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November 12, 2018

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2018-Nov-12 (PDF)

L046 - Mon 12 Nov 2018 / Lun 12 nov 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 12 November 2018 Lundi 12 novembre 2018

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Minister’s conduct

Minister’s conduct

Government contract

Veterans

Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas nomination

Military families

Autism treatment

Health care

Hockey

Long-term care

Skills training

University and college funding

Northern transportation

Access to justice

Government accountability

Minimum wage

Charitable donations

Notices of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Members’ Statements

Protection for workers

Remembrance Day

Employment standards

Global Entrepreneurship Week

Remembrance Day

Violence faite aux femmes / Violence against women

Ring of peace

Now Magazine Readers’ Choice awards

Animal protection

Joanne Ashley

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Introduction of Bills

Special Hockey Day Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la Journée du hockey adapté

Organic Products Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur les produits biologiques

Petitions

Social assistance

Veterans memorial

Automobile insurance

Ontario economy

Pharmacare

Employment standards

Social assistance

Employment standards

Northern health services

Poet laureate

Injured workers

Opposition Day

Long-term care

Orders of the Day

Making Ontario Open for Business Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 pour un Ontario ouvert aux affaires

Safe and Supportive Classrooms Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 pour des écoles sûres et axées sur le soutien

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I wish to acknowledge this territory as a traditional gathering place for many Indigenous nations, most recently the Mississaugas of the New Credit.

This morning, we have with us in the Speaker’s gallery the Runnymede public school grade 3 choir from the riding of Parkdale–High Park to help us sing O Canada. Please join us in the singing of our national anthem.

Singing of O Canada.

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

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today Mr. Thomas Schultze, the consul general of Germany to Toronto. Joining him is the deputy consul general of Germany to Toronto, Michael Lauber. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislature this morning.

Mr. Joel Harden: I would just like to acknowledge the fact that we have several people here in the gallery today from Pro Bono Ontario. These are lawyers that help some of our most marginalized citizens. I was wondering if you could stand up and be acknowledged. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Will Bouma: I just want to take a moment and welcome to the members’ gallery my constituency assistant, Milan Novakovic. We are only as good as the people who work for us, and Milan exemplifies that remarkably.

M me France Gélinas: It is my pleasure to introduce Adele Fawcett and her brother Owen Fawcett, who came down from Nickel Belt to be here with us this morning. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Adele.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: It’s my pleasure to introduce members from the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance: Richard Wu from Waterloo—go, Warriors; Stephanie Bertolo, McMaster—go, Marauders; and, closer to Chatham, Mitchell Pratt from Western—go, ‘Stangs.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I’d also like to welcome and thank students of Runnymede public school, who just sang the national anthem. Together with them is their teacher, Mr. Ian Medley, and three parent chaperones: Karen Carey-Hill, Sally Hubjer and Scott Nishi. Welcome.

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: It’s my pleasure to welcome a former colleague of mine, Louis Tsilivis, who was an intern with me in the office of the late Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty. We served together about eight years ago now, which seems quite a while. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: It’s my pleasure to welcome seven-year-old Grace Matthews to Queen’s Park. It’s her first visit. She’s inspired to be involved in politics by her love of nature. I’d also like to welcome her mom, Liz Matthews.

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: I’d like to introduce Rick Orr from my riding of Perth–Wellington. He’s here with IBAO today. Welcome, Rick.

Miss Monique Taylor: I see Laura Kirby-McIntosh in the gallery this morning. Laura is the president of the Ontario Autism Coalition. She’s here to speak to the government today about the wait-lists.

Ms. Jane McKenna: I’d like to welcome today a very dear friend of mine from Burlington, Mark Preston from IBAO, who I met with this morning—and also with Rick Dresher and Dennis Howden.

Mr. Jeff Burch: I’d like to welcome Peter Henen, vice-president of external affairs for the Brock University Students’ Union, who is here with us in the gallery today.

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I would like to welcome my constituency assistant, Dennis Flaherty. He’s here. Thank you for being here, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Robin Martin: It’s my pleasure to welcome today two supporters from my riding: Larry Babins and John Morrissey.

Mr. David Piccini: It’s my pleasure to introduce a team from Northeastern University this morning: Aliza Lakhani, CEO; Rue Quizon, operations manager; and Chris Mallett, chief operating officer. I think Evan is here as well. I’m not sure if he made it—Evan, academic and student affairs manager. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Vincent Ke: Sitting in the members’ gallery, I would like to welcome my good friends Mr. Gao Lijun and his lovely wife, Mrs. Zhang Lu, and their sons, Ryan and Corey. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Toby Barrett: I wish to introduce Dennis Howden, a constituent and a member of the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario.

Mr. Doug Downey: I’d like to welcome all 30 delegates from the IBAO from across Ontario. I’ll mention only a few: the CEO, Colin Simpson, and his executive, Traci Boland, Jeff Gatcke and Brian Purcell.

Hon. Greg Rickford: I have a dear friend from Bay Bulls, Newfoundland: Norm O’Driscoll. He goes by “Normie.” His son is the chief of staff to the Minister of Natural Resources. Welcome to Toronto, home of the Leafs.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: It’s my pleasure today to welcome Zoe Smith, who attends Cedarview Middle School in Nepean, as a page here today. We want to welcome her and encourage her to have the time of her life as she becomes a page here at our assembly.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s my pleasure to introduce my phenomenal constituency staff from the great riding of London North Centre: Eaman Fahmy and Ty Nguyen, as well as my legislative assistant, Dr. Elliot Worsfold. Welcome to Queen’s Park and question period.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very proud to welcome to this House a good Bruce county boy, Jeff Gatcke, who is here with IBAO.

Hon. Todd Smith: I’d like to welcome a good friend of mine. We used to play hockey many years ago and many pounds ago, Mr. Speaker: Brian Erwin, from the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario, is here from Ottawa.

Mr. Jim McDonell: I’d like to welcome my grandniece who is here, Zoe Smith. She’s a page for the next five weeks here at Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We would like to welcome all the other guests who are here who haven’t been introduced.

Oral Questions

Minister’s conduct

Ms. Sara Singh: This question is about the Premier’s standards for cabinet and how he communicates those standards. The question is for the Premier.

Last Friday, in a late-night statement, the Premier stated that the MPP for Simcoe–Grey would be leaving cabinet and the PC caucus to deal with personal addiction issues. Was that the real reason for his dismissal?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I’m actually surprised this question has come up again. My job is to make sure I protect everyone in our party, and everyone under the roof of Queen’s Park. We’ve acted decisively.

My job, when someone comes forth with an allegation, is to protect them, not to worry about what the NDP or the media is worried about. I know the NDP maybe takes a different approach on this. Maybe they believe in not protecting their staff, not protecting their members. We have a different approach. We believe in making sure that we have a work environment that is safe for everyone. I have zero tolerance of that behaviour. We acted decisively.

It takes a lot of courage to speak truth to power. I just find it ironic that they bring this up, throwing stones in a glass house, which we won’t get into about the NDP, but—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Sara Singh: The Premier has since admitted that the real reason for the dismissal from cabinet was sexual harassment and misconduct. The Premier also claimed that he hid those facts because he was concerned the media would disclose the name of the individual who came forward. But the journalists have reported on this incident for over a week and no names have been disclosed.

Why did the Premier offer a different reason for the resignation on Friday than the one he’s offering to us today?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: The media did mention the chief of staff at the minister’s office.

I’m going to repeat what I said earlier. We are here to make sure we protect everyone. Everyone who comes forward with an allegation—I’m here to tell them they will be protected. I’m not worried about the media. The media are smart folks; they would pick it up in about three seconds. Once it did come out, they did pick it up in about three seconds. It’s not about keeping the NDP happy; it’s not about keeping the media happy; it’s about protecting the people who have the courage to come forward with these allegations.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Protecting a victim of sexual misconduct is the right thing to do; protecting a powerful man accused of sexual misconduct is not. Pretending that those things are at odds with each other is the wrong thing to be doing.

As the Premier well knows, the allegations of sexual misconduct are now a matter of public record, and journalists have done their jobs without exposing the victims to any harm or scrutiny.

Will the Premier admit that this attempt to sweep this serious incident under the rug was a mistake? And going forward, will he commit to taking immediate and transparent action when dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct here in the House?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: The person who came forward with the allegations asked us over and over again to be protected, not to say a word. So that person trumps everyone else. I find it pretty shameful that the member from Brampton would even keep bringing this up.

This House here, Queen’s Park, should be a safe working environment. I have zero tolerance for that behaviour. We acted decisively, and we’re going to always act decisively.

Minister’s conduct

Ms. Sara Singh: This question is also to the Premier. This is a question about the Premier’s standards for cabinet ministers.

Two weeks ago, the Premier stated that he had absolute confidence in the new Minister of Tourism, who was, at the time, serving as the minister of public safety. In fact, the Premier didn’t just express confidence; he claimed he had “1,000% confidence” in the minister. Yet the Premier moved him to a different job mere days after saying that.

Can the Premier tell us, on a scale of 1% to 1,000%, exactly how confident are you in your minister this week?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Speaker, I’m 10,000%—I just multiplied it by 10—confident with all our ministers, with our team.

The PC government has ended up getting more things done than any government in the history of Ontario. It has been unprecedented.

I just wish, once, the NDP would come up with some tax savings rather than always thinking about attacking our party personally, attacking ministers personally.

We recalibrated our team to make sure the people in their area are going to fit that area.

We are going to constantly make sure we respect the taxpayers, until we can make sure we continue lowering taxes, lowering hydro rates—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Ms. Sara Singh: There have been serious concerns raised about the new Minister of Tourism. As the minister responsible for the OPP, he campaigned for a candidate at the centre of an OPP investigation, Speaker. He’s currently embroiled in multiple lawsuits. And he played a central role in a $40-million Ponzi scheme that bilked people out of their life savings. The media reports that the Premier was not happy about those revelations and that led the minister to be moved to a new portfolio.

If the Premier does not have confidence in this minister, why is he still a minister in this cabinet?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Speaker: Again, I want to tell you, this is the best cabinet and the best caucus this province has ever seen. We have a team that’s turning this province around, respecting taxpayers, making sure we talk about the things that matter to the people of Ontario.

We aren’t here to attack personally like the NDP does, because they have no policy to go by. We’re here to make sure that we turn the province around, we start paying down the $15-billion structural deficit.

We’re making sure that we’re lowering taxes, lowering gas prices. This week everyone talked about how low the gas prices were.

