Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to rise and speak on our government’s Plan to Build Act. As members know, this is the legislation that supports our 2022 budget, Ontario’s Plan to Build. We are excited to hit the ground running and get to work on delivering this budget that will help workers, seniors and families in Ontario.

We’ve made a commitment to this province, a commitment that we will get it done. That is why, through you, Mr. Speaker, I’m urging members to support this important piece of legislation. It’s legislation that supports our plan to rebuild Ontario’s economy; to keep costs down for Ontario families and put more money back in their pockets; to work for Ontario’s workers; to build highways, transit and key infrastructure across our province—and our plan to keep Ontario open today and in the future by investing in hospitals, home care and our health care workforce.

I’m going to use my time today to focus specifically on our government’s plan to keep costs down for Ontario families and businesses. We’re facing a period of global economic uncertainty, with inflation reaching levels we’ve not seen in four decades. While this phenomenon is being driven by global economic forces, from geopolitical instability to the effects of the worldwide pandemic, it’s nonetheless critical for our government to play its role in keeping costs down for Ontario families and workers.

As such, a key pillar of our 2022 budget focuses on actions our government is proposing to take to make life more affordable and put money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario. I’ll be speaking about some of these measures to keep costs down that are detailed in our government’s Plan to Build Act.

Specifically, and as the minister has mentioned, our proposed enhancement to the low-income individuals and families tax credit is so important.

In addition to our proposed new Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit, I’ll also talk about our plan to reduce the cost of auto insurance, which is another item featured in our plan to act.

From transportation to groceries to other essentials, rising costs are impacting household budgets. When costs go up, it has a direct impact on families, seniors and the economy. A higher-cost province is a less competitive province, as workers decide to take their skills elsewhere. That’s why the government has a plan to keep costs down for Ontario families and businesses so they can reinvest in themselves and in the economy.

The Plan to Build Act proposes amendments that would provide relief to families and workers, especially minimum wage workers and low-income families who are feeling the effects of these rising costs.

Beginning in the 2022 tax year, our government is proposing to enhance the LIFT credit, as the minister noted. What I like so much about the changes that are being made is that the proposed enhancement to the LIFT credit would mean about 700,000 more people would benefit from this tax credit in the 2022 tax year. Combined with other tax relief, the introduction of the LIFT credit means that about 90% of all Ontario tax filers with taxable incomes below $30,000 will pay no Ontario personal income tax.

Mr. Speaker, our Plan to Build Act proposes amendments to enhance this credit so that it can provide even greater benefits to Ontario, and as noted, it means that, with this proposed enhancement, 1.1 million lower-income workers would see an additional $300, on average, in tax relief in 2022—that’s very important—and more workers would benefit from the LIFT credit, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 1.7 million people. That’s real relief to make life more affordable for people in Ontario.

This proposed tax credit enhancement builds on the robust suite of tax credits and benefits that are available to support people and businesses in Ontario. I’ll spend a moment highlighting some of the other benefits that are available.

Mr. Speaker, most seniors prefer to age in their own homes surrounded by their loved ones. These seniors may require a range of supports to meet their unique needs and circumstances. Our government believes that these seniors should have support to make their homes safer and more accessible. That’s why we’ve introduced the Ontario Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit, which is a temporary, refundable personal income tax credit available for 2021 and 2022. It’s worth 25% of up to $10,000 in eligible expenses per year for a senior’s principal residence in Ontario, with recipients getting back up to $2,500 per year.

This credit is already helping seniors cover the costs of renovations they make to their homes to make their homes safer and more accessible, such as installing grab bars, widening doorways and installing non-slip flooring. Now, through the Plan to Build Act, our government is proposing to build on this support with a new Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit. This new, refundable personal income tax credit would help seniors with eligible medical expenses, including expenses that support aging at home. People eligible for this credit would get back up to 25% of their claimable medical expenses of up to $6,000, for a maximum credit of $1,500. These are dollars back in the pockets of eligible seniors to support a wide range of medical expenses such as: certified attendant care; care from a provincially authorized medical practitioner—for example, a nurse or occupational therapist—dental, vision and hearing care—for example, glasses, dentures and hearing aids—walking aids such as walkers and canes; wheelchairs and electric scooters; bathroom aids, such as grab bars and rails; and more.

As you can see, Mr. Speaker, this tax credit would provide real relief for seniors and their families. The proposed credit could be claimed in addition to non-refundable federal and Ontario medical expenses for the same eligible expenses, and it would be refundable, supporting low- to moderate-income senior families even if they do not owe personal income tax. In 2022, it is expected that the new credit would provide an estimated $110 million in support of about 200,000 low- to moderate-income senior families. That will help seniors be supported and stay in their homes.

In addition, through the Ontario Child Care Tax Credit, families can claim up to 75% of eligible tax child care expenditures, including care provided in child care centres, homes and camps. Further, when people filed their 2021 tax returns this year, they benefited from a temporary 20% top-up to this tax credit.

