 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. And I'd like to recognize that today we're celebrating the International Day of the Francophonie. Great Francophonie Day to everyone. Question is for the Premier. The NDP has unearthed new documents revealing plans for a phase two of the Ontario Place redevelopment. That for some reason, this government kept secret from Ontarians. We know what phase one is. That's the backroom deal where government, we know, is spending hundreds of millions of public dollars and handing over public land to a private luxury spa company for 95 years. But what is phase two and why has the government kept it a secret from Ontario? To the government, the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you to the member opposite. No, I'm not sure where the member was on April 18th, 2023, when I joined the Premier and Live Nation at Ontario Place. The entire Queen's Park Press Gallery was there. And that's where we showcase the fact that we're building a new science centre, a water park facility, wellness facility on the West End, 50 acres of public realm space, brand new marina, as well as a brand new stage, amphitheater stage for Live Nation. I remember that. Supplementary. Speaker, I'm going to tell you why this matters. It's because Ontarians know that they can't trust this government on anything. Renderings in a ministry document that were dated from September 2020 reveal that phase two of the Ontario Place redevelopment includes a plan to make the East Island part of the mainland by filling in the lake. So my question is, when was the Premier going to tell the public his secret plan to pave over Lake Ontario? Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, let me just remind the member opposite of the timeline. In 2019, we announced our vision for Ontario Place, which is to bring it back to life, to have things to do for families there to protect it from flooding. Mr. Speaker, shortly thereafter we announced our partners, which is, of course, Thermae and Live Nation. And Mr. Speaker, today we are constructing the vision, the full vision for Ontario Place that we shared back in April 18th, 2023. When again, I joined the Premier and Live Nation to announce that we're building a brand new science centre, a water park facility, 50 acres of public realm space, as well as a brand new amphitheater. Mr. Speaker, today we are under construction and we will make sure that this vision comes to life and that Ontario Place is not ignored anymore. Final supplementary. Mr. Speaker, let's be clear. The only reason we know about this phase too is because we unearthed it. They didn't announce anything like that. And let's be clear, the Premier has been secretly planning to pave over Lake Ontario for more than three years and hit it because he knew that Ontarians would not approve. The whole Ontario Place redevelopment scheme has been cloaked in secrecy from the beginning. The Premier won't tell the public the terms of the 95-year lease that they have with Thermae. Time and again, the only reason why we know anything about this government's real intentions is because of our own investigative work. I would like to know, on behalf of Ontarians, what else is the Premier keeping secret from the people of Ontario? Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, again, in 2019, we announced that we wanted to bring Ontario Place back to life. Have activities, Mr. Speaker. We announced our partners, which is Thermae and Live Nation. And in April of 2023, again, the entire press gallery at Queen's Park, including other media, was at Ontario Place joining the Premier myself and Live Nation to share the full vision of Ontario Place, which included the Science Centre, brand-new amphitheater, 50 acres of public realm space, a brand-new marina, as well as a wellness facility and water park. Mr. Speaker, today we are under construction and we will make sure to bring Ontario Place back to life. The next question. Leader of the Opposition. Speaker, the more light we shine on this sketchy deal, the worse it gets for the public, for the environment, and for the taxpayers, too. I'm going back to the Premier. Late last year, the government jammed through a bill that would exempt all undertakings at Ontario Place from Environmental Bill of Rights and from the Environmental Assessment Act. Did the Premier change the laws to try and get away with his secret plan to pave over Lake Ontario? Minister of Infrastructure. Mr. Speaker, again, I am happy to repeat my answer. We announced our vision back in 2019. In 2021, we announced our partners, which is Thurmay and Live Nation. And Mr. Speaker, in April of 2023, I remember that day very clearly because it started to snow at the end of April, we announced our full vision for Ontario Place, which includes a brand new science centre, a brand new stage. 50 acres of public realm space for the public to enjoy, as well as a wellness facility and a water park. Mr. Speaker, I am very excited because construction is underway at Ontario Place. And finally, after years and years of neglect, the people of Ontario will have a wonderful Ontario Place to enjoy with their families. Mr. Speaker, no, no, no, no. This was not announced in 2019 or 2022 or 2023. This was hidden from the people of Ontario. The Premier, I will remind you, Mr. Speaker, jammed through a bill that would allow the government to ignore the provincial laws when it comes to Ontario Place. I remind the members here that the bill even let the government commit acts of misrepresentation, misfeasance, breach of trust and bad faith without any consequences. And this is the same government under RCMP criminal investigation for another scandal. I wonder why they passed that bill. Did the Premier jam through this wildly irresponsible bill because he knew that his secret plans for Ontario Place would not survive public scrutiny or judicial review? Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition nailed it. It's no, no, no, no to everything we do. And that's why we're in the position we were in when we inherited a bankrupt province five and a half years ago. Let's move forward now. We're putting $184 billion into infrastructure. We're building $50 billion with the new hospitals. We're building the 413 and the Bradford Bypass. We're adding new doctors. We're adding new nurses. But guess what? No, no, no, no. That's why we walked into an absolute disaster when we inherited this province. But guess what? We're the leaders in the world. We're an economic powerhouse now. We have $28 billion of EV vehicles being built here in Ontario. We have tens of billions in tech. We have $3 billion when it comes to life sciences. Everyone in the world is talking about Ontario Place. Thank God you and the Liberals still aren't in charge. It would be a complete disaster. Members to make their comments through the chair. Final supplementary. Speaker, what they are is a shady government under investigation by the RCMP. That's what has been secretly planning to pave over a portion of Lake Ontario for more than three years. He pushed for a secret deal to hand over public land to a private luxury spa operator for 95 years. 95 years. Who does that? Then he changed environmental and integrity laws just to force through his personal vanity project. If that doesn't smell bad, I don't know what does. To the Premier, what are the real plans for Ontario Place and which of the Premier's insider friends are set to benefit? Let's go with the NDP and Liberal Plan. Let's leave it just the way it was. We're going up. No one's going to Ontario Place. They just sat absolutely bare. Or let's go with our plan. That's going to be the number one tourist attraction, not just in Ontario, but in Canada. Mark my words. The ironic thing is, their families, their constituents, guess where they're going? They're going to the brand-new Ontario Place. Even Thurmay told me one time, we build world-class facilities around the world. They roll out the red carpet. But here in Toronto with the NDP and the Liberals, it's a whole different ball game. They don't believe in creating anything. That's the reason under their leadership, Mr. Speaker, they chase 300,000 jobs out of this province, made it uncompetitive compared to today. There's 700,000 people are collecting a paycheck, being able to put a deposit down on anything they may want, because we are an economic powerhouse and it kills them. It actually kills them to see we're thriving as a province, world-class. The next question, the member for Spadina for York. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I've been listening to the Premier and the Minister's non-answers this morning and I can tell you, I was at the Government's press conference in April 2020 and you did not discord the full vision for Ontario Place because the only reason we know about your plan to pave over a portion of Lake Ontario is because we got it through freedom of information requests. This government has had this deal cloaked in secrecy from the beginning and they refused to release the terms, the 95-year lease. Now they won't tell anything about what they call Encode Phase 2 of the plans. Encode Phase 2 of the plans for Ontario Place. What else is the Premier keeping secret from the people of Ontario? To apply the Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member. Again, Mr. Speaker, we held a competitive process in 2019 to bring Ontario Place back to life. In 2021, we partnered, we announced our partners, which is Live Nation and Thermate. In April 2023, the member just submitted that he was at Ontario Place where our government made an announcement where we shared that we would build a new science centre, a wellness water park facility, 50 acres of public realm space, a brand new amphitheater Live Nation stage. Mr. Speaker, the member just submitted that he was there at the announcement, and that is our focus now. Our focus is to construct the vision that we shared in April when the member was there with us. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, the Minister won't release the secret 95-year deal, and that says it all. Late last year, the Conservatives passed Bill 154, which exempted Ontario Place redevelopment project from obligations under the Environmental Bill of Rights and the Environmental Assessment Act. The bill was jammed through this house with little public input. Did the Premier push through this bill? Because he wanted to avoid the public scrutiny of his secret plan to pave over Lake Ontario. Minister of Infrastructure. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I'm more than happy to speak about the new deal that we landed with the City of Toronto. Mr. Speaker, in the new deal, we will be providing operational funding for transit. We will be providing funding for the City of Toronto to keep TTC riders safe. Mr. Speaker, contingent upon federal funding, we will also be providing funding for our homeless and for shelters. So Mr. Speaker, we're very proud of the new deal that we landed in the fall and the legislation that was presented before Christmas. And of course, we're very happy to continue to work with the City of Toronto to bring Ontario Place back to life so that families can enjoy the site once again. The member for Brantford Grant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Finance. Under the previous Liberal government supported by the NDP, businesses left our province in droves. In contrast, under the leadership of our Premier, our government has welcomed record levels of investments job growth and businesses. Unfortunately, the federal government has decided to punish hardworking people and business owners with a regressive carbon tax. A tax that is set to believe it or not, is set to increase 23% next month. It is not right or fair that people and businesses have to bear an additional cost that is forced on them, especially at a time when all governments need to prioritize affordability. Speaker, can the Minister please tell this House what our government is doing to help Ontario families and businesses cope with the high cost of the carbon tax? Thank you. Respond, the Minister of Finance. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And thank you to the member for your question and the great work that you do in the writing of Brantford Grant. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we heard Liberal Leader Bonnie Conby use again the call for an end to the federal carbon tax. The federal Liberal Carbon Tax, Mr. Speaker. That same Liberal Carbon Tax is set to increase in Ontario in just under two weeks, Mr. Speaker. Whether here or in Ottawa, both Liberal parties are doubling down on making life more expensive and more unaffordable for Ontarians, Mr. Speaker. Order. But our government is standing up for the people of this great province. This is why we will not stop the work to lower costs, cut taxes, and make life more affordable. And Mr. Speaker, that's why we continue to call on the federal government to do the right thing and finally scrap the tax. Mr. Supplementary Question. Thank you, member for Brantford. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the Minister for his response. When it comes to the negative impact of the carbon tax, everyone shares the same concern, Speaker. While our government continues to keep costs down for the people of Ontario, the federal Liberals remain persistent on their position in hiking this tax. On top of that, Speaker, their provincial counterparts are in support of this money-grabbing practice. Under the carbon tax, Queen Bonnie Cromby, the Liberal members in this House, refused to acknowledge their constituent struggles, refused to bring forward people's concerns on the carbon tax and refused to fight against the federal government's unjust action. That's not what the people in their writings elected them to do. Speaker, can the Minister please explain if the independent Liberals won't help and the federal Liberals won't listen? What's our government doing to ensure Ontario's economy continues to thrive and prosper in 2024 and beyond? Thank you. Minister of Finance. Thank you again, Mr. Speaker. Thank you again to the member for that question. Speaker, on this side of the aisle, we know that the things are expensive right now. That's why we took action to cut the price of gas to lower the cost of transit and to eliminate tolls right across the province, Mr. Speaker. We are putting billions of dollars back in the pockets of Ontario. In fact, Mr. Speaker, since we cut the gas tax, we've put $2.1 billion in the pockets of Ontarians. But, Mr. Speaker, across the aisle is a Liberal Party who have yet to find a tax they didn't like to raise. When it comes to cutting the gas tax and saving our driver's money, they voted no, Mr. Speaker. But when it comes to standing up for Ontarians against the federal Liberal carbon tax, their leader made a promise. It wasn't her problem. Mr. Speaker, it's time for Ontario Liberals to decide if they are for Ontario or if they are for an expensive and tax-loving federal government. The next question, the number four, Nickel Belt. My question is for the Prime Minister. The number of North Ontarians might double from now. So that all of these people who will be lacking in a family doctor in the five years to come. Too much bureaucracy here. Are you going to finance the necessary people in order to improve things where we live in Northern Ontario? The NPP are talking about too much overhead. I am gobsmacked. Primary care expansion is something that our government has been focused very directly on, whether it is expanding access through our colleges and universities, whether it is expansions of $110 million, 78 new primary care multidisciplinary teams in the province of Ontario that are going to make an impact and they are going to make an impact in Northern Ontario, in Southern Ontario, in Southwestern Ontario. We will continue to get this work done because we know how critically important it is to expand primary care multidisciplinary teams in the province of Ontario. Thank you, Speaker. The North of Ontario is lacking these interdisciplinary teams. Can the Minister finance these interdisciplinary teams to help the francophones of the North? Because they need to be able to speak French at work. Yes, we absolutely can and we absolutely will. The member opposite would know that we have a number of multidisciplinary teams in Northern Ontario. The Lakehead North Practitioner led clinic in Thunder Bay. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, Sioux Lookout area primary care team. The Sioux Lookout again primary care teams. We have Powassan area and family health team. We have the Greenstone family health team in Geraldton. We have the Canora Chiefs Advisory in Canora. We have the Northwest Community Health Centre in Thunder Bay. Speaker, I could go on and on. The point is we are making those investments in multidisciplinary teams because we know that's what patients and clinicians deserve and provides the best service. Thank you. Thank you. The next question. The member for Flamborough-Glanbrook. My question is for the Minister of Energy. I regularly hear from people in my riding of Flamborough-Glanbrook about how the federal carbon tax is driving up the cost of living. They know that every April the Liberals and the NDP will raise the price of the gas pumps at terrible carbon tax heights. This year the cost per liter of the gas pump will rise from just over 14 cents to almost 18 cents. This is unacceptable. Many Ontarians, particularly those in rural communities, rely heavily on their vehicles for work and other day-to-day activities. They are being burdened financially by this harmful tax. Speaker, enough is enough. It's time for the federal government to end the carbon tax. Can the Minister tell the House how the carbon tax affects drivers right across Ontario? Good. And to reply, the Minister of Energy. Speaker, thanks to the member from Flamborough-Glanbrook for the question today. The federal government continues to increase the carbon tax. We're in the midst of an affordability crisis in Ontario and across the country, Mr. Speaker. And in spite of the fact that affordability is the number one issue when you talk to people across the country, the federal government is poised to increase that carbon tax by a staggering 23% on April 1st, Mr. Speaker. Now, we want to know where the Ontario Liberal Party stands on this. And earlier this week, the Queen of the Carbon Tax, Bonnie Cromby, said that she wouldn't impose a provincial tax, a provincial carbon tax. However, she still hasn't made it clear whether or not she supports the federal carbon tax. But you know who did clarify her position on it yesterday at a press conference, Mr. Speaker? The federal environment minister, Stephen DeVoe, had something to say. I look forward to sharing with the House what the federal environment minister interprets Bonnie Cromby's position to be. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I look forward to hearing the response back to the minister. I think we have a lot of issues between heating their homes or putting food on the table. But unlike the opposition NDP and the independent Liberals, our government understands how harmful this tax is for hardworking Ontarians. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, by the year 2030 the carbon tax will cost families $2,000 per year even with those climate rebates. At a time when families across the country are dealing with the high cost of living all governments should be working together to make life more affordable for everyone. Can the minister tell the House what our government is doing to counteract the impacts of this terrible carbon tax? Minister of Energy. Largest carbon tax largest tax breaks in the province's history, Mr. Speaker. We have cut the gas tax by $0.10.7 a liter, Mr. Speaker. One of the largest tax breaks ever. And when you're in the midst of an affordability crisis should a government be increasing taxes? Mr. Speaker, the answer is no. Everybody knows that. Anybody who has any sense knows that. But the federal government in less than two weeks is going to increase the carbon tax by a staggering 23%, Mr. Speaker. Now, the provincial Liberal member of the federal carbon tax, Bonnie Cromby, the leader of the Liberals here in the House said that she wouldn't impose a provincial tax. But she didn't say whether or not she supported the federal Liberal Carbon Tax. So what did Minister Gibo say yesterday in a press conference yesterday when asked about Bonnie Cromby's position on the federal carbon tax? He said, well, my understanding of her position was that she would be happy happy to fall back on the federal system, Mr. Speaker. That tells me that Bonnie Cromby is supportive of the... Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the... Stop the clock. Stop the clock. The House will come to order. The House will come to order. Start the clock. The next question, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, decades of chronic underfunding and post-secondary education by both Liberal and Conservative governments followed by five years of Conservative cuts have pushed our post-secondary system to the brink. Ontario is dead last in per-student funding has been for years, which means larger classes for students, higher faculty workloads, greater reliance on precarious contract faculty and less time for faculty-student contact. At these 10 universities in this province are already in deficit and that number is going to grow despite the government's disastrous recent funding announcement. My question to the Premier, will the government commit to the funding necessary to stabilise and preserve our world-class post-secondary system? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And under the leadership of this Premier we just invested $1.3 billion in post-secondary education. The largest investment in over a decade in post-secondary education. We are giving schools the stability and the predictability that they need and we are not doing it on the backs of Ontario students. We are continuing to freeze tuition for an additional three years. Looking back under the Liberal leadership Ontario had the highest post-secondary education tuition in all of Canada. Under the leadership of this Premier we decreased tuition by 10% and we have continued to freeze it. Every student in this province has accessibility and affordability when it comes to post-secondary education. Right on. Time to supplement your question back to Member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. The Minister knows full well that the funding was announced won't come close to keeping Ontario's post-secondary system afloat. The clock is ticking on the international student study permits that have been effectively subsidising our post-secondary system in this province. Colleges and universities are in limbo unable to plan until they know how the permits will be allocated leaving students futures up in the air. Queens, Guelph have already announced program cuts. More programs, even campuses may have to close. My question is, does the Premier understand how serious the consequences are of refusing to properly fund our colleges and universities in Ontario? And the Minister of Colleges and Universities? Thank you, Mr Speaker. And it sounds like the member is in favour of increasing tuition. Under the leadership of this Premier, we are going to ensure that students have affordable and accessible education in the province. That's why we're investing a historic $1.3 billion in post-secondary education. That's an additional $100 million for the 65,000 graduates out there. 30,000 nursing students in our system. Mr Speaker, we have an incredible world-class post-secondary education system in Ontario. And we are going to ensure that $1.3 billion that we are giving schools the affordability and the predictability that they need to ensure that we have and continue to have world-class education here in this province. The Member for Haldeman, Norfolk. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Finance. Over the past few months, all members have been receiving postcards with the slogan Five to Survive, a campaign started by Community Living Ontario. Of the 10,000 letter sent, response from my writing of Haldeman, Norfolk has been most pronounced. Families of loved ones with developmental disabilities see agencies like Community Living Haldeman, Norfolk Association for Community Living and Community Living Access being starved of the resources they need to assist some of society's most vulnerable people. Agencies that are so important to families. This government has done some good things like tying ODSP to inflation. There has been good news but if the agencies that sustain the people they support aren't sustainable, it's a moot point. Over the past 30 years, Community Living organizations have seen a meager 3.9% increase to base funding. This is a sector that needs an immediate infusion. Speaker, to the Minister, will Ontario families supporting loved ones with developmental disabilities see the long awaited 5% increase in the upcoming budget? And to apply the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Honourable Colleague for a very important question. Mr. Speaker, let me make it very clear. We said it and the Premier has been very clear. We will make sure that no one in Ontario is left behind. Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are investing over $1.5 billion in the sector, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that everyone receives a service. Now, Mr. Speaker, just to put it in perspective, that is a billion that's a billion dollars more than the previous government was investing. Now, that over a half a billion dollars more than when we formed government in supportive living for those who require service. So, Mr. Speaker, the previous government simply did not do enough. That wasn't good enough for this Premier. That wasn't good enough for this caucus. We said that we were not going to leave anyone behind. We're going to be there to provide them with the service. We've been there. I have visited literally every community service that the member and including the one in the member's writing to make sure that they know they have a partner in this government if we will not abandon them like the previous government did. We will. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I recognized in my original question, there have been some measures taken, but a car without its tires and its destination. It's not hard. Just say yes to the 5%. I've met with a number of these agencies a number of times and they are beaten down. They simply cannot find further savings. Programming has and is being cut and there has been an exodus of underpaid staff. A 5% increase would be just enough to stabilize the sector and keep the lights on. It represents about $145 million to the base budget. I sat through pre-budget consultations last year where by community living rang the alarm bells. They were back at the budget table this year. How many times do they have to show up before this government will take responsibility that they are the government of the day and they have to take meaningful action. I suggest this government stops talking about building houses for 5 seconds and listens to the 100,000 people who are currently meeting this government's help. It's time to put the tires back on the car and let the rubber hit the road. The minister promised the 100,000 individuals and their families that the 2024 budget will ensure there would be no further cuts to their support and services. Mr Children, Community and Social Services Thank you Mr Speaker and again, I thank the Honourable Member for the question. Mr Speaker, Let me make it clear for the member and everyone in this House No, we're not going stop building homes in this province Mr Speaker. That's what I said earlier in my answer when I said Mr Speaker talking about investment, I'd be more than happy to repeat that, Mr Speaker. We're investing over $3.7 billion in developmental services sector this year. That is $1 billion more than when we formed government, Mr Speaker. The member talks about housing. I'd be more than happy to repeat that, Mr Speaker. Nearly $1.5 billion more being invested in supportive living for people in this province who rely on the housing, and no, we're not going to stop. We're going to make sure that every single person in this province who relies on the supports and services gets it because, Mr Speaker, before and in the previous government, they simply weren't getting that, and that's not good enough for us. We'll continue to fight for them. We'll make sure that they have the support they need, Mr Speaker. The next question, the member for Thornhill. Thank you, Mr Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. From coast to coast, elected officials of all political stripes have been very vocal in calling on our federal government to stop the planned carbon tax hike on April 1st. Even the Liberal Premier of Newfoundland Labrador has come out against the 23% carbon tax hike. And yet, Bonnie Cromby and the Liberals in this House still stand shoulder to shoulder with their federal counterparts in support of the carbon tax. Unlike them, we've knocked on doors. We've heard loud and clear from the people of Ontario. They do not support another carbon tax hike. Speaker, can the Minister please share what he's been hearing from businesses and workers when it comes to the Liberals planned carbon tax hike? The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Thank you, Speaker. Speaker, we have lowered the cost of doing business in Ontario by $8 billion annually. We've reduced taxes. We've cut red tape. We've shown the Liberals the way. This is how you bring business to Ontario. You know, Speaker, we have an incredibly diverse economy here. No one industry accounts for more than 15%. But each and every one of those businesses that we visit tell us the same thing. Get rid of the carbon tax. It is driving up the cost of everything. It is driving up the cost of business. It is driving up the cost in households. And it risks jeopardizing all the competitive advantage that we've brought to Ontario, Speaker. We need the Liberals and the NDP to pick up the phone, call their federal representatives and tell them to scrap the tax today. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer and important work for the people of Ontario. The message we're hearing from the people of Ontario is loud and clear. It doesn't matter if it's the Minister's constituents in Nipissing or my constituents in Thornhill. We all want the carbon tax gone. We hear their concerns and that's why we've been so persistent in calling on the federal government to stop their planned carbon tax hike increase on April 1st. We know what happens when Liberals implement a tax hike after tax hike because the previous Liberal government tested out this same playbook. Speaker, can the Minister please remind us of how the previous Liberal government's agenda of a high tax paid out? Minister of economic development, job creation and trade. Speaker, the people of Ontario remember very well what life was like under the Liberals. Their high taxes crushed businesses. They penalized workers. They sent 300,000 manufacturing jobs fleeing from the province of Ontario. But we took the opposite approach. We cut 500 pieces of red tape. We lowered taxes and that's why, as you heard the Premier say, only a few minutes ago, $28 billion in auto has landed in Ontario, $3 billion in life sciences landed in Ontario, tens of billions of dollars in tech has landed in Ontario and all that adds up to 700,000 new jobs created. Remember, 300,000 jobs lost under the Liberals, 700,000 jobs gained under this PC Party. We showed the Liberals the way low taxes are how you create jobs. Stop the tax now. The next question, the member for the state of our The question for the Premier. In the north of Ontario, we are the great forgotten population. People have to go so far away to get long term care. Mr Premier, what