 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. This question is for the Premier. If you're one of the 2.3 million people in Ontario without a family doctor, if you're a young family looking to find an affordable place to call home, if you're a parent feeling deflated for having to cut back on your child's extracurricular activities, or if you're someone who's shuffling between two or three jobs to keep up with the rising cost of everything, the Conservative budget is not for you. So I want to hear from the Premier. Why didn't the budget contain any new measures to help make life more affordable in Ontario? Why for the government, the Minister of Finance? Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. And of course, we've seen interest rates in inflation and an economy that's slowing down around the world. And that's why we acted early to help the people of Ontario. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it was the summer of 2022 that this government took action by lowering the gas tax. Mr. Speaker, it was this government that doubled the low individual family tax credit. So people making up to 50,000 play some of the lowest personal income taxes in the land. And Mr. Speaker, it was this government that introduced one integrated fare so that transit riders are paying, saving $1,600 on daily commutes, Mr. Speaker. This is a government that's taking action. This is a government that's got the backs of the people. And Mr. Speaker, this government will always have their backs. The supplementary question. Speaker, at a time when people are so desperate for a change in direction, yesterday's budget doubled down on the same tired approach that has left people worse off today after six long years of this conservative government. It shows a government that is clearly out of touch and out of ideas. The government voted down our plan to take away the administrative burden on family physicians. That would have delivered on care for millions of people. The government's plans will barely cover a fraction of the 2.3 million people who don't have a family doctor. Why has the Premier spent so much more but failed to address our doctor shortage? Mr. Speaker, I thought we handed out copies of the budget to the opposition yesterday. You know, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, let's talk about the investment in health care that this great Minister of Health has put forward for Health System in Ontario. You know, it's two years, a $10 billion increase, some 5% to 6% a year, Mr. Speaker. And where does that money go? A big, another investment in primary care so that 600,000 more patients can have health care in this province, Mr. Speaker. On average, an increase of 4% to the hospital so they can continue to lower wait times for surgeries and keep emergency departments open. Mr. Speaker, almost three quarters of a billion dollars to hire more registered practical nurses, more registered nurses, Mr. Speaker. Like God, even Doris Greensbun gave us a incredible quote in the press yesterday. The RNAO will support the work that this Minister of Health is doing. Mr. Speaker, we are invested in health care. We are invested in the people of Ontario because you can't have a healthy economy without healthy people. Health supplementaries. Speaker, these so-called prudent fiscal managers achieved the impossible. They turned a $200 million surplus into a $10 billion deficit in just 12 months. Yet this budget still falls seriously short on the things that matter the most to the people of Ontario, health care, child care, affordable housing, education. So my question back to the Premier is how does this government justify spending so much more to deliver so much less? Members, will please take their seats. Minister of Finance. Well, Mr. Speaker, we're not an island here. Maybe the NDP lives on an island called their world. But in our world, Mr. Speaker, in our world, we're dealing with the economic environment that we're in globally. We're dealing with higher interest rates and inflation, Mr. Speaker. And then that environment, Mr. Speaker, you have two choices. You could cut spending and put on the brakes or you could keep going. Well, Mr. Speaker, this government chooses to keep going. They're choosing to invest in workers and the people of this province by increasing the Skills Development Fund so we can train our workers to build those hospitals that this Minister of Health is building, Mr. Speaker. That this Minister of Transportation is building highways right across the province. Public transit, Mr. Speaker. That's what a government does when it has options in front of a response. Mr. Speaker, this government has a plan. It's got a vision. It's executing against that plan. And we will continue working on behalf of all 16 million Ontarians. Next question, Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. I'm going to go back to the Premier again. The budget doesn't just lack a vision for health care. It also lets people down when it comes to addressing the housing crisis. Last week, the federal government warned Ontario we are about to lose $357 million from the national housing strategy because of this government's failure to meet the conditions of the agreement. So my question to the Premier is, did the government submit an updated action plan to ensure that Ontario isn't left with a $357 million hole in our housing budget? Mr. Speaker, I'm sure the member opposite deals with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Ontario Big City Mayors. And of course, if she talked to them, you know what their number one request was, to fund infrastructure to build more housing. Guess which government delivered on that order? Big way. Mr. Speaker, this is about all types of housing, working with our municipal partners, working provincially for affordable housing, for student housing, for seniors housing, for front door and back door, for condos, et cetera. But I can tell you this, one thing we learned when we work together, when municipalities and provinces lock arms, we can do a lot. But you know who else has to lock arms with us? The federal government. We are hitting all the targets they put in that commitment. And there's this Minister of Housing, along with the head of the Association of Municipalities, who