When I’ve criss-crossed this province over the last couple of weeks, Mr. Speaker, I’ve heard nothing but positive comments: “Keep going. Keep going. Keep—”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you.

Interjections.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Sara Singh: The Premier is supposed to set the standards for his team. There have been serious concerns and questions raised about the former minister of public safety, and the Premier’s solution was not to move him out of cabinet but to move him to a different job.

The Ontario Securities Commission said that they found “disturbing aspects” in this minister’s behaviour during discussions in which farm families were talked into investing thousands of dollars that they never got back. So the question to the Premier is: Does that meet your standard?

Hon. Doug Ford: The Minister of Tourism was instrumental in creating Italian Heritage Month—

Applause.

Hon. Doug Ford: And he deserves the applause. He’s a champion when it comes to heritage. He’s a champion when it comes to tourism. I predict we’ll have more tourists next year in 2019 than we’ve ever had in Ontario because of the great work the minister’s going to do.

Government contract

Ms. Sara Singh: This question is for the Premier. The Ontario Ombudsman reported that at least 1,000 complaints were made to the provincial Ombudsman about the Ontario Cannabis Store in just a few weeks. The avalanche of complaints were about problems with deliveries, the website, customer service, packaging, shipping and much more—not all just Canada Post-related issues.

According to media reports, the OCS warehouse and shipping is being operated by a private company that was contracted through the Ontario Cannabis Store. My question to the Premier is: Who is this private company that is running our cannabis store?

Hon. Doug Ford: Minister of Finance.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Certainly, we’re grateful for the question. It’s always a great opportunity to stand in this Legislature and speak.

The first thing we have to absolutely acknowledge is that our cannabis sales in Ontario are all about the safety of our children, the safety of our roads and curbing the illicit market. That’s what our cannabis sales here in Ontario are all about. The Ontario Cannabis Store has assured us that they are now on schedule—back to the original schedule. You have to appreciate that we have had prohibition in Ontario for over 100 years. We took this federally legislated law and opened an unprecedented business in the province of Ontario, and here we are with 100,000 orders on the very first night.

I’ll be able to speak more to our advances in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Sara Singh: I asked a pretty simple question, and I think we deserve to hear a straight answer. There are major, major problems with this very lucrative business—through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister. Apparently, there are several concerns with respect to mislabelling of that product. I know we’re talking about keeping children safe, but if we’re mislabelling products, I’d like to know how the safety aspect of that plays into it.

Apparently, the Premier has privatized part of the Ontario Cannabis Store and given out a big contract without telling the people of Ontario who got that contract and how they got it. Of course, a massive, lucrative contract like this should only be awarded through a tender and competitive bidding process.

Again to the Premier: Was this contract tendered, and what private company is running Ontario cannabis warehouse operations in this province?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much, again, for the question.

I have to repeat a little bit about what I said. We have taken this federally legislated law and created the opportunity now to have online sales in the province of Ontario. You have to appreciate, of course, that when we took office, much of the structure had already been established by the previous government. Although there were many issues that needed correction, that was one that—we were actually satisfied that the private operation of the warehouse is in good hands. We are very pleased. Again, this is uncharted territory where we have created a company from scratch in a business that no one has been in for 100 years.

Veterans

Mr. Doug Downey: My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Just yesterday on Remembrance Day, Ontarians came together all over the province to commemorate and honour our Canadian Armed Forces. Each year on November 11 and throughout Remembrance Week, we pause to pay tribute to those who have served and continue to serve our country during times of war, conflict and peace.

Mr. Speaker, we all know the immense sacrifices that our veterans have made to guarantee our safety, our values and our freedoms, and the sacrifices that our Canadian Armed Forces continue to make today.

Can the minister tell the House how this government paid tribute to our Canadian Armed Forces on Remembrance Day?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member for Barrie–Springwater–Oro-Medonte for this important question.

This Remembrance Day, and throughout Remembrance Week, our government launched a campaign to honour our heroic Canadian Armed Forces. From the World Wars through to modern-day conflicts, including the war in Afghanistan, we remember the lives of those Canadians who fought valiantly to protect our great country.

This year, we encouraged all Ontarians to take

part in Remembrance Week activities and Remembrance Day ceremonies to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War and the signing of the armistice. This Remembrance Week, Ontarians wore poppies, attended ceremonies across the province and observed a moment of silence at 11 a.m.

I am proud to stand in the House today and share our thanks to all the men and women who have fought to preserve our values and our freedoms.

Applause.

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

Supplementary.

Mr. Doug Downey: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Thank you to the minister for that response.

I’m glad to hear about our government’s hard work to commemorate and honour veterans this Remembrance Day. Whether they served in the First World War, the Second World War, the Korean War, the war in Afghanistan or any other conflict, the men and women of the Canadian Forces represent the very best of our country, our people and our values. They deserve our gratitude and respect.

During the Remembrance Week campaign, our message renewed focus on the heroes of the war in Afghanistan, including the 159 Canadians who never made it home. In fact, the Premier and our government have announced plans to build a war memorial to the veterans of the war in Afghanistan.

Would the minister please elaborate on our government’s campaign for Ontarians this past Remembrance Day?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member for that important question.

Our campaign focused on the heroism of the Canadian Armed Forces who have served in many capacities throughout our country’s history. This Remembrance Week served as a stark reminder that to serve your country in a time of war is to take great risks on your country’s behalf. We asked Ontarians this year to find their moment of silence, with a renewed focus on thanking our Afghan veterans for their sacrifices.

We are proud to support our Canadian veterans, and that’s why we announced a new memorial honouring Canadians who served in Afghanistan. As of last week, Mr. Speaker, we committed to ensuring that Ontario Legions are exempt from paying property taxes. We also announced our plans to create a dedicated support line for military family support.

Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas nomination

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, there are serious questions surrounding the Premier’s role in preserving integrity and respect for Ontario’s electoral process. Last week we learned that police have made two arrests in their investigation into potential PC voter fraud in the riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas. As we know, the Premier has said that cleaning up the mess in his own party is a top priority. Can the Premier tell us who these individuals are and what their connection to the PC Party of Ontario is?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: The member knows exactly that it had nothing to do with us; nothing to do with me. I was elected to be the PC leader to clean up Patrick Brown’s mess—and it was a mess—and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

I cannot get involved, as you know, Mr. Speaker, in any police investigation. I have all the confidence in the world in the chief of Hamilton, and I’m sure this is all going to come forward.

Again, I was elected to clean up the mess. That’s what our team is doing. That’s what our team has done.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. I would remind the member that the question has to deal with government policy. The supplementary has to deal with government policy. He should phrase his question as such. If it’s not, we’ll have to move on.

Go ahead.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: As the PC Party heads into their convention this weekend, there are serious questions about the operation of the Premier’s party. There is an ongoing police investigation into a data breach at the 407 which forced the resignation—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We’re going to have to move on. Next question.

Military families

Ms. Donna Skelly: My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Yesterday, Canadians across this country and throughout this province gathered at cenotaphs, city halls and memorials to honour those who gave their lives so that we could live in a safe, free and democratic country. Canadians continue to serve in our Armed Forces around the world and here at home, ensuring we live safely.

Service in the military comes with significant challenges for both service members and their families. We know that military families move, on average, three times more often than other Canadian families.

As we reflect on the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers from the beaches of Dieppe to the hills of Kandahar, Minister, can you update this Legislature on the action our government is taking to make life easier for service members and their families here at home?

Hon. Bill Walker: I want to thank my honourable colleague for her excellent question.

I’m sure all members of this House, while attending memorial events across our great province yesterday, reflected on the sacrifices that our servicemen and servicewomen face not only in conflict zones around the world but on a day-to-day basis here at home. I myself have heard first-hand about these challenges from military families across our province.

That’s why I’m very proud to inform the Legislature that our government for the people is launching consultations with military families, stakeholders and other jurisdictions to hear from them what we can do to support military families when moving to Ontario. Our goal is to establish a one-stop-shop hotline for military families who make Ontario home. When they move here, they can call this hotline and get information they need about schooling, child care, automobile licensing, health care and much, much more.

By speaking with and, more importantly, listening to military families, we can learn exactly what challenges they face and how best we can help make their lives that much easier. Members and their families give so much and are willing to give it all for us and our safety. This is just one way we can give something back.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Donna Skelly: Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to hear that our government is listening directly to servicemen and servicewomen and their families. We can only properly address their challenges by listening directly to the people most affected by them.

It is said that when a soldier serves, his or her entire family serves. Military families face significant challenges—particularly when forced to relocate from community to community and from province to province—in child care, schooling, spousal employment, and even having to change health cards and driver’s licences.

Military families can often feel separated from their new homes and overwhelmed with this long list of day-to-day challenges. Minister, can you tell me what our government is doing to help mitigate these challenges for military families who call Ontario home?

Hon. Bill Walker: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I want to assure the honourable member that helping to make life easier for members of our Armed Forces is a top priority for this government. Service members are willing to give it all to keep us safe and free. We will do whatever we can to make sure their families are taken care of here at home.

Key to this is the establishment of the one-stop-shop hotline I mentioned earlier. By first conducting consultations, we’ll be able to create a hotline that addresses the challenges military families face when they move here to Ontario.

Right now, military families can go to ontario.ca/militaryfamilies to participate in consultations and also to learn more about the existing programs we have in place to make life a little bit easier for them when they arrive in Ontario from abroad or another province. We will report back in early 2019 on the results of these consultations.

Mr. Speaker, whether it’s our one-stop-shop hotline, cost-free fishing or the removal of property taxes from Legion halls, these are small but important steps we are making as the government of Doug Ford to give back to those who serve our country every day.

Autism treatment

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Autistic children should not have to suffer when changing from the direct service option to the direct funding option, but they are.

Thulasika, the mother of six-year-old Kavin Somalingham, who lives with autism, unfortunately knows this all too well. Extremely unhappy with the lack of service her son was receiving from Kinark, Thulasika requested a move to DFO from DSO in July. She was told she would be placed on a transfer wait-list. In July, he was 28th on the list; today, he is still 28th on the list.

When will this government step in to ensure Kavin’s story does not become the norm?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to congratulate the member opposite for being the first in nine questions on the other side of the House to talk about something substantive the people of Ontario actually want to know about rather than getting into the mud and into the ditches.

I want to say to Thulasika that we have inherited a situation in the province of Ontario with respect to autism services that really doesn’t put compassion and children at the forefront. We are guided by compassion in the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus for families struggling to provide their kids with proven autism diagnostic and behavioural services.

