 It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition. Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. The post-secondary sector is at a breaking point with decades of chronic underfunding. Now, as we all know, Ontario's colleges and universities are bracing for the impact of a 50% reduction in international student permits. Through this government, provincial operating grants have been cut by 30%, and at least ten universities are projecting dramatic deficits. At the same time, international student recruitment has shot up. It's been outpacing, unfortunately, supports and housing. And that's happened since this Premier took office. Speaker, this government's plan seems to be to always break it and then privatize it. And it's us who pays for it. This time, it's the international students, too. So to the Premier, wasn't it the government's strategy all along to underfund colleges and universities and rely on the exploitation of international student tuition to make up the difference? And to respond, the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Speaker. Let's do a little bit of contrast here. Under Liberal leadership continued to increase tuition in this province so that it was the highest in Canada. Under the leadership of Premier Ford in 2019 decreased tuition by 10%. Look at the NDP government voted against those measures. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's historic announcement, $1.3 billion in new funding for post-secondary education tax of our students. We will continue to make tuition affordable for every student in this province. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. The Minister knows perfectly well that that is just half of what colleges and universities need. And these aren't just numbers, Speaker. These students came to Ontario with the promise of a better future, with good jobs and a safe place to live. And we need those skilled workers here. But they were sold a bill of goods and given false hope by this government. So, Speaker, what does the Premier have to say to those students who have had their dreams dashed because of this government's terrible decisions? And let's please take their seats, Mr. of Colleges and Universities. Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. You know what this Premier said? $1.3 billion in new funding for post-secondary education. We, our friends in this province, have access and affordability in post-secondary education. We can all agree there's an affordability crisis in this province and across Canada. It's expensive to eat, to eat for gas. And we acknowledge that. And I see Usa in the crowd with us today. And thank you for your support. And this is why we are doing this. We want to ensure affordability and tuition in this province. Thank you to the Premier for his strong leadership in assuring that that will continue for another three years. Final supplementary. Speaker, the students know what this means. The government has left our post-secondary sector broken. Schools are struggling under the weight of deficits. Students are buried under the weight of tuition and housing and the least cost of living. But still this government refuses to properly fund post-secondary. For every dollar spent on colleges in other provinces, we are spending $0.44. For every dollar spent on universities, we are spending just $0.57. Speaker, back to the... Government's side. Come to order. Will the Premier face the facts here that he broke the system so that a select few could make a profit and our students, our economy, are suffering because of it? The member for Essex will come to order. The member for Sault Ste. Marie will come to order. Start the clock. Minister of Colleges and Universities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would ask the Leader of the Opposition, is she in favour of increasing tuition, just like the Leader of the Liberal Party is? She'll hike taxes, she'll hike tuition. What we are hearing from students, I want to thank Vivian Chem from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance. For this quote, the decision to maintain the domestic tuition freeze for the next three years is very welcoming news to students. Amid a cost of living crisis and limited opportunities for income, this move will help with post-secondary affordability and allow students to put money towards basic necessities like rent and food. We appreciate the Ministry's consideration of this and look forward to having more conversations about other wraparound and sustainable avenues to support students. Mr. Speaker, yesterday we announced the largest investment in post-secondary education in more than a decade. $1.3 billion and not on the backs of our students. Question once again, the Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. The Premier has made some pretty shocking statements about his intention to politicise the judicial appointments process. On Friday, the Premier said he intentionally placed former staffers on the Judicial Appointments Committee to select conservative judges. The Premier's office then tried to quickly walk back the comments, but yesterday in this chamber, he doubled down, saying he plans to personally interfere in the process to ensure that like-minded people are appointed. These statements are being widely condemned as disgraceful and dangerous, Speaker, so my question is for the Attorney General. Do you endorse the Premier's comments on who gets appointed to the Judicial Appointments Committee? Well, Mr. Speaker, I'm not going to double down. I'm tripling down now. We're going to triple down on making sure our communities are safe. We're going to triple down on getting judges that believe in throwing someone in jail when they kick the doors in, put a gun to people's heads, terrorising their kids, terrorising the parents to the point that the kids don't want to stay at home anymore. They're terrorising communities. And guess what, Mr. Speaker? They're letting them out, not going out on bail once, not twice, not three times, not four times, up to eight times, put little Johnny back on the street, give him a gun until he can kick the next door in and put the gun to the next person's head and hand over the keys. I'm sick and tired of judges letting these people out on bail. We're going to hire tough judges, tough JPs. That's what we're doing. Take their seats. Order. We start the call. Supplementary question. Speaker, I will remind the Premier that it is his government that has overseen the complete collapse of our court system in this process. This is not just my opinion. The Federation of Ontario Law Associations has called the Premier's comments a quote, juvenile misapprehension. Order. Saying that the implication is irresponsible. Hormful and dangerous to our democracy. They say that the Premier's comments have put