Canada is that we are at the table and prepared to do our part.

In particular, our police are asking for more tools and we are going to be there for them.

In the 2024 budget, our government is providing $49 million in supports to help police services across Ontario crack down on auto theft.

We are also going to be investing $46 million over three years to launch a new air support program, which will include purchasing four new helicopters to help our police services in the GTA increase patrols and improve response times to major incidents.

These helicopters will help police crack down on auto theft, as well as street racing, carjacking and impaired driving, while assisting in apprehending violent criminals and locating missing persons.

Our budget will also invest $30 million to provide new protective equipment to fire departments in rural Ontario communities. We will always have the backs of those first responders who have ours.

Our government is also not shying away from investing more to protect the most vulnerable among us. We are investing $27 million over three years to enhance services for individuals impacted by sexual assault and domestic violence, and $6.4 million over three years to provide legal support for survivors of sexual assault and for children who are victims or witnesses of crime.

We are able to make all of these investments precisely because we are rebuilding Ontario’s economy in every sector and every region of this great province.

Mr. Speaker, for two decades, the manufacturing sector was negatively impacted by the rising cost of doing business in Ontario, and market share was lost. By 2018, Ontario had lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs from the sector’s peak in 2004. And we all know why that is.

No more.

Ontario has turned the page and is ready for the jobs of the future.

Better jobs with bigger paycheques.

We have supported long-term targeted and strategic investments in Ontario manufacturing including:

—Volkswagen’s $7-billion investment in St. Thomas that will create 3,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs.

—The $5-billion NextStar Energy investment in Windsor that will employ 2,500 more workers to make EV batteries; and

—the Umicore investment in Loyalist township that will create 600 direct new jobs as part of a $2.7-billion investment.

Mr. Speaker, everybody loves a comeback story. Ontario was one of the heavyweight champions of auto manufacturing. Under the previous government, we took a fall and lost the title. But now we are coming back—we are investing to become better than ever.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario is back.

The 2024 budget builds on this track record.

This includes our continued commitment to unlocking the wealth of critical minerals in the north, and working with our First Nations partners in northern Ontario to build that road to the Ring of Fire, which is helping bring prosperity to these northern communities.

And so we are pleased to announce an additional $15 million over three years to support the Critical Minerals Innovation Fund.

We are also allocating $100 million more to the Invest Ontario Fund, bringing the total to $600 million, to help attract new investments and jobs.

The 2024 budget is a continuation of a plan that is working and working well. If you want to put people to work in Ontario, then Ontario wants to work with you.

It also shows that when we have the courage to compete, bet on Ontario, we will be successful.

And let’s talk about those workers, Mr. Speaker. They are the backbone of Ontario’s manufacturing renaissance. When it comes to having a skilled workforce, I would put the Ontario worker up against anybody else in Canada, North America or around the world.

Ontario’s workers are central to Ontario’s plan to build. They have stepped up for Ontario and we are stepping up for them.

With each passing day, it also becomes more and more clear many of the best jobs of the future will be jobs in the skilled trades. Demand for the skilled trades continues to grow.

Since our government launched the Skills Development Fund Training Stream in 2021, we have trained more than 500,000—that’s half a million—workers in the skilled trades and health care through nearly 600 training projects.

In the 2024 budget, we are taking this program that is working and investing an additional $100 million to help job seekers advance their careers.

We are also continuing to encourage more young people to choose well-paying, rewarding careers in the skilled trades. Simply put, it is a career to be proud of.

That is why we are investing $16.5 million annually over the next three years to support programs that break the stigma, attract more young people into skilled trades and encourage employer participation in apprenticeships.

We are also investing almost $22 million to expand the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and almost $42 million to launch 100 training projects.

Mr. Speaker, whether it is workers, patients or small businesses, drivers frozen in gridlock or young families frozen out of the housing market—our government is making our position clear.

We are not stepping back from the investments that matter. Nor are we going to increase the burden on you.

By making these investments now, we can support our growing province.

We have a plan. It’s a plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy. And it’s a plan that is working.

It is a plan designed to weather adversity and continue investing, and keep Ontario pointed towards better and brighter days ahead.