wrote a letter to the minister saying, we're hitting the targets. We need you to step up. Join us to build housing right across the province. Supplementary question. Well, first of all, Speaker, municipalities actually wanted the government to give them back the money they took from them. Being the federal government for this government's failure to meet the demand for housing in our province, Ontario's record on affordable housing has been an absolute embarrassment. The Premier has ignored the recommendations from his own Housing Affordability Task Force. He's even ruled out affordable housing options that would bring so many people closer to the dream of home ownership. So back to the Premier. Why has this government let Ontario fall so far behind on housing? Minister Panetz. Again, Mr. Speaker, thank you to you, to the member opposite for that question. I was listening to the head of the Green Party over there, and he said, you know, I don't see the priorities in the budget be housing, housing, and housing. And you know what the priorities in the budget are? Housing, housing, and housing. Come on over to our side. You know, Mr. Speaker, we are putting in place so many measures. Let's talk about the Building Faster Fund. $1.2 billion to help a reward and incentive municipalities who hit their housing targets. Mr. Speaker, the Premier was in Hamilton just recently handing out a check. Mr. Speaker, the Premier and his colleagues were in Pickering, and that colleague happened to be me, to hand a check to the Mayor of Pickering. Mr. Speaker, we are working with the municipalities, with the Building Faster Fund. We're building infrastructure, putting that in place. And we're even helping on building rentals and getting the federal government to join us in rebating HST for purpose-built rentals. Mr. Speaker, this government is focused on housing, housing, and housing. Supplementary. Speaker, this government has failed. And one of the reasons they have failed is because they were so focused on carving up the green belt instead of building the housing that people in this province so desperately needed. What a waste. What a waste. Ontario is expected, I had to read this a couple of times because it's so astonishing. Ontario is expected to have added just 1,100 affordable units since 2018. It's an embarrassment. Less than 6% of the province's housing target under the National Housing Strategy. With only a few years left to deliver on the agreement, we are farther and farther behind. So my question is, what will this Premier do today to ensure Ontario doesn't lose the $357 million in federal funding due to his failures? And this will please take the seats. Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker, you know, as we know, we inherited a lack of infrastructure order. I think the members of the government agreed. Thank you to the members of the government for agreeing on that. And Mr. Speaker, we are not only getting affordable housing built, but we're also investing more in supportive housing. Again, through the leadership of the Minister of Health, we're investing another $150 million in supportive housing. But it doesn't stop there. Student housing, senior care housing, long-term care housing. It's this minister of long-term care who made a great announcement in the budget yesterday to support more building of long-term care housing, Mr. Speaker. I'll come back to it again, Mr. Speaker. It's this government that's getting things done. It's getting shovels in the ground, working with our municipal partners, working as a team. I would ask the members' officers to join us in building all of Ontario and helping us get municipalities, the federal government, the province aligned so we can all build those $1.5 million. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you, my questions to the Premier. This week budget shows that the Conservative government is out of touch, out of ideas. For a government that prides itself on fiscal responsibility, they projected a $200 million surplus and instead delivered a $10 billion deficit. In the healthcare sector, the government is planning to spend a billion dollars less when 2.3 million Ontarians do not have a doctor, and there have been 203 emergency room closures. In the justice sector, the words tribunal, bail, and backlog are not mentioned in the budget at all. The court system is literally crumbling in this province so much for that tough-on-crime bluster. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Finance. How is this government failing so miserably to address the needs of Ontarians? Minister of Finance. Well, Mr. Speaker, take a look at this budget, Mr. Speaker. You know, we're in a global economic slowdown. We're not immune from those forces, Mr. Speaker. But let's look at the numbers in the budget. Let's look at the numbers because I know the opposition can look at the numbers and understand the numbers. Our healthcare budget is up $10 billion over the last two years. Mr. Speaker, what does that $10 billion get us? It gets us more private. More hospitals built. More HHR, health, human resources for those hospitals. More investments in home and community care. Mr. Speaker, more money for mental health and addiction care. Mr. Speaker, this is a budget that decides to invest in Ontarians and invest in infrastructure, invest in the economy, invest in the people, the health care workers, the teachers, the skilled trades right across this province because we're not spending money. We're not investing. This is the situation we have. We're investing. We're investing. These deficits will pass. You know the revenues are down because of the global economy. But those long-term investments will last a lifetime. Last, the members to make their comments through the chair. The supplementary question. This is not the people's budget. It is insulting to the people of this province. Half of Ontario universities are running deficits, yet this Conservative government has slashed funding by $425 million. Childcare centres are at risk of closing across Ontario, yet this government is doing nothing to support Ontario's $10 a day childcare program and supporting the ECEs that are needed for that program. In education, there is no mention of the word teacher in this budget. This budget fails to keep up with spending on the repair backlog and investing nothing in student transportation. Parents care about student transportation in this province and they've been begging for support and they did show up pre-budget consultation. This budget is spending more and delivering less. This is the truth of the matter. To the Minister of Finance, when will this Conservative government listen to the people of Ontario and ensure that funding goes where it is needed to the people that were elected to serve? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I heard a bunch of things in there. I heard education. You know, it's this Minister of Education that's building more childcare spaces and making it more affordable for childcare. It's this Minister of Colleges and Universities that freezing tuition making it more affordable for students and families. I think I heard the word transportation. It sees ministers making it more affordable to take one fare, saving $1,600 a year for the daily rider, Mr. Speaker. And while we're at it, why don't we talk about the gas tax that we're cutting and continuing to put more money in the pockets of the hard-working people of Ontario? And why doesn't that opposition and that Liberal Party over there march down to the road in Ottawa and tell the federal government to cut or freeze the carbon tax next week and help the people of Ontario? The next question, the member for Chatham Kent, Leamington. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Energy. The impact of the carbon tax is devastating to my riding in Chatham Kent, Leamington and throughout Ontario. Last year, the carbon tax cost the average family around $710 even after rebates. That's why it's ironic to hear the Liberal and NDP members in this House talk about affordability and rising cost of living when they continue to support this disastrous tax. Unlike the Queen of the Carbon Tax, Bonnie Cromby, our government has opposed the carbon tax from the very start and we continue to oppose it until it's removed. Speaker, the people of Ontario deserve far better from their elected representatives. It's clear the members opposite are more interested in playing politics instead of standing up against the federal government's unjust tax rules. Speaker, can the minister please tell this House why it's necessary to eliminate the carbon tax altogether? Good question. Thanks to the great member from Chatham Kent, Leamington who's doing a fantastic job in southwestern Ontario. It's been a lot of conversation this morning about the budget. You know what's not in the budget that was delivered yesterday by Minister Bethel Navalvi? A carbon tax. Or any kind of new tax. Or any increased fee, Mr. Speaker. Yet, the number one issue that the people of Ontario were talking about, when we go door to door we've got a couple of by-elections coming up in Milton and in the area west of London. Remonte McNaughton used to serve, Mr. Speaker. You know what the number one issue at the door is? Affordability. The carbon tax. It's the number one issue that's coming up for the people of Ontario. Yet, Justin Trudeau in Florida's time supported by Bonnie Cromby the Queen of the Carbon Tax are going to increase the carbon tax by a staggering 23%, Mr. Speaker. That's not what you should be doing in an affordability crisis, Mr. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to our Minister for that response. The carbon tax is the worst tax. You can put on the people of Chatham Kent, Leemington and anyone in Ontario. It's useless. It's a tax imposed by elites and activists that are hurting the hardworking people across our province. And yet, the Federal Liberals are still proceeding with a 23% tax hike next week. Speaker, over the next year the carbon tax will add over $360 to the average household's annual natural gas bill. That's not right. The people of Ontario should never have to choose between eating and heating their homes. Speaker, can the Minister please explain why the Federal Government must scrap the carbon tax in order to give our hardworking families much needed relief? Minister of Energy. Thank you to the member from southwestern Ontario and a big shout out to the folks in Lampton Kent Middlesex where that by-election is about to get underway. I know our candidate, Steve, has been going door-to-door with folks like the member who just asked the question and many others on our team here. And the number one issue that's coming up at the door is the carbon tax. The federal carbon tax. And they cannot believe why in the midst of a cost of living crisis they're increasing the carbon tax by a whopping 23% on Parliament Hill with Justin Trudeau and this tax is supported by this caucus, this liberal caucus in the legislature. They stood up time and time again and said that the people of Ontario are better off than they would be without a carbon tax. Who in their right mind thinks that? Certainly not the PC Government led by Premier Ford and our budget delivered yesterday indicates what's important for our party and our government. That's making life more affordable. That's building the infrastructure that we need. That's connecting people to primary care, Mr Speaker. It's all in the document delivered yesterday and the opposition party should support us on those issues. Order. The next question, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday's budget showed that this government's completely inadequate funding for post-secondary education coupled with a 50% decrease in international study permits will mean a 1.4 billion dollar revenue loss for colleges in 2024-25 and an additional 1.7 billion dollar revenue loss in 25-26. Not only that, the government's inadequate funding ends after three years, which will mean even deeper losses for colleges and universities down the road. Speaker, why is this Premier choosing not to increase post-secondary operating grants and deliberately allowing colleges to fail? Mr. Pnitz. Well, Mr Speaker, thank you to the member opposite for that question. You know, Mr Speaker, it's this Minister of Colleges and Universities who froze tuition to make it more affordable for students and families to get an education. And Mr. Speaker, with the blunt instrument in the middle of the night without consultation, the federal