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April 20, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-Apr-20 vol. A (PDF)

L068A - Thu 20 Apr 2023 / Jeu 20 avr 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 20 April 2023 Jeudi 20 avril 2023

Estimates

Orders of the Day

Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur l’amélioration des écoles et du rendement des élèves

Members’ Statements

Events in Kitchener South–Hespeler and Kitchener-Waterloo

Energy contracts

Peterborough Regional Science Fair

Volunteers

Duncan McPhail

Allan Cup

Homelessness

Riding of Don Valley East

Ramadan and Eid-Ul-Fitr

Flamborough Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Awards

Introduction of Visitors

House sittings

Decorum in chamber

Question Period

Education funding

Government accountability

Government accountability

Housing

Indigenous rights

Economic development

Health care

Services for seniors and persons with disabilities / Land use planning

Public transit

Diagnostic services

Great Lakes protection

Climate change

Tenant protection

Land use planning

Services for seniors and persons with disabilities

Land use planning

Business of the House

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Petitions

Health care

School boards

Access to health care

Special-needs students

Adoption disclosure

Social assistance

Chronic pain treatment

Health care

Land use planning

Social assistance

Land use planning

Orders of the Day

Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur l’amélioration des écoles et du rendement des élèves

Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à aider les acheteurs et à protéger les locataires

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. Let us pray.

Prières / Prayers.

Estimates

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I have a message from the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, the Lieutenant Governor, signed by her own hand.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Lieutenant Governor transmits estimates of certain sums required for the services of the province for the year ending March 31, 2024, and recommends them to the Legislative Assembly.

Orders of the Day

Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur l’amélioration des écoles et du rendement des élèves

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 19, 2023, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 98,

An Act to amend various Acts relating to education and child care / Projet de loi 98, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne l’éducation et la garde d’enfants.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

M me Lucille Collard: Good morning, everyone. It’s my pleasure to rise today, on behalf of the people of Ottawa–Vanier, to debate Bill 98. As a former school board trustee in Ottawa, it is a pleasure to be here and to say that, from where I stand, I see in the bill many improvements and a positive impact on the functioning of our school boards. This does not mean that I don’t agree with the criticism my colleague from Ottawa South made yesterday. In fact, he did bring up some valid questions as to how the government would be using the new powers it’s giving itself again in this new bill and about the lack of investment, and I’m with him on that.

But like many others in this House, I was a school board trustee before coming to Queen’s Park—including as chair of my board, a francophone board—and I have experienced first-hand some of the challenges involved with the transfer of school properties between school boards, the problematic conduct of certain trustees, the importance of having an accountability mechanism for the director of education, and the importance of accountability and transparency on funding expenditures, for example. I see those challenges being addressed in the bill, so it gives me hope that maybe the government has been listening.

I am not saying that this bill, called the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, is delivering on all the needs of our education system. As my colleagues from the NDP side have indicated abundantly, appropriate funding is the bottom line when it comes to being able to accomplish anything.

There are a number of measures in this bill that are aimed at making school boards function more effectively, and I support these measures.

For example, I cannot disagree with the fact that bad behaviour by school trustees can negatively affect the operations of a school board. So the requirement for a code of conduct for the board of trustees, with an enforcement mechanism through an integrity commissioner to resolve complaints, is something that has been needed for quite a while.

A performance appraisal process for directors of education is also a necessity. Directors of education, as we know, play an extremely important role within a school board, essentially acting as a CEO and overseeing the operations of the school board. If we want our students to succeed, then we need to have well-functioning school boards, and that requires strong leadership. That said, I think it is equally important to not only properly evaluate the performance of the directors of education, but also to ensure that they have the support, professional development training and resources that they need to do the best job possible.

Similarly, board members also must be supported when it comes to training and professional development so that they can effectively represent their communities and improve education for children in Ontario. As we know, elected officials like us, but also including school trustees, are not required to have a specific profile or expertise to be able to put their name forward. Elected board members usually come from different backgrounds, without necessarily having an in-depth knowledge of the education system.

While they bring valuable different perspectives representing their communities, providing relevant training could help everyone contribute with a better understanding of the system. Therefore, if Bill 98 can outline and support needed training for board members, I consider this to be a step in the right direction.

The curriculum is obviously another extremely important part of our education system. Unfortunately, it is not updated as often as it should be, in my opinion. I have always said that our education system needs to be modernized, that we should be ahead of the game when it comes to responding to changes in society. The education we provide to our children needs to reflect the current work market demand but also prepare them to become independent members of society, with a critical mind. We should also make efforts to respond to the reality that kids learn differently.

Why don’t we take this more into consideration in our teaching methods? But whatever changes the Minister of Education may decide to implement, I would ask that in doing so, you consult with the school boards and give them sufficient time and notice and resources so that they can effectively and efficiently implement positive changes. Not doing so means that school boards are struggling and are forced to implement less-than-perfect measures.

Speaker, while there is good material in this bill, I am concerned with the new regulation-making powers that Bill 98 would give the minister by allowing him to make requirements on school boards and trustees without consulting them. The bill gives the minister regulation-making powers in a number of areas, including curriculum updates, training for board members, apprenticeship learning, requirements for board communication and reporting and more. While I’m not necessarily opposed to the minister having these powers, I am concerned that they may be abused.

Stakeholders in the education sector have already expressed their concern with the lack of prior consultation for Bill 98 itself. I am concerned that the minister will take a similar approach when exercising his regulatory powers. Our school boards have expertise and knowledge of the local realities that are important for the minister to hear and understand. He must take the time to listen and give those perspectives adequate consideration. It is up to this House and the people of Ontario to hold the ministers to account when they abuse the powers given to them.

I promise that I will do my part to ensure that the Minister of Education does not abuse these extra powers by simply placing requirements on school boards without any prior consultation.

C’est une situation qui est inacceptable et injuste pour nos apprenants francophones. Il nous faut un meilleur moyen d’employer nos actifs immobiliers pour satisfaire aux besoins de tous les conseils scolaires dans une région particulière.

Le projet de loi 98 s’attaque précisément à cette problématique en éliminant certaines étapes du processus de la vente d’un immeuble pour le rendre plus efficace et en donnant également au ministre le pouvoir d’obliger deux conseils scolaires à collaborer. Cependant, une fois de plus, madame la Présidente, il est important que le ministre n’intervienne qu’après avoir écouté l’avis des conseils scolaires et considéré les besoins particuliers des étudiants francophones.

Speaker, as a whole, Bill 98 is a positive step in the right direction, and I support many of the measures included in it. However, all these changes will not be effective without adequate funding to accompany them and without meaningful and timely consultation. Our school boards, our teachers, and most importantly, our students need more support from this government so that we can reduce class sizes and ensure students have the resources that they need to succeed.

I thank the minister for bringing forward these important changes. I encourage him to back it up with real investments in our students.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

M. Andrew Dowie: Je veux remercier la députée d’Ottawa–Vanier. C’est très encourageant, vos commentaires sur ce projet de loi.

J’étais très intéressé par les circonstances que tu avais décrites, que les conseils scolaires anglophones n’étaient pas préparés à vendre les écoles fermées aux conseils francophones. Est-ce que tu peux détailler un petit peu le pourquoi? Quelles étaient les raisons pour lesquelles ces conseils ont refusé?

M me Lucille Collard: En fait, c’est un problème réel auquel j’ai fait face quand je faisais

partie du conseil scolaire. Alors, un voit un conseil anglophone qui a une école qu’ils doivent vider, parce qu’il n’y a pas assez d’étudiants; ils seront transférés dans une autre école. L’école devient vide. Le conseil scolaire francophone a des écoles dans la proximité qui débordent et ils demandent au conseil anglophone d’obtenir cette école-là. Par contre, le conseil anglophone refuse de transférer l’école en disant qu’ils risquent d’en avoir besoin dans un futur éventuel.

Alors, ce n’est pas une collaboration qu’on voit. Ce n’est pas justifié et ça crée vraiment des injustices pour les apprenants francophones qui sont entassés dans des écoles avec des portatives et qui ont, à toutes fins pratiques, plus d’espaces communs comme la bibliothèque ou même la cafétéria. Alors, on voudrait vraiment voir plus de collaboration. Dans le projet de loi, il y a une possibilité d’obliger les conseils à collaborer. Je pense que c’est une bonne chose.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

M me France Gélinas: J’aimerais demander à la députée—elle a bien expliqué le cas des écoles francophones qui ont besoin d’avoir plus d’espace mais qui ne sont pas capables. Mais il y a également la pénurie grave d’enseignants francophones pour nos écoles. On voit en ce moment que la quasi-majorité, sinon toutes les écoles francophones, ont du personnel non-qualifié pour enseigner parce qu’elles ne sont pas capables. En ce moment, en Ontario, on a besoin de 1 000 nouveaux enseignants ou enseignantes francophones par année.

Est-ce que vous voyez quelque chose dans le projet de loi qui va nous aider à renflouer la pénurie d’enseignants/enseignantes francophones pour s’assurer que chaque enfant francophone a accès à une éducation de qualité? Ça, ça passe par des enseignants/enseignantes francophones qualifiés.

M me Lucille Collard: Merci à la députée de Nickel Belt pour la question. C’est effectivement une réalité que j’ai mentionnée : non, il n’y a rien dans le projet de loi qui adresse cette problématique-là qui est très importante. Pour moi, c’était le message au gouvernement, au ministre de l’Éducation, qu’il doit porter attention à cette question-là qui, vraiment, affecte de façon négative la qualité de l’enseignement que nos apprenants francophones reçoivent dans nos écoles.

C’est dommage qu’il y ait eu un groupe de travail qui a été établi par le gouvernement, en collaboration avec les associations scolaires, pour développer des recommandations et des solutions, et que ces recommandations-là ne soient pas mise en oeuvre. Alors, j’encourage le ministre à travailler avec la ministre des Collèges et Universités pour créer plus de postes d’enseignants.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

M me Lucille Collard: Yes, absolutely. We know that there is a deficiency in the number of schools. I think one of the first reasons that I volunteered to become a trustee is that I saw it being totally unacceptable to have schools with portables. Schools are brand new, and a year after you see portables. So there is a real need for more schools. We have a growing population. There are more kids. And I think that the government needs to invest more in building appropriate schools for all students.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: It’s a pleasure and an honour to stand in this House on behalf of hard-working Brampton Centre families and offer strong support for both the Minister of Education and our government’s necessary and comprehensive legislation, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act.

Speaker, I’m addressing this chamber as the elected member for Brampton Centre, as a graduate of the Peel District School Board, as a mother of five children currently or previously enrolled in the public school system, and as the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity. That said, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Minister of Education, not just for updating the curriculum and taking action to ensure schools are safe and welcoming learning environments for all students, but for advancing the cause of women’s education in Ontario.