the Attorney General in a, and I'm going to quote them again, position of disrepute. So my question back to the Attorney General, maybe the Premier will let him answer the question, does he stand behind this Premier's undemocratic agenda or will he stand up for the integrity of our legal system? The Attorney General can reply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And there sure is a lot of finger wagging about how the system works or should work, Mr. Speaker, but there's a fundamental misunderstanding of what judicial independence is, and it's not appointing the judges. They are not to be appointing their own. We are democratically elected to select judges and then they have their independence. So I'll take no lectures from the NDP on how this system should work. Mr. Speaker, it is true that there's a group. It's called an advisory committee, Mr. Speaker, and they are free to do their work. A quarter of that group are judges. So, Mr. Speaker, they do good work. We take their advice. And we don't meddle with them, Mr. Speaker, but Howard Hampton, the NDP Attorney General in 1992, did meddle with the committee and you can Google it. There's court case on it. Mr. Speaker, I'll read in my supplementary his experience as Attorney General with the meddling in the Bob Ray days. I'll remind the members that we do not use props in the chamber. Order. Order. Start the clock. Final supplementary. I'll remind the Attorney General again the Federation of Ontario Law Associations called the Premier's comments a juvenile misapprehension. He has placed two former staffers on the committee to advance a political agenda in our courts. The Advocate Society has sent the Premier a letter saying that his approach opposes and I quote, a substantial threat to the independence of judges and the Administration of Justice here in the province of Ontario, Speaker. They may not like it, but that's what they're saying. So, Speaker, back to the Attorney General again. He must make clear right here and right now is he going to move forward on this or will he show some integrity and condemn the Premier's comments? Put the book down. Put the book down. Put the book down. The Attorney General. Mr. Speaker, and I hope I have enough time. Maybe I'll talk about how in 2011, the Liberals appointed 12 judges and 2012 they did 10 and 2013 they did 12 and in 2014 they did 27, Mr. Speaker, and guess what 2014 was? It was an election year, Mr. Speaker. So, I had a look at some of the donors in their years, Mr. Speaker, in a period in 2008 to 2010, one-third were multiple donors to the Liberal Party, Mr. Speaker, and to nobody else, Mr. Speaker. So, we can talk about the record and we can be sanctimonious about how the system should work. Mr. Speaker, Howard Hampton said that there was, you know, he didn't get along with the Toronto left-wing bar. Their hope was that whoever had the AG's job would be someone close, someone they knew, someone they felt comfortable with, Mr. Speaker. The left-wing bar did, in fact, have an agenda, Mr. Speaker. I'm happy to have the debate later on. The next question. The Leader of the Opposition. It's chilling to hear the... Speaker, it is chilling to hear... Okay. The member for Essex will come to order. The member for Sault Ste. Marie will come to order. If you ignore the Chair's request to come to order, we will move to warnings very quickly. Start the clock. Leader of the Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. And I understand why they're so shaken. These are chilling comments coming from the Attorney General of this province. I'm going to shift here a little. Good side. Come to order. I'd like to get some clarity on the questions that I asked yesterday. After getting caught giving this leading testimony to the Integrity Commissioner under oath, the Premier's former Policy Advisor and his former Minister for Public Business and Service Delivery both changed their testimony before resigning. To the Premier, my question is has Mr. Sackville or any other official in the Premier's office changed their testimony to the Integrity Commissioner? Parliamentary comment. About the... To reply, Government House Leader and Minister of National Affairs in the House. The Leader of the Opposition has uncovered section 219 of the Integrity Commissioner's report. So great investigative work on the part of the Leader of the Opposition. Had they read beyond 218, they would have seen the consistency of both the Chief of Staff. What we're doing in the Province of Ontario is continue to support the people of the Province of Ontario building more homes across Ontario. For 15 years they supported a Liberal Government that put obstacles in the way of building homes. We are systematically removing every single one of those obstacles so that people of the Province of Ontario can share in the dream of home ownership that the Liberals took away. The Liberals have gone so far as to elect a Leader who has the worst record in building new homes across the entire Province for crying out loud. In fact, Mississauga is so bad, it is so bad Mississauga that the population of the Province is growing. Mississauga's population decreased and that's what happens when you raise taxes, when you put obstacles in the way people find other places to go and thankfully they've got a government here to support the problem. The supplementary question. Speaker, that makes three times since yesterday that we being told there were no inconsistencies in Mr. Sackville's sworn testimony. But, Speaker, there was an inconsistency. Mr. Sackville said under oath that he did not discuss green belt removal criteria before being briefed for the first time on October 27, 2022. In fact, we now know that he was briefed on green belt removal criteria 10 days earlier. A whole lot can happen in 10 days. We have the email. There's evidence in writing. It was sent to Mr. Sackville's personal email account. So back to the Premier. How can people trust this government when top staff in the Premier's office are repeatedly giving conflicting information about the green belt under oath? And what will the Premier do about it? And to reply to the Premier. Mr. Sackville, minister, Mr. Sackville and Houseman. The leader of the opposition is uncovered in section 219 of the integrity commissioner's report. But, having said that, we're going to continue doing what we've done since 2018. We've been focusing on building a bigger province of Onterra. You know you look like George who went on the GO train in mysissauga who got on the go train He said he's actually making money before he even gets to his new job in a new long-term care home, Mr. Speaker, that wasn't there before this government came to office. You know how he got that job because of the supports that the minister of colleges and universities put in place to allow him to get that job when he gets home? He's saying to himself, I wish I could live closer to the GO train station, but because of a NIMBY mayor in Mississauga, he couldn't. Thankfully, the license plate sticker and his fees have been frozen because of this government, Mr. Speaker. We're getting the job done for the people of the province of Ontario. We'll continue to do that for all people, Mr. Speaker, because it's the right thing to do. Thank you. The next question to member for Mississauga Lakeshore. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation. Across our province, many seniors are currently struggling to stretch their income, the cost of food, as well as everyday goods and services keep rising. For seniors with limited income, transit fares add on to their financial burden that they are already experiencing. They should not have to struggle to pay for the things they need in their everyday life. That's why our government must continue to protect seniors and reduce transit fees. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House what the steps our government is taking to make transit more affordable for seniors in Ontario? The Associate Minister of Transportation. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the member from Mississauga Lakeshore for that question and for his advocacy for one fair. Mr. Speaker, I have heard from many seniors across GTHA who tell me that costs continue to rise. Unlike the Liberals and in DP, we are the only party focused on making life more affordable. Mr. Speaker, the successful rollout of new one fair program is putting money back into the pockets of seniors as double fares are now gone. Mr. Speaker, on average, this saves commuters $1,600 a year, which goes long way for seniors who travels across the region. Mr. Speaker, the Liberals couldn't do it. The NDP and Liberals voted against the one fair under this Premier, Premier Ford. We got it done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Associate Minister for that response. It is encouraging to see our government providing tangible financial relief for seniors. Seniors in my riding in Mississauga Lakeshore will be pleased to know that they can save money while travelling within the transit network. Speaker, the minister also raised an important point. Not only did the previous Liberal government not remove double fares, but both the Liberals and NDP voted against the one fair program. That is unacceptable. Unlike the members opposite, our government is putting more money back into the people's pockets where it belongs. Speaker, can the minister explain how our one fair makes life more affordable for the people of Ontario? The Associate Minister of Transportation. Speaker, Bonnie Cromby hiked the monthly pass for seniors 10% in her first year as Mississauga Mayor. Speaker, over her 10 years as Mississauga Mayor, she raised transit fares and raised taxes making life unaffordable for people. With one fair, Mr. Speaker, we are eliminating double fares. So people, including seniors, can visit the place they love, can see the people they love, Mr. Speaker. We are the only party under the leadership of Premier Ford and Minister Sakaria that's eliminated double fare and putting money $1,600 back into people's pockets. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. For years this government has been doing everything it can to drive teachers out of our education system, massively underfunding schools and driving up class sizes, refusing to address the rising crisis of violence, suppressing wages with Bill 124, attacking the dedicated professionals who support our children every single day. Now that the Minister of Education has finally admitted that Ontario has a teacher recruitment and retention problem, what is his plan to reverse the damage his government has caused? Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, we are looking forward and planning for changes to demographics as educators retire and as population rises. That's a responsible action of government but it's a wake up call to the NDP because this government started three years ago to cut certification times for new educators by 50% which the members opposite opposed. We hired 2,000 net new teachers this year. The members opposite supported by the Liberals opposed that effort as well. Mr. Speaker, we also created a transitional certificate to allow teacher candidates to work in schools that's opposed as well. Mr. Speaker, we have been systematic in reducing red tape, increasing access to certified, qualified educators, which is why we abolish Reg 274 that allows the best educators to get the job, not those basic sorority. But Mr. Speaker, by the members logic, if the Premier's response for this change that I suppose in your supplementary you'll condemn the BC NDP Premier who in their province of teachers federation calls it a crisis of teacher I'll remind the members to make their comments through the chair. Supplementary question. Tears in power in this government has only managed to make the teacher shortage worse. That's quite a record Speaker. Teachers and education workers have been raising concerns about the labor shortage for years and have offered to meet with the government to identify meaningful solutions that will address the real reasons why workers are leaving our education system. Will the minister commit today to actually sitting down with teachers and education workers listening to their concerns and consulting on solutions before they are announced? Minister of Education. Like in Quebec or in NDP BC we do not have a teacher crisis like the provinces east and west. We have been determined to plan ahead, hire more educators and reduce certification by 50% for the next generation of teachers. But Mr. Speaker every effort we have taken has been opposed by the Liberals and the new Democrats and that seems inconsistent with our collective responsibility to ensuring qualified educators. But Speaker if the logic of the members opposite is government is responsible for the exodus of individuals from the workforce then they will condemn the NDP Premier of BC who said in their province the teachers federation called it a crisis. The Liberal Government in Newfoundland Laboratories scrambling quotes to fill dozens of teacher vacancies. It's a national challenge but this province unlike the rest of the country has a plan perhaps you should support it. Thank you. The next question the member for Thornhill. Thank you Speaker. To the minister of transportation at a time when costs continue to rise the federal government has increased the carbon tax five times. So since the implementation of this punitive tax the people of Ontario have been paying more and more every single day for food for services and for transportation and even worse the federal Liberals Liberals are