Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Nobel laureate, master of the contemporary short story and Ontarian, Alice Munro, who was the 13th woman to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award, winner of the Trillium Book Award, winner of the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement, and recipient of many other honours and awards, who sadly passed away on Monday, May 13, 2024, in Port Hope, Ontario.

I will be sharing my time this afternoon with the member from Mississauga Centre.

Monsieur le Président, en tant que présidente du Conseil du Trésor, c’est un privilège de prendre la parole aujourd’hui dans le cadre de la troisième lecture de la Loi de 2024 visant à bâtir un Ontario meilleur (mesures budgétaires).

But before I begin, I’d like to acknowledge two bright young Ontarians, Colby Farrell and Noah Loreto, who are present with us today. Colby and Noah have joined my office as summer interns and I am delighted to welcome them to this third reading.

Speaker, members have already heard how this budget will deliver on our government’s plan to build.

Je tiens aujourd’hui à rappeler les actions concrètes et les mesures prudentes mises en oeuvre par le gouvernement pour bâtir une meilleure province.

First, no budget is delivered overnight. This is why it’s necessary to briefly outline the conditions, the context, that helps shape our plan.

Monsieur le Président, l’Ontario n’est pas à l’abri des soubresauts économiques mondiaux.

The province continues to deal with the very real ramifications of considerable inflation, global instability and high interest rates.

Il ne s’agit pas là de simples problèmes d’ordre macroéconomique. Nous parlons ici de véritables problèmes qui ont une incidence sur la vie quotidienne des Ontariennes et des Ontariens qui travaillent dur, and these are challenges that must be addressed directly by the government in its fiscal planning.

C’est pourquoi je me réjouis que, dans ces circonstances, le gouvernement tienne son engagement de continuer à bâtir pour l’avenir.

Speaker, now is the time to meet these economic challenges head-on: actions such as targeted investments to build more homes to accommodate our growing population; actions like attracting good-paying jobs in growth industries; and actions like making sure that there is more money in Ontarians’ pockets by keeping costs down for families.

Le budget de cette année est soigneusement équilibré.

It calls for significant investments in infrastructure without raising taxes. It includes investments in new highways and roads like the Bradford Bypass, which the great people of my riding of York–Simcoe have been asking for for almost 50 years.

Speaker, our budget goes beyond roads and highways. It also represents the largest public transit expansion in North America, all without increasing taxes. And why are we doing that? Because in these challenging times, it would be unfair to impose additional burden on the people of this province.

Le gouvernement a le devoir de présenter aux familles un plan responsable, transparent et rationnel pour l’avenir. C’est ce que fait le budget de 2024.

It adopts a long-term perspective on our future.

Il tient compte du fait que la population ontarienne devrait enregistrer une nette croissance au cours de la prochaine génération.

Of course, this is a great compliment to the place that we all call home. I believe, Speaker, that it can also be seen as a vote of confidence about where this province is headed. But the expected increase in population is not without its own challenges. It means that the status quo just won’t cut it.

L’Ontario a besoin de plus de logements, de meilleurs moyens de transport en commun, d’infrastructures municipales améliorées, ainsi que de services efficaces dans les domaines de l’éducation et de la santé.

Ontario needs to provide for all of its people, today and tomorrow. There’s a great deal to cover in this budget, so I will not be exhaustive, but I would like to point out a few highlights.

Tout d’abord, le gouvernement investira plus de 190 milliards de dollars au cours des 10 prochaines années pour construire des infrastructures essentielles, comme celles servant pour le transport en commun, l’élargissement des routes ainsi que l’amélioration de la couverture des services Internet haute vitesse.

There is $1 billion of investment in the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program. This funding will help municipalities get shovels in the ground on critical infrastructure that is so needed to increase housing stock across the province. Cities and towns have been asking for this funding to unlock more housing. Our government listened. As well, the budget calls for an investment of $825 million in municipal water infrastructure projects.

Le budget comprend également les premiers investissements dans le Fonds pour l’accélération de la construction. Ce nouveau programme triennal de 1,2 milliard de dollars comprend un nouveau soutien financier majeur accordé en fonction des résultats qui sont obtenus par rapport aux objectifs provinciaux établis en matière de logement.

Speaker, this new fund will ensure that more municipalities have the tools they need to build homes faster, to help alleviate the affordability crisis in housing across our province.