Nous avons un plan. C’est un plan pour rebâtir l’économie de l’Ontario. Un plan qui fonctionne.

C’est un plan conçu pour surmonter l’adversité, pour continuer à investir et veiller à ce que l’Ontario maintienne le cap sur des jours meilleurs.

As I said in the beginning, Mr. Speaker, my father came to Canada with a dream.

And we are making that vision a reality.

We will make Ontario the best place to live, work and raise a family.

A place where you can get a better job, with a bigger paycheque.

A place where you can feel safe and secure in your community.A better Ontario.

And we’ve made our choice.

We’re choosing to say, “Yes.”

We’re choosing to get it done.

We’re choosing to be there for the people.

I invite all of the members of the Legislature to join with us.

And send a message throughout Ontario, across Canada and around the world.

That right here in Ontario—we are ready to build.

Thank you.

We told the people that we were going to invest in more transit.

And does this budget invest more in transit?

And does this budget invest in more houses being built?

And we have done that, Mr. Speaker.

In fact, we’ve taken action after action that together are saving the hard-working people of Ontario thousands of dollars each and every year.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, this government scrapped the tolls on Highways 412 and 418 in Durham region, a move that will save drivers $68 million by 2027.

Now, I’m told that some parties in this House supported those road tolls and voted against removing them.

Well, Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents a Durham constituency myself, I have yet to find a driver in the community who shares the Liberal Party’s enthusiasm for a more expensive commute.

To that end, here’s what the Get It Done Act does.

We are also proposing to enshrine into law the freeze on Ontario driver’s licence and photo card fees.

And we are finishing the job when it comes to scrapping the licence plate sticker fee by automating the licence plate renewal process.

These measures will save the people of Ontario an additional $66 million over the next five years and hours of paperwork.

And, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not point out one more thing the Get It Done Act would do.

We will be enshrining into law ... a new, clear rule ...

That will require all future provincial governments to seek the consent of the people before being allowed to burden people with the high cost of any kind of new provincial carbon tax.

Now, Mr. Speaker, we are in a pivotal moment in which leaders from all levels of government, all parties, all across Canada need to stand up against the federal carbon tax and the suffering it has caused.

And when asked about the carbon tax: Premier Ford has always been very clear.

He opposes it. Full stop.

It’s a simple answer to a simple question.

Everyone in this House should also aspire to answer that question just as clearly.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it’s time to return to the astonishing news about the federal carbon tax.

In a few short days, on April 1 in fact, the federal government is set to increase the carbon tax by 23%. With so many people already hanging on by a thread. It’s astonishing, Mr. Speaker.

The Bank of Canada has said this carbon tax is increasing inflation, and when factoring in both fiscal and economic impacts, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has said most Canadians will pay more in carbon taxes than they will see in rebates.

Mr. Speaker, while we need the federal government to pause or cancel its carbon tax increase, we will continue to do what we can to help the people of Ontario manage the impact.

This is why I am proud to announce that our government is proposing to extend our gas and fuel tax cuts until the end of 2024.

Ontario drivers will continue to save over five cents per litre every time they fill their cars for another six months.

This would save Ontario households an average of $320 over the two and a half years since the cuts were first implemented in July 2022. That’s real money back in people’s pockets.

We are also eliminating the 6.1% on-site wine tax and maintaining the beer tax indexation freeze for an additional two years.

As well as a freeze on college and university tuitions for at least three more years.

We are moving forward with auto insurance reforms that would provide more choice and flexibility to drivers in order to keep their premiums more affordable.

And we are also stepping up supports for some of our most vulnerable by expanding the annual income eligibility threshold for the Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System program for low-income seniors—and ensuring that the benefit is indexed to the rate of inflation. This one move will result in about 100,000 more Ontario seniors receiving support, while at the same time increasing the support that eligible seniors get.

And, of course, we have given transit users the break they dearly needed by working with municipal partners to implement One Fare.

Now, you only need to pay once when connecting from GO Transit, TTC, Brampton Transit, Durham Region Transit, MiWay in Mississauga and York Region Transit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a pop quiz for you and the other members here ...

Do you know how much the average, daily rider will save each year as a result of One Fare?

Interjection: It’s $1,600.