As my colleagues are well aware, our province is facing a very real shortage of skilled trades labour. In just a few years, it’s estimated that one in five jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades, yet the average age of people entering the trades is 29. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to careers in the trades, especially among young women.

Women make up 47% to 48% of the Canadian labour force but hold fewer than 4% of jobs in the skilled trades and less than one quarter of jobs in the tech sector. Clearly, we are missing out on a talented demographic that could impact our province’s long-term future. So I applaud the Minister of Education for encouraging young women to take a good look at lucrative and rewarding careers in the skilled trades.

I also applaud him for signing an agreement with Shoppers Drug Mart to distribute free menstrual products to schools in all 72 boards. That’s a perfect example of taking action to make sure our schools are more welcoming and inclusive learning centres.

As I mentioned a moment ago, our province is experiencing a profound shortage of skilled labour, so it is critically important that we update the curriculum to ensure it aligns with the ever-changing needs of the job market.

On many occasions, Brampton families have said to me that the education system really needs to get back to basics. Parents in the riding I’m proud to represent support the minister’s focus on more math, more science, more financial literacy, and greater exposure to the skill trades, but they believe much more needs to be done and that school boards are not accountable to families. We recently saw that in my own community for years, students and parents voiced their concerns about widespread anti-Black racism, discrimination and inequities that were preventing hundreds of Black students from graduating on time.

But they were systematically ignored by the Peel District School Board, forcing the province to step in and take action.

Speaker, Ontario’s $27-billion education system is overseen by about 700 trustees who do not always possess a consistent set of skills, training, or a standard code of conduct. The majority of school trustees are diligent and caring public servants, but this system of local governance is badly in need of reform.

If I may, I’ll quote the 1994 Royal Commission on Learning that was created by then-Premier Bob Rae and chaired by former Liberal cabinet minister Monique Bégin and long-time New Democrat Gerald Caplan: “Trustees are elected by a tiny proportion of the electorate, if indeed they don’t win by acclamation. It might be embarrassing to discover how many constituents know their trustees’ names. Board agendas too often reflect matters that are light years away from what happens in their schools; anyone who has sat in on a meeting of a school board knows that it can be a truly surrealistic experience.”

That royal commission outlined a number of deep-seated problems in education that have been with us for a very long time.

It’s clear that if we want to truly reform the education system to prepare our young people for the jobs of tomorrow, we need to take legislative action.

Speaker, in the event that our legislation is passed, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act will increase accountability, giving parents new tools to navigate and understand the education system and establish basic qualifications for the directors of education who manage school boards.

The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act will also allow the minister to establish key priorities to ensure students have the skills and knowledge they need, especially in areas such as reading, writing and math.

Many of my colleagues are incredibly happy and proud that this act is going to mandate a handbook for parents that would outline their rights and responsibilities within the education system. Just imagine: If you didn’t go through the Ontario public education system, or if you moved to Ontario from elsewhere in search of a better life for your family, you would not have the experience of how best to navigate this system for your children. That is why a handbook is such a game-changer.

One of the best ways to hold school boards accountable to families and taxpayers is to remind or even in some cases inform parents that they have rights when they deal with their local board. A handbook for parents is a great idea that is long overdue for our province.

But the act goes further than mandating a handbook.

Our legislation will ensure that trustees have the knowledge and the skills they need to perform their duties, and that their conduct is held to provincial standards. The act would amend the Education Act to require mandatory training for trustees, as prescribed by the Minister of Education. It would create a standardized trustee code of conduct that would be binding on all trustees and set clear expectations for how trustees should discharge their duties.

Speaker, the media has at times publicized some high-profile disputes between trustees—and we did see that in Brampton a couple of years ago. Such disputes are costly, time-consuming, and they erode the public confidence and detract attention from a school board’s primary duty, which is to promote student achievement.

Our legislation would establish a transparent and impartial process for resolving trustee code of conduct complaints through integrity commissioners who would be empowered to conduct investigations, dismiss complaints made in bad faith, determine whether or not the code of conduct has been breached, and impose binding sanctions on trustees.

I’m pleased to add that the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act also includes several other accountability and transparency measures for school boards. The act would enable the minister to require school boards, twice a year, to report publicly on their spending. It would strengthen the minister’s authority to direct and/or prohibit board participation in activities that could place the board at financial risk. It would allow for the appointment of professional corporations to investigate a board’s financial affairs when it is in distress. And it would establish the minister’s authority to prescribe financial policy and accountability matters for board-controlled entities.

Speaker, these reforms are very much in line with the royal commission’s recommendations from nearly three decades ago. To again quote the report, it said, “We recommend the transfer of several key responsibilities away from boards. We believe that determining the level of each board’s expenditures, for example, should be the ministry’s job....

“The primary responsibility of school boards would be to translate general ministry guidelines into viable local practice. Their job is to make local policy consistent with both provincial policy and local realities. They set clear expectations and guidelines for their schools and work with them to make sure they’re progressing towards those ends.”

That’s what the royal commission said nearly three decades ago.

Speaker, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act is thoughtful, comprehensive and incredibly sensible legislation that will help our kids prepare for the jobs of the future and empower parents, and make Ontario’s 72 school boards more accountable to families and taxpayers. That is why I, as a mother of five, am proud to rise in support of this bill.

I would like to share my time with the member from Carleton.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): We will go to questions.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: There has been a lot of talk this morning from the member on accountability, but this government needs to look themselves in the mirror.

You are not accountable to the taxpayers of the province of Ontario. You are fighting all the way to the Supreme Court—with taxpayer dollars—the ability for taxpayers to see the mandate letters, which will say what your government is trying to do with their money.

In fact, now what you’re doing is meddling with democratically elected trustees.

There’s a quote I would like to read from an article: “Conservatives’ approach has been to interfere with other levels of government whenever they can, micromanaging, dictating, limiting consultation, ramming through legislation, and generally making a mess as they go.”

You did not consult with parents. You did not consult with educators. Here you are trying to impose all kinds of rules on trustees, when you yourself do not provide the funding and do not hold yourself to the same standard.

What do you have to say to parents and to people who realize that this government is not walking the talk?

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: That was a loaded question.

After consulting with parents, being a parent, and listening to parents question what is happening to the taxpayer dollars that they work hard for, what is happening when schools are being misrepresented in communities and the trustees that have committed these breaches of code of conduct are being dismissed by integrity commissioners—we need to hold our boards to a higher account, as we are members in the public eye. We are doing that by having boards explain to us what is happening with the hard work and tax dollars that—so many families work hard to put their children through school for an education and for a better future. That’s what we’re doing with this act.

I commend the minister and our government for making these changes and holding boards accountable to parents, taxpayers, and so many other families who are coming into Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. John Jordan: Having worked for a school board for over 16 years early in my career, I’ve attended many board meetings and witnessed a very high-functioning board, the Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board.

However, like the member from Ottawa–Vanier, I think we can do better, governance-wise.

To have a standard of care like the minister has in his bill and the training to ensure that that standard can be maintained is very important. I’m wondering if you could tell me the components of that training that you think would be most important for a school board.

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: Thank you to my colleague for that question.

When you are elected to a new position, you do not get extensive training on how to do this work. Many people who are elected as trustees, as councillors or as members don’t have experience even in following Robert’s Rules of Order or any of the structures that these boards have. This is why a training program and making sure that our trustees know what their roles are in the community is extremely vital and very important, because it helps them know how to be able to represent their students and how to be able to support their students.

Also, the code of conduct piece is very important. We have seen in the news parents who are really frustrated with how their children are being cared for and how some of these members are conducting themselves in the community.

So this is a benchmark, and I think it’s important that we have this go through.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: To the member opposite: I was also a trustee, and there was actually training on Robert’s Rules of Order.

I’m just wondering what training anybody in this House had specifically on becoming an MPP and the standing orders in this place.

So I don’t think that’s a valid argument.

You’re talking about excluding a lot of people—parents. I was a parent when I became a trustee. You don’t want to hear their voices.

There is mention of mental health in this bill and these school boards educating and supporting children with mental health. Yet, in this province, the wait-list is well over 28,000 children long—to get mental health supports.

What are you doing to support—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. The Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity.

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: Actually, when you are elected as a trustee, it doesn’t always follow—the training that trustees get, that even councillors get. I was an elected councillor, as well, and I worked alongside many trustees.

Also, I worked within the mental health field. I used to go into schools and had a lot of difficulty getting into—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you to the minister.

Further debate?

M me France Gélinas: I’m happy to have a few minutes to talk about Bill 98. I want to start with a few letters that I got from my constituents.

I’ll call her Carole—Carole wrote to me: “I am a school bus driver.... Every day I strive to provide safe and timely transportation for students in my community. Due to a funding shortage, we have been forced to cut back on the number of buses and routes in our region. That means that often, despite” all “my efforts and those of my colleagues, students are late or not picked up at all. It’s frustrating to be in this situation. We are doing everything we can but the system is under extreme pressure and it may buckle at any time. Please, for the sake of the students across this province, give the system emergency funding so that I can do my job and” I “won’t leave kids stranded.”

You have to realize that I represent 33 small northern communities, most of them far apart. Many of them do not have a school in their community. Kids have to be bused long distance to get there, and when the school bus doesn’t come, that means that the student does not go to school. Is that fair? I don’t think so. We all want our kids to have the best chance in life, and that means getting an education. To get an education, you have to get to school. But when there is no money to hire drivers, to pay them a decent wage, to make sure that you have enough routes, then kids in Nickel Belt miss day after day.

I have another; I’ll call him Manfred. He wrote to me: “I am a constituent in your riding—I work as a bus driver ... and I need your help! Ontario’s student transportation sector is in crisis. School bus delays and cancellations are plaguing the system, leaving students and parents stranded. Parents are being forced to take time off to drive their kids to and from school”—if they have a car. “As a professional driver who takes great pride in driving a school bus, I want this to change.

“Ontario school bus operators, many of which are small ... businesses”—and where I live, they’re small businesses—“are struggling to make ends meet in what is the hardest jurisdiction” in our province “to do business. As an employee of”—and he names his employer—“this worries me as I am committed to the company and the sector. Drivers are not paid adequately and without proper funding from the Ministry of Education, the situation will only get worse.”

I fully agree. We need a good, safe transportation system. None of this is in the bill that we are talking about.

I would like to talk about l’École Notre-Dame du Rosaire, à Gogama. L’École Notre-Dame du Rosaire a presque dû fermer ses portes parce qu’il n’y avait aucun enseignant ou enseignante pour aller à Gogama. À Gogama, on parle, quand tout va bien, d’un minimum de deux heures de route pour se rendre à l’école la plus proche à Sudbury, ou d’un minimum d’une heure et demie de route pour se rendre à l’école la plus proche à Timmins.

