 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Yesterday I asked why the government was suddenly ruling out missing middle housing options like fourplexes and risking losing billions in federal funding in the process. In response, the Minister told us that they needed more details, more details before they would decide if they'd accept the money. Speaker, the research has been done. The studies are clear and there's no time to waste, so I have to ask again, why is the Premier risking billions in badly needed federal funding by ruling out higher density options? The Minister of Missful Affairs and Housing. Actually, Speaker, that's in fact not what I said. What I said is that there were not enough details with respect to the announcements made by the federal government on its infrastructure programs. I also said that we would be working very closely with our municipal partners, both AMO, Big City Mayors, Roma, the Royal Ontario Municipal Association, and we will be coming forward with a Team Ontario approach to ensuring that we can access as much of the federal dollars that have been put on the table. At the same time, I've been very clear, the Premier has also been very clear that we don't think that we're in the best position to mandate what 444 municipalities should be doing across the province. We want to ensure that we meet our goals of building 1.5 million homes. That is why, of course, the Minister of Infrastructure has brought forward one of the largest infrastructure programs in the history of the province to ensure that we can get sewer and water in the ground. It is also backed up by a Minister of Education who will be building more schools, a Minister of Transportation who is building more roads and transit. We're building communities, Mr. Speaker. The supplementary question. I'll tell you, I'll tell you, Speaker, Team Ontario is about to lose billions, billions because of this government ignoring not just us in the official opposition but ignoring everyone from grassroots activists to investors at Scotiabank to the government's own Housing Affordability Task Force. Everyone agrees that people need more affordable homes now. The Premier used to agree, but now it seems like he's joined the chorus of nimby, fear-mongering by ruling out the solutions that we know are needed here in the province of Ontario. So why is the Premier ignoring the experts, ignoring the people of this province and standing in the way of getting housing built? Mr. Speaker, please take those seats. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Well, look, Mr. Speaker, to be clear, it's not me ignoring the NDP. It's pretty much the people of the province of Ontario who have ignored the NDP for a number of, for decades, frankly. The reality is that we want to work with our municipal partners. There's 444 of them who have very unique circumstances across the province of Ontario. We have set a goal of building 1.5 million homes, and across the province we've heard one issue constantly gets in the way of building more homes, and that is sewer and water, and that is why we brought forward a nation-leading program of 1.8 billion dollars to build sewer, water, roads and bridges across the province of Ontario. But what also gets in the way, Mr. Speaker, are high taxes and regulation, Speaker. So the high interest rate policies of the federal government, because of high inflation, because of overspending and taxation, is stopping people from building homes. It is also stopping people from being able to afford homes, Mr. Speaker. So what we're going to continue to do is double down on removing red tape, putting sewer and water and infrastructure in the ground, working with our municipal partners to build not only hundreds of homes, but millions of homes and communities across the province. Thank you. Final supplementary. Speaker, they're ruling out options. They're risking billions in funding. It's no wonder that we are no closer to getting those housing targets met. But don't worry, they've got a plan for that. First, they added long-term care beds to the count, and now they're adding dorm rooms, Speaker. Dorm rooms. I mean, you can't even have a microwave in a dorm room. My goodness, that is not a home. What's next? Speaker, people don't want padded housing numbers. They want a decent place to live. If the Premier can't get housing built, will he at least get out of the way so somebody else can do it? Members of the please take their seats. I think that really highlights the difference between progressive conservatives and liberal and NDP, right? So student housing shouldn't count according to the leader of the opposition. We are seeing... Order. It should be no surprise to anybody, right? Because we saw what the federal government did. Unilateral cuts to post-secondary education that is putting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across this country at risk. So when we say we're going to invest in student housing so that students can have a home, they say it shouldn't count, Mr. Speaker. I have talked about the student, the family in my writing. He works at Circle K. He works at the Petro-Canada. He and his family live in a basement apartment miles away from their college. You know what he says to me? He'd like to live closer to the college. He'd like to live on campus. He would like options for the NDP. He's a bother. He's a nuisance for us. He's somebody who builds the province of Ontario. And we will stand by him every step of the way. Members will please take their seats. Stop there. Members will take your seats. The House will come to order. Order. Order. Start the clock. The next question. Leader of the opposition. What are they going to count next? You know, jail cells? I mean, come on. Housing. We need homes. Speaker, every Ontarian should also be able to see a doctor. They should absolutely be able to see a doctor when they need it. But right now, 2.3 million Ontarians do not have a family doctor. And that number is expected to nearly double in 2026. That's going to be more than a quarter of the population in Ontario, Speaker. Despite the need, community health clinics haven't seen a base budget increase in 15 years. They were forgotten in this year's budget, too, while local clinics are being left to scrape by. The Premier's budget for his office has somehow doubled in 2018. Does that seem right to the Premier? The Department of Assistant to the Ministry of Health. Thank you, Speaker. And I thank the member from the opposition for allowing me to speak about Ontario's world-class health care system. Our government has taken bold action through your health plan. Ontario is leading the country with over 90% of Ontarians having a family doctor or primary care provider. Since 2018, we've registered over 12,500 new physicians in Ontario, with 10% of those being family physicians. But we do understand more needs to be done. The NDP went office. They cut 10% of medical enrollment seats. And the former Liberal Premier in 2015 removed 50 medical residency positions, leaving Ontario with hundreds less of physicians practicing their course today. We also just announced the York University investment where it will be exclusively towards family physicians. We will continue doing what is needed for the people of Ontario to ensure that we have the best publicly funded health care. Response? One last question. You've got to wonder, Speaker, which of the 48 staffers wrote that question. Anyway, that response. This question, again, is for the Premier. Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Canada Health Act, enshrined into law the principle of universal public health care in this country. I'll be very proud of. I would think today of all days the government would affirm their commitment to preserving the right to access health care based on need, not on the ability to pay. They've paid lip service to the Canada Health Act, but their actions show they're only interested in expanding those private for-profit clinics. Can the Premier tell us what directives he has issued to prevent unfair billing for primary care? Thank you, Speaker. And I thank the Leader of the Opposition, to speak about Ontario's world-class health care system. Our government will not tolerate clinics taking advantage of a loophole created by federal legislation. We need the federal government to take action to ensure all people of Ontario and Canadians can access publicly funded primary care. The Ministry reviews all possible violations that come to its attention to ensure that all OHIP-insured patients who are charged for an insurance service are reimbursed and full. If the NDP is serious about expanding access to primary care, we invite them to vote in favour of our budget that will connect hundreds of thousands of people to primary care in their community for years to come. Thank you, Speaker. Supplementary. Speaker, I'll tell you what. This government's platitudes mean nothing to the 2.3 million Ontarians who are struggling to find a family doctor right now to those standing in line to register for a doctor or those waiting hours and hours in emergency rooms. Times are tough for Ontarians and this government is only making it harder by compromising that treasured health care system, that public health care system that we all believe so strongly in. The government is moving at an absolutely glacial pace approving and funding integrated primary care teams. They either don't understand the urgency speaker or they're hoping they can push everyone into for-profit health care for-profit friends. So to the Premier, which is it incompetence or insiders? Please take their seats. The Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let's look at the history of medical schools. The Liberals and the NDPs have voted against every single measure we've taken to increase medical seats in this province. Budget 2020 was the largest expansion in medical seats in over 10 years and you voted against it. Budget 2023. Again, another increase in medical seats and guess what? They voted against it. Budget 2024. A new medical school at York University that will be specifically for family medicine. I urge both of you, the NDP and the Liberals, to get on board and support Budget 2024 and see access to more family medicine in this province. The next question, the member for Nickelbelt. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. President. My question is for the Minister of Health. This is the reality of rural and northern Ontario. We deserve access to care, Speaker. Why is this government ignoring the crisis in rural and northern Ontario? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member for allowing me to speak about Ontario's world-class healthcare. Our government is investing over $85 billion this year alone into our healthcare system, which is a 30% increase when we took power in 2018. Ontario is leading the country with almost 90% of Ontarians having a family doctor or primary healthcare provider. But we understand more can be done. That is why in Sault Ste. Marie we have two new primary care units that are going to be going on with $1.1 million. Since 2018, we have registered 12,500 new physicians in Ontario including a 10% increase in family doctors. But as I said, we know more needs to be done. In this year's budget, we went even further. The primary care expansion has expanded to a total investment of $546 million over three years to connect $600,000 more Ontarians. Supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. People were hoping to gain access, but the minister said no to their proposal. This means that 80 years old, 90 years old Ontarians with multiple chronic diseases do not have access to primary care. It doesn't have to be that way, Speaker. We have solutions sitting on the minister's desk right now collecting dust. Will the minister start listening to rural Ontario on these proposals right now? Please take their seats. Part of that persistent, Minister. Thank you, Speaker. Our government has taken bold action through your health plan, and we are taking innovative steps to grow our workforce to better service the people of Ontario and now for years to come. Ontario is investing more in northern health than any other previous government, but we know we can do better. Our plan is investing in infrastructure boosting health human resources and adding educational supports for the future. Our government is also expanding the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. NASM will soon offer 108 seats, nearly doubling the capacity of their MD program. They'll increase from 60 postgraduate positions to 123 by 2028. Speaker, we will continue to work with our health care partners across the province to ensure that Ontario has the best publicly funded health care when and where people need it. Thank you. The next question, the member for Niagara West. Thank you, Speaker, and I have a question for the Minister of Energy today. On April 1st, we saw the Federal Liberal Carbon Tax go up, not 10%, not 15%, not 20%, but 23% for the people of Ontario. We saw opposition to this increase from Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Here in Ontario, we've taken a leadership position and say that we don't need more carbon tax increases on the people of Ontario, yet we see that Bonnie Cromby, the leader of the Liberals here in Ontario, is on fighting to raise the carbon tax. We see that families in Ontario in my riding of Niagara West can't afford to spend more on groceries, more on gas more in every aspect of life, and I know that