are you doing in order to increase the number of beds accessible to these people? Important issue that's raised by the member opposite and I appreciate that he does that this morning. Culturally sensitive homes are very important in this province. We have a diverse population and a growing aging population at that. And we must be sensitive to the different cultural diversity in this great province far as that, of course, includes French Canadians. And that's why, Speaker, we are building record capacity into the system with $10 billion in expansion, the largest in our country's history, creating 58,000 new and redeveloped spaces as well as with culturally specific homes designated to cater towards those communities. Now, the member does raise an important issue when it comes to rural and northern areas. That's why we need to continue to build and continue to invest and attract health human resources. We've done that under the leadership of this Premier. Nearly $5 billion, the largest expansion to health human resources in again our country's history, Speaker. There is, of course, more to be done. That's why we continue to introduce local priorities, specialized equipment to cater to those unique communities. We're going to stay on that goal, Speaker. We're well on the way to make sure that we take care of our seniors because they took care of us. I appreciate the reply from the Premier, but the reality doesn't meet the words of the Franco-Itarians. We'll remember that under your government, just like 3400, one bed for 3400 Franco's, it is 1,470 anglophones. Mr. Premier, I promise that 60,000 beds kept casing. So we're going to see those beds. By the member there, Speaker, new nursing standards, of course, introduced at Boyle College, a new nursing program. Of course, more nurses in the system now than ever before. 17,000 nurses introduced to the system last year, $100 million into the LEAP program for those who wish to scale up their skills from PSWs to nurses to nurse practitioners. They are able to do that. Record investments that the Liberals simply failed to do. Now, Speaker, there was a budget, successive budgets that highlighted all of those announcements. And you know what the member there and the Liberals who were chirping for some reason share in common, they voted against every single one of those measures. Now, there's a budget, six more sleeps to go by the fine finance minister over here. I hope that the member learns that if he wants to build capacity into the north, as he wants in capes casing, and the Liberals who were chirping want to do better than they did in their past mistakes by not building beds. Well, vote in favour of the budget. I look forward to that support. We're going to continue to take care of seniors. It's the next question, is it not? Next question. Next question. The next question, the member for Scarborough Guildwood. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Transportation. The TTC is falling apart under his watch. It is in shambles, delays are rampant, streetcars get stuck in unbearable traffic and slow zones on the subway are doubling trip times. After six years of neglect by this government, writers have lost faith in their public transit. This is not just an issue for residents of Toronto. People from across the country rely on the TTC to get to walk into their families on time. This government is letting some of the busiest transit lines fall apart, neglecting existing infrastructure at the detriment of all who use our transit. This government literally allowed the Scarborough RTI to fall off the tracks and risk the lives of transit riders. Mr. Speaker, through you, will this minister give the TTC the financial support it needs? The Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, I don't even know where to start on that. I can't believe that question. Coming from the Liberals who did absolutely nothing for 15 years when they held the balance of power, Mr. Speaker, but under the leadership of Premier Ford, places like Scarborough are getting the Sarbro subway experience. The big game, but did absolutely nothing, left the people of Scarborough with no options. We've got shovels in the ground in Scarborough, Mr. Speaker. But that's not it. When the city came to the province for help, it was Premier Ford who struck a historic deal to support the TTC and the record expansion of public transit that we're having in the city of Toronto. The Ontario line, 15 kilometres, Mr. Speaker, of a new transit line that is being introduced by this Premier under his leadership, while the Liberals did nothing to build Ontario. We will take no lessons from that, Mr. Speaker. It's because of this Premier, our government, the people of Scarborough, Toronto and across this province. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, it is always the same excuse from this government, but they have the formula entirely backwards. It's like building a new extension and a house while its very foundation is rotten and crumbling. The provincial funding formula is not tied to inflation. So the TTC is getting the same amount of funding as it did in 2007. The Conservatives are asking the TTC to do more and more with less. And it is transit riders who are paying the price. Mr. Speaker, to the minister, does he realize that if they keep neglecting some of the BCS transit lines in the province, this government's legacy will be a complete loss of faith in Ontario's public transit because we have a broken TTC? To reply, the Premier. You know something, I don't even know how to respond here, but I'm going to give it a shot. 15 years, nothing was done to Scarborough. They had every single seat in Scarborough and triple M sitting beside you actually part of the deal with the federal government to build the Scarborough line back in 2010-2011. We had a historic deal. Guess who shut it down? It was the Liberal Provincial Government, your government that shut it down. We're actually doubling the size of the subway system. This is a largest subway expansion in North America. $28 billion as the Liberals ignored over 630,000 people in Scarborough and just keep in mind again, they had every single riding and thank god they don't have any of the ridings. We're going to continue fighting for the people of Scarborough because under the Liberal government they were totally ignored. They aren't being ignored anymore. We love the people of Scarborough and by the way we're going to get your seat next election. Order. Once again I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair, not directly across the floor of the house at each other and secondly we refer to each other either by our riding name or by a ministerial title as applicable, not by nicknames. We can start the clock. The member for Thornhill. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Last Friday our government joined the international community in recognizing World Consumer Rights Day. This is a time to raise awareness and highlight the importance of knowing your rights when purchasing goods and services in the marketplace. Speaker, ensuring consumer protection is important for all Ontarians. We need to have access to safe and fair and reliable products and services for our economy to thrive. So I know our government recently passed legislation to advance consumer protection in our province. Speaker, could the minister please explain how this new legislation will enhance enforcement and prohibit unfair business practices in Ontario? Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the excellent member for Thornhill for that thoughtful question. Last fall our government under the leadership of Premier Ford introduced comprehensive consumer protection legislation after a decade and a half of Liberal government neglect. This House unanimously passed a better for consumers, better for businesses Act 2023 and I want to emphasize the sheer scope of this legislation. Nearly every single Ontarian engages in marketplace transactions online or in our communities. We're all consumers. That is why our government is taking responsibility to ensure marketplace fairness and competition. We have tackled unfair business practices, made it easier for Ontarians to cancel subscriptions and membership agreements, protected a consumer's right to take action in small claims court, increased fines for bad actors using illegal business practices. We continue to engage now in the regulation making phase under the Act with stakeholders and consumers to ensure consumers are protected and we embrace the market. Thank you. Supplementary question. Thank you Speaker and thank you to the Minister for his response and his tireless work within his ministry. I'm so glad to see that our government is taking the necessary steps to stop bad actors from taking advantage of our hard-working Ontarians through unfair business practices. By updating these rules that protect consumers when they're shopping or entering contracts with businesses we're ensuring that Ontario is a better adapted place for today's marketplace. So Speaker, I've heard of instances where notices of security interests or nosies have been used fraudulently against unsuspecting consumers. In many cases scammers are deliberately targeting the most vulnerable members of our province including seniors by registering these nosies on properties without their knowledge. This is absolutely unacceptable and our government must do everything that we can do to address consumer harms in all its forms. Speaker, would the minister please tell us or tell the House how our government will protect the people of Ontario from these harmful and fraudulent uses of nosies. Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery. Thank you Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for Thorne Hill for that very specific question. I want to be very clear this government has no tolerance for bad actors who fraudulently make money off the backs of our elderly and vulnerable citizens. So we have a very simple message Mr. Speaker. Help is on the way. Back in October my ministry launched consultations seeking public input on ways to reduce the harmful and fraudulent use of nosies. Now I am proud to announce to this House that our government intends to table legislation that if passed will retrospectively ban all residential nosies in the land registry system. This is a monumental step not only for Ontario but for Canada for Ontario has taken the lead on this. Unlike the NDP's limited understanding of this issue the misuse of nosies has evolved beyond the HVAC industry and has even been used on items as well as camera doorbells. Doing nothing is not an option. We will take action. Stay tuned for this legislation this spring. The next question. Member for Ottawa lets continue. Thank you Speaker. The teacher shortage in our education system is causing chaos for students families and workers. The government created this problem with its cuts to education its wage suppression bill and its disrespect for teachers. We now have thousands of teachers leaving the sector many of them not waiting for the end of the school year because of the working conditions. Instead of big words and band-aid solutions will the Minister of Education actually solve the problem by significantly investing in education and providing every child with the support they need. Minister of Education. Mr Speaker every single voice in the education system is on the same page here with the exception apparently of the Democrats liberals and teacher unions who opposed a common sense recommendation supported by every principles association supported by every trustees association supported by common sense families who want experience retired educators to be the front of class to fix short-term absentee issues. We have educators in this province on average taking 16 days off in the 184 days of work we have a problem and we have a solution in the short term use experience retirees everyone's on the same page but the teachers union of course supported by the who are ill-prepared to stand up for kids they're always prepared to stand up for the special interest why not advance a simple request of ensuring we can leverage retirees to keep qualified educators at the front of class. Perhaps if the minister actually spoke to teachers instead of doing policy by press release we would have an actual solution. Reports have already had to cut teacher and education worker positions because of this government's underfunding and now they're looking at even more cuts this year. The Toronto District School Board has to cut 20.8 million. Peele announced their closing special education classes and laying off teachers. This government's underfunding is pouring gasoline on the fire of the teacher shortage so if the minister wants to address the problem why not start with adequate funding for education. Mr. Speaker