government cap orders, those student enrollments, and Mr. Speaker, we're going to support colleges and universities with our three-year stability fund 1.3 billion dollars, Mr. Speaker. What I can tell you is this. It's an economy that is growing on all cylinders in Ontario. We're investing in infrastructure, housing, hospitals, highways, transit. You name it, we're investing in schools. Mr. Speaker, we need the people to build those schools, those highways and those roads. And those public transit systems. That's why we need international students. That's why the federal government should step up and help us build Ontario. Supplementary question back to the member for London West. Thank you. Thank you, Speaker. Students need affordable tuition, but it's not going to help if there's no campuses for them to attend. University budgets are not included in the government's books, but we know that universities are also bracing for huge revenue losses. Almost half are reporting deficits this year. This government chose to ignore urgent calls from its own expert panel for an additional 2.5 billion dollars in post-secondary base funding and is instead allowing university deficits to grow, programs to be eliminated, campuses to be closed, and student supports to be cut. Why did this budget not include the permanent, significant increase in operating grants that would move Ontario out of last place in the country and per student funding, and is desperately needed to keep the sector afloat? Members will please take their seats. Minister of Finance. I don't know which part of my answer the member office didn't hear. Mr. Speaker, we're making tuition more affordable for students and families in this province. Mr. Speaker, we're there to support colleges and universities. Mr. Speaker, this budget, this budget has more money to build infrastructure and student housing, which has been low on overdue. We inherited a terrible infrastructure deficit in this province, Mr. Speaker. We're not going to let the people of Ontario down. We're not going to let the students of Ontario down. We're not going to let families down. We're not going to let the great people who are building this province down, we're going to get done and we're going to do it together. Next question, the member for Leeds Grenville, Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. This Monday is April Fool's Day. Lots of jokes are going to be told, but none from the federal liberals. They're not joking about their 23% increase to the carbon tax on April 1st. In fact, they're very serious. It's a cruel joke to Canadians. In fact, they're going to continue to hike the carbon tax each and every year, despite businesses and individuals calling on them to scrap it. It's yet another liberal tax grab and our government continues to stand up against it. The same, Bonnie Cromby, the Queen of the Carbon Tax and the Provincial Liberals, haven't said one single word to their federal colleagues. We're going to continue, Speaker, to stand up against this tax. I have a private member's motion later today asking us to spike the hike. Minister, can you tell us how the scrapping the carbon tax will affect the people that are powering our economy? I remind the members, thank you for coming to the chair to apply the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Speaker, no carbon tax equals more money in the pockets of the people who have earned it. And that includes the more than 120,000 auto workers who have solidified our position as a global leader and a manufacturing powerhouse. It includes the 70,000 life science workers who are driving unprecedented medical innovations. It includes the 420,000 tech workers, 100,000 more last year alone or since we took office. 25,000 firms they put Ontario's tech sector on the map. The 85,000 AI workers, 20,000 last year alone. They're all saying the same thing. Enough with the high taxes scrap the carbon tax. The supplementary question. Thanks, Speaker, back to the Minister. Bonnie Cromby has now flip-flopped and said that if she was Premier, she wouldn't introduce a carbon tax. But she won't even stand up and say one word to her federal colleagues in advance of their cruel joke they're playing on Canadians on April 1st. The people of Ontario aren't as gullible as she thinks. They also remember her close friends, her campaign team, that what the Trudeau Liberals said in the 2019 election that they had no intention of raising the carbon tax. I think we all know how that played out for Canadians. The hardworking Ontarians, the hardworking businesses that are powering our economy have had enough just in Trudeau's carbon tax. They want the tax scrapped. Minister, can you explain how in Ontario what we're doing by lowering costs and how that plays out for our economy? Thank you. Mind the members to make your comments through the chair. Minister of Economic and All-Destruction. We have said this day after day, week after week. We've shown the Liberals the way. By lowering costs that allows businesses to succeed and create good paying jobs. We have done the opposite. We've lowered the cost of doing business by $8 billion annually and now as a result of that 700,000 more men and women are working since then. We took office. Last year 180,000 new jobs were created. We attracted $11 billion in new investments by keeping taxes low. From 2018 to 2023, Ontario created more jobs from foreign direct investment than any province in Canada and any U.S. state. That's because we keep taxes low. I say to Bonnie Cromby, the queen of the carbon tax, call your federal counterparts. Scrapped the tax. Next question, the member for Toronto Danforth. Thank you Speaker. Speaker of the Premier. This week the Toronto Star reported that thousands of Ontarians are going to be out of pocket for energy conservation renovations because Enbridge will not honour its commitments. Without notice applications worth many thousands of dollars were thrown away. Will you stand up and tell Enbridge they can't mistreat Ontarians this way? Mr Speaker, let's be clear. The member opposite would tomorrow eliminate natural gas from our province. Natural gas is currently providing heating for over 70% of the homes in Ontario. Not only that but natural gas is the insurance policy that we have to keep