Monsieur le Président, l’accent mis sur les transports est un autre pilier essentiel de ce budget.

Gridlock costs this province every single day of the year. People need to spend more time at their destinations and less time in their cars. That’s why the government is making significant investments in projects like the Bradford Bypass and the new Highway 413. As well, the government is expanding existing highways, like Highway 7 and Highway 401.

But it’s not just about car traffic. The budget also calls for significant improvements in GO train and GO bus services to create cohesive and comprehensive transit across the province, and includes the long-overdue restoration of passenger rail service to northern Ontario.

La concrétisation de cet investissement représente la plus importante expansion du transport en commun en Amérique du Nord.

Speaker, I mentioned how the budget will also keep costs down and keep more money in the pockets of Ontarians. I’d like to highlight a few initiatives that will do just that.

À travers tout cela, le gouvernement maintient son engagement d’accompagner les collectivités les plus vulnérables de l’Ontario.

This includes our low-income seniors, those of us living with addiction and mental health challenges and the many who are dealing with inconsistent housing.

The budget also highlights changes in the Ontario Electricity Support Program that will make electricity more affordable for thousands of low-income families. As well, the government has already proposed the extension of the existing gasoline and fuel tax rate cuts until December 21 of this year. That’s 10 cents off at the pumps, Mr. Speaker. This will put more money in the pockets of drivers at a time when they need it most.

With this aim in mind, the government is proposing to freeze fees on drivers’ licences and ban any new tolls on new and existing provincial highways.

Monsieur le Président, les économies réalisées grâce à ces initiatives sont à 66 millions de dollars au cours des cinq prochaines années. Nous faisons ainsi économiser de l’argent aux familles.

In closing, I’d like to emphasize that this budget is a great example of the balanced, responsible and careful approach that our government is taking as we look towards the future.

Le gouvernement procède à des investissements judicieux dans le logement et l’infrastructure, pour soutenir une province qui est en pleine croissance. De plus en plus de gens élisent domicile ici en Ontario.

At the same time, the government is protecting the most vulnerable amongst us and keeping costs down despite economic pressures.

Le gouvernement a mis de l’avant un plan robuste—a plan that supports the contention that Ontario is the best place to raise a family, the best place to work and the best place to live.

Thank you for the time today, Speaker.

I respectfully ask that all members support the Building a Better Ontario Act, 2024.

I’m so happy to welcome, for the first time, my constituency staff, Paul de Roos, Marisa Patricelli and Melody Watson, as well as East Gwillimbury town councillor Susan Lahey. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Speaker, I have a message from the Honourable Edith Dumont, the Lieutenant Governor, signed by her own hand.

Of course, the members opposite are upset that the people of Ontario are doing better under this government than they were under the previous Liberal government. Under our government, the province has a great story to tell, whether it’s the billions of dollars of investments that we’re attracting for manufacturing and electric vehicles alone; the historic investments we’re making in infrastructure; the Bradford Bypass, Highway 413, the Ontario Line; the millions of dollars we’re spending on schools and hospitals; we’re building child care places; and nearly 700,000 good-paying jobs have been created since we took government.

The people of Ontario should be proud of this province, as I am, and I hope the members opposite can find a way to stand up for the people of Ontario instead of standing in the way of the hard work that we’re doing to build a stronger and more prosperous Ontario.

They’re saying that they don’t believe we should provide important health information like vaccination campaigns and public health measures, just like we did during the pandemic. They’re saying that they don’t believe the people of Ontario should be told what the government is doing to build new homes so that young families can finally achieve the dream of home ownership. They’re saying that they don’t believe that the government of Ontario should inform Ontarians about how we’re spending their hard-earned taxpayer dollars to build a stronger economy and create new jobs. And they’re saying that they don’t believe that we should promote Ontario around the world as a great place to come and invest and create jobs to build a better economy and a more prosperous future for Ontarians. Mr. Speaker—

Thank you to the member for Burlington for the question. Simply put, there is nothing more important than the safety and the well-being of our families and our loved ones. Our government, through Emergency Management Ontario, supports emergency preparedness and mitigation, and we coordinate response and recovery with our partners, keeping the more than 15 million people in Ontario safe. This is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year job, and I am so proud and grateful to all the dedicated emergency responders and personnel who do it.

I’m pleased that our government has earmarked a $110-million investment to strengthen emergency management and to make Ontario even more safe and more prepared. And I’ll have more to say about those investments in the supplementary.