Because this government believes that every commuter deserves a break. Whether you’re driving your car or taking transit, our government is putting more money back into people’s pockets.

Mr. Speaker, making it cheaper to drive or take transit is just one part of the equation. We also need to make it more convenient.

So, we are also ready to build the roads, bridges, highways, transit and other transportation infrastructure that our growing province badly needs.

Today in Ontario, we are building new roads, bridges and highways across the province while investing in the largest expansion of public transit to be found anywhere in North America.

It’s time now, Mr. Speaker, to take you on a tour, so I invite you to break out an Ontario road map and maybe stick some pins in the projects we’re getting built.

—In Windsor, shovels are already in the ground to expand Highway 3, with planning well under way to build a new interchange connecting the 401 to the Lauzon Parkway.

—We are now supporting a new interchange at Banwell Road and the E.C. Row Expressway to support the NextStar Energy EV battery plant.

—In Ottawa, we are designing a new interchange at Highway 416 and Barnsdale Road to support south Ottawa’s growing population and jobs.

—Here in the GTA, we are advancing Highway 413 which will finally provide much relief to the GTA, saving drivers 30 minutes on their commute and supporting 3,500 jobs each year.

Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of Transportation can tell you, we all know how many people across Peel, and particularly in Brampton, need the 413.

Families and businesses and community leaders are calling for this overdue relief, in face of opposition from a handful of politicians and activists who live outside the region.

Mr. Speaker, we won’t let them stop Highway 413 from getting built—we will be there for the people of Brampton and Peel region. Let’s get the 413 built.

Mr. Speaker, we could say the same thing about York region—where we’re going to build the Bradford Bypass to give local drivers some badly needed relief.

And let’s move a little closer to the great city of Pickering where we are planning to expand Highway 7 from two lanes to four lanes from west of Reesor Road in Markham, east to Brock Road to support the Pickering Innovation Corridor.

And we are taking the next step in finally getting the Highway 7 project widened between Kitchener and Guelph by advancing construction on the Frederick Street Bridge.

Keep that road map open because we have a few more pins to stick in that old map.

Here’s a sampling of the work under way:

—We’re also adding high occupancy vehicle lanes to Highway 404 from the 407 to Major Mackenzie.

—In the Niagara region, we’re moving forward with the QEW Garden City Skyway bridge twinning project.

—We’re replacing the Little Current Swing Bridge in Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands.

—And we’re rehabilitating the section of Highway 403 in Oxford and Brant counties.

—We’re fixing the bridges and culverts on Highway 28 in Renfrew.

Interjection.

Speaker, I move, seconded by the Premier, that this House approves in general the budgetary policy of the government.

If I may, Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by dedicating the 2024 budget to the story of a 19-year-old who left his home in war-torn Europe in 1949 and found his way to Canada.

With nothing but the shirt on his back, he dreamt of a new life and an opportunity to go to university, to get a job, to raise a family, and feel safe and free in his new country.

Well, Mr. Speaker, that young man was able to work hard and through being industrious, get into engineering at the University of Toronto, marry a beautiful woman, get a job in Montreal, and raise three wonderful children.

That 19-year-old is about to have his 94th birthday.

And while he never saw his parents again, as the Iron Curtain prohibited him from going back to his homeland, he lived the Ontario dream, he lived the Canadian dream.

Mr. Speaker, that young man who came to Canada is my father. And I dedicate this budget to him, and the hope and dream for all 16 million Ontarians, that they can have the same opportunity as my father had.

An opportunity to build a future right here in the great province of Ontario.

On behalf of Premier Ford and our entire government, I am pleased to introduce the 2024 Ontario budget, our plan to build a better Ontario.

Au nom du premier ministre Ford et de l’ensemble de notre gouvernement, je suis heureux de vous présenter le budget de l’Ontario de 2024—notre plan pour bâtir un Ontario meilleur.

Now, Mr. Speaker, as I am sure you are aware, the budget is a forward-looking document.

It’s a road map.

A blueprint.

It’s our plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy.

This budget provides certainty to markets and, more importantly, confidence to people that the government is prepared for whatever lies ahead—regardless of the challenges that the national or global economy might throw our way.

