Redesignating land to enrich your friends isn’t a plan to build homes; it’s a scheme.

A plan to build homes would be helping municipalities get through permits faster. A plan to build homes would be addressing the affordability issues that residents of Ontario are facing each and every day. If residents are spending money, paying to access a front-line health clinic—which is happening in Ottawa today—then they don’t have that money to pay rent or to pay the mortgage or to buy groceries. That is at the root of the affordability crisis we’re facing.

The government has had five years. House prices are up. Everything is up. No plan—just schemes.

My supplementary is also for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, the mayor is so convinced of the government’s process that he voted unanimously with city council to ask the minister to review that process from last year. Following the purchase of these ag lands but before their designation by the minister, it appears that the directors of the corporation collectively donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Conservative Party. Since that re-designation, the former minister unilaterally added these lands without the city having undertaken any scientific or consultative review of the quality of the lands for farming or their suitability for urbanization. The company who purchased the lands is referenced in the Integrity Commissioner’s report about Minister Clark’s behaviour as having lands on the infamous USB key.

Lands on the USB key, donations to the Conservative Party, connections to Conservative insiders: It’s sounding awful familiar, Mr. Speaker. Maybe there’s a Mr. X in Ottawa as well.

To the Premier: Was the delay in approving Ottawa’s official plan designed—

My question is for the Premier. Last year, the former Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing overrode Ottawa’s urban boundary expansion and added an additional 654 hectares for development after city council had already evaluated and added other lands. The former minister added lands that were so unsuitable for development because of their agricultural designation that they weren’t even evaluated by experts. This includes a 37-hectare parcel on Watters Road in Orléans that was designated an agricultural resource and is an active farm.

After the city confirmed this designation, the farm was purchased by a group that has donated significantly to the Conservative Party and stood to make millions from the development. After holding up the city’s official plan for two years and after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in donations from the landowners, the former minister added these lands to Ottawa’s urban boundary.

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier share with us the process used to evaluate the suitability of these lands for inclusion in the boundary, who was involved in that determination, and what influence, if any, did political contributions and personal relationships have on the decision?

On behalf of my friend and colleague from Kingston and the Islands, I’d like to welcome visitors from his riding: Gemma, Milo and Cole Zelmanovits, and Scott Grant, who are here to support their nephew and page Luke DeBoni.

My question is for the Premier. The government has chosen and the Premier has chosen to flip-flop on their promise to allow over 7,000 hectares of the greenbelt to be developed, much of it high-quality farmland.

Now, Ontario is blessed with some of the best and most productive farmland in the world. In 2018, when this government was elected, the average weighted price of corn in Ontario was just about $197. This year, Mr. Speaker, it’s over $331; it’s a 67% increase. Soy has gone from $472 to $745—57%; barley from $244 to $390, a 63% increase. When you pave under farms, crop prices go up. That means higher prices at the grocery store—

Interjections.

Now, Mr. Speaker, Fordflation—

Interjections.

The minister, after delaying for more than a year, has decided to add 50% more land to the boundary. He’s adding—

Interjections.

After delaying for a year, after driving up housing prices in Ottawa for a year, why does this minister feel that the residents of Findlay Creek and Greely and Stittsville should have to endure higher property taxes while sitting in gridlock because of the lack of infrastructure?

Interjections.

As we come to the end of the Canadian football season, I want to congratulate and recognize the dominance of Orléans football clubs at all ages and levels this year.

First, I’d like to congratulate the Tigers from St. Matthew Catholic High School. From what looked like would be a missed season due to a lack of equipment, the Tigers rallied and won the tier 1 Ottawa varsity football championship. Ranked inside the top 20 in the province, the Tigers are looking to roar their way into an OFSAA title next Wednesday in Guelph.

In community football, I’d like to recognize the utter dominance of the Cumberland Panthers Football Club. The Panthers led the way in creating a vibrant division for U18 women and girls to experience tackle football this year, and they won the inaugural provincial title, defeating York.

On the boys’ side, the Panthers took home city titles in three of four age groups. The U12 Mosquitos went undefeated, also winning the fall provincial title, defeating the Vaughan Rebels. And to top it all off, Mr. Speaker, former Cumberland Panther Kurleigh Gittens Jr. put the cherry on top of a breakout season in the CFL, winning the Grey Cup last weekend with the Toronto Argonauts.

I’d like to thank all of the coaches, trainers, team managers, photographers, referees, moms and dads and everyone else who volunteers to make Orléans football the hotbed that it has become. Congratulations to all the boys and girls on their hard work and success. I look forward to seeing you on the gridiron again next spring.

It’s an honour to stand here in the Legislature on behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus and pay tribute to former MPP Carman McClelland from Brampton North.

As has been stated, Mr. McClelland was born in Angola, Africa, in 1951, and after his family immigrated to Canada, he attended York University for his undergraduate degree. He later attended law school at the University of Windsor, and upon his graduation, he began to practise with the firm of Fogler, Rubinoff here in Toronto. He was also a board member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities.

Carman fell in love with Brampton, and it is where he chose to settle down and raise his family.

In those days, it wasn’t easy being a Liberal in Brampton. The Big Blue Machine was dominating provincial politics and, of course, Brampton was home of chairman Bill Davis. But the riding went red in 1985 and, in 1987, it would be split in two, and this is when Carman took his shot in the newly formed riding of Brampton North. Carman coasted to victory in Brampton North in 1987. He led through the advance polls and finished above the Tory candidate by nearly 7,000 votes. Being re-elected in 1990 in a squeaker, he bested the NDP candidate by only 98 votes. That’s a big swing, 7,000—I’m not sure my heart would take that kind of close election, Mr. Speaker.

His tenure in the Legislature was ended in 1995 with the Common Sense Revolution, and this is when he chose to return to his life as a lawyer. He also served as vice-president of the Peel Law Association executive committee and, later, he was president of the Brampton Board of Trade.

But politics was in his blood. Carman attempted a provincial comeback in 2007 and ran again municipally in 2018—and while unsuccessful, it was clear that his dedication to public service was at the core of his being.

He was an active member of the community, involved in local sports leagues, and he also served on the boards of many local clubs in Brampton. As has been mentioned, he was a member of the local advisory board for the Canada Community Development Project. He was vice-chairman of the local advisory board for the summer Canada Student Employment Program in 1981, and he was a dedicated member of the Bramalea Rotary Club.

Mr. Speaker, it’s without a doubt that Mr. McClelland cared deeply about his community—not just by advocating for them inside this Legislature, but through his extensive involvement in the community on local boards and with the board of trade.

On behalf of the Ontario Liberal caucus, I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to his family—Karen, Emma, Doug; siblings, Brad and Sandy—for sharing Carman with us, sharing him with the people of Brampton.

May he rest in peace.

Applause.