in addition to hiring 3,000 more educators since our premier and government was elected in 2018 in addition to cutting certification timelines for new educators by 50% and revoking the regressive liberal regulation 274 that ensured hiring was held up in bureaucracy based on seniority instead of the merit of the individual we did all of that without the support of opposition members and today we put forth a simple request to leverage experience educators to fill short-term absence and the opposition have affirmed today that they oppose a common-sense provision that every principles association every trustees association English and French Catholic and public we are all on the same page except for the opposition they're going to have to explain to parents why they would rather protect pension entitlements instead of advancing quality consistent in-person learning for every child in this province. Thank you speaker and my question is for the solicitor general it is clear to everyone but the federal liberals and their provincial counterparts that the carbon tax is hurting Ontario's families and businesses it is not only driving up the costs of goods but it is also driving up the cost of fuel in gasoline for everyone in our province. Speaker I've heard from people in my writing of new market aurora who are concerned about the effects of the carbon tax on our public safety system they want to ensure the police and firefighters who keep their communities safe are not being impacted by this regressive tax. Speaker can the solicitor general please explain the consequences of the federal carbon tax on our province's public safety system. Well thank you Mr. Speaker and I want to thank the member from new market aurora and she's right because last weekend I knocked on doors in my writing and I listened to the business owners who are so concerned about public safety and you know Mr. Speaker Bonnie Cromby served on the board of Peel Regional Police Service Board she knows firsthand that there's no exemptions nobody is exempted from a police or fire or anybody in Ontario to avoid paying the carbon tax and every vehicle that is fueled up pays the tax. Mr. Speaker it's obvious people in Ontario demand public safety they have a right to feel safe in their own homes and communities and watch their kids go to school safely what we don't need is a tax that penalizes those that keep us safe the liberals can help today pick up the phone and say cancel that tax thank you supplementary member from new market aurora thank you speaker and thank you to the solicitor general for the response unlike the opposition NDP and independent liberals our government takes public safety seriously and that's exactly why we continue to call for an end to this carbon tax speaker people in my writing of new market aurora are concerned about the rising levels of crime in our province including in my writing they want to see police services have the support and resources they need to protect their communities and my community instead of paying an additional fuel costs because of the carbon tax the people of Ontario have spoken time and time again the federal government must eliminate the carbon tax now speaker can the solicitor general please explain further on the negative impacts of the carbon tax on law enforcement and public safety agencies across Ontario the solicitor general thank you mr speaker and i want to again thank the member opposite the carbon tax which most people don't understand affects public safety ontarians have demanded that they have a right to feel safe in their communities and this government under premier has made it a priority but mr speaker when we have as an example the opp spending over four million dollars a year unnecessarily to pay the federal carbon tax do the math at how many extra officers boots on the ground they could have mr speaker just this morning i was in peel together with our great member from mississauga we were at the auto theft summit the chiefs told us every cent is precious to fighting crime to getting those violent and repeat offenders off our streets mr speaker the carbon tax doesn't help at all it hurts the liberals can do something right away they can call their leader who can call the prime minister and say please take a seat the next question speaker my question is to the premier we've learned the conservatives are failing to build affordable housing along the ontario line of the 13 000 homes scheduled to be built along the line only 213 of them are required to be affordable my question is very simple can this government commit to building more affordable housing near transit mr of infrastructure much and thank you to the member for the question that is a member though that voted against building the ontario line in the first place our transit plan back in 2019 when doesn't which doesn't just include the ontario line but eglinton west is garbra and young north mr speaker we developed a transit oriented communities program that does build housing around our transit and we are anticipating building 54 000 new homes for ontarians on our subway lines thank you minister simply didn't answer the question uh so back to the premier toronto has submitted over 104 requests to this government to require developers build some affordable housing in big buildings near transit the conservatives have not approved any of these requests not one of them if the government had approved these requests when asked we'd be on track to build 6 000 affordable homes this is a massive wasted opportunity my question is very simple when is this government going to require developers build some affordable housing in big developments near transit minister of infrastructure thank you very much mr speaker and thank you to the member for the question because by asking this question i can then say that the member opposite didn't even want to build subways in the first in the biggest city in the country talking about traffic and congestion but did not support subway expansion mr speaker we are building the ontario line construction is underway and as part of the ontario line construction we are also building complete communities at our stations which will include 54 000 new homes for residents in the city of toronto thank you very sensible thank you very much i believe that concludes our question period for this morning there being no further business this morning this house stands in recess until 3 p.m