Gogama a besoin d’une école. On a l’École Notre-Dame du Rosaire, mais la pénurie d’enseignants francophones, elle se vit au quotidien dans le nord de l’Ontario et dans le Nickel Belt.

Ça, ça veut dire—on s’entend tous : on a besoin de 1 000 enseignants/enseignantes francophones supplémentaires par année. On a une stratégie pour se rendre là. Le gouvernement a demandé à son groupe de travail de leur donner une stratégie. Et qu’est-ce qu’on fait? On les ignore. Ça, ça veut dire que l’année prochaine, ça va être encore la même chose.

Les jeunes de Gogama risquent de ne pas avoir d’enseignants dans leur école. Si on regarde l’école Notre-Dame, à Foleyet, on est dans la même situation. Foleyet, c’est, minimum, une heure et demie—une heure et quart, si tu vas plus vite que la vitesse—pour te rendre à Timmins. Même chose : une heure pour te rendre à Chapleau. Ce n’est pas raisonnable de demander à un enfant de quatre ans, cinq ans, d’être en autobus pendant une heure et demie de temps pour se rendre à l’école.

On a besoin d’écoles à Foleyet, à Mattagami, à Gogama, partout dans le Nickel Belt, mais s’il n’y a pas d’enseignants/enseignantes, ces écoles-là sont à risque de fermer. Pourquoi? Parce qu’on n’a pas suffisamment d’enseignants. Le gouvernement le sait, a mis un groupe de travail en place, a des recommandations qui ont été faites pour eux, et qu’est-ce qu’ils font? Ils les ignorent. Ce n’est pas acceptable.

Je vois que le temps passe quand même assez vite. If you look at what happened to our education system since the Ford government came into place, you will see a $1,200 decrease in budget per student since the government came into power; you will see four less educators—teachers—per 1,000 students since the government came into power. Now they’re telling us, “We will increase the number of teachers for reading.” Yes, there will be one new teacher for every 2,850 students.

If you take every kid from, I would say, Levack, Onaping, Cartier—go all the way to the watershed, Gogama, Mattagami, Foleyet, Ivanhoe Lake—all of this, they don’t make 6,650 kids. Who came up with those ratios? How is this supposed to help the people I represent? The kids in Nickel Belt deserve the same amount of support as everybody else. And yet, we have a government that comes up with ratios that, frankly, need to be looked at.

Put a bit of a northern lens on what you are doing. The people of the north are Ontarians. You were elected to look after everyone, not just the people who voted Conservative—the 18% of Ontarians who voted for you. You were elected to look after 100% of Ontarians.

When you come forward with changes like this, I can assure you that the people of Nickel Belt feel like we were left behind, and this is wrong.

We have to fix the school bus problem. Not a day goes by that there’s not a route in Nickel Belt that gets cancelled because they can’t find a driver, because there isn’t enough money to pay them a decent wage, and they have had to make changes and take other jobs.

Don’t get me wrong; it is not hard to find a job in Nickel Belt. We have new mines opening all over the place. We have lots of opportunities for people to make good wages. Do you know why? Our mines have been unionized for a long time. The unions fought really hard to get good-paying jobs with good benefits. It’s not surprising that people will go to those good-paying jobs.

But we still need bus drivers. This is an important job. This is a job that makes sure that the kids in Nickel Belt get to go to school. You have to look at all of those small, rural schools that are at risk of closing and bring forward action that could change all of this. Unfortunately, none of that is in the bill.

This is what makes Ontario so good. We have a top-notch education system, but in the last five years, under this government, we have seen a steady decline. The competitive advantage that we have in technology, in knowledge, in business comes from the fact that the people in Ontario have access to a good education. Under your watch, all of this is going downhill, and we will all pay for this for a long time to come. You have a chance to do better. Don’t let it go by.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: Since we’re talking about acting for all children, all students, all citizens, let us remember that the workforce is constantly changing and our education system needs to adapt in response. It’s 2023, and our curriculum should reflect this, particularly in math, science, literacy, and civics.

If left with a Liberal government, aided and abetted by the NDP, our curriculum would be left just as outdated as those parties are.

To the member opposite: Does the opposition really believe that curriculum should stay stagnant and become irrelevant, or should it change with the times? What does the member opposite say about that?

M me France Gélinas: I appreciate the question from the member opposite.

Does the curriculum need to change? Absolutely. I represent many First Nations, and they have shared their stories with me. They have shared their stories with the people of Nickel Belt about what the real story of Ontario is, through the eyes of Indigenous people. We had a working group that was going to make recommendations so that every child in Ontario knows the story of what happened to Indigenous people in Ontario, but this government stopped this working group and never implemented the Indigenous curriculum that has needed change in our province for a long time. Yes, the curriculum needs to change and make sure people know about Aboriginal—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Sarah Jama: Thank you to my colleague from Nickel Belt for her contribution to today’s debate.

In your opinion, what are some of the ways this bill and this government continue to leave disabled students and students with learning disabilities behind in Nickel Belt?

M me France Gélinas: It’s a very good question.

We all need different supports to make sure that we attain our full potential. For some students, that will mean that they need one-on-one support. For other students, that will mean that they need a quiet place to be able to write their exams.

We have the knowledge and the skills to do an assessment of every child to meet their differences and put a plan in place for them to thrive, for them to achieve their best potential, but when there are no resources on the front lines to be able to have an educational assistant to support that child, to have an ECE to support that child, then it is all for none. We can do the assessment, we can put a plan together that will allow them, but there is nothing in that bill that will guarantee that the specialized needs of disabled children will be met in schools. This is shameful.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: I was listening intently to the member’s speech, and I want to thank her for her comments. The member always makes very insightful speeches.

Every school board usually puts out their scores and ranks when it comes to math, STEM and literacy. I’m just wondering what the ranking is in the member’s riding, if she’s aware of that, and what challenges they’ve had, and what parents have told her about the importance of making sure that STEM and literacy, especially financial literacy, are also improved in the education system. And will the member support this bill, which focuses specifically on improving STEM and math and literacy?

M me France Gélinas: STEM is something that is really important where I come from. You will know that Nickel Belt is known for the nickel mines. A lot of what can happen in a mine will only happen if you have a trained workforce to do this, and it often comes through math and education and through the STEM programs. I would say that even through my riding, the six high schools that I have in Nickel Belt—most of them offer a STEM program.

When I hear some of my colleagues talk about discrimination against the trades—where we come from, where I come from, trades have always been something that people look positively towards.

I can tell you that my youngest daughter is an electrician. She went and did a trade. She has a good job working for Vale, has all sorts of opportunities, has good benefits, and belongs to a strong union. Those are all things that are built from our education system.

Yes, STEM is important, and it is available in Nickel Belt.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mr. Wayne Gates: I want to congratulate my colleague and talk about school bus drivers. Very few people talk about school bus drivers and how important that job is, as they, quite frankly, take our children’s lives in their hands every single day, particularly in the north, I would think, with the highways and roads they have in the north. But I want to be clear: It’s not just a north problem. It happens in my riding. I get lots of calls about school bus drivers and the fact that they can’t find drivers, they’re cancelling bus routes, they’re low-paid.

My question is pretty simple: What do you think we need to do to attract more school bus drivers—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question, please.

Mr. Wayne Gates: —and maybe that will stop the attack on that job.

M me France Gélinas: I can quote one of my constituents: “As a driver, I know my operator and the association, School Bus Ontario (SBC), has written to the Minister of Education requesting an increase to the transportation portion of the Grants for Student Needs for the 2022-23 school years.” The response was, “We are working on it.”

The 2022-23 school year is coming to an end in a couple of months, and they are working on it.

It is clear that drivers need a pay increase. The operators in my region are getting between a 0% and 2% increase per year. The price of gas and diesel has gone up about 100%, but they’re getting a 2% increase.

Treat bus drivers and the entire school bus system as an integral part of our education system. In Nickel Belt and in many parts of Ontario, kids cannot go to school if there isn’t a school bus. We need school bus drivers in order for that to happen. Let’s respect them.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. David Smith: After decades serving as a school board trustee in the largest school board in all of Canada, I have seen many of these situations that this bill is recognizing here today and as this debate continues. The opposition had a chance to make positive change, but unfortunately they did nothing. We have witnessed the negative impacts left by the opposition, and we are committed to improving them.

The new legislation we are introducing is a step in the right direction. It’s the first of many steps aimed at getting students back to focusing on the fundamentals.

We are determined to see the graduation rate and EQAO scores improve, and better student outcomes.

I beg the question: Why were these priorities not addressed—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you.

The member for Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: Il y en a qui vont se souvenir qu’il y a très, très longtemps que nous avons eu un gouvernement néo-démocrate en place. Je peux vous dire—je suis très fière de dire—que lorsque l’Ontario avait un gouvernement néo-démocrate, nous avons ouvert le Collège Boréal, un collège francophone à Sudbury, pour desservir les francophones du nord de l’Ontario.

Je peux vous dire qu’un gouvernement néo-démocrate financerait également l’Université de Sudbury pour s’assurer que les francophones du Nord aient accès à une éducation pour, par et avec les francophones à Sudbury.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: On behalf of hard-working Ottawa families, it’s a pleasure for me to stand up and provide my strong support for the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act.

There’s no question that the world is changing, and we had better change with it, or we risk getting left behind.

The Minister of Education has been doing an admirable job of modernizing Ontario’s curriculum, to ensure that it prepares our young people for the world of tomorrow. This has meant focusing on STEM learning and math, including financial literacy and digital fluency, and encouraging kids to take a good look at rewarding careers in the skilled trades.

It’s an honour for me to represent the people of Carleton, and I take every opportunity I can to listen to the concerns of hard-working families. My constituents are respectful and polite, but they’re also pretty firm about wanting value for money. Families in Ottawa understand the critical role that public education plays, and they nearly always like their children’s teachers, but they also see their school board as a big and impersonal bureaucracy and believe the education system must do a much better job of preparing young people for the workforce.

The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act will, if passed, provide parents and taxpayers with some long-overdue accountability, and it will assist the minister in making the education system more responsive to the changing needs of the job market.

Our legislation, if passed, will drive provincial priorities and expectations for Ontario’s education sector from the province through to Ontario’s classrooms to enhance accountability and transparency.

Our legislation will enable more effective governance through reforms for education sector boards of trustees and directors of education.

Our legislation will help to maximize the considerable real estate assets of school boards.

It will ensure Ontario’s teachers are trained for the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s classrooms.

And our legislation will provide the information and tools necessary to ensure consistent information and approaches to student learning, including student learning about mental health and well-being.