One of the ways our government is ensuring that Ontario is safe, practised and prepared is the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant. This new grant will help communities purchase critical emergency equipment and supplies, such as sandbagging machines or generators, or could be invested in emergency management training. This grant is a prudent and responsible investment that gives communities the tangible resources that they need to keep people safe when the next flood, wildfire or severe storm impacts our province.

I look forward to continuing to work with local levels of government, First Nations communities and organizations to prepare for emergencies now and in the future.

Point of order, Speaker.

I’m incredibly grateful for the tremendous contributions of Ontario’s public sector workers, and I appreciate the opportunity given to me by the Leader of the Opposition to highlight some of the significant investments our government has made and is continuing to make in high-quality services that Ontarians deserve.

When it comes to health care, we’re making record investments in a system that was neglected by the previous government, propped up by the NDP. Our investments have built 3,500 hospital beds across the province. We’ve launched the largest medical school expansion in this province’s history. We’ve registered 63,000 new nurses and we reduced the surgical backlog to pre-pandemic levels. We’re continuing to get shovels in the ground on 15 new hospital developments across the province.

These are critical projects that the NDP and the Liberals have voted against consistently. We will continue to deliver for Ontarians.

Speaker, I’m disappointed, of course, to see that the two parties have not been able to resolve the negotiations to date.

Our goal is, and has always been, to negotiate collective agreements that are fair and equitable to Ontario’s dedicated public servants but at the same time support the long-term fiscal sustainability for the people of Ontario.

There’s no question that labour negotiations require some give-and-take and it’s a lot of hard work, but the goal for both sides remains the same: a fair and equitable agreement.

So we encourage the two parties to continue working to find a resolution that supports the goal of protecting the sustainability and high quality of Ontario’s public services while respecting the taxpayers who pay for them.

Thank you so much to the member from Thornhill for that question.

Ontario’s economy remains resilient, but the province does face potential economic uncertainty ahead. That’s why it is so important that we make prudent and targeted investments to support the people of Ontario.

As the Minister of Finance and I highlighted in the public accounts yesterday, our approach is working. We’re building hospitals, schools, highways and transit. We’re investing in better services across the board, and we are keeping costs down for the people of Ontario. And we are doing this in a prudent and a responsible way that respects taxpayer dollars. In fact, we received a sixth straight clean audit in a row from the Auditor General, which is a refreshing change from the fiscal mismanagement of the previous Liberal government.

What our government will continue to do is make targeted investments that support families, businesses and workers today while laying a strong fiscal foundation for future generations.

Thank you to the member for the question. When our government took office, we committed to the people of this province that we would rebuild Ontario. Unlike the previous Liberal government, who left southwestern Ontario behind, our government is investing in this region. Why, Speaker? It’s because we know that when southwestern Ontario is strong, the entire province is strong.

I was proud to have recently joined the Premier and my colleagues to announce our government is moving forward with the widening of Highway 3. We have awarded the contract to design, build and finance the widening of Highway 3 between Essex and Leamington. This investment will improve road safety and will keep people and goods moving.

Speaker, our government is making historic investments in roads and in highways to tackle gridlock, connect communities and build our economy.

Speaker, not only are we moving forward with the widening of Highway 3; our government will also support the city of Windsor to build a new interchange connecting Highway 401 to the Lauzon Parkway. This critical investment will not only support economic development, but it will also help increase trade opportunities across Ontario’s borders.

Mr. Speaker, we’re moving forward with the largest transit expansion plan anywhere in North America, and while we’re building subways and LRTs, we’re also building a strong regional network that is going to bring two-way, all-day service across our entire network, and that is despite the opposition voting against it.

Kitchener-Waterloo is a growing area. That’s why Metrolinx is constantly monitoring service and ridership levels, and that is why, just recently, we announced an increased bus service. While the demand was greater than we even thought, the next day, we added double-decker buses to meet the demand in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Mr. Speaker, we are there to meet the demands of Ontarians. The greater Golden Horseshoe is growing, and we will make sure that our transportation network keeps up and meets that demand.

And with respect to two-way, all-day GO and more frequent service on weekends, we are building towards that. We are working closely with our rail partner CN to make sure that we can deliver the service that we have told Ontarians we will deliver.