planning an additional seven increases by 2030. So the carbon tax is making life more expensive for everyone including the trucking industry which plays a critical role in transporting the goods we need in our daily lives. Speaker can the minister please further explain the impact of the federal carbon tax on the Ontario's trucking industry. And to apply the minister of transportation Thank you very much Mr. Speaker. This government is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our truckers all across this province Mr. Speaker whether it's about making sure our grocery shelves are stocked whether it's our hospitals get the equipment that they need or the manufacturers get their parts that they need to build Ontario made products this government has always stood with truckers and we have always stood against the carbon tax Mr. Speaker. We know that the carbon tax makes life more unaffordable. Mr. Speaker for a long haul truck driver the Ontario Trucking Association estimates that the 17.4 cents per liter fuel costs 15 to $20,000 per truck every single year Mr. Speaker. This is a hard working truck driver that could spend that $15,000 on their family, on their child putting them in hockey practice putting them in hockey or extracurriculars but the failed policies that are supported by Bonnie Clombie the Liberal I mean the NDP and the federal minister of environment. Thank you The supplementary question to the minister for his response and his dedicated work for the people of Ontario it's the hard working men and women in our trucking industry who deliver the goods that keep Ontario moving but the impact of the carbon tax on the trucking industry ultimately affects all families and businesses in every corner of our province the cost to fuel the trucks to transport the goods is passed on to consumers as they purchase the daily necessities unfortunately the Liberal members are ignoring their constituents concerns about the rising cost of living our government must continue to stand behind the people of this province and call on our federal counterparts to do the same can the minister please explain how the carbon tax impacts the trucking industry and all Ontarians Mr. Speaker 15 to $10 every year taking out of the pockets of hard working truckers in this province money that could have gone to their families Mr. Speaker the carbon tax is a tax on hard working families that need to fill up their cars, heat their homes and rely on truckers but Mr. Speaker the federal government has not listened to our request to make life more affordable in fact they've doubled down their federal environment minister said he's not going to invest in any more roads or highways Mr. Speaker that's why he invited him to join me to drive on the DVP to drive on the Gardner Expressway the 427 and 410 to see how out of touch they are with the realities of the people that live in the GTA in Ontario and all across Canada Mr. Speaker we call on the federal government to drop the carbon tax and to build more roads and highways all across Ontario. Thank you the next question member for Niagara thank you speaker three to the premier while housing starts fell 11% in Ontario in British Columbia where that government actually implemented many of the Ontario housing task force recommendations housing starts rose 11% this province ignored the advice of their own experts then took over $3 billion in development revenue away from municipalities with bill 23 many of them are now facing double digit tax increases this premier broke his promise to return lost revenue and make municipalities more home owners are now paying for this government's broken promise when will this government follow the advice of its own task force stop stealing revenue from Ontario cities and start treating municipalities as true partners in that's in temperate language I'm going to ask the member to withdraw the unparliamentary from us and to reply the government thank you very much Mr. Speaker shows you just how out of touch the NDPR so the member is getting up in his place today on the day when we have Habitat for Humanity in the galleries he's getting up on his place and saying that municipalities should charge people like Habitat for Humanity for building home street development charges you know what we've done we've alleviated those development charges for affordable housing Mr. Speaker you know why we've done that because we've got more homes in the ground in this province over the last three years than at any other time in the province's history you know why because we're removing obstacles not putting them in the way in the members own community in the members own community last week they just voted against building another 120 new affordable homes on a highway for crying out loud that is who the member supports that is who we protect you know who we support and protect those people that want to build homes that want to give people a dream Mr. Speaker to want that dream to come true like Habitat for Humanity who do not have to pay development charges on their properties Mr. Speaker you know why because we made the changes and we're going to continue to support our members for Niagara Centre. Speaker through you and a recent op-ed AMO's executive director stated provincial municipal financial arrangements are not working for communities businesses industries property taxpayers and the homeless with bill 23 constraints on development charges municipalities are turning to their only available options their hiking property taxes and user fees to increase revenue or cutting services to fund central infrastructure investments. Speaker 24 municipalities have now failed to qualify for this government's failed building faster fund because this premier and minister can't seem to figure out that a municipality is responsible for issuing approvals not putting shovels in the ground. When will this government end this incompetence and return this lost revenue to our municipal partners as they promised? It just shows how completely irrelevant the NDP have come on the day to day lives of the people the province of Ontario that he gets in his place and tries to defend taxing the people the province of Ontario more taxing people who want to build homes taxing people who want to move into the homes taxing a dream that is the NDP we've seen that happens when you do that Mr. Speaker you know what happens they did it in Mississauga and you know what happened in Mississauga Mr. Speaker people left Mississauga you know why because in Mississauga the mayor of Mississauga who is now the leader of the liberal party put obstacles after obstacles after obstacles in the way and while the rest of the province was growing people were leaving Mississauga now George who I talked about earlier who's got a job he used to be in manufacturing he left