But before I turn my attention to the road ahead, Mr. Speaker, I would like to quickly take us down the road just travelled.

Much of this will not be news to the people of Ontario. It has been a challenging year.

Life has rarely been this expensive.

The Bank of Canada has for months now repeatedly raised interest rates at a big pace.

The pace and frequency of the Bank of Canada rate hikes has been punishing—perhaps most of all on homeowners whose mortgages have in some cases increased thousands of dollars a month.

Making matters worse, the federal government’s carbon tax is making everything more expensive. From groceries to gas, the hard-working people of Ontario can’t escape paying the high cost of the federal carbon tax.

I almost can’t believe I’m about to say this ... the federal government is set to increase its carbon tax.

It’s astonishing. The people of Ontario ... the people of Canada ... cannot afford it. But more on that later, Mr. Speaker.

Our public finances are also not immune to economic uncertainty.

Even so, Mr. Speaker, and it might be an odd thing for a finance minister to say ... but let me say it plainly ... the pressure of managing a government budget pales in comparison to the pressures many families are facing as they manage their family budget in a time when everything is costing more ... or the challenges of a small business owner managing their budget in order to keep the lights on and keeping local workers employed.

These are the real challenges and real problems of real life and real people ... of making rent ... of paying the bills ... of affording groceries.

And the best way to help people is by getting the big decisions right. Making smart investments. Watching the expense line. And most of all, keeping costs on people low.

That’s why our plan to build a better Ontario helps them.

Global economies have slowed, the cost of everything is higher, and so we have two choices.

Put the brakes on, or keep going.

Mr. Speaker, we choose to keep going—to rebuild Ontario’s economy because it is the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, we choose to keep going—to rebuild Ontario’s economy, and I think about the leaders who have come before.

It was less than a month ago that our country lost one such statesman in the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney.

Mr. Speaker, there is little left that can be said about Prime Minister Mulroney’s legacy that has not already been said more eloquently by others, including of course by his own daughter, Caroline Mulroney, the President of the Treasury Board, whom I am fortunate to work with every single day.

For the rest of us, I will say this, Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister Mulroney was a consequential leader who never backed down from the big challenges of his time. He was a leader who never shied away from using his time in power to try to accomplish big things for his fellow Canadians.

What a great example for the rest of us. To use our finite time in office to have the courage to implement the big ideas. And try to accomplish big things for our fellow Ontarians. And, in this budget, this is exactly what we intend to do.

And this is important, Mr. Speaker, for the global and national challenges facing our public finances are real.

Just as families and businesses are not immune to economic uncertainty, neither is any government.

Despite these challenges, we are delivering on our plan to build by investing to attract better jobs, build roads, highways and public transit, while keeping costs down for families and businesses.

As you know, we consult widely with leading public and private sector economists in establishing our projections for future economic growth and inflation.

These projections now show that while economic growth is expected to significantly slow in the coming year, private sector forecasters are cautiously optimistic that it will not drop into negative territory before rebounding in subsequent years.

Likewise, we project inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, to remain under 3% this year before settling around 2% in the following two years. As inflation returns to the Bank of Canada target, we expect and continue to urge that interest rates should also decline.

In fact, the people of Ontario are counting on it.

The encouraging data is there, Mr. Speaker. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. We can see it. But, that said, we are not out of the tunnel quite yet.

The question is therefore straightforward ... what are we to do today with the hand we’ve been dealt?

And there are options. There are choices.

One choice would be to put the burden on taxpayers. To raise taxes, tolls, tuition or fees.

Well, we are not going to do that, rest assured.

A second choice would be to tighten our belts. To cut investment in housing, roads, or better public services. In short—to retreat—and do less.

We are not doing that either.

A third choice, Mr. Speaker, might be to throw our hands up, retreat, and expect municipalities to fill in the gaps.

We are not doing that.

Instead, here’s our choice: We are going to follow through on a plan that is working—knowing that the higher deficits, compared to what we projected last year, will be time-limited while the return on investment will be felt for decades and for generations to come.

And we will continue on a path to a balanced budget.

We told the people that we were going to invest more in roads and highways.

And does this budget invest more in roads and highways, I ask you?