the lights on in the province of Ontario. We have many conservation programs that are available to the people of Ontario that are offered through different providers like local distribution companies and in particular the independent electricity system operator. We've put a billion dollars into that energy efficiency program one that's making life more affordable. But let's be clear that member in particular supports a carbon tax and not just a small carbon tax he wants a carbon tax that's even bigger than the one that Justin Trudeau is imposing on the people of Ontario next Monday. When it comes to affordability it's just not believable from the NDP. I'm not surprised the government dodged this question but the reality is thousands of Ontarians have been cheated by Enbridge and this government has to act. When people cut their energy use in their bills they clean our air and they help fight climate change. With this move Enbridge will make people sour on investing in their homes to make life better for all of us. Will the government tell Enbridge that they have to correct this abuse of everyday people right now? Mr. Speaker that member from Toronto Danforth the long time energy critic for the NDP would wipe out natural gas tomorrow. So to all of those Enbridge customers that are out there think about it for a second. He would be ripping your home heating out of your home. Not only is he against natural gas Mr. Speaker that member opposite is against the investments that we make in our nuclear facilities. Nuclear provides a missions free base load power to our province 24 hours a day 7 days a week that's affordable and employ 76,000 power workers engineers and building trades in our province every single day Mr. Speaker. As a matter of fact the energy critic for the NDP was participating in a town hall saying that nuclear is dangerous to the health of people when it's actually the reason that we're off goal in Ontario and they are a major producer of not just Canada's but the world's nuclear medicine through nuclear isotopes Mr. Speaker. Anything the NDP says about energy is baloney Mr. Speaker. The minister on his choice of words the next question member for Ottawa South. Thank you very much Speaker my question is for the Premier. Speaker never has an Ontario government spent so much borrowed so much incurred so much debt to accomplish so little. Yesterday's budget did nothing to address the for Ontario families no ready for renters crossed by massive increases. And the Premier's NIMBY the Premier's NIMBY stopped the clock. The member for Ottawa South is speaking audibly but I can't hear you for some reason I could have something to do with the fact that the house is rather noisy at the moment I would ask the House to come to order so that I can hear the member for Ottawa South. Thank you. Start the clock member for Ottawa South. Thank you Speaker I'm glad to have the members attention this Premier's NIMBY I'll take care of my friends first approach is not making affordable housing a reality for any Ontario families and thanks to this Premier every day more and more Ontarians are having to pull out their credit card instead of their OHIP card to access basic primary care services so my question speakers to the Premier why did he do nothing to address affordability in this budget for Ontario families to apply thank you thank you Mr. Speaker for that question you know Mr. Speaker when that member opposite in his party were in power for 15 years deficit after deficit after deficit after can I go on do we have time for 15 years of deficits Mr. Speaker what did we get what did they build did they build hospitals did they build highway public transit did they build schools the Ontario for tomorrow no they spent money deficit after deficit ramped up the debt and we got Scottish for that Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker it's this government that has a vision under this Premier to build Ontario those deficits will pass we have a path to balance but you know what will be left the legacy of building the infrastructure thank you yesterday's budgets near increase to the health care in this province amounts to a cut and that's left to 2 million Ontarians without a family doctor without hope they need access to primary care and under this Premier too many families are now having to face using their credit card instead of their OHIP card to access basic primary care services and the Premier he knows this is happening and he's just watching and by all accounts that's just fine with him this Premier he's really ready to point a figure but never able to lift one so I'll ask the Premier again the Premier had an opportunity to actually take some measures to address the affordability crisis so why didn't he please take their seats order the Minister of Finance Mr. Speaker Premier and I and our colleagues you know the other day we stood forward in the front of the people of Ontario and you know what we did we continued the cut in the gas tax providing benefits for drivers right across this province Mr. Speaker yet their party supported by their leader who want to have the carbon tax in Ottawa increased next week by 23% Mr. Speaker you want to stand with us cutting taxes and cutting fees or you want to stand with them increasing taxes and increasing fees and let's look at Ottawa Mr. Speaker we're investing which party is getting the Ottawa Civic Hospital built party is building more schools in Ottawa which party order building more for Children's Hospital which party is building more highways with this party they didn't get it done the next question the member for Brantford branch you know he's the best thank you speaker my question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs Minister of Northern Development the carbon tax is making everything more expensive for all Ontarians but the people in northern Ontario are even more affected by the high cost of goods and travel because of this regressive tax clearly the federal Liberals do not care about the consequences the carbon tax has on northern communities as they plan to go ahead with their April 1 tax hike the independent Liberals and their leader the carbon tax queen Bonnie Cromby want to continue to burden the honest and hardworking people in our province with