manufacturing because it's a hallmark of liberal policies when he was in they left when conservatives are in manufacturing is back and strong the liberals ruin Ontario the NDP are completely irrelevant in the province of Ontario the only one that stands up for the people in the province of Ontario and gives you the dream of home ownership and gives you a key is the people in this caucus over here and it is this premier and conservatives will always be there members will please take their seats Order Resert the clock the next question the member for Don Valley West Thank you Speaker Speaker Ontarians have been subject to a bombardment of government self praise in recent weeks the government spent taxpayer dollars on one of the most expensive advertising spots you can buy a Super Bowl ad to give themselves a pat on the back to make matters worse they won't tell Ontarians how much of their money was spent last week the Minister of Finance said he would get back to us with that number we're still waiting I wonder if he checked under all the brown envelopes in the premier's office it's just one more example of this government's irresponsible spending and refusal to be transparent Super Bowl ads and foreign spas while universities beg for help 2.2 million Ontarians don't have a doctor cities declare opioid crises and Ontarians use their credit cards to access health care Mr. Speaker when will the premier tell Ontarians how much of their money he spent on a Super Bowl ad while failing to deliver for the people of this province and to apply the Minister of Finance Thank you Mr. Speaker Thank you Thank you for the member opposite for the opportunity to answer this question Mr. Speaker who is against promoting Ontario anyone in this house it seems like the littles aren't well maybe they would promote the fact that they drove 300,000 jobs out of this province Mr. Speaker this government has supported the conditions so 700,000 new jobs were created in this province that's the party that they haven't seen a tax or a fee that they didn't want to increase Mr. Speaker it's this government that's got the backs of businesses and people and workers in this province we're reducing the cost of everything including cutting gas taxes reducing fees making it easier to wish and freezes etc so that the people of this province can have the best province in all of North America may I say sponsor the whole world Thank you Mr. Speaker The supplementary question back to the member for Don Valley West Thank you Speaker Ontarians know all is not well despite this government's desperate and expensive attempts to change the channel does the minister do the minister and premier know that since July 300,000 full-time jobs disappeared in Ontario all while he's been doling out taxpayer money to his friends the premier is looking for a way to hide from the 8.3 billion dollar green belt scandal the back room deal to give away Ontario plays to a foreign spa for 95 years and lucrative sole-source contracts he gave to large American companies at the expense of small Ontario business owners the premier needs to remember he isn't spending his own money it's the people's money and they have a right to know how it's being spent Speaker back to the premier how does he justify spending millions of taxpayer dollars to pot himself on the back when business confidence is at historic lows unemployment is rising and he's nowhere close to building 1.5 million homes And to reply the minister of economic development, job creation and trade Let's talk about a few numbers As of this morning since this premier was elected we have 700,000 new jobs created in the province of Ontario Last year alone, 180,000 jobs were created here in Ontario We've said it yesterday and we said it last week but we'll say it again In 2023, Ontario created more manufacturing jobs than all 50 US states combined Ontario led the nation in job creation Nearly 24,000 new jobs were added in our economy just in the month of January 9,700 of them were in construction Ontario accounted for 65% of all jobs created in this country We are leading the nation in job creation The member for Newmarket Aurora Thank you speakers My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation There are families and individuals in my writing of Newmarket Aurora who rely on public transit as their main form of travel But speaker, they have told me that they are concerned that steep transit costs are adding further pressure to their household budgets Communities are looking to our government for solutions that will make traveling easier and more affordable We must continue to deliver on our commitment to bring financial relief to transit users Speaker, can the minister highlight what our government is doing to keep costs down for commuters across the GTA? The Associate Minister of Transportation Thank you speaker Thank you to the member from Newmarket Aurora for that question and for her advocacy for One Fair Mr Speaker, as we have many young people in the gallery today because of One Fair and the leadership of Premier Doug Ford Students like them, when they commute five days a week to school Mr Speaker, they save $1,600 Mr Speaker That is why we implemented One Fair a fully funded initiative by this government and Mr Speaker, this is going to be a game changer not just for students, for their parents, for seniors as well Mr Speaker As a reason, when I graduated right after university my first job was in Miss Saga So I used to commute from Scarborough to Miss Saga paying double fare, triple fare, every day Mr Speaker I understand the struggle this government understand the problem this Premier understand the struggle our caucus members understand the struggle Mr Speaker but the Bonnie Cromby, they don't understand the need of everyday Thank you speaker and thank you to the Associate Minister for that reassuring response Speaker, there are people in my riding who rely on public transit to go to work, school and to rent errands Having convenient and affordable transit options is essential to save them time and money That's why our government must ensure that we are making proactive changes that will provide financial relief to commuters across the province We must keep costs down for the hardworking people of this great province Speaker, can the Associate Minister provide further details on the one fare program and how it improves Ontarian's public transit experience That's a good Associate Minister of Transportation Thank you Mr Speaker With one fare, it's all about affordability Ontarians can use any form of payment now Presto card, debit card, credit card, asset free Mr Speaker Mr Speaker, students like them when they commute starting yesterday Mr Speaker there is no change in how they tap there is no change in how they take transit there is only one change Mr Speaker