Madam Speaker, there are certain parts of the legislation that are very, very important and are very critical, not just in Ottawa—but specifically in my riding of Carleton.

The fact that our legislation will enable school boards to maximize the considerable real estate assets of school boards make me think about Munster Elementary School, which was shut down years ago by the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP. While it’s in perfect condition, Munster Elementary School has remained closed, and the school board has no intention of reopening it. In fact, the school board has tried to sell this asset several times—something that I have prevented, because it makes no sense for the school board to not utilize Munster Elementary School to its full potential.

This bill allows the school board to collaborate—whether it’s with other school boards, whether it’s with the municipality—to come up with some sort of solution that will allow parents in Munster to send their kids to a local school, but also give the option of making sure that the building is used to its maximum capacity. Whether it’s as a hybrid community centre or whether it’s dual school boards, the opportunities and the possibilities are endless, and this legislation provides that opportunity.

This legislation provides that hope to the community of Munster, the people of Munster, that perhaps once again they can send their children back to Munster Elementary School, a local school. That’s why I’m proud to support this important piece of legislation, and I look forward to working with the parents and the community of Munster to come up with various solutions and work towards how we can get Munster Elementary School opened.

The bill that we’re discussing is quite wide-ranging and includes a number of much-needed reforms. I’m not going to list them in their entirety, but I will briefly mention a few that I’m especially excited about.

The big item is, of course, the provincial information for parents that will spell out their rights, roles and responsibilities within the educational system. This is very important, especially in the city of Ottawa, where in the past month there have been some contentious issues in the news with school board trustees, and parents have been left wondering what their rights are to get involved, what their rights are to ask questions. This legislation will ensure that parents will know what their rights, roles and responsibilities are within the education system.

As I mentioned earlier, many parents across the province view their local school board as a big and impersonal bureaucracy that does not feel a need to listen to the concerns of families. I experienced this myself when, last year, the parents in Findlay Creek who had their children attending Vimy Ridge Public School reached out to my office because they felt like they were getting nowhere with the school board and their trustee.

When they were telling the school board and trustee that there were too many kids and that they needed to build a second public elementary school in Findlay Creek, the school board simply ignored them and kept on adding more and more portables until, finally, the school board said they’re going to start busing new students to other communities. Instead of accepting that they needed to build a second public elementary school, the school board just ignored the needs of parents.

The parents came to me, and we worked hard. We created a petition. I spoke with the Minister of Education—and that’s probably the fastest school I’ve ever managed to get funding for, to get built. When I heard about the issue, it was in October, and the day we received funding was, I believe, sometime in mid-April—so eight months.

I was very, very pleased to work with the parents and families of Findlay Creek to make sure that they got funding and that the school board prioritized building a second public elementary school in Findlay Creek. But they shouldn’t have gone through me; they should have been able to deal directly with the school board and their school board trustee. But you know that when parents are reaching out to their local MPP to get assistance on a school board matter, there’s an issue there with the system.

Our government understands that parental involvement is crucially important in a child’s education, and we believe in empowering parents, not in telling them to sit down. Providing each parent with information that outlines their rights and responsibilities will enhance parent-teacher conversations and encourage more parents to voice their opinions and get involved in their children’s education.

Madam Speaker, my colleagues on this side of the House strongly support this legislation, because it includes a number of measures to make school boards more accountable to families, and I agree with all of those measures.

I’m especially impressed by one amendment to the Ontario College of Teachers Act, 1996, that would allow student victims of alleged sexual abuse, child pornography or a criminal sexual act by any teacher to receive funding for therapy. At present, the provisions require there to be a direct relationship between the student and teacher, which is limiting for victims of abuse. I applaud the Minister of Education for including that measure in the bill.

When young people enter the public education system, they are in our care, and they deserve every protection we can afford them.

Clearly, the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act is a thoughtful and comprehensive bill that will help protect young people, empower parents, and make school boards more accountable to parents and taxpayers. With this legislation, we are telling parents in Ontario, we are telling the communities of Munster, of Findlay Creek, Riverside South, Stittsville—all across my riding of Carleton, across the city of Ottawa, including Manotick, and across the province that our government is here, our government is listening.

Our government has always supported parents, and we will continue to support parents, because ultimately it is their children in the public education system, and it is our responsibility to make sure that children and families are supported.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Mr. Wayne Gates: This bill states right in the title that it wants to achieve better outcomes for students.

Right now, in Niagara, 16 schools can’t operate their nutrition program—and they can’t even operate it because of the funding. The kids are going hungry because this government hasn’t increased funding as food prices skyrocket.

Does this member and the Conservative Party think that hungry children perform well at school?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: I appreciate the member’s question.

It’s so important that all children are supported, but ultimately the nutrition program is run by the municipality, and so the school boards have to work with the municipality to ensure that nutrition is being provided in schools—and this bill allows school boards to do this. So I encourage the school board to work with the municipality, and I encourage the member to work with his municipal counterparts to resolve this situation.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further question?

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: Speaker, we know that student success is very, very important, and I know that all members agree that students need to be given every opportunity to succeed in the workforce—ready to go forward with rewarding careers, whether they go to post-secondary by way of university, college, a trade, or another path.

Our government announced that, starting with students entering grade 9 in September 2024, they will be required, toward their Ontario secondary school diploma, to obtain a technological education credit. This is just one example of our government supporting all students for the jobs of tomorrow.

How does this bill further support student learning?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Thank you to the member for that very, very insightful and important question.

Madam Speaker, our government is making an historic investment in Ontario’s schools by providing a projected $27.6 billion in public education for the 2023-24 school year.

Along with the funding for school board operations, targeted initiatives will support student achievement and well-being. The proposed legislation would, if passed, refocus Ontario’s education on student achievement, prioritizing skills development in reading, writing and math, and hands-on learning. It advances a vision for the system that is centred on preparing students to succeed in life and work, putting highly qualified educators in the classroom while strengthening the voices of parents in their child’s education.

That’s why I’m proud to support this legislation.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

M me Lucille Collard: I was very interested in the example the member from Carleton mentioned about getting a new school in Findlay Creek. I don’t know if she knows, but school boards establish their priorities for new schools, and these priorities are then submitted to the Minister of Education, who actually makes the decision and approves which schools might be built. So the fact that schools don’t get built is not the fault of the school boards.

I really wish I had the power of the member to get a new school built in my riding.

My question to the member is, what do I need to do or tell the minister so I can get a new school built in eight months in my riding?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Thank you very much for the question.

This is the challenge—when you’re asking a question about a situation you know absolutely nothing about and assuming that the member doesn’t know what they’re speaking about.

In that particular situation in Findlay Creek, the school was actually not on the capital priorities list. The school board had other schools on the capital priorities list, even though Vimy Ridge Public School had 24 portables at the time and the population was doubled. Even though the school was overpopulated, the school board refused to add a second public elementary school to their capital priorities list.

I worked with the community of Findlay Creek, we created a petition, and we petitioned the school board to place a public elementary school on their capital priorities list and, in fact, they listed it as their top capital priority. As soon as they did that, the Minister of Education, during the next round of funding, provided funding to approve the top capital priority. But that was something—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. Further questions?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I find it interesting that the member for Carleton says people shouldn’t be commenting when they don’t know what they’re talking about.

The nutrition program at the school my colleague was talking about is actually funded through the province—so I suspect that you’re going to go to the minister, then, and tell him that he needs to provide the emergency funding to feed those hungry children.

Speaker, my colleague from Nickel Belt talked about students with special education needs not getting the supports they need in schools. As a trustee, I can tell you, for many decades, through consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments, every single board runs a deficit when it comes to supporting students with special needs. The special-ed funding is insufficient and has been for a very long time.

I’m going to ask the member from Carleton, is your government, in this bill, going to provide the special education funding that the school boards need in order to actually be able to provide supports to students with special-ed needs so that they can thrive and get the education and the learning experience that they deserve—because currently, under your government, they’re not. In fact—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. Response?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for the question.

One thing that our government will do is, we will always respect and value the unique and diverse nature of Ontario’s communities, Ontario’s students and Ontario’s families, because they’re just one piece of what makes our province great.

Our school boards must be able to tailor education delivery to local contexts and needs. The school boards have a responsibility to use the funding that they receive responsibly and appropriately.

That’s why not only are we making historic investments in our education budget, not only are we spending $27.6 billion in education, but we are also making sure that school boards are being held accountable for the money we are giving them. Ultimately, we want to make sure those dollars are getting into the classroom, where they belong.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the member for her presentation.

I know that the riding of Carleton—similar to my own riding—has a wide variety of schools and school boards, mixed urban and rural. That represents all of what Ontario has.

We have a variety of school experiences. There are four unique, publicly funded school systems, 72 district school boards, over 3,900 elementary and 870 secondary schools.

In Toronto, there are schools with more than 2,000 students. In northern and rural Ontario, there are schools—including some in my own riding—that have less than 200 students. While each of these schools use the same curriculum, the learning experience is vastly different.

This proposed legislation includes one set of priorities for all school boards for all students. Can the member talk to us about how this will be beneficial for the boards and, more specifically, how it will be beneficial—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. The member from Carleton.

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: At the end of the day, all school boards have a common responsibility to promote student achievement. Our goal with the proposed legislation is to reinforce this responsibility. Through the proposed measures, we would ensure that everyone, from leaders across Ontario’s 72 district school boards to the province’s classrooms, is working toward the same goal of improving student outcomes and are held accountable to students and parents.

Our government values school boards’ knowledge of and connections with their local communities. They will be able to continue leveraging their expertise in these areas to deliver the province’s priorities in a way that is responsive to local needs.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Quick question, quick response.

Ms. Sarah Jama: In a press conference this week, the Minister of Education talked about provisions which would potentially allow for the purchasing of school properties for the development of long-term-care homes. Given the crumbling private long-term-care system, I just want clarity around whether these properties would remain in the public long-term-care system.

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: I’m sorry; I had trouble hearing the question. It was a little bit muffled.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): You’ll just have to try to answer the question. It was about long-term care.

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Okay. The legislation makes it very clear, and I discussed this in my speech, that a school board’s priority is to ensure that the school is being used for its purpose. Then, they are supposed to reach out to other school boards and work with the community. Then, if there is no reasonable plan or feasibility, that’s something that can be discussed. But the point here is to support and promote education—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thanks so much.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Events in Kitchener South–Hespeler and Kitchener-Waterloo

Ms. Jess Dixon: The month of Ramadan is coming to a close now—late Friday, early Saturday.

I have had the opportunity, as many of us have, to attend a number of Ramadan events and community iftars. I’ve also been to several Ramadan bazaars and Eid bazaars; some have seen the henna on my hand.