Our jobs training tax credit is helping workers receive training that they may need for a career shift or to sharpen their skills. It provides up to $2,000 in relief for 50% of a person’s eligible expenses for the year. Our government extended this temporary tax credit to the 2022 tax year to help more workers continue to upgrade their skills and transition back to the labour force.

Additionally, our Ontario Staycation Tax Credit is helping families who want to discover our beautiful province this year, while helping tourism and hospitality sectors recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this credit, Ontario residents can claim 20% of their eligible 2022 accommodation expenses; for example, for a stay in a hotel, a cottage, or a campground, or coming to Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. They can make this claim when they file their personal income tax and benefit return for 2022. People can claim eligible expenses of up to $1,000 as an individual or $2,000 if they have a spouse, common-law partner or eligible children, to receive up to $200 as an individual or $400 tax relief as a family.

Tax credits are just one of the many ways our government is helping put money back in the pockets of Ontario families to keep costs down and make life more affordable.

Our plan is not only bringing relief to families. Our suite of tax credits also includes measures to help build prosperity for everyone, in every corner of the province. To support this goal, through the Plan to Build Act, we are proposing to extend the enhancement to the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit, as was noted. This tax credit was introduced in March 2020 to help lower costs for businesses seeking to expand and grow in areas of the province where employment growth had been slower than the provincial average. It supports corporations to build, renovate or purchase eligible commercial or industrial buildings to bring jobs and growth to these communities.

In the 2021 budget, we temporarily doubled the tax credit from 10% to 20% until the end of 2022 to provide additional support to businesses in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. This enhancement increased the available tax credit support for regional investment from a maximum of $45,000 to $90,000 per year.

Through the legislation we are discussing today, our government is proposing to extend the temporary enhancement to the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit until the end of 2023. This would give businesses more time to make use of the enhanced support, more time to invest in Ontario’s communities and more time to encourage a robust economic recovery. By extending the time-limited enhancement through the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit until the end of 2023, Ontario would be investing an additional $40 million, resulting in total estimated tax credit support of over $280 million from 2020 to 2025.

As part of our plan to keep costs down for Ontario families, we’re putting a specific focus on transportation costs, as the minister had noted. One way of doing this is, we want to reduce the cost of auto insurance, an initiative that is supported by the Plan to Build Act. While the government has made substantial progress on Putting Drivers First, a blueprint for Ontario’s auto insurance system, we know there’s still more work to be done. Our plan includes creating more choice, because the current mandatory insurance product may not offer the choices Ontario drivers deserve. We intend to propose changes over time that would give consumers more options when purchasing car insurance.

We’re also cracking down on fraud. Our government remains committed to building strong anti-fraud measures into the auto insurance system. That is why, through the legislation we are discussing today, we are proposing amendments to the Insurance Act that, if passed, would require insurers to provide prescribed fraud information on an ongoing basis to the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario. This would hold insurers accountable for managing, tracking and reporting fraud. FSRA will be consulting on the implementation of a fraud reporting service tool that will better prevent, detect and, ultimately, deter fraud. This is an important step to crack down on fraud and its associated costs. FSRA will be consulting further on proposals for combatting fraud through fraud management plans and removing identified fraudsters through excluded provider lists.

Lastly, our plan to fix auto insurance will also see FSRA implement a new strategy for reforming the regulation of auto insurance rates and underwriting. As part of the new strategy, FSRA will be developing a new framework for ensuring fairness in rates that would replace outdated guidance, including existing guidance on territorial rating.

Additionally, as drivers are required to use workplace benefits prior to making a claim through their auto insurance provider, the government will review how drivers access benefits when extended health plans are involved to ensure the system remains modern and works well for accident victims when they need it most.

Mr. Speaker, here are a few additional highlights of our plan to keep costs down for families. Housing costs are another item we hear about from people across the province. Everyone in Ontario deserves to find housing that is right for them. The government is taking action to increase housing supply and make sure that everyone in Ontario can find a home that meets their needs and their budget. Housing that people can afford is an important part of the strong, stable foundation the government is building for Ontario’s workers and families. That’s why our government passed legislation to support the creation of all types of housing by speeding up approvals to get more shovels in the ground faster.

Our government is also investing $19.2 million over three years to increase capacity at the Ontario Land Tribunal and the Landlord and Tenant Board to resolve cases faster, address the significant backlog, and support more housing supply and opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, it has been my pleasure to have this opportunity to discuss the Plan to Build Act, which supports our government’s plan to keep costs down for Ontario businesses and workers. We look forward to implementing all measures in our 2022 Ontario budget, which is our government’s plan to invest, and invest responsibly; to rebuild Ontario’s economy; to keep costs down for Ontario’s families and put more money back in their pockets; to work for Ontario’s workers; to build highways, transit and key infrastructure across the province; and our plan to keep Ontario open today and in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all members to vote for this important legislation so that, together, we can get to work to support Ontario families.