this disastrous tax unlike the opposition our government is working for the people of Ontario can the Minister please tell the House how the carbon tax is hurting northern Ontario Mr of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs thank you Mr Mr the MPP for his question this is true that just introduced and Bonnie Cromby make life too expensive and this is an emergency statement the carbon tax will increase of 23% on April 1 it is not an environmental tax though it increases the cost for all families and commerce our government must decrease the taxes and keep the money in the pockets of the companies and families we attempt to advance an ecological policy the strategy for the critical minerals and we wish to create a supplied chain for batteries since that we have we invest to improve the electrical car park but each time there's an issue it makes no sense that the government continues to punish individuals and families in the north with this regressive tax and to make matters worse the MPP and Liberal members in this House continue to support carbon tax hikes they actually agree with the federal Liberals plan to increase the carbon tax on gasoline six more times the government six more times by 2030 that is disgraceful the opposition may be fine with ignoring the impact that the carbon tax has on northern Ontario but our government knows that it will only continue to making life more difficult for residents enough is enough it is time to scrap this tax can the minister elaborate on the detrimental effects that the carbon tax is having on northern communities and businesses thank you this carbon tax does nothing to fight against weather changes we're 72 on 77 countries we're at the bottom of the list for the decision according to the list of weather performance this is not an environmental tax this is a fiscal tax this minister is one of the seven denouncing the increase of this carbon tax the prime minister are not the only one to object to this tax the taxpayer associations say that most Canadians are against this carbon tax therefore it is clear that just in Crudo and Bonnie Crandy are really far removed from the reality the Ontario people has spoken it is time to scrap the carbon tax thank you Mr Speaker thank you if you're a parent looking for affordable childcare in Ontario yesterday's budget from this conservative government isn't for you at a time when childcare operators are warning of closure workers are leaving the sector in droves and parents are seeing hundreds of dollars more in the cost of their childcare because operators had to withdraw from the program this government didn't even mention the word childcare beyond a footnote my question to the Premier parents are waiting for affordable childcare why did your budget ignore them members to make their comments to the chair to reply the Minister of Education Mr Speaker what's also not in the budget is the carbon tax which is something we are standing up against every single day because members opposite seem to generalize affordability on working parents we will not increase the cost of groceries, of baby goods of fewer and punished people to go to work or drop off their kids at the local school or childcare centre but talking about childcare it's an aggressive conservative government not ironically the action slash childcare fair by 50% saving an average family in this province $6,000 to $10,000 a year that is meaningful when it comes to delivering affordability for working people we are building 19,000 spaces in Toronto 86,000 across this province we know there is more work to do we are working with an imperfect system but we stood up to this Liberal Prime Minister for a better deal for the people we represent we will not fight for more affordable childcare for Ontario families the issues with this budget aren't limited just to childcare speakers school boards across this province were reporting deficits before this budget which doesn't even keep up with inflation the minister knows what this will mean more cuts to student programs and supports why is this conservative government failing our students and schools Mr Speaker I am proud of a budget that increases investments in public education the highest levels ever recorded in Ontario history I mean Speaker the numbers tell a story in 2023 the education spending was $36.6 billion it is on track to hit $40 billion in 2026 it's up $2 billion in just two years that is a proof positive that we are investing now we are hiring 3,000 more teachers 75 more education workers part of this budget is an increase in funding to combat issues of insecurity in our school board an additional investment to improve math the hiring of 800 specialized literacy educators to boost the fundamental skills that we know matter to the course and success of a child this budget invests in our kids it invests in better futures it invests in better jobs it will always ensure our children have a better education that leads them to better jobs in this province the next question I recognize the member for Glengarry Prescott Russell thank you Mr Speaker my question is for the minister of natural resource and forestry when I spoke with my constituents in the writing of Glengarry Prescott Russell last week I kept hearing how the federal carbon tax is making life more unaffordable with many people in Ontario already dealing with a rising cost of living and eye interest rates the last thing they need is another tax hike Speaker this punitive tax is increasing the cost of everything in our province after next month's increase Ontarians will be paying 1.6 cents extra on every leader of gas costing them hundreds of dollars every year of course that's unacceptable the federal liberal need to scrap this tax now Speaker can the minister tell this house how our government is keeping costs down for Ontarians the minister of natural resources and forestry thank you very much Speaker for the question I'd love to tell the house how we're keeping costs down for Ontarians and our finance minister has done a great job at doing that today as well but Mr. Speaker we know that the carbon tax it's everywhere it's in the bush when people want to go hunting and they want to get on their ATV they had to pay carbon tax on the fuel for that ATV they had to pay carbon