they are going to save money like seniors, like parents or more than 600,000 students across GTHA they rely on public transit every single day Mr Speaker and this is not just the impact on students this impact on seniors this impact on their parents Mr Speaker as I mentioned when I used to take public transit from Kennedy Station to Kipling, take TTC and go to Misaga during that time under leadership of Liberals we pay double fare under the leadership of this government we are paying one fare Mr Speaker Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker my question is to the Minister of Natural Resources 7 months ago 4th fires across Ontario travelled 1000 kilometres to meet Minister Smith to talk about the tragic realities they face to be reclassified and recognized as firefighters their minister told them he couldn't make any promises because he wanted to make an informed decision Speaker, the fire season is upon us again the Minister of Labor said yes yesterday that forest fire firefighters can receive presumptive WSIB coverage for occupational diseases but they voted no last week to an NDP motion to do exactly that to the Minister can you confirm how this will be done for immigration training and skills development Speaker, I'm happy to it will be done just like how we delivered and working for workers for the NDP members opposite put forward a good private members bill Speaker, but you know what if we accepted their private members bill on esophageal cancer firefighters the proposed retroactive coverage only applied after 20 years of service we lowered that to 15 years because we learned you know we can sit down and get to a better result like the Bowman family stop playing politics on this come to the table work for firefighters as this premier and this government's done and let's get it done stop with the cheap shots Members to make the comments through the floor the next or the supplementary is by the member for Thunder Bay Superior Norm I have yet to hear this Minister actually say the word forest firefighters so you voted against an amendment that would have included forest firefighters under WSIB coverage so I'm glad that the minister has finally decided to come to the table even if it is late so we need to know exactly how and when the government intends to recognize wildland fire rangers as firefighters in legislation legislative recognition also means supplying them with the proper PPE so that these firefighters have a chance not to become sick in the first place recognizing wildland firefighters as firefighters means better training and having a retention strategy which means better pay so there's not a shortage of available fire crews as wildfires threaten our communities earlier and earlier each year will the minister commit to including wildland firefighters as firefighters in legislation with the necessary reports to protect these workers from exposure to toxins the start of this year's fire season Please take your seat Minister for Natural Resources and Forestry Thank you very much Mr. Speaker I want to thank my colleague the Minister of Labor for his comments that have been very clear about what our plans are for the future for our wildland forest fighters we continue to make investments not only in our forest firefighters but in communities all throughout Ontario to keep them safe we are making investments to make sure that our firefighters have everything they need to do the job in this province in fact the previous government their budget was $69.8 million a year we raised that base budget 92% to $135.9 million a year to make sure that our firefighters have what they need to do the job Mr. Speaker we care about their safety we care about the safety of communities, individuals and infrastructure here in Ontario we will continue to work with our forest firefighters and in fact it is recruitment time right now Mr. Speaker and I call upon the office Minister for Natural Resources Minister will take and see the next question the member for Kitchener's Centre Speaker my question is for the premier I didn't see the part in the Conservative playbook where it says we need bigger government and subsidies for monopolies but last week the government chose to reverse the OEB's decision that supports fairness for all ratepayers and would have created an open and fair market to help Ontarians get off fossil fuels and switch to cheaper cheaper cleaner alternatives but the premier is sticking you and you and you and you and all of us with the bill again will save $2 billion in the next five years but they sided with Enbridge and the $19 million CEO last year global spending in the clean economy was $1.8 trillion up 17% from the year before but we are missing out on jobs and investments why because ratepayers are subsidizing fossil fuel gas will the premier commit to subsidizing heat pumps and stop funding a gouging, greeting, polluting energy monopoly to respond the minister of energy thanks very much and thanks to the new member of the Green Party for the question I believe it's her first question in the legislature I missed the first one you know what it's really really important that the people of Ontario understand that the Green Party has been fairly consistent in their views on where we're going while the NDP liberals continue to try and figure out what it is that they want to do what I can tell you is what we're doing here in Ontario as the government of Ontario and the progressive conservative government is ensuring that we have a diverse energy system one that is reliable for the people of Ontario so that we will continue to see the growing economy that we've been experiencing that the minister of economic development just explained to the liberal members in their small caucus here is that we are seeing thousands hundreds of thousands of jobs coming back to our province because we have a reliable, affordable and clean energy sector here in Ontario one that's seeing Ontario become the engine of Canada's economy supplementary question back to the member for Kitchener Centre Mr. Speaker what raises energy bills is making four million rate payers pay more and giving those dollars to Enbridge a company that paid $16 billion last year in profits so that you can pay you can pay and you can pay for a bad investment that's what the OEB said it's a bad investment this will raise energy bills it will stick homeowners without data polluting technologies and higher heating costs for decades technologies that make us sick that are burning our province down and the fires are coming this summer we are in a housing crisis and we need to build more homes that need retrofit in a few years for years we've seen report after report after report showing that renewables are cheaper safer and cleaner than fossil fuels so why the double standard Speaker will the