This government made a campaign commitment to invest $100 million in autism services over the course of our mandate, and we plan to keep that promise. Premier Ford is focused on providing better outcomes and better lives for the people we serve by working in consultation with service providers.

I’ll have more to say in the supplementary.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Miss Monique Taylor: As you heard from the minister, the Ford government ran on a platform that promised they would add $100 million in funding in 2018 and 2019 to the Ontario Autism Program. However—

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government side, come to order. We have to stop the clock when there’s a standing ovation, but the standing ovation should not be used to interrupt an opposition member’s question.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. I’m going to give the member for Hamilton Mountain extra time.

Start the clock. The member for Hamilton Mountain.

Miss Monique Taylor: Thank you, Speaker. Instead of using pompoms, maybe they should make sure kids in this province have the services they need.

Speaker, families are so disappointed in the direct service option that many of them are transferring to the direct funding option. Currently, there are approximately 50 children on Kinark’s transfer wait-list who are waiting for direct funding, and this is completely unacceptable.

When the OAP came into place, there was no transfer waiting list, and this government has allowed that to happen.

Children living with autism should receive quality, timely services. Will this government honour its commitment and finally release the much-needed autism funding?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Well, Speaker, we have. And I can tell you, we’re not the party that 97% of the time stood there and defended a former Liberal government who took parents of autism to court. Members of this party, including our Minister of Health and myself, have been on the field and on the ground for over 12 years supporting those families with autism. She started the Abilities Centre; I started the South Nepean Autism Centre. Why? Because the party that they’re aligned with cut autism funding. The party that they’re aligned with didn’t support the parents of autistic children.

But we’ve taken a different approach. That’s why my parliamentary assistant, Amy Fee, is leading consultations on autism. That’s why my next-door neighbour, Jeremy Roberts, is leading a consultation within our party on autism. And that’s why Robin Martin is working with parents in the Ministry of Health to support parents with autism. I can tell the member opposite: We’ve made a promise, and we intend to keep it.

Health care

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: There are many issues in Ontario today that require immediate attention. I have many questions for different ministries, because question period is supposed to be a forum for accountability, not just cheerleading for government. The co-op movement is waiting for answers from the Minister of Finance. Tenants and condo owners have been waiting for a year for the new Minister of Government and Consumer Services about the way elevators will be kept in a good state of repair.

Last week, a family physician in my riding came to express his concerns as to the position of the government in its negotiations with the OMA. The government position is to cut the funding for preventive care for physicians. This funding currently ensures that family physicians do preventive care such as childhood immunization, Pap screening for cervical cancer, mammograms for breast cancer and flu vaccinations. Does the Premier think that it will be good for Ontario to diminish preventive care through vaccinations and cancer screening?

Hon. Doug Ford: Minister of Health, I guess. I don’t know.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, I can’t answer all aspects of your question, but I can answer your questions with respect to health.

With respect to the OMA, as the member will know, the matter has gone to arbitration and that will be decided by the arbitrator, but we hope that that decision will be made soon because we look forward to working with our partners in health. Doctors are a large part of that, to make sure that we transform our system into one that’s acceptable for the 21st century and that will be sustainable from now into the future for our children and grandchildren.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: The official position of the government in this arbitration is to cut preventive care, and that’s the concern.

Cancer Care Ontario has just released a report stressing that we are making headway and there are measurable results when you invest in prevention. Early detection increases the survival rates of cancer. However, let me quote from the report, page 19,

chapter 4: “Despite the successes of screening programs in decreasing cervical cancer” close to 12% of cases “were still not diagnosed until stage IV.”

In good conscience, we would want to continue to invest in the early screening of cervical cancer. The government knows how important it is to have flu shots; it has been advertising it. Flu shots are crucial to decreasing emergency care.

Will the Premier commit today to protect preventive medicine from cuts and ensure that primary care practitioners have all the tools that they need to do prevention?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, I can’t speak to the exact issues that we discuss with the OMA; that is a matter before arbitration now. But I can assure you that what we are looking at is augmenting, building our health care system, not taking anything away from it. Of course, an essential component of that is making sure that people are well, because too often our system is reactive. It waits until people get into a crisis. That’s how people end up in hospitals with mental health, cancer and other crises.

What we want to do is become more proactive, to make sure that people take responsibility for their own care, that they have the early screenings, that they go for regular visits to their physicians when they need to. That’s what we’re trying to do as we transform our health care system into one that is modern, one that is progressive, one that is going to make sure that people are well. We want to become the healthiest province in Canada. There are a lot of steps we can take, and we will be taking those steps.

Hockey

Mr. Mike Harris: My question is for the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The Ontario Hockey League has brought a critical issue to our attention over the past week. In fact, we learned that the future of junior and amateur hockey leagues were at stake.

We know that hockey is an integral part of our culture as Ontarians. We know that the OHL and junior hockey leagues provide crucial training for future NHL players, and we take any threats of its future very seriously.

Would the minister be able to update this House on the important issue brought to our attention by the Ontario Hockey League?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member from Kitchener–Conestoga for that question.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, I was recently appointed to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. I hope that in my role I’ll be able to continue the important work that was started by my colleague Minister Jones, as the previous minister here.

As you know, the Ontario Hockey League plays an essential role in the fabric of this province. These teams are the cornerstone of towns and the fabric of our province. I know many of my PC colleagues whose constituencies house OHL teams and proudly wear their jerseys around their communities. This is where many future NHL players refine their game, and where even younger players are inspired by their local heroes.

We’re proud to support the Ontario Hockey League, and we’ll continue working together to ensure that we have a vibrant hockey culture in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Mike Harris: Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the minister: Thank you for that response.

I am happy to hear that our government is committed to supporting hockey, as it is an integral and iconic part of Ontario’s cultural fabric. We also know that local Ontario Hockey League teams, like my Kitchener Rangers, are important economic and social drivers in their communities.

Whether it is Junior A, B, C or Tier II, junior hockey is essential to the development and promotion of one of Canada’s most important sports.

Can the minister elaborate on our government’s support for the Ontario Hockey League’s critical concerns?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Again, I thank my colleague for that question.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that this government is committed to creating the environment for businesses to succeed.

Young hockey players across our provinces grow up dreaming of winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup or the Memorial Cup.

To be clear, I’d like to reiterate our government’s support for the Ontario Hockey League. We will be doing everything in our power to ensure the success of the OHL and junior hockey across the province. We are actively looking at providing clarity to the OHL and will have more to say shortly. I want to reassure the OHL and all Ontarians that we are working hard to come to a solution.

I look forward, as the new Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, to reaching out in the near future with a solution that I am sure all Ontarians will support.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Can the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care tell the House what a virtual long-term-care bed is?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much for the question.

As you know, it was one of our primary considerations in the last election to raise more long-term-care beds, because we have over 30,000 people in Ontario who can’t be moved elsewhere. They need a long-term-care bed to go to.

We have committed to finding 15,000 beds in five years. They don’t all have to be bricks-and-mortar beds. There are other ideas that many groups have come forward with, including step-down. Some people may be able to move into a retirement home, for example, with home care around them and then be able to go back to their own homes. That is the ultimate for most people. They would rather go home if they’re able to, with home care supports.

So we’re looking at all possible alternatives, with the essential provision that it has to be appropriate for that person, it has to be safe and it has to be comfortable for them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: There are more than 32,000 people on the wait-list for long-term care. Those with high needs and their families can wait years for the care they need today. And the list keeps getting longer. Yet this government has promised just 6,000 beds, and they say it will take five years to do that.

Now we’re hearing that the minister plans to “get creative” when it comes to planning for more long-term-care beds. Speaker, people are worried that “getting creative” means cutting. It means front-line staff being asked to do even more with even less.

Will any of the minister’s 6,000 long-term-care beds be virtual beds?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Mr. Speaker, through you: I would like to correct the facts. In fact, what we have promised the people of Ontario that we will provide is 15,000 beds within five years. We have already announced over 6,000 beds. It will not take five years for those 6,000 beds to come online. But we have promised 15,000, and we will deliver 15,000.

The fact is, because there are over 30,000 people waiting for long-term-care beds, we have to be innovative. We have to think outside the box. We have to make sure that we can find those beds for those people, because they deserve it. The people of Ontario expect us to provide that, and we will.

Skills training

Ms. Jill Dunlop: My question is to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. I know from speaking with employers that we need to do more to fill the skills gap and ensure that our young people and job seekers are given the skills they need to succeed. That is why I am proud that our government has already started to outline its plan to address the skills gap. I have heard fantastic feedback from employers in my riding and across Ontario about the government’s legislation, which, if passed, will standardize apprentice-to-journeyperson ratios and reduce red tape on businesses by winding down the Ontario College of Trades.

Speaker, we know that there is a skills gap which costs Ontario’s economy $24 billion. At the same time, youth unemployment is consistently double that of the general population. Can the minister tell us more about the steps our government is taking to help increase apprenticeships in Ontario?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member from Simcoe North for her advocacy for her constituents and job seekers across Ontario. The member is absolutely right that our government is taking action to address the skills gap by reducing red tape and increasing access to apprenticeships for young people across the province.

We have heard from employers across Ontario that the previous Liberal government’s approach was to place an undue amount of red tape on businesses, hampering businesses’ ability to create high-quality jobs and stalling the province’s economic growth. We want to make it easier for individuals to join the trades. The complex, convoluted and constraining system currently in place does the opposite.

The Making Ontario Open for Business Act, if passed, will be a step forward in delivering on our promise to help fill the skills gap by increasing access to apprenticeships. Our government—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary.

Ms. Jill Dunlop: I am proud that, for the first time in 15 years, Ontario has a government which understands that skilled trades are high-quality and desirable jobs. It’s taking action to make Ontario open for business and helping our young people prepare for successful careers in skilled trades.

It is great news that our government is taking immediate action to reduce red tape on our job creators. I also know that we need to do more to ensure that the training of young people to create a career in the skilled trades is available and accessible, ensuring that there are people to fill the jobs Ontario’s businesses will create.

I understand that our government made a recent announcement that will help young people develop trade-specific knowledge and work experience to support them being hired as apprentices. Can the minister outline the steps our government is taking to create better jobs in Ontario?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Our government promised to create good jobs for the people of Ontario, and my focus as the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities is ensuring that the people of Ontario get the skills they need for those jobs.

Our government recently announced an investment of $13.2 million to provide pre-apprenticeship training to approximately 1,200 people. Training is delivered through organizations like colleges or community agencies across Ontario, and applications for funding to deliver programs are now open.