tax in the truck to get out and enjoy the great outdoors it's never ending it's impacting our traditional ways of life just trying to go and enjoy hunting enjoy fishing well there's someone being hunted alright Mr. Speaker it's the wallets of every Ontarian by the liberals and the NDP by the carbon tax and I'll tell you what it's in the sights and on April 1st the kill shots gonna happen and it's gonna take all the money they won't rest they want to take all that money for carbon tax and take away our traditions our ways of life in the north that we respect this government supplementary question well thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the minister for his response the carbon tax is punishing the hardworking people of this province and speaker it's only gonna get worse the liberal and the NDP wanting to nearly triple this carbon tax by 2030 unacceptable everything from the price of groceries to fuel costs will increase because of their liberal tax ikes speaker individual and families in rural Ontario rely heavily on their vehicle for transportation their carbon tax is negatively impacting residents of rural Ontario as they are hit hardest at the gas pumps while the opposition members representing these communities support these ludicrous tax our government will continue to advocate for all Ontarians speaker can the minister explain what our government is doing to make life more affordable for northern and indigenous communities and rural communities thanks very much speaker and again thanks to the great member for the question you know since becoming minister of natural resources in forestry of course I've had opportunity to travel throughout so much of the province especially in northern Ontario recently I've been to Timmins I've been to Thunder Bay I've been to Atacocan and communities in between and you know what I noticed something pretty obvious in these communities people rely on their vehicles there isn't a subway service there isn't a GO train I know a few years ago I wrote an April Fools joke about Bracebridge having a subway service that was just a joke there aren't other options for people in the north they need their vehicles to take people to school every day they need their vehicles to get to the grocery store they need their vehicles to get to work it's their only option it's why our government cut the gas tax and have extended that because we respect Ontarians our government is fighting back against the failed liberal plan to make life unaffordable in northern Ontario we need to scrap that tax April 1st is almost here no first table thank you thank you very much the next question the member for Muskegawak James Faye thank you Mr. President to the Premier thank you Mr. President for the Premier in the budget that was tabled yesterday we noticed that the budget against the forest fire was of 216 million this year is now 135 millions for 2024 2025 it's a big drop Minister when we want to grant more for the Rangers how can you justify this reduction of 30.5% decrease when we need to fight forest fires to reply the minister of natural resources and forestry thank you very much speaker we are dedicated to fighting fires all throughout northern Ontario and we have made this point clear over and over again with an increase in the budget to fight forest fires in Ontario that was $69.8 million we took office almost $135 million today that was a 90% increase that's our dedication to making sure that we keep communities infrastructure individuals safe we're supporting our forest fire fighters and forest Rangers by making sure that we have enough having more crews making sure that more people want to come into this profession we've got great skilled knowledgeable people that are there today more people on the way again all in an effort to keep communities safe in Ontario Mr. Speaker we are remorseless in our response to make sure that Ontarians remain safe whether it's in the north in the east in the south we'll make sure that our forest Rangers and everyone through AFFES are ready to make sure we get the job done thank you the supplementary, the member for Thunder Bay Superior North thank you premier to the premier through you speaker your government announced a one-time bonus for wild land firefighters a great PR stunt that completely ignores the need for a higher base salary for these workers it continues to amaze me how disrespectful the government is towards wild land firefighters the bonus was a take it or leave it offer that did not come out of consultation with the workers yes or no will your government commit to permanently raising the wages of wild land firefighters Mr. Speaker it's absolutely astounding that the opposition stands up and takes what was a $5,000 bonus in the hands of heroes in the hands of people that go out every day and do a tough job and try to turn that into a negative Mr. Speaker it is an opportunity for more people to become forest minor rangers in Ontario it is an opportunity to show those that are in the system that we respect the fact that they have knowledge that they want to share with others it's an opportunity to make sure that everybody throughout AFFES is receiving compensation this year that recognizes the efforts that they go through all the time Mr. Speaker the floor is always open to speak with our great forest fire rangers and we do that and we listen the opposition knows that and we will continue to do what is right for Ontarians what is right for forest fire rangers in this province which is listen to them work with them the member for Hamilton now and please come to us every single day next question the member for new market Aurora the minister of small business the federal government's punitive carbon tax is making it harder for Ontario small businesses to survive and thrive the job killing tax increases the cost on everything from heating to electricity to transportation and raw materials small businesses in our province are already struggling with high inflation issues and labour shortages the last thing we need right now is more financial burden from the federal liberals our government stands squarely behind Ontario's hardworking small business owners we will continue to be the voice of further interest and call for an end of this carbon tax Speaker