premier save Ontario's money will they create jobs and allow Ontarians to start switching to clean energy sources instead of giving money to Enbridge and make a fair market that will create jobs for everyone and the Minister of Energy Speaker this is why the Green Party has hit their ceiling two seats in the legislature Mr Speaker they're on their way up but this is as far as they're going to go if this is the way they're going to talk to the people of Ontario Mr Speaker because you know what we need is a diverse energy sector now the Green Party members and the NDP can look up at the members of the Canadian Propane Association who are here today and tell them get out of our province we don't want you anymore because basically that's what they're saying Mr Speaker when there are people across this province that live in rural and northern parts of our province that need propane Mr Speaker they need natural gas to heat their home they need a reliable, affordable clean energy system and we're lucky we're very very lucky that we live in one of the cleanest jurisdictions in the entire world when it comes to energy the net of the province's emissions are coming from our electricity sector but they want us to shut down natural gas plants Mr Speaker the NDP energy critic wants to shut down natural gas and nuclear Mr Speaker where would that thank you next question the member for Peterborough for thank you Speaker I've got a question for the Minister of Finance when I meet with businesses and residents I constantly hear how the federal carbon tax is putting pressure on the local economy and making businesses far more expensive to run Speaker that's why I find it so disappointing that the federal government continues to play politics and not eliminate the carbon tax in fact they're going to increase it in just a month or so at this time families individuals and local businesses in all communities across Ontario need to feel supported by their governments and not penalized this government under the leadership of Premier Ford recognizes that the carbon tax is unfair to hardworking Ontarians especially those in rural Ontario and that's why we continue to advocate for every one of them Speaker can the Minister please explain how the federal carbon tax is hurting the people of Ontario Good question Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member opposite with one of the best named writings Peter Burrell thank you very much for that question as I said before in my previous answer to the other question the independent liberals never found a tax they didn't love in fact just last week their party refused to support the great member from Simcoe Grey's motion to eliminate the carbon tax and make goods more affordable Mr. Speaker the Bank of Canada has said that carbon tax drives up inflation and even some in the NDP have finally abandoned it Mr. Speaker yet somehow these liberals continue to support this regressive and punitive tax Mr. Speaker instead our government is the one standing up for hardworking Ontarians day in and day out Thank you back to the member for Peter Burrell Thank you Speaker and that is Peter Burrell not the Burrell of Peter Thank you to the minister for his response we've heard the experts we've heard from other governments and we've heard from the people of Ontario the carbon tax harms families it harms businesses it harms everyone across this province with the Bank of Canada's high interest rates and the cost of living so high it's never been more important for governments to try to keep cost down for people and businesses our government has been very clear we're working to put more money back into the pockets of the people of this province that's why it's perplexing that the independent liberals have failed to once again stand up with us against attacks that's driving up prices and making life more expensive through you Speaker can the minister please explain why we need to fight the carbon tax to provide support to the people of Ontario and the businesses in Ontario you can't afford Thank you again Mr. Speaker and thank you to the great member from Peter Burrell for that question you know the independent liberals are following the lead of their federal counterparts in playing politics with the people of Ontario this is the party Mr. Speaker who's interim leader called our gas tax cut a relief measure and yet later Speaker guess what happened when the camera wasn't on he voted against extending the gas tax cut and voted against bringing down the price of fuel for Ontario families and businesses Mr. Speaker and this is the party whose new leader refused to say that she was against the carbon tax yet supporting fewer taxes for the people of Ontario Mr. Speaker it's time for these independent liberals to decide if they are for the people of Ontario or if they are for an expensive and tax loving federal government Thank you Speaker my questions for the Premier 134,000 people in the Ottawa region don't have a nurse practitioner or a family doctor or a million people in Ontario that don't have that coverage these neighbours rely on unsuitable walk-in clinics or crammed hospital emergency rooms to get basic healthcare needs for weeks I've heard the government talk about plans to open 78 primary care practices but we don't have any details will the government today commit to providing a public list of the 78 clinics Mr. Speaker to respond to the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health once again talk about the expansions that we are doing in primary care multidisciplinary teams 78 teams across Ontario all of course who have been notified whether it's in Woodstock whether it's in Aurelia whether across Ontario we have expansions happening in the province of Ontario and as well as that our investment is going to ensure that the existing multidisciplinary teams whether they are a nurse practitioner or a fit or a full family health team is also getting additional operating dollars because frankly they've been ignored for 12 years zero operating expansion in the past 12 years we are making sure that not only the primary care multidisciplinary teams that are operating across Ontario today but as well as the 78 new and expanded we are getting it done for the people of Ontario Thank you Thank you Speaker back to the Minister I would hope that getting it done in primary care requires telling the people of Ontario who fund our work which 78 clinics are being funded and we still don't have an answer from the Minister today which successful 78 clinics are going to be funded I hope in her response we are going to finally hear a commitment to produce that list because what I do know about the government is that in 2022 they promised to spend $2 per billion and a budget of $200 billion to expand primary care and they didn't spend the money so now