Mr. Speaker, we put forward a great plan to get Ontarians home and get Ontarians to work in an easier, more frequent way. But when we do so, the NDP vote against it. The member opposite stands in this House and says she speaks for her constituents. Well, do her constituents know that when we put forward a plan that will actually deliver on the promise of two-way, all-day GO, she votes against it?

I thank the member for his question. It’s an important question, because the Finch West LRT will give people in the northwest part of the city of Toronto what they’ve been waiting for for a long time, which is a transit system that will offer more choices to travel on their own schedule.

Mr. Speaker, the Finch West LRT will connect the new Finch West subway station, on the Toronto-York Spadina subway extension, to Humber College. We’re talking about 11 kilometres of new, dedicated LRT, with 16 new surface stops, a below-grade stop at Humber College north campus and an underground interchange station at the TTC’s Finch West subway station. This also includes a brand new maintenance and storage facility for light rail transit vehicles.

This system will transform the community. Shovels went in the ground in 2018. The constructors are working diligently to deliver the system, and we look forward to having—

I thank the member opposite for his important question. Northern, remote and regional airports provide a vital transportation link in northern Ontario, and our government has been focused since day one to support transportation in the north.

We’re committed to making sure that airline carriers and passengers have safe and reliable operations available to them, and that’s why our government provides millions of dollars every year to support remote airport operations. This includes funding to facilitate improvements of runways, the replacement of garages, as well as terminal buildings. And we’re continuing to work with the federal government to provide additional funding, over $5 million to phase 3 of the Remote Air Carrier Support Program, which was announced in April of last year.

Mr. Speaker, this issue is national in scope. We work closely with the federal government to take steps to address the challenges that remote airports face, and I thank the member opposite for the question because it’s an important one. Our government’s going to continue to work with local members as well as with the federal government to address the challenges.

I want to thank the member for emphasizing the real importance of getting Highway 413 built and what it means for local communities, but really for all of Ontario. Our government is critically aware of the importance of Highway 413, because we know it will grow our economy and it will support a growing Brampton and a growing Peel region.

Our roads and our highways are critical for keeping goods flowing across the province. An efficient transportation network is key to supporting our economic growth and also to unlocking our economic potential.

Mr. Speaker, we know the consequences of not building Highway 413, and we are determined to make sure that we reverse course on this. We are going to move forward to address congestion, to ensure the efficient transportation and movement of goods. Our government is committed to building critical infrastructure, because it is a solution to accelerate Ontario’s economic growth and our prosperity. Highway 413 is not only a fundamental piece of infrastructure; it is a key part of Ontario’s success and our future.

I thank the member from Brampton North for the question. He is absolutely right; the people of Ontario and Peel region spoke loud and clear when they re-elected our government with a historic larger majority. They want to see Highway 413 built, and our government is delivering on that commitment. The opposition members who continue to oppose this critical project are obviously individuals who do not live in Brampton or, quite frankly, they just don’t care about Brampton.

Speaker, it seems that every time our government supports projects that make life easier for the people of Ontario, the members opposite find some reason to say no.

Our government highlighted infrastructure projects like Highway 413 in our budget because we know that these are vital to our government’s overall plan for job creation and economic growth.

The people of Ontario can be assured that our government is committed to building important infrastructure, and this includes Highway 413.

I thank the Leader of the Opposition for her question. We have been very clear, Mr. Speaker. Our government is focused on building out the most efficient and effective transportation network that Ontarians need and deserve. We’ve focused on building highways and roads and bridges and public transit to address the infrastructure deficit that was left behind by the previous Liberal government. We inherited a contract from the previous Liberal government that was signed back in 2011, and we are working within the confines of that contract to deliver on the Eglinton Crosstown.

The line is 98% complete. Testing is ongoing and the Crosslinx consortium is now completing all remaining work. This includes addressing all and any rectifications that are needed so that the line is reliable and safe for transit riders and transit operators to use when it opens for service.

Our government has been clear from the beginning. We want to make sure that the line is safe for all. We will not rush it. We will not interfere. When politicians interfere with transit projects, then the problems of the Ottawa LRT ensue. We have been very clear; we will get this done. We take responsibility—

GO rail expansion is a key priority for our government and we are committed to delivering on it. GO rail expansion, GO bus service, all of our GO Transit services are a core element of our transportation network. But when we put forward plans to provide these critical, essential services for Ontarians, the Leader of the Opposition votes against it.