What I wanted to comment on, as far as my community, is, first of all, a couple of the bazaars I have been to. These are organized shopping events, basically, that are focused on jewellery and clothing and handbags. They are real community events. One of the things I noticed when I was there is how many female entrepreneurs this really gives an opportunity to. When you go there, most of the sellers are women, and it’s this incredible community.

I also had the chance to go to an iftar held by the organization Muslim Social Services of Kitchener-Waterloo, and I really wanted to give them a shout-out. They are filling a really important void in the mental health space, which is, offering mental health supports that have a cultural sensitivity that would be otherwise missing. Understanding that socio-religious background is very important when it comes to building strong societies, and they’re absolutely essential in that space. I wanted to thank them for inviting me to iftar.

Energy contracts

Mr. Peter Tabuns: OPG is currently in talks with New Brunswick Power over the ownership and operation of the Point Lepreau nuclear plant. I asked the Minister of Energy last week what he would do to protect Ontario from taking on debt or financial risk in any deal related to the plant. His assurances were just boilerplate; they were not comforting.

Since then, media reports from New Brunswick indicate the power company there is looking at a number of options.

One

article noted, “That could include giving up direct ownership and management of some power generation so that outside companies absorb more of the cost and the financial risk.”

I think that’s a pretty clear statement.

New Brunswick Power has over $5 billion in debt and says the status quo can’t continue. Last year, poor operations at Point Lepreau cost New Brunswick Power almost $400 million in losses.

New Brunswick Power is also talking about the option of a partnership arrangement with OPG that some say could shield the deal from New Brunswick regulators and allow OPG to take on financial risk.

Speaker, the people of Ontario have no interest in taking on someone else’s debts and losses. Our hydro rates are high enough; we don’t need to subsidize another province’s power company.

The Minister of Energy should make sure OPG is focused on looking after Ontario and not signing agreements that put us in harm’s way.

Peterborough Regional Science Fair

Mr. Dave Smith: The Peterborough Regional Science Fair conducted its 54th annual event last Tuesday. This fair is held at Trent University, bringing in hundreds of bright young students. These students showcase their experiments and compete for the Canada-Wide Science Fair. It’s encouraging to see students explore scientific explorations this way—shaping our youth to promote a better future.

From this year’s fair, four projects will be sent to the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton next month, from May 14 to 19. Peterborough’s very own Isabelle Young will be representing Peterborough at the national level, after coming in second place with her project. Her experiment specializes in forensic sciences. Isabelle is only in grade 9, but her passion for science began at a young age, and she’s now able to explore it nationally. As a finalist, she’s paired with a master’s student from Trent University to tweak and finalize her project.

Speaker, this is an exceptional way of connecting our future scientists at all different levels of education.

Congratulations, Isabelle. I wish you good luck in Edmonton. I know I speak for everyone in Peterborough city and county when I say how proud we are of you, to have someone with your passion for science. We look forward to cheering you on as you contribute not only in Edmonton but also as you progress throughout your journey in the field of science.

Volunteers

Miss Monique Taylor: This week is National Volunteer Week, and it is a time to recognize all of our hard-working volunteers who make our services and programs in our communities possible. Volunteers are really the fabric of our community, so it is only fitting that this year’s theme is “Volunteering Weaves Us Together.” Through working together and sharing their time, the interconnected actions of volunteers strengthen and support our communities.

There are countless volunteers in Hamilton Mountain who make our community what it is, whether it’s running Coldest Night of the Year, operating the food bank, driving seniors to appointments—and the list goes on. In fact, 52% of people in Hamilton volunteer, which is higher than the national average. The one thing they all have in common is their dedication to helping others in any way they can.

I am thankful for the volunteers who have come out to support me over the years, because the work we do here is not possible without them.

Volunteers help our children, our seniors, our neighbours, our families, our friends, our pets, and the environment. The list is endless.

I want to say thank you to all of the volunteers out there, because your selflessness and willingness to dedicate your time to others is worth being celebrated.

Congratulations, and happy volunteer week.

Duncan McPhail

Mr. Rob Flack: I rise in the House today to honour a friend, a colleague and an exceptional leader from my riding of Elgin–Middlesex–London. Last month, on March 11, sadly, only two weeks before his 70th birthday, Duncan McPhail passed away. He was an active farmer and egg producer. He grew up and spent his life on his family farm, where he also raised his own family. He was also a great customer of my former employer, Masterfeeds.

A strong community advocate, Duncan also served as West Elgin’s mayor. I believe it’s fair to say that Duncan McPhail was the voice of West Elgin.

Duncan was a man of honour and integrity, and he was truly loved throughout Elgin county.

Duncan served on council from 1988 to 2002, and he returned to politics in 2018. In 2000, 2001, and 2019, Duncan served as Elgin county’s warden. He also served as deputy warden last year, in 2022. This meant that Dunc had an unmatched wealth of knowledge.

I certainly appreciated his advice and guidance in the time I was fortunate enough to work alongside him.

His experience, wisdom and sense of humour were appreciated by all in Elgin county.

We have lost a steadfast leader, and I know that Duncan McPhail will be greatly missed by his family, his community and the many, many people who called him friend.

Allan Cup

Ms. Sandy Shaw: There was some exciting hockey on Tuesday, and I am not talking about the pitiful Leafs first playoff game. In my riding, the Allan Cup, which is Canada’s oldest national hockey championship, is being hosted, and that hockey is exciting. The Allan Cup, the national senior hockey championship, really is the oldest national hockey championship in Canada. It began on April 17, in Dundas.

After three long years of COVID hiatus, the Real McCoys are happy to welcome all the great teams from across Canada back to the beautiful Grightmire Arena in Dundas. Teams and their fans are coming in from Newfoundland and Alberta to compete in this prestigious competition, and the community is very excited. Don Robertson, the well-known president of the Real McCoys, is among the most excited. He said that he felt it was so important to keep the Allan Cup going and this brand of hockey alive. Don Robertson, himself a Gold Stick honoree, said that hockey has such an important place in our history.

This week, Canada came to Dundas. It will be the third time the Real McCoys have hosted this Canadian, local, iconic championship.

The Ontario Hockey Association said, “We are proud to be bringing this event back to Ontario.... It only seems appropriate that the oldest hockey association in Canada is hosting the oldest hockey championship in the country....”

Let me thank the volunteers. Let me thank the teams.

The cup is being awarded this Saturday, and if I had to pick a winner, I’m going to go with the Real McCoys.

Go, Real McCoys, this Saturday.

Homelessness

Mr. John Jordan: Speaker, this government heard loud and clear during pre-budget consultations that homelessness is not only a huge problem in urban areas, but it’s also an issue in rural areas, like my riding of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston.

Thanks to this Ontario government and the great Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, millions of new dollars were invested in this year’s budget—and for years to come—to assist our exceptional local organizations that lend a helping hand to the most vulnerable people, under the Homelessness Prevention Program.

I spoke with Emily Hollington, the director of social services for Lanark county, who said, “We are pleased to see the ministry’s increased financial commitment to the Homelessness Prevention Program.” Knowing the need, Emily is very thankful for this new funding. Lanark county will receive a total of almost $2.5 million in 2023-24, which includes an additional investment of nearly $1 million. The additional Homelessness Prevention Program funding will help the county address the complex needs of people experiencing homelessness and will enhance our initiatives in preventing homelessness.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario’s 2023 budget is supporting those who have fallen on hard times in Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston and across the province—people who are experiencing or are at risk of experiencing homelessness.

This government will continue to take action on homelessness prevention and provide more people with not only a place to call home, but hope for a better future.

Riding of Don Valley East

Mr. Adil Shamji: Mr. Speaker, the people of Don Valley East have, as of late, unjustly had their voices silenced, discounted and cast aside. I’m referring to a string of decisions made about us, without us.

First, the Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission issued an unanticipated recommendation to eliminate DVE as a riding. The response from my constituents has been clear: They were not offered community consultation, they do not want this change to happen, and they know it will be reflected at the provincial and municipal levels. Arbitrarily dividing up our riding will tear apart neighbourhoods that are politically, socially and culturally intertwined.

Cutting and pasting ridings together negatively impacts people who rely on organizations, services, and uniquely tailored political representation.

Don Valley East is a distinct part of Toronto. It needs more than just representation; it also needs a soul.

The Ontario Science Centre is one of the crown jewels of Toronto, promoting culture, employment, prosperity, education, and recreation. Meanwhile, the government has been planning its demolition without a shred of consultation. The Minister of Infrastructure’s feeble machinations about a so-called “business case” fool nobody—and the Science Centre Station is the very definition of a bait and switch.

The people of Don Valley East deserve honesty and a chance to be heard, and the province is taking notice. On their behalf, I say, you will not tear down and relocate the Ontario Science Centre without a fight. It is a community institution, an architectural wonder, and the protector of our cherished ravine lands, which you must not pave over with so much new housing already being built in the area—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Members’ statements.

Ramadan and Eid-Ul-Fitr

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: The month of Ramadan is ending. From dawn till dusk, Muslims fasted to purify souls and practised staying away from wrongdoings for 30 days. This week, they will gear up to celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr, a joyous occasion where the faithful offer gratitude. On this day, prayers are offered, kinships are strengthened, and charity for the unprivileged is given. Mouth-watering feasts are held and shared with family, friends, neighbours, and just about anyone in need. It is believed that absolutely no soul shall go unfed on the day of Eid.

Fasting brings soul-cleansing, self-discipline and focus. Fasting makes one empathetic and sympathetic, to understand the pain of hunger and starvation.

Mr. Speaker, on this Eid, I feel pain for the Islamic Society of Markham in my riding, who faced an unwanted incident during Ramadan. I also met with the leaders of the mosque. I commend the resilience and perseverance of our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Our government protects religious freedom. Everyone can practise their faith and beliefs without fear and intimidation in our beautiful province.

I wish the Muslim community a happy Eid. Eid Mubarak.

Flamborough Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Awards

Ms. Donna Skelly: I want to take the opportunity this morning to congratulate the 2023 Flamborough Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Achievement Award winners. Each year, the Flamborough chamber honours the best in corporate excellence and community service at its Outstanding Business Achievement Awards gala. This year, six local businesses and individuals were recognized for their exceptional service.

The Waterdown Village BIA received the Community Service Award for demonstrating exemplary business practices and its dedication to involvement in the community.

IG Wealth Management took home the Large Business Award.

The Small Business Award went to Birmingham Consulting.

Benchmark Plumbing was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year. This award recognizes an individual who shows extraordinary energy, inspiration, leadership and innovation in their business practices.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former Hamilton city councillor Judi Partridge.