can the associate minister please tell the House how this harmful tax adversely impacts small businesses in our province the associate minister for small business thank you speaker and to the member from new market Aurora for raising such a critically important issue facing small businesses across our province speaker I have been hearing directly from entrepreneurs and job creators about the severe negative impacts the federal government's punitive carbon emissions and their bottom line the message is loud and clear the carbon tax is an unbearable cost that is crippling small businesses and making it harder for them to survive many small businesses are already stressed by high inflation and supply chain disruptions and let's not forget speaker that Ontario small businesses employ well over 2 million people so when they suffer it's the hardworking people of Ontario that will rise through job losses and fewer local services speaker will the opposition Liberals and NDP join us in calling on Aurora to scrap the tax or will they continue to ignore the small businesses in their writings and across our province that's a great supplementary question thank you speaker and thank you to the associate minister for that response it's clear the opposition and the federal government the concerns of Ontario's job creators the carbon tax continues to negatively impact small business owners in the construction sector who are helping the government build more homes speaker our government refuses to go down the path of unaffordability and inaction from cutting provincial gas taxes to reducing housing developmental fees and red tape we are providing substantive pocketbook relief to Ontarians but we know that more still needs to be done that's why we will keep on calling on the federal government to scrap it's disastrous urban tax and it's detrimental cost on small businesses stop the clock stop the clock the member for new market Aurora has to take the member for Hamilton and the government house leader if they wish to have a conversation could they please do it outside the chamber not in the middle of question for you we still have five minutes to go start the clock the member for new market Aurora has to floor speaker could the associate minister elaborate on what steps our government is taking to push back against this job killing tax again to the member for their very passionate advocacy on this crucial issue impacting local businesses and families in their community in addition to the overall cost and burdens created by the carbon tax it's also specifically harming certain key sectors that are vital to our economy and the daily lives of Ontarians that's why I will be sending another letter to my federal counterparts to ask Aurora to pay billions of dollars owed in carbon tax rebates to every small business in our province the facts speak to themselves according to CFIB a shocking 82% of small businesses across this country oppose the carbon tax because it's unfair economy killing policy that compromises their competitiveness while delivering absolutely no tangible benefits and yet the Liberals need a reality check and the NDP continue to arrogantly dismiss these voices from the entrepreneurial backbone of our economy Speaker Thank you very much Thank you very much The next question is the member for Humber River Black Creek Thank you Speaker my question is for the Premier Speaker the budget dropped and once again it's groundhog day for Ontario drivers auto insurance premiums in the country every year every year the government promises action and like clockwork the rates go up higher than inflation they even went up during the pandemic when cars were parked and accidents were way down now the minister's newest gimmick is to get drivers to slash their own coverage to save a penny but in the media you wouldn't even promise this would actually reduce premiums man the insurance companies are smiling they're so proud of him and if he pulls this off he'll make it to the auto insurance company Hall of Fame good luck minister so will the minister finally come clean and admit that the insurance companies themselves are writing his own policies on auto insurance Mr. Finance can reply Well thank you Mr. Speaker I'm sure the member opposite for that question you know I don't know what the member opposite has against consumer choice and more consumer keen and convenience Order I don't know but you know Mr. Speaker I'm sure the member opposite because he's a very studious fellow an unlearned fellow he follows current events that knows that there's a lot of auto theft in this province and Mr. Speaker this government is the one combating auto theft the budget and quarter for helicopters to be purchased by the OPP to be able to do their jobs we're going to give more tools to our enforcement officers across this province so they can come back and go after the bad guys Mr. Speaker but listen let's join let's lock arms and let's go down to Ottawa and ask the federal government to help us at the port where those cars go in and get shipped off to other countries driving the cost of insurance up Alright Speaker he's not going to admit it it would just be too awkward on the golf course when he's out there with these insurance execs but you know what you really really got to admire his loyalty to these companies he's always there to stand up for them and do PR in the house for him when I ask a question about auto insurance so you know what let's talk about discrimination in auto insurance right after the last election the Premier himself said he'd fix it but here we are two years later and they just can't get it done and in this budget get this they're going to buy more time and study it for another two years you just can't make this stuff up it's like they're driving in reverse so will the minister tell the drivers in Brampton Scarborough, Vaughn and my community why just can't get it done for them on auto insurance I would just say this I think the member opposite is actually better than that and if he thinks that insulting somebody is a way to make a point he's certainly not the place for that I know that he's better than that and I hope that in future the debate will be elevated beyond insults thank you very much that concludes our question period for this morning