Metrolinx is working closely with mayors of municipalities, with stakeholders, to understand what their needs are. We provide service updates on a regular basis to make sure that we can meet transit riders where their needs are. We will continue to listen to municipalities and to local transportation stakeholders, so that we can continue to deliver the service that they need.

Interjections.

As I’ve said before, I want to assure Ontarians that the Eglinton Crosstown construction continues to make progress. Currently, the project is 98% complete. But, as I have said before, Mr. Speaker, politicians should not interfere in the timing and the opening of transit projects. When that happens, we see that transit riders are left stranded. The Ottawa LRT is a prime example of that, Mr. Speaker.

But you know, Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition stands in this House and asks about why we can’t get the Eglinton Crosstown built when her own party, when it had the chance to vote in support of it 10 years ago, declined to do so.

The NDP continues to vote against transit. They vote against subway expansion, they vote against new LRTs for the city of Hamilton and they vote against building transit faster.

Our government will continue to deliver for the people of Ontario despite the NDP and their opposition to everything we do.

Interjections.

She thinks that the Ontario Line, which will take 28,000 cars off the road every single day, is bad for Ontario. She says that the largest transit expansion anywhere in North America, which will deliver a new three-stop subway extension for the people of Scarborough, an Eglinton Crosstown West extension and a Yonge North subway extension as well as a new LRT for the city of Hamilton—according to the Leader of the Opposition, that’s bad for Ontario, and she will do everything she can to stop it. She votes against it every single time.

Mr. Speaker, a transit plan that united, for the first time in Canadian history, four levels of government—

Mr. Speaker, I say to the Leader of the Opposition, if she wants transit, then she should vote in favour of it. What the Leader of the Opposition needs to do is pick a lane.

I thank the member for the question. After over a decade of Liberal inaction, it is our Progressive Conservative government that is investing in the Niagara region to unlock its full potential.

Earlier this month, I joined Premier Ford and my colleagues to announce more GO train service between Union Station and Niagara Falls. The expansion of GO train service will connect more people to jobs, housing and to Canada’s top tourist destination. Families across the GTA now have more options to get to the Niagara region, as GO train service has increased by two daily round trips and an additional round trip on weekends. That’s a total of 21 round trips per week. So whether you’re heading to a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake or seeing the falls up close, families have more access to GO Transit to explore the beautiful Niagara region.

Our government is also funding four additional weekday express trains during the busiest hours. Trains will travel in both directions on Lakeshore West and offer more express service between Hamilton, Burlington and Toronto.

Speaker, this investment will not only shorten travel times for everyday commuters, but it also supports tourism and economic growth. And with the $15 weekend travel pass, families can enjoy unlimited travel anywhere on the GO train network. Our government is making it easier to get where you need to go and we will—

I cannot believe that the Leader of the Opposition just stood there, with pride, saying that she will vote again and again after transit expansion is presented to this House. Toronto city council endorsed our plan by a vote of 22 to three. They knew that our plan was the right one for the city of Toronto. York regional council voted for our plan overwhelmingly because they knew it was the right one for York region. But the Leader of the Opposition? She knows better. She will make sure that she and her caucus consistently vote against the plans we bring forward.

In terms of progress, we are more than halfway through to tunnelling on the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and halfway through tunnelling on Scarborough. We’ve got shovels in the ground on the Ontario Line and we’ve announced the RFQ for the Yonge North subway extension. Our government, under the leadership of our Premier, has made more progress on transit building and transit expansion in this province than ever before.

I’ve made it very clear that our government is focused on making sure that the Eglinton Crosstown LRT opens, so that it is ready for commuters as soon as possible. But our number one priority is that when it opens, it is safe for commuters and it is safe for transit operators. Mr. Speaker, that is the number one lesson that we learned from the public inquiry into the Ottawa LRT.

I have made my expectations clear to Metrolinx. I expect them to get a credible schedule from CTS as soon as possible. But Mr. Speaker, safety is our number one priority, and we will not waver from that. It is essential that the service is safe for everyone to use. We are focused on getting it done, and we will.

Mr. Speaker, our plan was endorsed by city council, by York region and by the federal government, who recognizes our plan as so nationally significant that they agreed to fund 40% of the cost of our GTA and Hamilton transit plan.

The members opposite stand up in this House and claim to be defenders of transit, but when it actually comes to voting in favour of it—whether it’s for operational support during the pandemic, which they couldn’t bring themselves to support, or if it’s new lines that are—