My question today is for the Minister of Energy.

Do you know what? It has been two months since the federal government increased the carbon tax by a whopping 23%, and everything seems to be getting more expensive. Speaker, while the Liberals like to blame everyone else for the damage they’ve caused, Ontarians know that their costly tax has driven the cost of living to record highs.

The carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, along with her Liberal caucus continue to prop up their federal buddies’ costly measures, despite witnessing the financial hardship Ontarians are facing. I hear this every day when I’m knocking on doors.

On the contrary, our government has been opposing the carbon tax since day one. We want to keep costs down for Ontarians and deliver real affordability.

Speaker, can the minister please explain why the carbon tax must come to an end?

Life is harder under the Liberal government and its flawed policies. The federal government and the Liberal members sitting in this Legislature must come to their senses and give a break to Ontarians who just want a vacation this summer.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the carbon tax continues to hurt every single person living in this province?

My question is for the Minister of Finance. Families and business owners in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore and across the province are concerned about the negative repercussions of the Liberal carbon tax. They tell me this punitive tax is making their lives more expensive, from their heating bills to groceries and fuel costs. This is unacceptable. To make it worse, the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, and her small Liberal caucus are happy to see this tax increase. The opposition NDP and the independent Liberals need to stop playing politics. Listen to your constituents and join this government and call for the elimination of this tax.

Through you, Speaker: Can the minister please tell this House how the government is supporting Ontarians by keeping this cost down?

The carbon tax harms individuals and families across this province. As many Ontario families continue to struggle with high interest rates and the rising cost of living, the last thing they need is more burdens.

Our government, led by Premier Ford, has been clear from day one: We need to keep costs down and put money back in the pockets of Ontarians. But the Liberals in this House have refused to stand up with us against this tax that is driving up prices, and it’s really hurting your own constituents. We know that they had a choice and they had a chance, and they would keep continuing to burden Ontarians with more tax grabs. As we know, the Liberals don’t see a tax they don’t like. That’s why our government will always stand up for Ontarians. We will always stand up and safeguard their hard-earned paycheques.

Mr. Speaker, I’m going to ask the parliamentary assistant if he can tell this House how our government is protecting Ontarians from new taxes on carbon.

My question is to the Minister of Energy.

Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax is making life difficult for the people of Ontario. At a time when many Ontarians are already stretching their household budgets to heat their homes, they should not be forced to choose between feeding themselves or staying warm during those cold winter nights.

But the federal government and the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, continue to ignore the harmful impact of the carbon tax. And with another hike scheduled next week, the Liberal members in this House are still refusing to speak up on behalf of their constituents.

Unlike the Liberal leader, who raised taxes every single year as mayor of Mississauga, our government, under the leadership of the Premier, has been advocating for the people of this province since day one, and we will not stop until the federal Liberals finally scrap this tax.

Can the Minister of Energy tell this House how the federal carbon tax is driving up the cost of everything?

But Speaker, the most concerning thing is that it’s only going to get worse. The federal Liberals and the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, want to keep raising the carbon tax every single year. That means higher costs for groceries, higher costs for gas, higher costs for home heating and other essentials on April 1 every single year.

Only our government, under the leadership of this Premier, has been standing up for Ontarians and calling on the federal government to scrap the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the minister please explain why Ontario families cannot afford the carbon tax increase that Bonnie Crombie Liberals are supporting?