we are hearing about expansion but we don't have a list so again Speaker very clear yes or no will the people of Ontario get this list of 78 clinics today Minister of Health As I have mentioned all primary care expansion teams, multidisciplinary teams have been notified of their successful application we have had multiple announcements that have been so well received in community including of course in the Ottawa region we will continue to make these investments because as we expand access whether it is through additional physician seats whether it is additional nurse practitioner or RN seats in our post secondary institution we are also making sure that those job opportunities are available here in Ontario in communities whether it is in hospitals whether it is in our public health units whether it is in community care or of course expansions of primary care multidisciplinary teams we will continue to do this work to make sure that everyone who wants and needs a primary care physician has that opportunity with these expansions thank you Speaker the next question the member for Mrs. Saga Malton thank you Mr. Speaker my question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation Mr. Speaker I still remember the chilling winter of February 2000 my first winter I got a part-time job and I had two choices number one take Brampton transit to Westwood Mall take TTC and pay five dollars or walk five kilometres Mr. Speaker as a newcomer I picked five kilometres many times and I had to struggle to make those tough choices thankfully we have a government proudly rolled out our one fair program that the residents like me don't have to pick between tough choices or money in their pocket Speaker resident in my writing of Mrs. Saga Malton and across GTA a thrill to learn about the saving and the impact this will have on their household budget you know Mr. Speaker far too long transit needs of individuals and families across the province were neglected under the previous Liberal government in contrast our government is continuing to make transportation improvement through strategic investment so Speaker Thank you Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you to the member from Mrs. Saga Malton for that question and for his advocacy for one fair Mr. Speaker through you the successful launch of one fair means and how impactful this is for Ontario's Mr. Speaker thanks to Mr. Sarma for initiating this and thanks to Mr. Stanchill for his hard work Mr. Speaker Mr. Speaker Members across the aisle from Ms. Saga across the region they know under the previous Liberal government transit became unaffordable Mr. Speaker Liberals and NDP had the opportunity to support the people of Ontario by voting in favour of one fair Mr. Speaker Liberals and NDP voted against one fair not just one Mr. Speaker they voted against twice Supplementary Thank you Thank you Associate Minister for your response and recognising the wonderful work this whole caucus is doing and the ministers are doing is great to hear how this government is standing up for the public transit riders when we were elected in 2018 we were affordable for the people of Ontario that's why we must continue to make historic investments in public transit so that we can put more money back into the commuters where it belongs I know the minister has spoken to the riders across the GTA including his own community of Scarborough Rouge Park and about what they expect from their public transit experience through you Mr. Speaker can the minister explain the successful launch of one fair means for the commuters and whole Ontario Thank you Mr. Speaker The Associate Minister of Transportation Thank you Mr. Speaker and thank you again for the member for his advocacy for one fair Mr. Speaker I had the opportunity to visit regions across GTA from Durham Region, York Region Mississauga, Brampton Berry, Hamilton Mr. Speaker I spoke to transit workers students, seniors and daily commuters and one thing is crystal clear Mr. Speaker under the leadership of Premier Ford we are making life more affordable for the people of this province Mr. Speaker while other parties are distracted we are focused on keeping costs down and putting more money back into the people's pockets Mr. Speaker our government launched one fair and this is going to enable seniors, parents and students go from one transit region to another transit region Mr. Speaker only pay one fair Mr. Speaker that will save $1,600 Mr. Speaker start up earlier this week Thank you Mr. Speaker my question is to the Premier at pre-budget consultations the Executive Director of Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex told the committee that as of October 2023 London had and I quote not otherwise in need of protection but for lack of access to these mental health services is this government aware the children are being placed into protection simply so they can access mental health services and what can the Premier say to families who are living with the pain of surrendering a child because they need access to mental health services in social services very much Mr. Speaker and I thank the member for the question every single child every single youth in this province deserves to have a chance and a life to succeed and thrive in their communities Mr. Speaker and we take the protection of every single child every youth very seriously Mr. Speaker and that means making sure we provide them with the right supports and services and that protection throughout that state Mr. Speaker and that means having the investments to protect the youth in every corner in this province Mr. Speaker if you look at the Ready Set Go program Mr. Speaker Ready Set Go program that we have set Speaker we are providing supports for children and youth in care as young as 13 years old with the life skills to succeed in their communities at 15 and with financial support right up to their 23rd birthday Mr. Speaker that support never existed and that's because we said from day one we will never leave anyone behind in this province Mr. Speaker whether you're in care or not I conclude your question period for this morning this House stands in point of order the member for Sault Ste. Marie Speaker did not get a chance to do this earlier but I'd like to be able to introduce Party and welcome to the House today Katie Blunt CEO and Allison Schmidt chair of the Board of Habitat for Humanity in Sault Ste. Marie I know they were just in the room and left a little bit early but I just want to thank them for being here and look forward to seeing them later today Thank you Minister of Transportation as a point of order he's standing up Stephen Pickett who works in my office in the gallery today as well just want to welcome him to the House for being no further business at this time this House stands in recess until 3 p.m