this is a government that isn't going to give up on fighting for those hardworking families here in Ontario. So I know that we're continuing to fight this tax every step of the way, and I'm wondering if the Minister could share more with the Chamber about why it's important that the Government of Ontario and all members in this House step up to stop spending hardworking families. Member for Renford, Nipissing Tembook and Parliamentary Assistant to Minister Renford. I want to thank the Member for Niagara West for continuing to stand up against this punitive regressive carbon tax. And he's exactly, he's absolutely right Speaker. It has raised the cost. It's not just at the pumps. It's on the grocery shelves. It's everywhere. Everything is going up as a result of the carbon tax. And we've been standing here and fighting for the people of Ontario and trying to reduce their cost. Reducing the gas tax $320 to the average family in the course of a year. That's going to save them money. We're moving the cost of license place stickers on the cars. That's going to save them money as well. All of these things while the Liberal Government continues to raise the carbon tax 23% on April 1st. Justin Trudeau had a choice. He decided with the people or sided with the ideologues. He chose the former. He chose the latter. It's time to side with the people and scrap the tax. It's a supplementary question. Thank you very much. And I want to thank the parliamentary assistant for his response because it is really hard to imagine how anyone in the province of Ontario could support raising the carbon tax at a time when things are so expensive. Speaker, the previous Liberal Government drove away investments. We saw them increase the debt for this province and also punish Ontario families with more tolls and taxes in every corner of their life. And under Bonnie Cromby we see that the Liberal members of this House also refuse to stand up against the Federal carbon tax. We know that Ontario families can't afford more Liberal taxes. It's what they've come to expect from the Federal Government. It's what they saw from the Provincial Liberals. But Speaker, this is a Government that is standing in contrast with that tax and spend burden. Could the parliamentary assistant please explain to this House and to my constituents who are watching what we are doing to support the people of Ontario, what we are doing to reduce the cost of living for them and their families in contrast with the Federal carbon tax increases. Thank you again, Speaker, and thank you to the member for his supplementary. And this is what we've been doing all along to try to support the people of Ontario in the wake of Justin Trudeau's carbon tax, which is going up another six times compared to last year. Thank you to the Associate Minister of Transportation, One Fair, which is going to reduce the cost of people travelling on transit throughout the GTA by $1,600 per year. We've reduced the cost of doing business in this province by $8 billion. That gets passed on to the consumers because businesses have had more freedom to operate here in the province of Ontario creating more jobs. John B. stands with her leader from Ottawa in supporting the carbon tax. Speaker, we are doing everything we can to put money back into the pockets of people in the province. We know they're suffering under the carbon tax. It's time for the Liberals and the NDP to support what they're doing to help us scrap the carbon tax. Thank you. The next question to the member for Toronto, Dan Ford. Thank you, Speaker. My question to the Premier. There are many landlords across Ontario who owe tenants a lot of money. Money in the thousands of dollars. Big landlords regularly ignore the requirements to reduce rents when above guideline rent increases expire so tenants everywhere are paying illegal rents. Will you take steps? Will the Premier take steps to ensure landlords follow the law and reduce rents for tenants so they can pay their bills? The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have a fix for that, Mr. Speaker. It's an independent tribunal, the landlord-tenant board, Mr. Speaker. I can tell you that we are making tremendous progress with what we call the Aggies, the above guideline increases. Independent hearings by independent members are hearing concerns. They're making decisions. They're getting the decisions at the door. 90% of the time within 30 days, Mr. Speaker. So I'll address it more in the supplement, Mr. Speaker. But we have a process and it's a proper process to address any kind of concern like that, Mr. Speaker. And the supplementary question in the number 3, University Lawsdale. Back to the Minister. This is a very serious matter. It is the difference between buying groceries or not for a renter. The difference between keeping up with your bills or not. Tenants should not be paying illegal rents and landlords. But in Ontario today they are. My question is to the Minister. Will you take action to curb AGI abuse and protect tenants and get them the money that they are owed? Please take their seats. The Attorney General. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will in fact make investments to make sure that any illegal whether it be rents or otherwise are dealt with by the independent tribunal. We have doubled the number of adjudicators, Mr. Speaker. We are almost at full-time adjudicators, Mr. Speaker. And they are hearing more cases than ever. They are making sure that people get their day at the tribunal. We are investing in the back office. We have invested in upgraded systems that the Liberals left in a shambles when we took over, Mr. Speaker. But we are beyond that. That is now history. We have a good system. We have good people. We have a system that is coming down. And we are going to make sure that people have their matters heard independently, fairly and quickly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. The next question, the member for Leeds, Granville, Thousand Islands, Rita Lakes. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The Federal Liberals are turning their back on the hard-working people of Ontario, whether it's the auto worker in Windsor, the miner in Timmins or the tech engineer in Waterloo. They are all concerned about the rising cost of living. The absolute last thing that a government should be doing is making things more expensive by hiking taxes. But that's exactly what the Federal Liberal Government did last Monday when they increased the carbon tax. As we all know, the carbon tax is driving the cost of everything across the board, penalizing Ontario workers and squeezing businesses in every sector of our province. The Minister explained how, by cutting cost, our government is able to create the conditions for job growth and new investment. Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The carbon tax is holding us back from unleashing the full potential of Ontario. But we've shown the Liberals the way. Less red tape and lower taxes we have removed 500 pieces of red tape that the Liberals put in. Our fall red tape production package alone is saving people and businesses over 100,000 hours each year. As a result, 700,000 more men and women are working today than when we took office. Last year alone, we added 180,000 new jobs in Ontario and 11 billion dollars in new investments. Imagine, just imagine what we could have achieved without the carbon tax. Supplementary question. The workers and businesses have been clear. They're already struggling with price increases and they can't afford the Liberal carbon tax. But instead of listening to them, the Liberals are listening to their radical environment minister and his out of touch activist friends who could not be more detached from the reality that working Ontarians are facing right now. With the stroke of a pen speaker the Federal Liberals could scrap the carbon tax and bring down the cost of gas by nearly 18 cents a liter while simultaneously alleviating inflationary pressures not just in Ontario but across our country. But instead, they've chosen to proceed with their 23% carbon tax hike. And while elected officials of all political stripes are standing up against the carbon tax, Bonnie Cromby and the provincial Liberals have not said one word. Speaker, can the minister highlight the progress of Ontario's economy since we took office and since we've lowered costs? Your economic development, job creation and trade. Speaker, we all remember what the province's economy was like under the Liberals. They chased jobs and businesses out of the province including losing 300,000 manufacturing jobs. We came to office and, Speaker, we completely reversed that course. We reduced the cost of doing business by 8 billion dollars every year. The result, 28 billion dollars in new auto investment, 3 billion dollars in new life science investment and tens of billions of dollars in new tech investment. Speaker, we refuse to let the Liberals jeopardize the progress that we have made. Scrap the carbon tax today, work with us to create the conditions for growth in Ontario. Thank you. The next question, the number 4, Ottawa Centre. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. It begins with some unfortunate news in this House, however. There is something growing faster in Ontario than the number of 6 figure staffers in the Premier's office. It's the army of vice presidents that work for CEO of Metrolinx, Phil Verster. So my question to the Premier is very simple. Can he say to this House if he has confidence in Metrolinx right now and its executive leadership? Mr. Speaker, Metrolinx and their team are undertaking the largest public transit infrastructure investment in the history of not only Canada but all of North America, Mr. Speaker. And you know what, Mr. Speaker? Those members, including the Liberals for 15 years who did absolutely nothing to build transit in this province, vote against every single one of those transit projects. The Ontario Line, Mr. Speaker, 388,000 daily boardings projected. 28,000 fewer cars on the road once that line is built. And you know what, Mr. Speaker? That member has voted against those public transit investments every single time, Mr. Speaker. Let's look at the Young North subway extension. Another project this government is delivering on 4,800 tonnes of GHD emission reduction when that project is built. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? That member has voted against it every single time. Mr. Speaker, we'll continue to build public transit across this province and we will be ambitious and continue to do what the previous Liberal government refused to do which is build for the future generations. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My friend the transportation minister left an important fact out in that response so I want to clarify it for the House. Ontario, sadly, under this government has become the most expensive place to build public transit in the world. In the world, Mr. Speaker. And meanwhile, under their watch, their timeline list is that the number of vice presidents at Metrolinx has tripled. Tripled. In 2018, there were 27 and today there are 82. They have billions of dollars over budget of their projects. They are constantly late and it confounds reason to know that this government keeps expanding the paychecks of their executives. Normally I would think a conservative would say you don't reward failure. Gentlemen, please for the transit users and work of this province, why are you rewarding failure? When will you rein in the gravy trade at Metrolinx? It's time for action. Members of the please take their seats. Minister of Transportation. Mr. Speaker, we need to build public transit in this province. Mr. Speaker, when that member and the previous Liberal government had an option to put forward legislation that would help us build public transit faster, guess what they did? They voted against it every single time. The Building Transit Faster Act Mr. Speaker, it's on the record the members of the public, anybody listening can actually take a look at that member's record the NDP and the Liberal record on that. We want to get shovels in the ground and guess what Mr. Speaker, we do have shovels in the ground on the Ontario line on the Eglinton West extension in the young north subway extension we've put the RFQ to market Mr. Speaker the Scarborough subway extension shovels in the ground. This is historic Mr. Speaker and if the NDP and if the Liberals did what we experienced for the last 15 years we'd have no shovels in the ground we'd have no public transit on this project so I ask the members of the Liberals and the NDP to support public transit in this province, to support investments that we are making so we can move the people of the province. Thank you Mr. Speaker. In 2018 the Premier ran a tough talking campaign aimed at convincing Ontarians the previous government was wasting taxpayer money he spoke about the growing sunshine list of public sector employees earning over $100,000 one would think he was some kind of Robin had figure who was going to take from the rich and give to the poor. His record in office proves otherwise. Speaker this government has made many mistakes Bill 124, axing workers' rights the Green Belt scandal to name just a few. But now Speaker the government has a mistake right in the Premier's office. The Premier has added so many new sunshine list employees to his staff that it's costing taxpayers more than double what it did under any previous government. My question to the Premier, is he ready to