Programs often combine level 1 apprenticeship training with a work placement and provide materials like tools and textbooks. The program is specifically tailored for young people who have left high school or have graduated high school but are not attending college. I encourage organizations to apply to provide the programming so that young people in their community have an opportunity to access training.

Speaker, our government promised to make Ontario open for business and create good jobs for the people of Ontario. Promise made, promise kept.

Interjections.

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

The member for Windsor West.

University and college funding

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Windsor residents and businesses were shocked to learn that the Ford government is pulling the plug on the plan to establish a new law school in the Paul Martin building downtown. The provincial Liberals dragged their feet for five years before finally committing the funding needed, and the community thought the project would now become a reality.

This was a unique opportunity for federal, municipal and provincial governments to work together with U of Windsor and community partners to create a downtown experience for students while also boosting the local economy. Now everyone is at the table except for the province. Is the Conservative government comfortable with being the reason this project will fail?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Speaker, we promised the people of Ontario to restore accountability and trust in Ontario’s finances. The project the member identified was announced by the previous Liberal government before obtaining the necessary ministry approvals and the full authority of cabinet. This is ultimately indicative of why the Liberals’ mismanagement of Ontario’s finances hurts communities. In an election year, they made empty promises to Ontarians for programs and projects they could not afford and they hid the costs from the public.

The true deficit in the Liberals’ 2018 budget was $15 billion. We owe it to our children, our grandchildren and their children to fix this mess.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Back to the minister: There is a lot of community support for moving the law school to the Paul Martin building downtown. By relocating the school and its 800 students, faculty and staff to the Paul Martin building, local businesses and community organizations were looking forward to the economic growth that the move would generate. We also know that getting more students and young professionals into the downtown core will contribute to the continued revitalization and prosperity of our community.

In the provincial election, the PCs even campaigned on this issue locally. Promise made, promise broken. Whose accountability is in question now? Why is the Ford government breaking this promise and choosing to see the Paul Martin building collect dust rather than contributing to a project that will revitalize our downtown core?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Speaker, I want to remind the member opposite about the state of Ontario’s finances and the importance of returning Ontario to sound financial footing. We know, thanks to the independent commission of inquiry, that our government needs to take action. The inquiry found that the Liberals made empty promises to Ontarians for programs and projects that they knew they could not afford, creating a $15-billion deficit.

To make matters worse, we know from the Select Committee on Financial Transparency that senior public servants warned the government that their plan “could put pressure on the province’s credit rating and overall borrowing capacity.”

Speaker, Ontarians know they can’t trust the Liberals to manage the province’s finances, and they cannot count on the NDP to make the tough decisions to get Ontario back on sound financial footing.

Speaker, we promised the people of Ontario to restore accountability and trust in Ontario’s finances, and that’s exactly—

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Northern transportation

Mr. Ross Romano: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Since the day we were elected, our government has a strong mandate to get this province back on the right track. This means responsible policy-making, and certainly responsible policy decisions for northern Ontario’s transportation is vital. Be it for people commuting to work, to school or trying to get around, people deserve to have reliable transportation that allows them the freedom to pursue new opportunities—and to ensure businesses can get products to market.

This is why our government is committed to enhancing transportation services to help unlock the potential that we have in the north, and to ensure that northern Ontario is open for business.

Can the minister please tell the members of this House why northern transportation is such a key issue for our government?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you to my fellow northern member from Sault Ste. Marie.

Northern communities rely on dependable transportation to support jobs and grow the economy. Without reliable transportation, northern communities cannot move people and goods effectively and efficiently.

While the north was neglected by the previous government, we can be sure that the north now has an ally in the government of Ontario and in Premier Ford. We are committed to giving the north the support that has been missing for far too long. We have an opportunity—and Speaker, we have a responsibility—to open up the vast region of northern Ontario and support our communities as they create jobs and build a strong economy.

Supporting transportation services in northern Ontario is just one of the many ways we are making Ontario open for business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary, the member for Parry Sound–Muskoka.

Mr. Norman Miller: Thank you to the minister for your leadership on this important file. It makes me proud that northern Ontario can count on our government to make the right choices that will bring economic prosperity to the region. People and businesses in the north need to move goods around the province, and I’m proud that our government is taking concrete action on this.

I would also like to thank the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, who has taken a strong leadership role in protecting our northern residents.

Last week, the government made a crucial announcement of support for northern transportation. Can the minister tell the members of this House about the details of this crucial announcement that highlight our commitment to supporting reliable and safe transportation options in the north?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines.

Hon. Greg Rickford: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for that question from the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka, and to our all-star parliamentary assistant for northern development and mines and Indigenous affairs for the important work he is doing in Sault Ste. Marie. He understands the importance of delivering product in and out of northern Ontario. Algoma in Sault Ste. Marie, Eacom in the Nairn Centre and Domtar in Espanola: These are principal companies that rely on the Huron Central Railway to move product in and out of our vast region.

We said on June 7 that we would stand up and create jobs, and, as importantly, protect jobs. Mr. Speaker, this is a promise made, promise kept.

We’re going to continue to fight for new jobs in northern Ontario because northern Ontario is open for business.

Access to justice

Mr. Joel Harden: My question is to the Attorney General this morning. In asking this question, Speaker, I want to rise to the Premier’s challenge earlier today to find our people in Ontario cost savings.

I have an answer for you, Premier and minister. Sitting right over there in the members’ gallery are Pro Bono Ontario lawyers, who save the public $5 million a year.

But what we found out is that on December 14, three law help centres that these courageous folks run will be closed. People back in Ottawa Centre, like Lori Shepherd, a constituent and mother of two who had nowhere to turn—she went to people like this when her husband died without leaving a will. Lori told me, “Once I entered Pro Bono Ontario’s office, life began to change. If I had not been introduced to Pro Bono Ontario, I would have gone deeper into debt and had my head well below water.”

Does the Attorney General believe that everyone deserves access to justice?

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

I also would like to welcome the members of Pro Bono Ontario to the House today.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, and as the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities just said so eloquently, the previous Liberal government left our province and left the people of Ontario with a $15-billion deficit to pay back and more than $320 billion of debt to pay back.

Our government was elected with a strong mandate. Seventy-six of us were sent to this House to restore fiscal integrity to the province of Ontario, so we can get back on a path to prosperity.

Our government understands and values the work that Pro Bono Ontario does, and that is—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary, the member for Toronto Centre.

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Attorney General.

Speaker, Pro Bono Ontario’s law help centres save this province money while providing necessary services to Ontarians—and it’s a critical service that’s provided in my riding of Toronto Centre as well. By providing advice on navigating the legal system, from helping clients fill out the correct forms—every dollar invested in Pro Bono Ontario saves this province $10.

Pro Bono Ontario has called upon the Attorney General to provide emergency funding of $500,000 in order to keep providing this valuable service. With it, the government can restore hope to people like Lori, who are at risk of losing their homes because they can’t navigate the system with their creditors. Looking the other way while these centres are forced to close is penny-wise and pound foolish.

Will the Attorney General commit to permanent, stable funding for the law help centres?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member opposite that the last thing I have been doing and members of my ministry have been doing is looking the other way.

The members of Pro Bono Ontario know that I have met with them, and my ministry and members of my staff have met with Pro Bono Ontario numerous times to help them work with justice partners in the private sector, with the Law Society of Ontario, with the Law Foundation of Ontario, with other justice partners to make sure that they can provide the services that they provide in a sustainable way.

In fact, members of my staff are meeting with Pro Bono Ontario, are meeting with justice partners on this topic again this week. We want to work with the board of Pro Bono Ontario to fulfill its mandate to deliver these services to the people of Ontario.

Government accountability

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Last week, I was at the Empire Club of Canada to watch our very own President of the Treasury Board giving an impassioned speech about Ontario’s finances to a packed room.

My constituents are very concerned about how years of Liberal mismanagement have saddled future generations of Ontarians with an unbearable debt load. This is why our government has been working tirelessly to transform, modernize, and reduce wasteful spending.

In fact, at one point the Leader of the Opposition was against government waste too, going so far as to say in 2014 that she wanted to appoint a savings and accountability minister.

Can the President of the Treasury Board please inform the House about his initiatives to reduce waste for the benefit of taxpayers?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: The Leader of the Opposition can rest assured that we already have a minister of savings and accountability: It’s called the President of the Treasury Board.

My speech was called The Challenge of our Generation: Building a Modern, Sustainable Government. We are faced today with dire straits. If we let government spending and debt continue to grow unchecked, we will rob our children and future generations of the core services that they need to prosper.

The Minister of Finance this week will outline through his fall economic statement the steps that we are taking to tackle the fiscal challenges before us. We will continue to put the people at the centre of every service, every policy, every promise. That’s our promise to the people of Ontario.

Interjections.

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

Supplementary?

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: Thank you to the President of the Treasury Board for his reply.

It was refreshing to hear the President of the Treasury Board say that we will measure success not by dollars spent but by the outcome.

The opposition has said that they can’t imagine where the government is going to find efficiencies, yet I have an

article here from 2014 that quotes the Leader of the Opposition as saying, “I actually believe that there’s a lot of waste inside government right now.” Another quote: “There is a lot of waste in the system—I know that for sure.”

It is clear that we have here a real memory deficit.

Can the President of the Treasury Board tell the House about how government is counting the pennies?

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for King–Vaughan, come to order.

Minister?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: These questions are pretty tough, but I’ll try my best. I’d like to thank the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for that question.

In fact, the Leader of the Opposition said, “I’m the sort of New Democrat who also believes we need to count the pennies.” Well, I look forward to the opposition’s support, as I have directed my ministry to adopt a paperless approach to meetings to reduce waste. This has resulted so far in not only significant dollar savings, but the saving of 17 trees and a reduction of 54 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which I’m sure the Minister of the Environment would like.

We are not just tweeting; we are doing. After all, the proper management of public finances is not just a fiscal imperative; the management of finances is also a moral imperative. That is why we are doing this for the people.

Minimum wage

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is for the Minister of Labour. This government’s attack on Bill 148 has come as a shock to the working people of London North Centre, who were counting on the $15 minimum wage increase.

One of my constituents, Roseanne Perry, told me how low wages forced her to work multiple jobs so she could simply pay her rent. These jobs gave her some financial security, but the long hours and multiple jobs meant she had no time to visit family or friends, and it took a toll on her overall mental health.

The London Poverty Research Centre found that half of Londoners are working in non-standard or unstable jobs—half. These Londoners and working families across the province were counting on the $15 minimum wage to improve their financial stability and quality of life.

