This is the same party that opposes building student housing on campuses and in communities across Ontario, so we’ll take no lessons from the party across.

We’ve expanded the OSAP program to be eligible for students who are enrolled in Indigenous institutions and micro-credentials, so that more and more students can have access to OSAP. But because it’s a needs-based program, we’ve actually seen a decrease in the number of students who are accessing the OSAP program.

It’s initiatives like the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant, which is seeing free tuition for students who are enrolling in nursing programs, paramedic programs and lab tech programs across the province. They are receiving free tuition in exchange for working in areas of high needs following graduation.

It’s ensuring that students who are attending colleges have access to three-year degrees at colleges, increasing the number of degrees in colleges, so students can continue to learn closer to home.

We are seeing a decrease in the number of students using those programs.

Thank you to the member for that question. Actually, after question period, I’m heading down to the college fair, and I’ll be meeting with students, faculty and colleges but also with our team from OSAP and hearing directly from those folks who are working on the ground, dealing directly with students.

What’s interesting is, under the former Liberal government, this province had the highest tuition in Canada, but it was our Premier who said, “No more.” In 2018, we decreased tuition by 10%. We want tuition to be affordable for all students across the province, and that’s why we continued to freeze that tuition. And we’ve kept OSAP as a needs-based assessment, so that students in 10, 15, 20 years will have access to the OSAP system. In 2021 alone, we invested $4.2 billion in direct aid to 385,000 full-time students, with 80% of Ontario’s funding provided as grants, opposed to the 54% of federal student support.

Thank you to the member for that question.

In fact, when this government came into power in 2018, tuition in Ontario was the highest in Canada. To help students, we decreased tuition by 10% and froze that tuition since then. What we are doing is there to support students, to make education accessible for all learners in Ontario, so we can access the world-class education that’s happening here, at colleges, universities and private career colleges in this province.

It’s this government that is standing up for students by decreasing tuition and freezing tuition, and, in fact, making OSAP eligibility for micro-credentials, for Indigenous institutes—to allow more and more learners to access the education opportunities in this province.

We will continue to work for—

Interjection.