admit that he is running a government that is full of friends insiders and fat cats to use his own words and clean up the bloated mess in his office. Mr. Ms. Voltaire's in housing. Speaker what we're doing is running a government that is delivering on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario. The increased taxes deliver nothing the increased red tape deliver nothing are there more people working in the province of Ontario? Yeah there are about 700,000 more people working because we're doing what they wouldn't do we're actually investing in people we have the largest transit and transportation in the province's history we have the largest investment in hospitals in the province's history the largest investment in new schools in the province's history we have the largest investment in economic development ever and you know why because people want to come to Ontario and make the Ottawa South come to you know why they want to do that because they have a competent progressive conservative stable majority government and we're delivering for them cutting taxes making investments more jobs it's a good time to be a progressive conservative. Thank you Thank you. Any supplementary question? Thank you Speaker certainly this government does have the biggest premier's office in history once again the standards this government holds itself to just don't apply to them. Speaker this premier has a long history of railing against governments wasting money the so-called gravy train. I remember him railing against it as a city councillor and Ontarians heard him do it during provincial campaigns yet during his six years in office the premier has not hesitated to create new executive positions for his friends giving every member of the conservative caucus except one a pay raise and doubling the number of staff in the premier's office making a hundred grand or more a year I guess it's hard for the premier to rail against the gravy train and stop to his own waste in gravy Speaker back to the premier how exactly is his gravy train deluxe different from everything he has railed against in the past and how will he stop the gravy train deluxe this time around when he has only himself to blame Chairman House Leader It's easier for a former bank of Canada government to talk about that right when their watch we've seen increases in interest rates that have put hundreds of thousands of Ontarians out of the ability to even afford a home the leader of the Liberal Party's first ask was it for the people of the province of Ontario the first ask was what a million dollars to pay her salary that is what this member is supporting you know what we're doing we're cutting taxes for the people and they're all out range I can't take an order your leader who said it I disagreed with her I thought she should focus on the people of Ontario I thought she should seek a seat in the house and defend the policies like a higher carbon tax defend the policies of the budgeting that left this province in the state of almost bankruptcy under 15 years of Liberals the leader of the Liberal Party knows what we're doing what we're doing is making sure that we have an economy that works for all of the people we're fixing the mess that they left behind Mr. Speaker and we'll continue to do that job no other a member for Newmarket Aurora thank you Speaker my question is for the Minister of Energy the federal carbon tax went up again and Bonnie Cromby and her Liberals refused to oppose it shame Speaker we know that Ontario families cannot afford the carbon tax when I was door knocking last week in my riding of Newmarket Aurora people expressed concern over the high cost of living it seems like Justin Trudeau and his ally Bonnie Cromby don't understand how much harder life has become for Ontarians due to this carbon tax while the Liberals are pushing for higher taxes our government is lowering the cost for the people of Ontario Speaker can the Minister please explain how our government is keeping costs down for Ontarians fighting this terrible Liberal carbon tax Member for Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke the Minister of Energy Member for Newmarket Aurora not only for a question but a continued advocacy on this issue 17 cents a liter is what we're paying more for a leader of gasoline because of Justin Trudeau's carbon tax in a pickup truck like mine common way of transportation in rural Ontario that's over 20 bucks a tank that's what I'm hearing she's hearing it from her constituents that's what I'm hearing from mine when the cost of fuel goes up the cost of everything goes up because we need fuel to move everything in this province we need it so the reality is that either Bonnie Cromby and Justin Trudeau either they don't understand they just don't care well on this side of the house in this government we care we're lowering the cost of living by reducing that tax that's $320 a year for the average person and we're also removing the cost of license plate fees we will continue to fight this punitive carbon tax until it's gone thank you the supplementary question thank you speaker and thank you to the parliamentary assistant for his response it's encouraging to hear how our government is consistently introducing measures to provide real financial relief for Ontarians I've heard from many constituents who are pleased to see that our government is extending that gas tax cut speaker now more than ever Ontarians need a government that will deliver true affordability not increase taxes our government must continue to demonstrate leadership and support Ontario families during these challenging times speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please elaborate on the steps that our government is taking to support the great people of Ontario the member for Renfrew Mr. St. Pemberg thanks again to the member from Newmarket Aurora and again for the support that we continue to do to try to convince the federal Liberals and the queen of the carbon tax Bonnie Cromby that this is simply wrong but they're hearing it in boxcar letters all across the province everybody is saying the same thing they are being hurt and harmed their families are being hurt by the carbon tax but the Liberals just sit there like deer in the headlights like it doesn't matter to them I hear it all across my writing this tax is regressive it is punitive and speaker it is not accomplishing anything of what it was intended to do it is time for the Liberals in this house to talk to their chiefs and out in Ottawa until the queen of the carbon tax have a discussion with Justin it is time to strap this tax once and for all that people can't take much more the member for Niagara Falls thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the premier seniors in hospital are being fined $400 a day if they refuse to be sent to a long term care home they didn't choose even if it's up to 150 kilometers away from their family this government repeatedly denied the use of cruel practice under bill 7 the conservatives claim that bill 7 gives hospitals the authority to charge seniors $400 a day in order to force them out to clear old beds and create hospital capacity but we know wait times in hospitals remain historically high and one senior recently was slapped listen to this with a $5,200 bill wow shameful Speaker will the premier actually unaware of the charges being built to seniors or did he purposely hold that information to the media Minister of long term care Speaker our government believes that a hospital is not a home we repeat a hospital is not a home and under the same legislation that the member is referring to 99.96% of those people he is referencing have gone from being patients in a hospital to residents in long term care 17,300 1339 people now have the dignity of calling a home I guess we shouldn't be surprised by the attitude from the member opposite this morning the leader of the opposition mocked long term care homes as counting as homes mocked student housing as counting as homes and one step further and equated them to being jail cells Speaker we see things very differently our seniors took care of us with the record capacity fixing the mistakes that the Liberals made when they failed to build 611 new beds when they exited government in 2018 we will continue to not only build capacity we are ending hallway healthcare in Ontario Supplementary question Thank you Mr. Speaker Minister a senior had to pay $5,200 to a hospital as your party continues to ask question after question over affordability there's not a lot of seniors in the province in Ontario can afford $5,200 bill I don't care if it's one or ten they shouldn't have to pay that kind of money we've learned the minister has allowed nearly 300 seniors to be bullied and forced to move to a long term care home without their consent think about that it's your grandparents consent and he chooses to hide the information or is completely unaware that seniors were being fined $400 a day under his legislation and he still refuses to apologize to the seniors and their families they've hurt and intimidated and including the thousands of seniors that died of COVID in long term care homes under the government's watch are the seniors simply cash cows dispensable with this government or with a premier repeal bill 7 minister of long term care maybe he'll listen to his colleagues on the opposition benches alternate level of care it's a fancy word that means you really would like to be supported someplace else but you have no choice but to be in a hospital here's another one speaker these are patients should not be in hospital they should be in long term care or in retirement or assisted living option so speaker I have a question I mentioned the 17,000 who are no longer patients in a hospital now residents in long term care what about the 8,838 in ontario health west including Niagara region who have gone from hospitals to now living in long term care would the member like to go with me and tell those members all 8,800 of them that they're better off in a hospital if the member wants to do it will the member apologize for decades upon decades this government is finally picking up on their failures next question the member for Kitchener center thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier this weekend I met with residents in my riding who live at a building at 250 Frederick street please look it up they're all over the media they're being bullied by their bad acting landlord residents mostly seniors were handed N13 stating they have to vacate their unit so that the landlord can do renovations in Ontario people are losing their homes over a coat of paint and a dishwasher this scare tactic works it's used a lot by this so called investor who works in London done the same thing in Hamilton and might be coming for any of our ridings next he will scare you out of your home jack up the rent so he can make sky high profits since 2017 the use of N13 have risen by 300% and N12s have risen by 70% affecting over 20,000 people people who pay the rent and getting kicked out of their houses with nowhere to go my bill the keeping people house aim to stop bad acting landlords from clogging up the LTV and displacing tenants illegally will the premier support my bill and stop the hemorrhaging of tenants onto our streets can you turn it general thank you Mr. Speaker and I appreciate the question from the member opposite if the member would like to help she could support along the NDP could support the Liberals could support the Green Party could support but they don't they don't support any of the investments that we've made we have doubled the number of adjudicators we have last year last year we have taken in more cases than any time in the last 15 years Mr. Speaker we're up on case intake by 31% but we're up on resolution by 45% Mr. Speaker so we are fixing the system that they left in shambles and we will take no lessons from the Liberals chirping over there Mr. Speaker but I would ask the new Green member to please join us in making investments so that individual renters and landlords can actually get their cases heard fairly and quickly thank you Mr. Speaker supplementary question well I listen to tenants and I've listened to lawyers to use the system and I hope you'll do the same wait times at LTB have never been longer they're over 427 days and up to two years for tenants because it's a two-tier system and it was 70 days in 2018 so try something else it's not working my bill the Keeping People House Act if passed would stop the misuse of LTB by asking for proper paperwork before they get in the queue a queue might I add that is 53,000 long bringing back vacancy control would mean that bad acting landlords aren't giving pay increases when they kick seniors out of their homes because I thought in Ontario that when you break the law and you do a job badly you don't get a raise so Mr. Speaker the Premier says he cares about affordability that he wants people to save up for a home that he cares about justice so don't you agree that it shouldn't be luck it should be law to have a good enough landlord thank you Mr. Speaker and for all those fantastic landlords and fantastic tenants that are out there I do applaud them for being in that market Mr. Speaker but there are some bad actors there are some bad actors on both sides Mr. Speaker and the only way to resolve it is not political interference the way to resolve it is to have an independent tribunal have a hearing with evidence so that they can make a decision Mr. Speaker and that's what we're doing we're