This government needs to show real compassion and talk to people about a living wage, not deal in bumper-sticker slogans.

Instead of dealing with the working people of this province, this government locks its office doors and calls the police on its own constituents. We call shame. When is this government going to listen to working people in Ontario?

Hon. Laurie Scott: Well, look: We did listen to the people of Ontario, and what they said is that they want more jobs in the province of Ontario, better-paying jobs in the province of Ontario.

What we saw under the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, was job losses. The first month out after Bill 148 was brought up, there were over 50,000 job losses—80,000 job losses in August alone because of that legislation. They’re preventing businesses from creating those jobs.

Mr. Speaker, we’re going to make better-paying jobs in the province of Ontario so that everybody’s constituents can have a good job.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have for question period this morning.

Charitable donations

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services has a point of order.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I seek unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding the collection of shoebox donation gifts of love for women impacted by homelessness and fleeing violence for the Shoebox Project in members’ offices.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion. Agreed? Agreed.

I recognize the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I move that members be allowed to collect donations for the Shoebox Project, to help women impacted by homelessness and fleeing violence, in their offices and constituency offices for the remainder of the fall legislative sitting.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The member for Hamilton Mountain. The Minister of Natural Resources, come to order.

Ms. MacLeod has moved that members be allowed to collect donations for the Shoebox Project, to help women impacted by homelessness and fleeing violence, in their offices and constituency offices for the remainder of the fall legislative sitting.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Notices of dissatisfaction

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for London–Fanshawe has given notice of her dissatisfaction with the answer to her question given by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care concerning long-term-care virtual beds. This matter will be debated tomorrow at 6 p.m.

Pursuant to standing order 38(a), the member for Ottawa Centre has given notice of his dissatisfaction with the answer to his question given by the Attorney General concerning Pro Bono Ontario funding. This matter will be debated Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on the amendment to government notice of motion number 15 relating to allocation of time on Bill 47,

An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009 and make complementary amendments to other Acts.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1149 to 1154.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would ask the members to please take their seats.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the members please take their seats.

On November 1, 2018, Ms. Armstrong moved an amendment to government notice of motion number 15 relating to allocation of time on Bill 47. All those in favour of Ms. Armstrong’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Arthur, Ian

Bell, Jessica

Berns-McGown, Rima

Bisson, Gilles

Burch, Jeff

Des Rosiers, Nathalie

Fife, Catherine

Fraser, John

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Harden, Joel

Hassan, Faisal

Hatfield, Percy

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Lalonde, Marie-France

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Miller, Paul

Monteith-Farrell, Judith

Morrison, Suze

Natyshak, Taras

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Schreiner, Mike

Shaw, Sandy

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

West, Jamie

Wynne, Kathleen O.

Yarde, Kevin

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to Ms. Armstrong’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Nays

Baber, Roman

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Elliott, Christine

Fedeli, Victor

Fee, Amy

Ford, Doug

Fullerton, Merrilee

Gill, Parm

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Hogarth, Christine

Jones, Sylvia

Kanapathi, Logan

Karahalios, Belinda

Ke, Vincent

Khanjin, Andrea

Kramp, Daryl

Kusendova, Natalia

Lecce, Stephen

MacLeod, Lisa

Martin, Robin

Martow, Gila

McDonell, Jim

McKenna, Jane

McNaughton, Monte

Miller, Norman

Nicholls, Rick

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Park, Lindsey

Parsa, Michael

Pettapiece, Randy

Phillips, Rod

Piccini, David

Rasheed, Kaleed

Rickford, Greg

Roberts, Jeremy

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Scott, Laurie

Simard, Amanda

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, Todd

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Wai, Daisy

Walker, Bill

Yakabuski, John

Yurek, Jeff

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 37; the nays are 68.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion lost.

Mr. Smith, Bay of Quinte, has moved government notice of motion number 15 relating to allocation of time on Bill 47,

An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Labour Relations Act, 1995 and the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009 and make complementary amendments to other Acts.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard many noes.

All those in favour will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1158 to 1159.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Smith, Bay of Quinte, has moved government notice of motion number 15 relating to allocation of time on Bill 47. All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Baber, Roman

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Elliott, Christine

Fedeli, Victor

Fee, Amy

Ford, Doug

Fullerton, Merrilee

Gill, Parm

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Hogarth, Christine

Jones, Sylvia

Kanapathi, Logan

Karahalios, Belinda

Ke, Vincent

Khanjin, Andrea

Kramp, Daryl

Kusendova, Natalia

Lecce, Stephen

MacLeod, Lisa

Martin, Robin

Martow, Gila

McDonell, Jim

McKenna, Jane

McNaughton, Monte

Miller, Norman

Mulroney, Caroline

Nicholls, Rick

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Park, Lindsey

Parsa, Michael

Pettapiece, Randy

Phillips, Rod

Piccini, David

Rasheed, Kaleed

Rickford, Greg

Roberts, Jeremy

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Scott, Laurie

Simard, Amanda

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, Todd

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Walker, Bill

Yakabuski, John

Yurek, Jeff

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be counted by the Clerk.

Nays

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Arthur, Ian

Bell, Jessica

Berns-McGown, Rima

Bisson, Gilles

Burch, Jeff

Des Rosiers, Nathalie

Fife, Catherine

Fraser, John

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Harden, Joel

Hassan, Faisal

Hatfield, Percy

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Lalonde, Marie-France

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Miller, Paul

Monteith-Farrell, Judith

Morrison, Suze

Natyshak, Taras

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Schreiner, Mike

Shaw, Sandy

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

West, Jamie

Wynne, Kathleen O.

Yarde, Kevin

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 70; the nays are 37.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Motion agreed to.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek on a point of order.

Mr. Paul Miller: Speaker, I’d just like to congratulate the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for their defeat of the BC Lions. Next week, we’re coming for those Ottawa Redblacks.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: No, you’re not.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I don’t think we’re going to have a debate on that—at least not right now.

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1203 to 1300.

Members’ Statements

Protection for workers

Mr. Gurratan Singh: Since October 24, almost 300 owner-operators from Unifor Local 4003 have been holding an information picket against their employer, CN Rail, in my riding of Brampton East.

Through rain and cold weather, they have been out in large numbers creating awareness about what they have described as terrible work conditions. Workers don’t have access to proper washrooms. They don’t even have separate washrooms for men and women. Instead, they have to use portable bathrooms in terrible and unhygienic conditions.

Changes to the zoning made by the company have had a direct impact on the drivers’ economic livelihood. Conditions around the yard are described as terrible by these workers. They’re hazardous, and they are exposing them to unhealthy and dusty conditions. What’s even worse is that workers are afraid to raise these concerns about these conditions out of fear of reprisal and what has been described as a toxic and negative work environment created by management.

Mr. Speaker, no one should ever feel unsafe at work. These women and men deserve better. They need immediate action to address these issues. They need access to clean and decent washrooms and healthy conditions. They need to be able to work in an environment that is safe and open. I call on CN Rail to take immediate steps to resolve these issues and give these workers what they need and deserve.

Remembrance Day

Ms. Jane McKenna: This weekend was a very special and moving one, as I had the honour of participating in Remembrance Day services, along with many others here, in Burlington at the cenotaph and the Legion, as well as several seniors’ homes.

One of the highlights, as always, is armed services veteran and poppy seller Bill Reid. Long before you see him, you hear his beautiful baritone voice singing vintage World War I songs in the tunnel at the Appleby GO station. Everyone is all smiles as normally rushed commuters stop to stuff bills in his poppy box.

Mr. Reid, who is 85 years old—which I can’t believe—has been a fixture at the station ever since it was built in 1988, making his appearances a Remembrance Week tradition. Decked out in his Legion blues, he is a hit with young and old alike.

I was proud to participate in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 60 dinner. It was the culmination of months of work by veterans to honour veterans. I want to recognize and extend my heartfelt thanks to the Legion for their hard work now and during their deployment.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, the Burl-Oak Naval Veterans rang the original ship bells of the HMCS Burlington 100 times at sunset at the Naval Ships Memorial in Spencer Smith Park. It was a moving dedication to pay our respects to the brave sailors and merchant marines who fought in the Battle of the Atlantic and in so many other locations around the world over two world wars.

Employment standards

Ms. Jessica Bell: I recently received a letter from Dr. Matthew Muller, an infectious disease expert, scientist and physician at St. Mike’s hospital. He writes:

“Within health care, it is essential that we protect both our staff, and our vulnerable patients, from contagious viruses such as the flu, which can spread easily within health care environments.

“I have seen patients suffer and outbreaks occur because the health care worker continued to work and provide care to patients despite being sick....

“Paid sick days are an important way to help workers stay home when ill with a contagious infection that could affect their co-workers and colleagues, and are essential for the protection of our vulnerable patients.”

This is Dr. Matthew Muller, an expert on infectious disease.

Instead of listening to the experts, this Ford government is taking away paid sick days that keep vulnerable people safe. Instead of creating stable jobs, this Ford government is making things worse by allowing bosses to pay part-time and temporary workers a lower hourly wage than full-time workers. And instead of helping the 1.6 million Ontarians who earn minimum wage, this government is making their life harder by not moving forward with a $15 minimum wage, essentially taking $2,000 a year out of their pockets.

We need an economy that works for people, not just big business, and that means paid sick days, stable jobs and a living wage.

Global Entrepreneurship Week

Mr. Michael Parsa: I rise today to recognize Global Entrepreneurship Week. This is a chance for us to celebrate and thank entrepreneurs across the province. Global Entrepreneurship Week is the world’s largest celebration of entrepreneurship. Every November, 160 countries across the world participate in an effort to engage and inspire entrepreneurial activity.

I would like to thank Futurpreneur Canada, the official host of Global Entrepreneurship Week, and encourage members of this House and those listening at home to visit their website and participate in one of many events happening in communities across our province.

Mr. Speaker, entrepreneurs are an integral part of our community. They invest their time and money by producing goods and services on which people in Ontario rely. Their innovations are contributing to the advancements in every sector across our province. They are also using their innovations for social good, to address environmental challenges and to help develop communities across Ontario.

Entrepreneurs are drivers of economic development. Through their dedication and hard work, they create new business, jobs and the conditions necessary for Ontario to prosper. Entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economy, and that is why our government for the people is working tirelessly to create an environment where entrepreneurs can thrive. I would like to thank entrepreneurs for their hard work and let them know that we are here to support them and that Ontario is open for business.