Christina Birmingham received the FCC Award, which recognizes a Flamborough business that has made an outstanding contribution to the Flamborough Chamber of Commerce.

This was the first time in three years that everyone could get together in person. Flamborough Chamber of Commerce executive director Matteo Patricelli made a point of thanking the local businesses who worked together to make this gala evening a success.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Will Bouma: I’d like to welcome to the House Caleb Lyons, the son of Charlie Lyons, our chaplain. It’s nice to see you here.

Mr. Adil Shamji: This morning, I rise to welcome Michau Van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition.

Welcome to the chamber.

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: I welcome to the assembly today, in the members’ gallery, Remi Ferreira, who arrived in Canada from Guyana in 1952—married for 69 years to Inge. He makes the community of Guildwood in Scarborough his home. He was a successful businessman, retiring as executive vice-president from Stafford foods company after 38 years.

Welcome, Remi Ferreira.

Mr. Chris Glover: I wish to welcome to the House Jason Stevens.

I also want to give a warm welcome to the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, who will be having the event this evening.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I’d like to welcome some wonderful constituents from Mississauga–Streetsville: Seshagiri Pingali, Srilakshmi Koduri, and Richita Pingali, the family of today’s page captain Kundanika Pingali.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Miss Monique Taylor: My office decided this week that we would call today “bring your family to work day.” So with us today, I have my executive assistant, Jess Beaupre, who brought her parents, Margaret and David Beaupre, to work today. And, proudly, I have my daughter, Destinee Taylor, and her boyfriend, Jeff Cooper, here with us today.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Trevor Jones: It’s my pleasure to welcome my friends Mr. Scott Johnson, director of education for the St. Clair Catholic District School Board, and Amy Janssens, associate director of corporate services.

Welcome to your House.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I would like to formally acknowledge that page Kate Demczur is serving as page captain today. Well done.

Hon. Graydon Smith: I want to welcome Steve McKenzie, a friend of over 40 years to the House today, and nine-year-old political enthusiast Lucas Atienza.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, buddy.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I have the privilege of welcoming two wonderful guests to the Legislature today: my beautiful wife, Keri, and my son, Sullivan. They are in the members’ gallery.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

House sittings

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 9(h), the Clerk has received written notice from the government House leader indicating that a temporary change in the weekly meeting

schedule of the House is required and, therefore, the House shall commence at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 24, 2023, for the proceedings of orders of the day.

Decorum in chamber

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I also need to take this opportunity to remind members of one of the rules of decorum in the chamber. There has long been an understanding that members are not to use props, signage or accessories that may express a political message. This also extends to members’ attire, where logos, slogans, advertising or symbols associated with campaigns or causes are not permitted.

Laptops and other devices that members visibly make use of in the chamber are subject to the same standards. I mention this since I have recently noticed that some members have added stickers or decals to the covers of their laptops. I urge all members to consider the statement that they may be making and ensure that any personalization of their devices does not become a distraction from the work of the House. This could include taking precautions such as using a cover on the device while in the chamber or other measures to ensure that their belongings do not convey visible political messaging.

As a closing reminder, the expectation in this chamber is that political points should be made during debate rather than through the use of props.

I thank the members for their attention to this important matter.

Question Period

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier.

After five years of Conservative rule, our schools and our students are struggling more than ever—overcrowded classrooms, fewer in-school supports, and a school repair backlog that gets bigger and bigger every year.

Now, after three years of start-and-stop learning disruptions, this government has tabled a funding package that fails Ontario kids yet again. It won’t stop pending layoffs, and it won’t give students the extra support they need to graduate as skilled and engaged citizens.

To the Premier: Why should families believe this government’s promises on education when they’ve continually shown just how out of touch they are?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We’re committed to continuing to invest in publicly funded schools—$693 million more for the coming school year, a 10% increase in funding to school boards over the last four years.

The member opposite speaks about staffing. Then, she should ask her caucus why they opposed every single hire—8,000 additional education workers and teachers in our publicly funded schools, because our Premier and our government have invested in what matters most. We just announced an additional 1,000 educators to promote literacy and math, an additional 1,000 teachers to help with the destreamed courses, and the opposition have already asserted that they will vote against that investment.

We also brought forth legislation to improve better schools and better outcomes. I will note that the members opposite have yet to disclose one substantive concern with the legislation, the first overhaul of the Education Act in a generation. You would think the members opposite would find an opportunity to work with government to improve outcomes, accountability—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. The supplementary question?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, this government likes to say it’s going back to basics like math, but that’s a little ironic, because their math here just does not add up. The reality is, when adjusted to inflation, education funding has plummeted $1,200 per student, per year, since this government first took office.

Again to the Premier: When will this government stop shortchanging students, restore funding, and get kids the support they need to succeed?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Let’s hear what the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education had to say, as opposed to the rhetoric from the members opposite: “We commend the province of Ontario for launching this initiative that will help to ensure young students can build successful careers....”

Alicia Smith from Dyslexia Canada said, “Dyslexia Canada sees today’s funding announcement as a positive and necessary step that will help Ontario school boards shift their ... practices.”

The head of Community Literacy of Ontario said, “The changes that the Ministry of Education is making to the current” school system “directly addresses literacy and aims to support children building” their critical skills.

The head of the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association said, “Today’s announcement of significant additional resources in support of improved student math ... and literacy skills are welcomed and very much appreciated.”

The head of the Ontario Federation of Home and School Associations said, “These additional supports in the fundamental areas of math and literacy that will get students back where they need to be.”

We are investing more, and we are expecting more for Ontario’s publicly funded school system.

I ask the members opposite to support this bill, to expect better for Ontario children, lift standards, lift the ambitions and the outcomes for kids in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The final supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, they’re patting themselves on their back while they’re letting kids and their families down. It has been five years—five years. It’s time to take some responsibility.

Teachers, education workers, parents do not have faith that this government will fix the crisis in our education system, because they all know that there are four fewer high school teachers per 1,000 students now than there were five years ago, even with their additions. I’d like to encourage this government to do the math. That is a net reduction in the teacher-student ratio—not to mention the planned upcoming layoffs of thousands of education workers.

To the Premier: Is this the legacy you want to leave Ontario?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It is ironic—NDP math. There are fewer students and more staff—8,000 more in Ontario schools—and yet somehow the opposition, with a straight face, could declare there’s less going in the publicly funded school system. We increased staff by 8,000 more front-line workers—EAs, ECEs, and teachers in the school system. We just announced an additional 2,000 front-line teachers focused on what matters most: boosting reading, writing and math. We introduced legislation to get back to the focus.

I noticed that some of the members from the Leader of the Opposition’s caucus, when they were trustees, called for the very provisions in the bill today. The member from London West, the former chair of Thames Valley, called for school boards to establish a minimum code of conduct for trustees. She called on the minister to do that. She called on the board of trustees to approve a multi-year strategic plan. She called on school boards to report annually to the public. She called on us to undertake more effective governance of school boards. That’s exactly what the bill does.

Instead of your ideological opposition to progress and to change, vote for this bill. Expect—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Government side, come to order.

Restart the clock. The next question.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier.

Yesterday, the Minister of Infrastructure told Ontarians that it was “much more expensive” to repair the Ontario Science Centre than it would be to just tear it all down—much more expensive than tearing it down, refurbishing the pods, building a whole new building, and then moving all of those jobs out of Flemingdon Park and next to the Premier’s new, elite, private spa. But when she was asked how much more expensive, she couldn’t or wouldn’t say.

So, Speaker, I would like to offer the Premier a chance: How much will it cost to remove the Ontario Science Centre from its heritage property in Flemingdon Park?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Infrastructure.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I was correct. But what our government is doing is saving the science centre. We are going to get a brand new, modern home with new exhibits—a new home at Ontario Place, which will be redeveloped so that families can enjoy it.

I wonder what the member opposite was doing for years when they let Ontario Place and the science centre deteriorate—a lack of investment.

Mr. Speaker, we will invest in the science centre, and we will continue to invest in Ontario Place.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Ms. Marit Stiles: I guess we’ll find out the real cost in 2028.

The minister also referred to a business case for this whole scheme. Considering that there has been exactly zero consultation with local communities, no transparency as to how this whole plan came together, and with this government’s very dubious track record when it comes to land deals, I think it’s on the minister to show her work.

Back to the Premier: When will you show Ontario the evidence that this scheme is actually in the public interest?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, we did show our work just two days ago, with the Premier and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, when we presented the holistic vision for Ontario Place. We are investing in site servicing in order to prep the site for our brand new tenants, which will be Therme, Live Nation, and, of course, the science centre.

Mr. Speaker, those members over there have let Ontario Place deteriorate. It is flooded. It is eroding. It is not safe.

It is this government that is investing in the science centre and investing in Ontario Place to make it a wonderful place for families to enjoy for generations to come.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South and the member for Kitchener–Conestoga, come to order.

Supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, companies controlled by the DeGasperis family, long-time Conservative Party insiders, bought 60 acres of land next to the current science centre less than a month before this government announced there would be a subway stop there. By the way, that subway stop is called Science Centre Station; I guess they’re going to have to find a new name for it. These are the same developers connected to the costly Highway 413 project, who hosted the Premier in an elite NHL suite in Florida, benefited from this government’s greenbelt tear-up, and own the historic foundry site bulldozed for a parking lot.

Back to the Premier: What role did Conservative-connected developers have in this decision?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The members will please take their seats. Order. Official opposition, come to order.

To reply, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Let me just get this straight: The Leader of the Opposition’s main concern is that we might have to change the name of the brand new subway station that we’re building—across the $30-billion infrastructure program to bring subways to the city of Toronto, in an area that is being redeveloped, that is saving the science centre, bringing tourists back to Ontario Place, that they allowed to destroy, in co-operation with the NDP. The number one concern that the Leader of the Opposition has is, we might have to change the name of that subway stop. That’s it.

I’ll tell you what. I will give the Leader of the Opposition a victory: We’ll change the name of the subway stop for them.

Government accountability

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Premier.

Without any consultation, Premier Ford announced plans to tear down the current Ontario Science Centre building and build a smaller, new building at Ontario Place, where large parts of the site are also being privatized with no consultation or transparency.

The Ontario Science Centre is an important architectural landmark and a vital place for the communities of Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park. Tearing it down is a bad idea.

The Premier says that the plan is to build housing on the site.

Has the public land where the Ontario Science Centre sits—land that belongs to the city of Toronto—already been promised to a developer? If so, who?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Infrastructure.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Our government made a commitment to the great people of Ontario that we would bring Ontario Place back to life, and that is exactly what we are doing.

We made a commitment to build public transit in the city of Toronto—expanding the subway system by 50%. That is exactly what we are doing. We are bringing the transit system up to Thorncliffe Park, which I know will truly benefit the community, as it will others, as well.