taking no shortcuts now the NDP and the Liberals during COVID said stop all hearing stop everything stop everything well we didn't stop everything Mr. Speaker and we do have a backlog but we are getting it down we're getting it down in a fair and equitable and a fast way Mr. Speaker we're putting the resources in double the number of adjudicators put a new back end system in hired more administrators and we are getting the job done Mr. Speaker next question the member for Mississauga Centre my question is for the associated minister of small business are the backbone of our economy and this was so evident when minister and I visited a small family owned business in my riding called Palma Pasta and congratulations to the Patrucci family for being a staple of Italian cuisine and Italian culture in Mississauga however the federal government is making an even harder for small businesses to survive and thrive with its massive 23% hike in the punitive carbon tax to $80 per ton this job killing tax is already increasing the cost on everything from heating to electricity transportation and raw materials small businesses are already struggling under the weight of high inflation, supply and trade disruptions and labour shortages this new carbon tax increase is yet another burden Speaker can the associate minister please further explain the impact the carbon tax has had on Ontario small businesses the associate minister for small business thank you speaker and close to my amazing colleague in Mississauga centre for raising an issue that's facing so many small businesses across Ontario speaker I have been hearing from entrepreneurs and job creators across our province about the devastating impacts the federal governments punishing 23% carbon tax increase to $80 per ton will have on their operations and their bottom line speaker the Canadian federation of independence business warns that over half of small firms will be forced to raise prices and the other half will need to freeze or reduce wages these are real on the ground effects of this tax increase speaker with small businesses being forced to make difficult decisions that could impact their abilities and their families this tax hike is not just a financial burden for these businesses it's a threat to the livelihoods of hardworking entrepreneurs but unlike the opposition liberals and NDP this government this premier will continue being the voice of Ontario small businesses and will continue to tell Ottawa to scrap the tax supplementary question thank you to the minister for her answer the contrast couldn't be more clear with the leadership of the premier we are supporting small businesses across the province speaker with many small businesses already struggling to repay their c-ballons the carbon tax is only adding further challenges they need relief not more taxes the opposition used to be all talk and no action but now all of a sudden they're staying silent when the federal liberals are hiking and so is the queen of the carbon tax Bonnie Cromby I think her new name should be Carbon Cromby because there isn't a single tax that she doesn't love our government has the backs of our hardworking entrepreneurs and job creators and we've got the record to prove it but we know that more must be done speaker can the associate minister tell the house how our government is pushing back against the carbon tax and its negative impacts the associate minister for small business thank you speaker again to the great member our government has been listening to the concerns of small business owners and entrepreneurs about the devastating effects of the federal carbon tax increase unlike the opposition we understand that overly burdensome taxes and costs make it harder for these job creators to survive let alone invest and grow it's simple economic speaker the FIB estimates each business is owed approximately $2,637 in rebates and yet the liberals and MDP have been completely silent well our government has had the backs of Ontario's 2 million hardworking small business employees and owners from day one and that's why we will continue to send another letter to my federal counterparts in Ottawa finally returned the $2.5 billion it has been held in promised carbon tax rebates to small businesses since 2019 speaker we will keep pushing the federal government thank you very much the next question Black Creek thank you speaker imagine signing a contract for a pre-construction freehold home you put down large sums of money during these tough times you are shocked to find out in the media that the project has been cancelled this continues to happen under this government and the government regulator will only post cancellations for condos but not freehold homes this information is vital for consumers so they can make the most informed choice when choosing a builder why is the government letting their regulator cherry pick the information it discloses to consumers on the builder directory public and business service delivery thank you Mr. Speaker I'm going to talk a little bit about the Humber River Black Creek for the question our government understands that the purchase of a home particularly a first home is one of the most important transactions that any of our citizens can engage in in their entire lives that is why we work closely in my ministry with two of the 12 administrative authorities that are devoted to consumer protection when it comes to new home purchases that's the home construction regulatory authority and terry on provides deposit protection so that consumers can get their deposits back despite the illegal activities of some home builders we continue to work closely with terry on to ensure that Ontarians get the very best protections when they are spending their hard earned money in our great province contrary to years of weak consumer protection by the former liberal government we have beefed up protections for consumers with Ontario's new home warranty protection program you mentioned questions Speaker it's not just information on cancellations that's missing from the builder directory consumers are still left in the dark when it comes to builder records to this very day there are still gaping holes in the directory where hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases were paid out to new home purchasers due to poor construction after years of fighting this lack of transparency is dangerous to the government if they can trust the government regulator at all what is taking the government so long and fixing the builder directory so consumers have the absolutely necessary information they need to make the best decision in purchasing a newly built home Mr. Public and Business Service thank you Mr. Speaker this government vowed to stop bad actors and illegal builders and illegal