Remembrance Day

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: Yesterday was a profoundly moving Remembrance Day. I spent it in Beaches–East York, participating in a number of ceremonies, beginning with a parade down Queen Street to the Kew Beach cenotaph. It was an extraordinary feeling to be standing with hundreds and hundreds of my neighbours to listen to the Last Post and to stand silently for two minutes. Not a dog barked, and there were many. Not a child whispered. You could have heard that proverbial pin drop. Baron Byng Legion, the Naval Club, Legion Branch 345: Every ceremony was jammed. Veterans shared stories, food and drink. There were prayers; there were tears.

At Branch 345, I met a beautiful group of cadets, first- and second-generation girls and boys from all over the world, the future of Canada in their diversity. A few of the girls were there in their cadet uniforms and smart white hijab. And then three of the Toronto Raptors showed up to present the branch with a Raptors shirt with “345” on it. I wish you could have seen the looks of joy on the faces of the cadets as they lined up for photos and autographs. We all took turns ringing the Legion bells a hundred times for the hundred years since armistice.

It’s an important learning moment for all of us, what happens when we create meaningfully inclusive spaces. The optimism that we can create a peaceful world in which all of us live together in harmony was palpable in that moment and in that place, and it was balm at the end of an emotional day.

Violence faite aux femmes / Violence against women

M me Nathalie Des Rosiers: Le mois de novembre est le Mois de la prévention de la violence faite aux femmes. Ottawa had a gender-based-violence strategy that was focused on supporting survivors and ending the cycle of violence. With the #MeToo movement, we know that rape crisis centres across the province are overstretched. In the first 11 weeks of 2018, there were 15 deaths of women due to intimate partner violence. There were over 50,000 calls last year to rape crisis centres.

However, we are still waiting to hear the government’s decision as to the funding for rape crisis centres. The Attorney General has said that she is reviewing the services to make sure they are done in an effective and efficient way, but the centres had just been evaluated last year. Front-line workers just cannot keep up with the work. They need extra funding. They need, at least, certainty about where their funding will come from.

Ce mois-ci, il est absolument important que le gouvernement accepte ses responsabilités de gouverner, cesse de blâmer et commence à reconnaître qu’il faut agir pour prévenir et répondre à la violence contre les femmes. C’est urgent. C’est une crise qui nous affecte tous. J’espère que le gouvernement le fera d’ici peu.

Ring of peace

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Over the constituency week I had the opportunity to participate in a great show of solidarity that brought together Canadians of all faiths. Across Ontario and, indeed, across North America, people of all faiths participated in the rings of peace around synagogues on the first Shabbat following the shooting in Pittsburgh. I cannot think of a better way that we could have started Remembrance Week in Ontario than to celebrate the religious freedom that their sacrifice made possible.

On Saturday, November 3, I stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow Muslims and dozens of others outside a Jewish community centre in Mississauga. It was important for us to stand up to violence and intolerance and to protect the freedom to worship, speak and pray. An attack on anyone’s right to worship as they see fit is an attack on everyone’s right to worship.

The ring of peace was our way of standing up to violence, intolerance and hate. It was our way of demonstrating what Dr. King said: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Now Magazine Readers’ Choice awards

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Now Magazine recently released their 2018 Readers’ Choice awards. I would like to take the time today to recognize some of the amazing organizations and businesses in my riding of Parkdale–High Park, the best in the city.

For foodies out there, we have the best doughnuts at Glory Hole Doughnuts and the best sandwiches at La Cubana.

It will come as no surprise that High Park was chosen as the city’s best park.

The incredible Toronto Overdose Prevention Society was highlighted as one of the city’s best social justice groups for their tireless activism during the opioid crisis.

For your tax needs, stop by Parkdale Accounting on Queen West.

Dundas West Animal Hospital was the most popular place for our furry friends and their parents.

Car trouble? Be sure to drop by Josie Candito’s Master Mechanic High Park, where the quick and friendly team will get that trouble sorted. Also, their daily message board will leave you feeling inspired.

No matter the event, Sweetpea’s on Roncesvalles has plants to sort out all your floral needs.

Finally, as it gets colder, here are some indoor entertainment ideas for all of you: For the best blues in the city, check out Hugh’s Room Live, and the best independent films at the Revue Cinema.

I want to congratulate all of the winners and the many runners-up as well, and thank them for making our riding, Parkdale–High Park, the exciting, dynamic and wonderful place it is.

Animal protection

Mr. Paul Calandra: It is with mixed emotions that I rise today to bring to the attention of the House a sad story from my riding. Many in this place may recall that earlier this year, 13 dead horses were discovered on a farm in my hometown of Stouffville. Another 14 horses and a pony were found living in horrendous conditions, sick, neglected and dying. This horrific discovery was an example of animal cruelty and neglect at its very worst.

Thankfully, the property owner discovered the abuse and neglect in time to rescue the remaining horses. Three people who were leasing the property have been charged with offences by the OSPCA and are currently awaiting trial.

Today, I am able to report to the House that there has been something of a positive development in this case. One of the rescued animals, a 22-year-old pony named Oreo, has recovered to a point where she will soon be leaving her home at Forever Thyme Sanctuary in Stouffville to do further rehabilitation at an equestrian centre in Florida. Forever Thyme Sanctuary has played a crucial role in helping to rescue the surviving horses, and I thank them.

This announcement is bittersweet. When Oreo was found, she was so neglected that her untrimmed hooves curled up and around, making it painful to stand. Oreo will continue to suffer permanent health problems because of her horrific, cruel treatment, but following her rehabilitation in Florida, she will join a Canadian family in Wellington.

While I’m happy to see a positive outcome for this heartbreaking case, I look forward to seeing the parties responsible for this prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I have full confidence that our Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, our Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and local authorities will continue to work together to ensure the highest animal safety and welfare standards are enforced.

Joanne Ashley

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased today to speak about my fellow Whitby Rotarian Joanne Ashley.

Joanne is the second person to receive the prestigious Dr. Bob Scott Disease Prevention Award, for her years of work educating and helping those suffering with and impacted by HIV/AIDS. The first recipient was Bill Gates, for his work in fighting polio worldwide. The award recognizes people who have made significant contributions to disease prevention and to the health of all peoples worldwide.

When her brother died of AIDS in 1991, Joanne did what many people did then: She refused to tell anyone, afraid of the stigma that would befall her family. Five years later, she told the story to her Rotary Club in Whitby, and her mission to educate began in earnest. In the years since, it has not abated; it has grown.

Joanne’s energy remains unbounded as she now turns her focus to advocating for First Nations people with AIDS. Service above self. The world needs more Joanne Ashleys. Congratulations, Joanne.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our time for members’ statements this afternoon.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Social Policy and move its adoption.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Tonia Grannum): Your committee begs to report the following bill without amendment:

Bill 34,

An Act to repeal the Green Energy Act, 2009 and to amend the Electricity Act, 1998, the Environmental Protection Act, the Planning Act and various other statutes / Projet de loi 34, Loi abrogeant la Loi de 2009 sur l’énergie verte et modifiant la Loi de 1998 sur l’électricité, la

Loi sur la protection de l’environnement, la

Loi sur l’aménagement du territoire et diverses autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to the order of the House dated October 24, 2018, the bill is ordered for third reading.

Introduction of Bills

Special Hockey Day Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la Journée du hockey adapté

Mr. Dave Smith moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 53,

An Act to proclaim Special Hockey Day / Projet de loi 53, Loi proclamant la Journée du hockey adapté.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the member for Peterborough–Kawartha care to explain his bill?

Mr. Dave Smith: Speaker, 2019 marks the 25th anniversary of Special Hockey International. It’s an organization that promotes hockey and inclusionary sport for our people with special needs. I had the pleasure, in 2017, of being the chair for that event. It was the most moving thing I have ever been involved in.

This bill would proclaim that March 27, 2019, would be declared Special Hockey Day to coincide with the start of the 25th annual Special Hockey International Tournament being held once again this year in Ontario, here in Toronto. The Grandravine team will be the host team for it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind members that when they introduce bills, it would be helpful if they keep their comments brief and stick to an explanation of the bill as opposed to going into great detail.

Organic Products Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur les produits biologiques

Mr. McDonell moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 54,

An Act to regulate the labelling and certification of organic products / Projet de loi 54, Loi visant à réglementer l’étiquetage et la certification des produits biologiques.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the member care to give a brief explanation of his bill?

Mr. Jim McDonell: This bill enacts the Organic Products Act, 2018. The act prohibits the marketing and labelling of products as “organic” unless they have been certified as organic in accordance with the act. It also requires that the minister assigned the administration of the act create a register of all products that are certified as organic and that the minister periodically update the register.

Petitions

Social assistance

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: This petition is entitled “Reverse” Premier “Ford’s Cuts to Low-Income Families.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas” Premier “Ford eliminated the Basic Income Pilot project and slashed the new social assistance rates by 1.5%, and did so without warning;

“Whereas cuts to already-meagre social assistance rates will disproportionately impact children, those with mental health challenges, persons with disabilities, and people struggling in poverty;

“Whereas the decision to cancel the Basic Income Pilot project was made without any evidence, and leaves thousands of Ontarians without details about whether they will be able to access other forms of income assistance;

“Whereas the independently authored Income Security: A Roadmap for Change report, presented to the government last fall, recommends both increases to rates and the continuation of the Basic Income Pilot project as key steps towards income adequacy and poverty reduction;

“Whereas the failure to address poverty—and the homelessness, hunger, health crises, and desperation that can result from poverty—hurts people, families and Ontario’s communities;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately reverse” the “callous decision to slash increases to social assistance rates by 50%, and reverse” the “decision to cancel the Basic Income Pilot project, decisions that will undoubtedly hurt thousands of vulnerable people and drag Ontario backwards when it comes to homelessness reduction and anti-poverty efforts.”

I fully support this petition and will be affixing my signature to it as well.

Veterans memorial

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I have the pleasure of reading a petition from the riding of Oakville.

“Whereas over 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in the war in Afghanistan including the 159 Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice; and

“Whereas the Premier made a commitment to the people of Ontario to build a memorial to honour the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces; and

“Whereas, by remembering their service and sacrifice, we recognize the values and freedoms these men and women fought to preserve; and

“Whereas the memorial will show our gratitude to our veterans, their families and to their descendants; and

“Whereas the memorial will be a place of remembrance, a form of tribute, and an important reminder to future generations of the contributions and sacrifices that have helped shape our country;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the government of Ontario immediately construct the memorial to honour the heroes of the war in Afghanistan.”