We have a wonderful opportunity before us. We have a wonderful asset at the waterfront that is not being utilized, that is not enjoyed by the public. They closed the doors in 2012. We will open the doors and welcome families to come to Ontario Place.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question. The member for Spadina–Fort York.

Mr. Chris Glover: The Minister of Infrastructure has said multiple times that an environmental assessment is under way at Ontario Place, but she failed to mention that the assessment doesn’t include the site of the private Austrian spa because the government weakened the Environmental Assessment Act. The project involves cutting down 850 trees and destroying habitat where beavers, minks, foxes and endangered birds live. It also plans to attract more than 10,000 guests per day without any assessment of how that will impact transit, traffic or infrastructure.

Why is your government sidestepping its requirement for an environmental assessment for the majority of the redevelopment of Ontario Place?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you very much for the question.

We are following all of the processes before us. We are following everything that’s required of us by the Minister of the Environment through legislation that has been in the House, and we are following the city process with the development application of Ontario Place.

While I love the fact that the members opposite are talking about transit, we are the government that led the way in transit expansion. We will be connecting Ontario Place with public transit, with the subway line, so that people can have greater access to the site because, once again, we are bringing Ontario Place back to life so that everyone can enjoy this wonderful landmark at our waterfront.

Housing

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My question this morning is for the Premier.

Over the coming decade, Ontario is expected to grow by more than two million people, and many of those people want to call the beautiful riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore home. But as Ontario’s population continues to grow, housing construction has historically not kept pace.

Now, like much of Canada, Ontario is facing a housing crisis that is freezing individuals and families out of the dream of home ownership. With each year that passes, we know that thousands of newcomers to Canada will settle in Ontario, and many are skilled workers looking to potentially buy or rent a home. Simply put, Ontario needs to build a lot more homes to meet the rapidly growing population.

Can the Premier please explain how our government is taking action to increase the pace of new home construction?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the great member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for that great question.

Our government remains committed to delivering on our promise of 1.5 million homes. You saw Stats Canada a couple of weeks ago—445,000 people landed here in Ontario. That’s the fastest-growing region anywhere in North America. We’re going to make sure we have homes and rental homes.

As you saw, housing starts in the GTA rose by 7.7% last year—the highest level since 2012. Year over year, total housing starts in Ontario are up 4.5%. Rental starts are double what they were the same time last year because of Bill 23—the minister did an incredible job.

We’re cutting red tape. We’re making sure we get shovels in the ground. We’re going to make sure it doesn’t take five years for a municipality to issue a permit. We’re getting homes built for the newcomers and people who have been here for years. We’re going to make sure we have affordable, attainable homes for everyone.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question?

Ms. Christine Hogarth: I want to thank the Premier for his response and for his leadership in building a stronger Ontario.

But, Speaker, more can be done and should be done when it comes to addressing our province’s housing crisis and the affordability crisis that’s affecting all regions of Ontario. For too many Ontarians, including young people, newcomers and seniors, finding the right home is still too challenging. It is essential that our government implements measures so that local interests and demand for housing are considered when it comes to building housing to accommodate community and region-specific needs.

Can the Premier please explain how our government is promoting collaboration and partnerships in responding to diverse housing needs?

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you for the question, once again.

Multi-unit construction in Ontario has increased by 7.6% since February. We’re seeing this continue to grow—the largest increase in the country, over any area in the country. We saw a 25% increase in condo permits, also the largest increase in the entire country. There’s a reason. Everyone heard the stat—and this goes back many years. We’ve created the conditions and the climate for companies to come here and build. We have more cranes than LA, New York, Chicago, Washington and Boston combined. They’re building because we’ve created the climate.

We’re cutting red tape. We’re getting shovels in the ground. We’re making sure that municipalities are held accountable for the first time ever—they’re being held accountable. We’re going to make sure we have condos and houses for people who may not be able to afford it.

It’s very simple—the Liberals and NDP have never understood it for decades—it’s called supply and demand, and we’re going to have to supply the demand.

Indigenous rights

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: My question is to the Premier.

Ontario is allowing mining claims across Treaty 9 territory that affect the rights and interests of First Nations without their free, prior and informed consent.

In a recent letter to Ring of Fire Metals, Neskantaga stated that no other government or First Nation can rewrite history to take away our rights and our homelands.

Why is Ontario undermining Neskantaga’s rights and interests in their own territories?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs.

Hon. Greg Rickford: To the contrary, we’re working with Neskantaga First Nation, as we are working with First Nations communities across northern Ontario on various resource projects and on various pieces of legacy infrastructure which will enhance the social, health and economic opportunities that are available to their communities.

We take our

section 35 responsibilities seriously with respect to the duty to consult. We’ll continue to engage and work with communities to build consensus, to provide an opportunity for a better life for people in Indigenous communities across northern Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker.

We’re not talking about programs and services or funding. We’re talking about rights.

Speaker, last week the Chiefs of Ontario made a strong statement against Bill 71, the Building More Mines Act. They named Ontario’s lack of meaningful consultation and lack of recognition of crown responsibilities.

Neskantaga and other affected nations have not given, again, their free, prior and informed consent to what this government is doing in Treaty 9 territory.

Will this Premier cease and desist all exploration activity in the Ring of Fire until the free, prior, informed consent of Neskantaga and other nations has been given?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

The Minister of Northern Development.

Hon. Greg Rickford: We will continue to talk about rights. We’ll talk about the rights of young Indigenous people to get a good job, to work in land use planning, to work on studies surrounding the Ring of Fire and across resource projects and legacy infrastructure in northern Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, he quotes FPIC here. There’s been a lot of discussion about it; fair enough. It’s not the law of Ontario. However, we have built consensus into the Far North Act. We continue to work with Indigenous communities. It just can’t be that one community wants consent and the others want a project to proceed. That begs us to build consensus. That begs us to work with Neskantaga, Webequie First Nation, Marten Falls, Eabametoong, Kasabonika. Name those communities and I will tell you about people who want opportunities for a better way of life in their communities—including legacy infrastructure: roads, electricity—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The next question. The member for Eglinton–Lawrence.

Economic development

Mrs. Robin Martin: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

I understand that the minister recently returned from New York, where he promoted Ontario’s economic interests and showcased the best that Ontario’s innovation ecosystem has to offer. As one of Ontario’s strongest trading partners, New York is ripe for business opportunities, and as one of the world’s largest tech centres, it is also full of firms looking to invest internationally.

Will the minister please share with this Legislature an update on his trade mission to New York and what we can expect as a result?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, as they say in New York: Start spreading the news. Ontario is home to North America’s fastest-growing tech market. That was the message in New York as we met several companies in the fintech and life sciences sectors. With two-way trade between Ontario and New York valued at $37 billion, there’s no shortage of opportunity. And with over 300 New York-owned firms already operating here in Ontario, we are their natural choice to expand. That’s why the two companies we met with—Cockroach Labs and Globant—recently announced new offices in Toronto. Globant alone is creating 200 jobs right here in Toronto, and we know that is only a start for them.

Speaker, Ontario has everything that companies from around the world need to succeed, because Ontario is open for business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the minister for spreading the news and for his answer.

Ontario’s technology sector is poised to continue leading the digital revolution, with homegrown breakthroughs in the life sciences sector occurring daily. For Ontario to capitalize on these successes, the world needs to know that Ontario is at the centre of the work that is propelling these fields. That’s why trade missions like the minister’s mission to New York are critical for this province.

Will the minister please explain what the businesses that he met with had to say about Ontario and its competitive edge?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, our long list of meetings included companies like Crowdbotics, Fever, ThoughtFocus, Justworks, Synechron and Citibank. They all agree that Ontario is a global innovation hub. We have 26,000 IT firms and over 400,000 IT workers. That’s why Ontario leads the country in venture capital investments. A record-breaking $8.4 billion came into Ontario in 2021 alone. That’s why our tech sector is growing 350% faster than Silicon Valley. With a highly skilled workforce and world-renowned innovation, Ontario continues to be tech’s favourite place to be.

By reducing the cost of business by $8 billion every year, Ontario is the jurisdiction for businesses to invest and grow.

Health care

Mr. Joel Harden: My question is for the Premier.

Operating rooms at the Riverside campus of the Ottawa Hospital have been leased to a private, for-profit corporation on Saturdays for the last while. The 26 surgeons running this for-profit corporation have been hiring nursing staff from the Ottawa Hospital’s public OR rooms. Nurses are being offered twice their normal salary. The surgical equipment for this clinic is shipped in from Toronto. On the surface, it doesn’t seem to make sense. But what has also never been clear to me is how this for-profit clinic was approved in the first place.

Can the Premier clarify if this clinic was given his government’s formal approval to operate?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, from the very beginning, as we put forward an almost billion-dollar three-year investment to expand surgical innovation and to deal with surgical backlog, the Ottawa Hospital, under the leadership of CEO Cam Love have been doing exactly what we asked. I’m going to quote CEO Cam Love: “Such concerns raised by” the member opposite “are unfounded, and the innovative model used by AOAO has resulted in more orthopaedic surgeries being completed faster.”

This is about people. This is about 40 people who needed and were waiting for hip and knee surgeries, who got that surgery faster as a result of innovation that’s happening at the Ottawa Hospital. I am incredibly proud of the partnership that they have been able to manage and work through with AOAO, and as we see more of these innovations coming forward, we will continue to fund them through a program that—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The supplementary question. The member from Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: Back to the Premier: We all know that the privatization of orthopaedic surgery and the poaching of staff from our public hospitals is exactly what this government wants to do with Bill 60. But

section 4 of the Ontario Public Hospitals Act is very clear: Leasing any space in a public hospital requires the explicit written approval of the Ministry of Health. You can’t even put a Tim Hortons in a hospital without ministerial approval. The law in Ontario is clear: The Ottawa Hospital cannot lease its operating room without the explicit written approval of the Minister of Health. I hope the Premier knows that.

When will the Premier investigate the apparent breach of Ontario laws by the for-profit corporation leasing operating rooms at the Ottawa Hospital?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, that tells me everything I need to know about the NDP. They worry about process—we’re focused on people. We want to ensure that individuals who are waiting far too long for hip and knee and cataract surgeries have that opportunity to get it in their community, closer to home and faster.

There is no doubt that Ontario leads the Canadian jurisdictions in making sure that people have fast access, but we can do better, and we are doing better. And we’re doing that with Bill 60 and with Your Health, because it means that those expansions can happen—in non-urgent, regularly scheduled surgeries that can happen in the community. I am incredibly proud of the work that we’ve been able to put through with Bill 60.

