I’m pleased to rise today to address the motion before the House. Everyone in this House knows that over the last year, Ontario has faced one of the greatest challenges in our history. It’s a challenge that we have all struggled with together. For the longest time, we didn’t know how long this pandemic would last. We didn’t know the best ways to fight it. Do we wear masks or not? How does the disease spread? What steps did we, as a government and as a society, have to take to get through this? Well, we’ve learned. Under the leadership of our Premier, Ontario’s government put together a team of the best experts in our province to protect our health, to protect us from this disease and to save lives. We supported our businesses, our municipalities, our social agencies and charities. We stood with our health workers, the brave women and men on the front lines, in the trenches, fighting COVID-19. We tracked down PPE, coats and gowns and gloves, shields and masks and ventilators—all of the supplies to protect the sick and those caring for them. And now we are making these supplies right here in Ontario. We know that Ontario is weary of lockdowns and restrictions. We are all weary. But as our finance minister has said, there is hope on the horizon. We know that these measures we have taken are necessary. We have to break the back of the pandemic, as we wait for everyone to be vaccinated. To date, 2,276,000 vaccine doses have been administered by our health workers. This number is growing daily, and with pharmacies opening to deliver the vaccines in communities such as mine, we can expect many more. There is hope on the horizon, and that is what our government’s budget this year is about—protecting the people, yes; protecting the economy, yes; but most importantly, building a plan for hope for an Ontario that returns to normal, an Ontario that sees prosperity return and job creation to greater levels than ever before. Our budget is laying the foundation for hope; for a newer, stronger, healthier, greener, happier Ontario. So, let us take a look at our Premier and our finance minister’s foundation for hope in Ontario. At the base of our foundation, the platform on which everything else rests, is our health care. This means, more than anything, defeating COVID-19. Since the pandemic started, we’ve spent what was necessary to defeat COVID. This budget will bring total anti-COVID spending to $16.3 billion: $5.1 billion more for hospitals, creating 3,100 more hospital beds; $11 million for almost 100 more beds for my own community at Joseph Brant Hospital and Halton Healthcare. This hospital funding includes $1.8 billion more in this year’s budget—funding that will tackle COVID, resolve surgery backlogs and keep pace with patient needs. We will spend $30 billion over 10 years for new hospital space. I’m very pleased that the west end of the GTA will have new spaces in Brampton and Mississauga. This means more resources and less waiting for everyone in our province. There is $175 million more this year for mental health and addiction services. We know that isolation and worry because of COVID affects people’s mental health, and the funding we have is part of our $3.8-billion plan over 10 years—$175 million more this year is great news in this budget. There is $7 million more for post-secondary mental health, in addition to $19 million more for students, announced in October, and $8 million for mental health workers in OPP communication centres, helping people in crisis. For my constituents in Oakville North–Burlington, I’m happy that we’ve recently seen community paramedicine extended to people eligible for long-term care in Halton region. This is a $5.3-million investment in our region, part of a program rolled out in 33 communities across Ontario. I know it will make a difference supporting seniors and helping them stay in their own homes for longer. We are also seeing vaccinations increase, as the federal government brings more supply into the country. There are over two million doses now done in Ontario. In Halton region, after health care workers and long-term-care residents were vaccinated starting in January, people over 80 started in early March. On March 19, the over-75s could book appointments; on March 26, the over-70s; and just five days later, on March 31, everyone over 65. And now we have learned that pharmacies are open to offer the vaccine, with four in my own community. This progress is mirrored across Ontario. It’s another sign of the green shoots springing up, giving us hope. I want to thank everyone involved in this great undertaking: everyone at Halton public health, at the vaccination centres; our paramedics; and all of the other staff and volunteers who are making vaccines work. We are also ensuring families have the child care spaces they need. Our government is committed to creating 30,000 new child care spaces to help Ontario’s families, and I’m proud that the finance minister reported that Ontario is more than two thirds of the way to meeting this commitment. These child care spaces will give parents the support they need: good, quality child care for kids—an opportunity for many parents to get back into the workforce or into education or training. Our long-term-care residents are almost all now vaccinated, with every resident who wanted a vaccine now given one. We know the devastating toll on residents, as COVID struck our older and more frail citizens. COVID-19 exposed the long-existing challenges in our long-term-care homes. Previous governments neglected the sector for years. I’m proud that it is this government that took action and, indeed, had started to take action before the pandemic struck the province. We will have spent over $2 billion since the beginning of the pandemic protecting the vulnerable long-term-care residents and staff; $650 million in this year’s budget. With 40,000 seniors on our current wait-list, time is of the essence that we build the additional homes that our seniors need in long-term care. Our government campaigned with a promise to spend $1.75 billion on new spaces, but we’ve gone beyond this: $933 million over four years, for a total of $2.6 billion. Approvals of new and upgraded beds are now at more than two thirds of our 30,000-bed commitment, as well as 15,198 upgraded spaces. We will also make sure residents get the quality care they need. We will increase direct care from 2.75 hours to 4 hours per day, investing $4.9 billion to do this. This level of care has been demanded for years. Study after study made the recommendations to the previous government, and our government with our Minister of Long-Term Care, Dr. Fullerton, is the first one to get it done. I am proud to be the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, who will provide the direct care that residents need and deserve. Parents and kids have also been challenged by COVID. I know parents were concerned when kids went back to school that the proper infection controls were in place. I think the return to school was successful. We ensured student safety by providing close to $1.7 billion to protect students and keep schools safe, including $100 million to improve classroom ventilation. We provided PPE; more staff, including 1,200 custodians; and 650 public health nurses available to schools. We worked with school boards to develop protocols for a safe return to school. I’m particularly proud that we are still planning, funding and building the new schools that students, teachers and staff need for quality education. The new Dr. David R. Williams Public School funded by our government just opened in Oakville last September. We are also funding the building of a new Catholic elementary school and a new public high school. We’ve also funded the expansion of a French Catholic school. The community has demonstrated the need for these schools, and I’m very proud that our government is delivering. These four investments total more than $75 million in funding from the Ontario government in education in our community. They are part of our plan to invest $14 billion over the next 10 years to build and upgrade schools, all to ensure quality learning for our kids. Virtual learning and the challenge of child care created financial challenges for many parents and families, so the government put in place financial assistance to help meet these concerns. Last year, the government provided two rounds of support for the COVID-19 child benefit: $200 per child and $250 per child with special needs. This year, there’s a third round, but the amounts have been doubled: $400 per child and $500 for each child with special needs. This doubled amount means the total direct support to families since last spring will be $1.8 billion, funding that will meet the challenges for families with kids in school. Child care is also an issue for many families. Helping parents with child care is not only good for stressed families during COVID-19; it’s an important factor in helping people get back to work. We know that the burden of child care falls disproportionately on women, and that is why our government is proposing a temporary 20% enhancement to the child care tax credit for 2021. This would increase support for an average of about $1,250 to $1,500 per family for 300,000 families. Too many people in Ontario have lost jobs during the pandemic. Many have returned to work, but others will need retraining to get a new job. To help workers with their training expenses, the government is proposing a new temporary Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit for 2021. It would provide up to $2,000 per recipient for 50% of eligible expenses—