I will gladly sign this as well.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I have a petition entitled, “Stop Auto Insurance Gouging.

“Whereas some neighbourhoods across the GTA have been unfairly targeted by discriminatory practices in the insurance industry;

“Whereas people in these neighbourhoods are penalized with crushing auto insurance rates because of their postal code;

“Whereas the failure to improve government oversight of the auto insurance industry has left everyday families feeling the squeeze and yearning for relief;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to ban the practice of postal code discrimination in the GTA when it comes to auto insurance premiums.”

I support this petition, affix my signature to it and give it to page Vincent.

Ontario economy

Mr. Billy Pang: Good afternoon, Mr. Speaker. I have the honour to represent the riding of Markham–Unionville to read the following petition.

“Whereas unnecessary regulations are squeezing businesses in every economic sector and driving jobs and investment out of Ontario;

“Whereas red tape is costing employers time, money and resources that they would rather invest in growing their business, creating good jobs and launching innovative products and services that will improve people’s lives;

“Whereas the real cost of red tape is in the businesses that are forced to close their doors, the job-creating investments that we scare away or in the workers who are forced to leave Ontario in order to find work;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly to pass the Making Ontario Open for Business Act to build prosperity, put Ontario back on track as a growth leader in North America and restore our province to its rightful place as the economic engine of Canada.”

I endorse this petition by signing it and pass it to page Shlok.

Pharmacare

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas prescription medications are a part of health care and people shouldn’t have to empty their wallets or rack up credit card bills to get the medicines they need;

“Whereas over 2.2 million Ontarians don’t have any prescription drug coverage and one in four Ontarians don’t take their medications as prescribed because they cannot afford the cost;

“Whereas taking medications as prescribed can save lives and help people live better; and

“Whereas Canada urgently needs universal and comprehensive national pharmacare;

“We, the undersigned, express our support for a universal provincial pharmacare plan for all Ontarians.”

I will be affixing my signature to this and I support it wholeheartedly.

Employment standards

Mr. Jamie West: These petitions were collected on behalf of Henri Giroux. He is the president of the North Bay labour council. Henri is currently fighting cancer at Sudbury’s Health Sciences North and winning that fight thanks to their amazing staff.

“Petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly:

“Don’t Take Away Our $15 Minimum Wage and Fairer Labour Laws.

“Whereas the vast majority of Ontarians support a $15 minimum wage and better laws to protect workers; and

“Whereas last year, in response to overwhelming popular demand by the people of Ontario, the provincial government brought in legislation and regulations that:

“Deliver 10 personal emergency leave days for all workers, the first two of which are paid;

“Make it illegal to pay part-time, temporary, casual or contract workers less than their full-time or directly hired co-workers...;

“Raised the adult general minimum wage to $14 per hour and further raises it” to $15 an hour “on January 1, 2019, with annual adjustments” to the consumer price index;

“Make it easier to join unions ... ;

“Maintain workers’ rights ... ;

“Make client companies responsible for workplace health and safety for temporary agency employees;

“Provide strong enforcement through the hiring of an additional 175 employment standards officers;....

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to honour these commitments, including the $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling rules set to take effect on January 1, 2019. We further call on the assembly to take all necessary steps to enforce these laws and extend them to ensure no worker is left without protection.”

I will affix my signature and give it to page Aditya.

Social assistance

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: My petition is from the ODSP Action Coalition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas we, as a community, have not been consulted at all by our current provincial government regarding revisions to social assistance that will come after ... the government’s ’100-day review.’ As a result of our exclusion in this decision-making process, scheduled to end Nov. 8th, any changes that are made to our social assistance programs will not include input from the very people who are at their very core, know the most and are the most affected by these programs. Our government can and must do better;

“Whereas members of our community were consulted on the recommendations to forming a clear path forward to social assistance and income security reform. These recommendations were put forward October 2017 in Income Security: A Roadmap for Change. They spelled our truths, addressed some of the most difficult corners of the system, while still staying very conservative in terms of the proposed rate increases (3 x 5% over the next three years for ODSP; 10%, 7% and 5% for OW). Regardless, we were still going to be well below the poverty line for a while;

“Whereas before the June 2018 elections, the Liberal government passed several recommendations from or inspired by the Roadmap, including 19 improvements to the ODSP and OW that were to start this fall. On July 31, 2018, Minister MacLeod announced that the rate increases would be cut to a one-time, cross-the-board ‘compassionate’ increase of 1.5%, and the 19 improvements were ‘on pause,’ pending the ’100-day review’ on which our community has not been consulted;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to reinstate all 19 improvements to ODSP and OW on which our community was consulted, including, but not limited to:

“—3% increase to basic needs and shelter rates;

“—2% increases to other allowances;

“—changing the definition of ‘spouse’—from three months of cohabitation to three years (as per family law);

“—replacing the board and lodge rate with full basic benefits;

“—doubling of the ODSP/OW earning exemption and reducing OW waiting period;

“—full exemptions of TFSAs, RRSPs, gifts and voluntary payments;

“—fully exempting in ODSP, payments from trusts or other life insurance policies;

“—expansion of remote communities allowance;

“—allowing dependent adults to get OW on their own when living with family due to lack of housing.”

I fully agree with this petition and will be giving it to page Lillian to take to the Clerk.

Employment standards

Ms. Jessica Bell: This is a petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly.

“Don’t Take Away Our $15 Minimum Wage and Fairer Labour Laws.

“Whereas the vast majority of Ontarians support a $15 minimum wage and better laws to protect workers; and

“Whereas last year, in response to overwhelming popular demand by the people of Ontario, the provincial government brought in legislation and regulations that” included:

Ten “personal emergency leave days for all workers, the first two of which are paid;

“Make it illegal to pay part-time, temporary, casual or contract workers less than their full-time or directly hired co-workers....;

“Raised the adult general minimum wage to $14 per hour and further raises it to” $15 an hour “on January 1, 2019....;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to honour these commitments, including the $15 minimum wage and fairer scheduling rules set to take effect on January 1, 2019. We further call on the assembly to take all necessary steps to enforce these laws and extend them to ensure no worker is left” behind “without protection.”

I fully support this petition. I’ll be giving this petition to page Vincent.

Northern health services

M me France Gélinas: I’m glad to present these petitions that were collected by Claire Reasbeck, who is from Hanmer in my riding. They read as follows:

“Save the Breast Screening and Assessment Service....

“Whereas Premier Doug Ford promised that there would not be cuts to nurses’ positions; and

“Whereas in Sudbury we have already lost 70 nurses, and Health Sciences North” are looking at “closing part of the Breast Screening and Assessment Service; and

“Whereas cuts to the Sudbury Breast Screening and Assessment Service will result in longer wait times, which is very stressful for women diagnosed with breast cancer; and

“Whereas cuts to the Sudbury Breast Screening and Assessment Service will only take us backwards;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Provide adequate funding to Health Sciences North to ensure northerners have equitable access to life-saving programs such as the Breast Screening and Assessment Service.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my name to it and ask new page Sarah to bring it to the Clerk.

Poet laureate

Mr. Percy Hatfield: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas poets laureate have been officially recognized at all levels of Canadian government and in at least 15 countries around the world; and

“Whereas the establishment of our own poet laureate for the province of Ontario would promote literacy and celebrate Ontario culture and heritage, along with raising public awareness of poetry and of the spoken word; and

“Whereas Gord Downie was a poet, a singer and advocate for Indigenous issues, and designating the poet laureate in his memory will serve to honour him and continue his legacy; and

“Whereas Bill 6,

An Act to establish the Poet Laureate of Ontario in memory of Gord Downie, will establish the Office of Poet Laureate for the province of Ontario as a non-partisan attempt to promote literacy, to focus attention on our iconic poets and to give new focus to the arts community in Ontario;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To support the establishment of the Office of Poet Laureate as an officer of the Ontario Legislature and that private member’s Bill 6,

An Act to establish the Poet Laureate of Ontario in memory of Gord Downie, receive swift passage through the legislative process.”

I agree 100%, Speaker. I’m going to sign it and give it to Georgia to bring up to the table.

Injured workers

Mr. Kevin Yarde: “About 200,000 to 300,000 people in Ontario are injured on the job every year;

“Whereas over a century ago, workers in Ontario who were injured on the job gave up the right to sue their employers, in exchange for a system that would provide them with just compensation;

“Whereas decades of cost-cutting have pushed injured workers into poverty and onto publicly funded social assistance programs, and have gradually curtailed the rights of injured workers;

“Whereas injured workers have the right to quality and timely medical care, compensation for lost wages, and protection from discrimination;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to change the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act to accomplish the following for injured workers in Ontario:

“Eliminate the practice of ‘deeming’ or ‘determining,’ which bases compensation on phantom jobs that injured workers do not actually have;

“Ensure that the WSIB prioritizes and respects the medical opinions of the health care providers who treat the injured worker directly;

“Prevent compensation from being reduced or denied based on ‘pre-existing conditions’ that never affected the worker’s ability to function prior to the work injury.”

I fully endorse this petition and I will affix my name to it.

Opposition Day

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I move the following motion:

Whereas every Ontarian deserves a dignified retirement and access to long-term care when they need it; and

Whereas the communities of Scarborough, Whitby and Oshawa have some of the longest waits for long-term-care spaces in Ontario;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the government to commit to eliminating the wait for long-term care and, as a first step, provide the necessary funding in the 2019-20 budget to create 2,000 new not-for-profit long-term-care spaces in Scarborough, Whitby and Oshawa.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Horwath has moved opposition day number 3.

I recognize the leader of the official opposition to lead off the debate.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Thank you very much, Speaker. I have to say that I am honoured to have the opportunity to rise and speak to this motion this afternoon.

I had the pleasure this morning of returning to the community of Oshawa—a place that I’ve visited many, many times—with MPP French, the representative for that riding. This morning, we were talking about the critical issue of long-term care, but we have often spoken about different issues facing the good people of the great community of Oshawa. It’s a community where people really do work very hard to support each other, where they go out of their way to pitch in, take care of one another and help lift one another up.

This morning, we were invited into the home of a wonderful couple, Reverend Steve and Annette Mills. They invited us in to talk about something that’s extremely important to them. Steve, Annette and I agree—and I think everyone in this House can agree—on one thing, and that is that our parents and grandparents and loved ones deserve the kind of care that protects their safety, that safeguards their health and that respects their dignity.