If the member opposite would focus on individuals in her riding who are desperate for that surgery to happen sooner, she might have a better chance of getting more NDP members.

Services for seniors and persons with disabilities / Land use planning

M me Lucille Collard: My question is for the Minister of Health

Speaker, Meals on Wheels is the largest meal-delivering service of its kind in Ottawa. It serves seniors and people with disabilities with great needs. This organization is vital in addressing the food security crisis in Ottawa. It should be noted that Meals on Wheels remained open through the entire pandemic, the terrible weather events in Ottawa, and the truck convoy. Yet, because of the skimpy 2% increase they are receiving from the province—which is totally out of touch with inflation and certainly not the very substantial increase that the minister described—the price of meals for their clients has not doubled or tripled but is now four times more expensive.

The minister said yesterday that organizations like Meals on Wheels have endorsed the government’s investments, but surely that cannot mean that they consider it sufficient—otherwise, why are they writing to us?

So my question is, how can the government justify such a limited increase despite food costs increasing by over 10%?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: The member opposite would know that in our most recent budget there was a substantial increase to the home and community care service sector. Why? Because we understand that as we build up hospitals and build up long-term-care facilities, we also have to build up our home and community care sector, which is why the investments have been made.

Speaker, $560 million is going to make a difference to organizations such as Meals on Wheels. We understand that they are doing exceptional work, making sure that our seniors, our most vulnerable, our individuals who are recovering from surgeries get that support in their home and are not then needing more complex care in hospitals or long-term care.

We’ll make those investments, and I hope when you look at that line item in the budget, you’ll say, “This is important for the city of Ottawa, and we will be supporting it.”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

M me Lucille Collard: I don’t see the impact of those investments. I hope it’s really coming.

Speaker, I am deeply concerned about this government’s actions directly contributing to the erosion of our food security and increasing costs for families struggling to make ends meet. Insufficient funding to help our community organizations is one thing, but adding to that the paving over of valuable farmland is a recipe to leave Ontarians to suffer through rising food prices. The reduced land available for agriculture can only result in less food production. Since food insecurity is a significant driver of poverty and inequality, this will have ripple effects across various sectors, including health, education, and social welfare.

It is time for this government to start prioritizing people over short-term economic gains.

My question is, how is the government planning to grow more food to address the food security crisis?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: In Ontario, our farmers are the very best, and year after year, their yield is increasing. We have an ample supply of amazing, quality food.

But we need to accept facts for what they are—and that fact is, the main contributor of rising food costs in the province of Ontario and across Canada is the carbon tax.

Here are some examples.

I have an energy bill from a chicken farmer from east of Toronto. From March 2 to April 1, his federal carbon charge was 26% of his entire energy bill. This is unacceptable.

It’s that ripple effect across the food value chain that’s driving up the food price in Ontario—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock.

The House will come to order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The government side will come to order. Thank you.

Start the clock. The next question.

Public transit

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Today, I’m excited. We heard the Minister of Economic Development talk about how this is a jurisdiction to grow and invest, and we heard the Premier saying we’re going to build 1.5 million houses.

But my question here is for the Minister of Transportation—because do you know what? We talked about the GTA becoming home to over two million people, because this is the place to grow and raise a wonderful family. We have to make sure we can build the transit to meet that population need. Unfortunately, the reality is that our transit networks are already strained. People are looking forward to greater transit routes that are accessible and convenient, through the proposed Ontario Line, and that will deliver relief to the city’s core and to the people in Etobicoke south.

The reality is that, unfortunately, the Liberals didn’t do anything. Just like they neglected Ontario Place, they neglected our transit line. They did not put any meaningful investments in badly needed transit infrastructure.

I’m wondering if the Minister of Transportation can provide an update on the progress of the Ontario Line.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga come to order.

The Minister of Transportation can reply.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you so much to the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for the question. I’m very happy to provide the update she’s requesting.

Just recently, our government reached another significant milestone on the Ontario Line. We released two requests for proposals to design and build new stations, the Pape tunnel and the elevated guideway. To break it down, the elevated guideway contract will help deliver a three-kilometre-long elevated guideway with emergency exit buildings and five above ground stations for riders. What’s more, the Pape tunnel contract will transition the Ontario Line’s track from above ground to underground, will deliver three kilometres of twin tunnels with stations at Cosburn and Pape, and will connect the all-new Ontario Line to the existing line 2.

While the NDP supported the Liberals who failed to build new transit lines, our government is delivering transit relief, and we are getting it done.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question.

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I want to thank the minister.

Ontario is such a wonderful place to grow, and after 15 years of disastrous rule by the Liberals, not investing in anything, it is so important that we are getting shovels in the ground and, at the same time, we’re building the Ontario Line and other major transit networks that will not only benefit the riders of Etobicoke–Lakeshore but will benefit all Ontarians.

Ontario cannot afford to hold back our economy. Now it’s time to build. Now it’s time to move ahead with critical investments in our transit infrastructure needs. We need to continue building highways, roads and transit infrastructure that is needed to keep Ontario moving.

Can the minister please elaborate on our government’s actions to ensure that this critical transit project is delivered?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member for her question.

It’s true; after 15 years of Liberal neglect, Ontarians have a hard time believing that we actually can build transit in this province. But I am glad to let the member and Ontarians know that the Ontario Line is going to be delivered. Construction is already under way at Exhibition station and for the future Corktown and Moss Park stations, as well as in the joint rail corridor east of the Don River. Once complete, the 15.5-kilometre-long Ontario Line will enable nearly 400,000 trips each day, bringing much needed rapid transit to more GTA communities.

Speaker, to the member’s point: This game-changing project will benefit Ontario as a whole by supporting over 4,700 construction jobs each year during construction, by cutting overall fuel consumption by more than seven million litres a year, and by generating an estimated $10 billion to the local economy.

Under the previous Liberal government, the proposed UP Express was a relief line for them. Instead of building a true relief line—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. The next question.

Diagnostic services

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is to the Premier.

A London-area family recently received the horrifying assessment of sarcoma after an ultrasound showed a mass in their child’s leg. In order to properly diagnose, the oncologists ordered an MRI. But children who need an MRI at London Health Sciences Centre have to wait. Children who should have that service within 28 days are waiting, on average, 299 days—waiting for almost a year. How is this acceptable?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Well, it’s not acceptable, which is exactly why our government has made additional investments in MRIs across Ontario, including at London regional health sciences. We are building a system that, frankly, has been ignored for far too long by previous governments that didn’t make those investments, whether it was in health human resources, whether it was in capital.

Speaker, 50 different hospital projects are being renovated, built or expanded in the province of Ontario, under this Premier’s leadership. We are making those investments to ensure that families who need those services can get them in the appropriate timeline.

As I said, the MRI in London is in the works because our government approved it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Speaker, it’s clear that this government’s claimed investments are not reaching patients.

My question is back to the Premier.

I can’t imagine the level of stress and anxiety while patients await this important step in their child’s health care. It’s necessary for diagnosis and potential treatment, and kids can’t wait.

This new Conservative government normal is not okay. While the government ignores its health care responsibilities, the family have even resorted to calling a hospital in Michigan, who got back to them right away with a price tag of $2,200 cash.

Is it acceptable that in a province such as Ontario, cash for health care access is okay?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, the member opposite is making the case for Bill 60 and our plan, as we have articulated under Your Health. Making sure that we have access—whether it is surgical clinical units, whether it is diagnostics in community—means that families will not have to wait. As we see these investments pay off, we’ve had expansions that happened—

Interjection.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: The member opposite, who served for 15 years in a government that did nothing for health care, is suggesting that we’re not moving fast enough. I am suggesting, respectfully: Show me the 50 capital hospital projects that happened under your watch. Show me the thousands of new health human resources staff who are working in our communities. Show me the 49 new MRIs that are operating in the province of Ontario because we have made the—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South, come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga, come to order.

The next question.

Great Lakes protection

Mr. Andrew Dowie: My question today is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Ontario’s Great Lakes help make our province a great place to live—and I’ve had such a privilege to live steps from Lake St. Clair growing up, and even today. The resources of the Great Lakes provide us with drinking water, energy, food, and recreational opportunities. It is of the utmost importance that we continue to protect, conserve and restore the health of the Great Lakes and support the well-being of communities that rely on them now and for generations to come.

Our government understands that for Ontario’s Indigenous communities, the Great Lakes hold deep spiritual and traditional significance. Respecting and recognizing traditional knowledge will only help in strengthening our shared understanding of the Great Lakes.

Can the minister please explain how our government is collaborating with Indigenous leaders to help protect and restore our Great Lakes?

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you to the member for Windsor–Tecumseh for that question. I know he, like I, very much values our Great Lakes, enjoys the tourism and economic opportunity—the important work we have to do, as stewards of the Great Lakes, to protect our water.

I was proud, just last week, to co-chair the Great Lakes Guardians’ Council with a man I have great respect for, Grand Council Chief Reg Niganobe. He has been such a strong leader for Anishinabek Nation. He and I had the opportunity to chair it. We heard powerful stories from Indigenous youth; from Ducks Unlimited, a group we funded at great length to support our Great Lakes.

It was prior to that event that I announced, on behalf of the government of Ontario, under Premier Ford’s leadership, over $1 million to support Indigenous-led projects to conserve and protect our Great Lakes. I can’t wait to get out to the Thames River to meet with Indigenous youth to see first-hand the work they’re doing, thanks to this funding from the government of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Thank you to the minister for that response. It truly is welcome news to hear that the minister is working collaboratively with Indigenous partners to protect and conserve the Great Lakes. I’ve seen this first-hand, so thank you, Minister.

In his response, the minister spoke about a fish safety project in the Lake Superior basin, which is just one real-world example of what this funding means to Indigenous communities.

Our government must remain focused on making investments that will help build Ontario and preserve our natural heritage for generations to come.

Can the minister please elaborate on how investments made by our government will help First Nations communities across Ontario?

Hon. David Piccini: We’re protecting our Great Lakes for our next generation, like the many great students who are here today, so that they can have cleaner bodies of water to enjoy for generations to come.

I took some notes which I’d like to share. While at this announcement, I met with Brandon Doxtator. He’s a councillor from Oneida Nation and the community’s environmental consultation coordinator. He told us that the impact of this funding is going to go toward funding 13 Moons Land-Based Learning camp, a weekly four-day camp for Oneida youth to learn wilderness skills and cultural language and practice.

Speaker, part of my role in this Legislature and one of the things that I love in this job is that I get to learn every day. I can’t wait to go out and meet with Oneida youth to learn about the important work that they’re doing, thanks to investments that this Premier is making to grow a more prosperous Ontario—homes for everyone; critical infrastructure, including water and waste water infrastructure, we need; working in partnership with Indigeno