vendors from trying to make extra money off the backs just last year we announced new changes that strengthen the regulatory tools available to directly address this issue the system works the home construction regulatory authority acted on this matter in particular Merriman Homes and let's call that out because it's a public matter HICRA suspended the license of that organization on December 5th 2023 citing in the proposal that what occurred there was illegal or without proper authorization building and selling re-instatement of that license is contingent on proof to HICRA that there has been compliance with legal obligations with the capability of fulfilling obligations to consumers by June 30th 2024 the system works thank you Mr. Speaker the next question the member for Oakfield North Burlington thank you Speaker my question is for the amazing associate minister for transportation Speaker families in my community of Oakfield North Burlington need immediate relief from the carbon tax when people are already struggling to pay their bills and keep food on the table the carbon tax only adds further strain to their household budgets and yet the NDP and the Liberals think now is the time to raise taxes our government knows that the people of Ontario deserve better Speaker can the associate minister please explain what steps our government is taking to fight the carbon tax the associate minister of transportation Mr. Speaker thank you to the member from Oakville North Burlington for her advocacy and for that question Mr. Speaker unlike the NDP and Liberals we are fighting to put more money back into the pockets of hard working Ontarians that's why premier Ford our government is extending the gas tax to help make life more affordable Mr. Speaker the Liberals and NDP are ignoring the people of Ontario the Liberals and NDP do not care that people cannot afford grocery Mr. Speaker I invite the oppositions come to Scarborough you will hear from families upset as they pay more at the pumps and see their shopping cost more than ever before Mr. Speaker Liberals want higher taxes and they refuse to act the carbon tax Mr. Speaker we are the only party fighting to keep costs down our message is clear scrap the tax complimentary question thank you speaker and thank you to the associate minister for the response last week the federal government and their NDP allies raised the carbon tax by a staggering 23% speaker this defies logic this is completely unacceptable this disastrous tax is hurting families and businesses in Ontario it's forcing people to pay an extra 17 cents on the leader for the price of gas people in Ontario need relief not another tax the federal liberals need to listen to the hard working people of our province and scrap the carbon tax once and for all speaker can the associate minister tell the house how the liberal tax hike is hurting Ontarians the associate minister transportation thank you to the member for that question speaker true leaders listen to the people they represent liberals and NDP to take a trip to Burlington where the folks are stretching every dollar because the gas and electric bills have shot up with the carbon tax that's why under the leadership of premier Ford we scrap the highway tolls we reduce the gas tax and introduce one fair why because families need relief yet prime minister and they refuse to listen Mr. Speaker their response to longer foot lines raise taxes their response to higher fuel costs raise taxes Mr. Speaker that is not leadership Mr. Speaker here in Ontario our PC team will continue to put more money in the people's pocket and we will say no to carbon tax Seniors in retirement homes are considered tenants and fall under the ministry of housing there's no required standard of care and has become very clear the moment a land speculator sets their eyes on their rental homes the seniors can get turf doubt what is this government doing to protect seniors living in retirement homes the position of the NDP has changed during question period colleagues so apparently now retirement home is a home for the NDP because long-term care isn't a home but now a long-term care home is so I guess we got two minutes left to see what their position will morph into then Mr. Speaker what we're doing for the people of the province of Ontario including our seniors is not only investing in long-term care we're investing in all types of homes because I think the member hits the nail on the head one of the reasons why we brought in as of right three across the province is because we heard from seniors that they wanted to be in the communities that are smaller communities across the province that's why we're allowing garden suites and homes for people because a lot of people have said listen we want our family member to be with us Speaker we agree with that that's why we are building more we're meeting our targets but ultimately we ensure that tenants are treated fairly we're making investments in the long-term care board to ensure that that happens we will treat all Ontarians with the respect that they deserve thank you thank you 200 seniors who are residents of a Charthwell retirement home in Mississauga have received eviction notices giving them three months to get out and find a new place to live many of these seniors are paying $1,600 a month in rent some are in their 90s and some have been living in this retirement home for 25 years this renovation that they are experiencing is all about making profits for Charthwell Premiere where are these seniors supposed to go now into $5,000 a month Charthwell owned retirement homes Mr. Secretary of State that is why Mr. Speaker we are so focused on building more homes for the people of the province of Ontario I share the disappointment of the member opposite with respect to Mississauga's complete inability to build more homes of all types for their community we saw that in Mississauga towards the end of last year I think they had like 12 new homes start in that community but we are making substantial investments across Mississauga to ensure that we can build more homes of all types of homes it is why we are investing in as of right 3 it is why we are making more long-term care homes it is why we are building more affordable homes it is also why the associate minister is working on the attainable housing program because what we want to do is build 1.5 million homes of all types across the province of Ontario that is why we are investing in infrastructure investing in transit, transportation investing in healthcare because all of that matters in helping build communities and that is what we want to do for all of the people of the province of Ontario thank you very much thank you that concludes our question period for this morning the member for Brampton West