We know that when seniors aren’t able to access the specialized care that they need as they age, their health suffers and their quality of life suffers. We know that this doesn’t just hurt the seniors who are unable to access the care; it also takes a toll on the family and loved ones of that senior as well. Today, in speaking to Steve and Annette in their town of Oshawa, it was really clear once again that, not only in Oshawa but in communities across the province, seniors’ care is in crisis in Ontario.

I sat in the Mills living room this morning—I had the privilege of doing so—and heard a little bit about the experience that they are having with the same problem that many, many families in Ontario are having that is making life harder for families in Ontario. Steve’s dad, Walter Mills, is 91 years old. For decades, Steve’s dad, Walter, worked as a machinist and as a minister, rolling up his sleeves to shape the metal that forms the backbone of our economy, and tend to the hearts that make up his community. For all of his years of faithful service, we owe him the kind of care that he so readily gave to the people in his community.

This morning, Steve and Annette shared that over the past six years it’s gotten harder and harder for them to keep Walter safe and healthy. In fact, it’s gotten to the point that caring for Walter is extremely difficult. It’s a 24-hour-a-day job. Keeping him clean and healthy has been an ongoing struggle. More often than not, their nights are sleepless because Walter’s dementia causes him to wander.

Steve shared that they have had to install sensors on their doors that sound an alarm when Walter leaves the house, because nobody knows when he might get up and decide that it’s 2 o’clock that morning and it’s time to go to work, or that it’s 3 a.m. and he’s got to get up and go to church for his service, or 4 a.m. and he has just got to get out of the house to make his appointment for his haircut.

Three days a week, they’re able to take Walter to a specialized day program, where he can get some professional care. It gives them a little bit of respite and time to do other things around the house, but it’s absolutely not enough. It’s not enough to meet Walter’s needs.

We have to do better for people like Walter and for his loved ones. We have to do better for this gentleman and his family—someone who dedicated his life to taking care of the spiritual needs of people in his community and who also worked hard at a trade. When he is 91 years old, this gentleman should be able to have a dignified quality of life, surrounded by professionals who care for his every need.

Three years ago, Steve and Annette put Walter on a wait-list for long-term care at their first choice of home, and now they’re still on that wait-list. In fact, they’re on the wait-list for not one, not two, but five different homes where Walter will be safer and where he’ll get the quality of care that he deserves.

It’s interesting. As we were finishing up with our discussion, it was shared with me by Steve and Annette that, in fact, Walter’s first choice of home is the home that he had been in umpteen times—hundreds of times—over his years as a minister, comforting families whose loved ones were actually in that long-term-care home. Now he has been on the wait-list to become a resident of that home for over three years. Imagine that. Imagine years of waiting.

Imagine being Steve and Annette, trying to do everything they can to meet the needs of their loved one, but spending years now—three years—unable to get a full night’s sleep because Walter is wandering around. It’s years of going through every single day on high alert, unable to look away for a moment out of fear for your parent’s safety. Three years and they’re still waiting to get into long-term care.

We absolutely have to do better for Walter Mills and for his family. We have to do better. This is not acceptable. But sadly, this story is not a unique story in our province. More than 32,000 Ontarians are stuck on waiting lists for long-term care that they so desperately need. The Central East LHIN, which is where the Mills live, includes communities like Oshawa, Whitby, Scarborough and Peterborough. In that LHIN, in particular, the Central East LHIN, folks are facing the longest wait-lists in the province.

Oshawa’s Hillsdale Estates long-term-care facility, the one that was Walter’s first choice and where he spent much of his time as a minister, has 1,437 people on the wait-list, that one facility alone—1,437 for one facility. If we look at other long-term-care facilities in the region, we see more of the same: Fairview Lodge in Whitby has a wait-list of 1,554, and in Scarborough, Mon Sheong long-term care has 2,821 people on its wait-list.

The shortage of beds in long-term care, Speaker, has real consequences for people: real consequences for Walter, real consequences for his son Steve, and real consequences for his daughter-in-law Annette.

For 15 years, the previous Liberal government allowed this issue to get worse and worse. They made all kinds of promises but didn’t fulfill nary a single one of them. All kinds of promises about time frames for redevelopment of existing beds that no longer met current standards: They didn’t reach their targets. Promises around the building of new long-term-care beds: They didn’t reach those commitments either.

Finally, in May, just 935 new long-term-care beds were announced by the outgoing government for this region. The Liberals literally ignored the need in communities like Oshawa and Whitby. Of the 935 new beds for that LHIN, Oshawa—which has the one facility with 1,437 on its wait-list and another facility of 1,554 on its wait-list; a region with the longest, biggest and deepest problem when it comes to long-term-care bed shortages—guess how many beds Oshawa was provided with by the last government? Zero. Of the 935 beds for that LHIN and for that region, zero were provided to the most in-need community.

People hoped that things would get better with a new government, that their communities would get the investments in long-term care that they needed. But after five months, it’s clear that the Premier and his government haven’t gotten the message either. In fact, they’re planning just 6,000 beds over five years for the whole province. There are 32,000 people today on the wait-list for long-term care, and over five years the promise of this government is merely 6,000 beds—nowhere near what’s necessary or what’s needed.

Basically, what the Premier’s government is doing is following through with Kathleen Wynne’s plan, because that’s what the Liberals were planning: They were planning 6,000 beds over five years. And if we saw how well they did, with this government in place, our expectations are very low.

What we keep hearing from the government is that their plan isn’t to invest in health care. Their plan is to cut, cut, cut, cut, cut because all they care about is the deficit. They don’t care about the health deficit and the anxiety that that is creating for family members.

You can’t cut $6 billion and still build long-term care. You can’t do it. You can’t give big tax cuts to your friends, to the richest people and the most profitable corporations, and still have the revenues available to build long-term-care beds in Ontario.

The Premier likes to talk about how we talked to “thousands of people across the whole province” during the campaign. I talked to those people too. I’m still talking to them today, and they still want their long-term-care system fixed.

Let’s not look at the long-term-care system with rose-tinted glasses. We all know that when seniors do get access to long-term care, the quality of that long-term care is also a major concern—another thing that New Democrats were trying to get the previous government to deal with. In 2014, there were more than 12,900 critical incidents reported in long-term-care homes across Ontario. In one year, 2014: 12,900 critical incidents reported. That’s 12,900 reports of things like improper care, residents being missing for hours—the staff not having tabs on the residents—and residents falling and requiring hospitalization.

Most staff in long-term-care homes are compassionate, caring professionals, but they are under-resourced and overworked, having to make do with much less than they should so that they are, as a result, run off their feet day in and day out. I can tell you, in the conversations I’ve had over the years, during the campaign and subsequent to the campaign, that those folks who work in the long-term-care system are stressed to the max.

In fact, I’m hearing from providers of long-term care that they can’t keep the staff anymore because it’s such a bad job, because people are working two or three part-time jobs. They’re not being given full-time work. They’re running from one facility to the next. They are calling in sick and then they are not being replaced by management, so the rest of the staff end up carrying the load and becoming even more stressed and, of course, leading to even less opportunity to take care of the needs of the residents in the long-term-care facilities.

It does not have to be this way; it absolutely doesn’t. Communities should not have to go it alone when it comes to long-term care. Families like the Mills family should not have to go it alone. There is far too much at stake right now to let this Premier and this Conservative government take Ontario seniors and their families from bad to worse. It was bad under the Liberals, and there’s a big fear out there, with the way that this government is talking, that that bad is going to get much, much worse and let another four years go by where people don’t have access to the quality long-term care that would make their lives better.

We know that that is absolutely in the cards. How do we know that? Because 6,000 beds over five years is not going to put a dent in a 32,000-person-long waiting list. That waiting list, of course, is growing, not shrinking. Anybody who pays attention to the way that Ontario is made up in terms of our residents knows that our demographic is such that it’s aging. We have an aging population. So the pressure is going to get worse, not better.

This 6,000-bed Liberal plan that is now the Conservative plan is still going to fail our seniors and is still going to continue to put pressure on family members and on communities. And that’s just not good enough. The people deserve so much better than that.

I have got to say it’s not all bad, because it’s not too late to fix it. We can all take, together, a big step forward to address this critical issue for Ontario families. We can actually do that here today. We can listen to what Steve and Annette told me this morning about Walter’s story and their story, and to the stories of thousands of Ontarians who need their government to step up and make quality long-term care for seniors a priority. I know that, with this motion, we can begin the work of doing right by these families and showing them that they don’t have to go it alone and that change for the better is, in fact, possible in our province.

We can make Ontario a leader in addressing the challenges of long-term care by adding thousands of long-term-care spaces across the province—thousands and thousands and thousands. In fact, our plan called for a much, much more rigorous investment in long-term care. Our plan called for 15,000 beds in five years. That is something that should be happening, not 6,000 over five years.

Do you know what? The creation of those long-term-care beds also means jobs. Somebody has got to build the spaces, so there are jobs right there—good-paying, quality jobs—in those communities.

Then, of course, we need to fix the other half of long-term care and make sure that the workers who are working in long-term care have good jobs to go to day in and day out where they make a decent wage, where they have enough staff supports among the folks working there—everything from nurses to PSWs—to make sure that the quality of care is there and that the quality of jobs is there.

We can actually turn back the tide on years and years of Liberal cuts and neglect and make it easier for seniors in communities like Oshawa, Whitby and Scarborough to live their lives with dignity and get the long-term care that they need when they need it.

I’m urging all members in the House to support this motion. This is a motion that I think people in every part of our province would like to see passed because in every part of our province there’s a problem. This motion speaks very clearly to the communities that are at the top of the list when it comes to a lack of long-term-care beds: Oshawa, Whitby and Scarborough. But we all know that it’s a problem around the province, so I’m calling on the government members—and the Liberal members, if there are any around—to support this motion and do something about it.

As I’ve said, it doesn’t have to continue to be this way for the next four years. It looks like this government is prepared to continue to make it worse for the next four years, but in passing this motion we can actually turn the tide and turn things around. We can start by adding those 2,000 beds right away in the region that is struggling the most: Central East LHIN in the communities of Scarborough, Oshawa and Whitby.

From there, we can build on that first step and tackle this critical issue—this crisis—that we have in long-term care in our communities by making real, concrete and ongoing investments in quality long-term care across our province, investments that will make the lives of seniors and their families better and will help build a stronger, more prosperous and more caring Ontario so that when they need it, our loved ones are able to get the care that protects their safety, their health and their dignity so that they can spend those last years of their lives—after they have given so much to this province and so much to their communities—with the quality type of care that they deserve, not languishing on a wait-list with family members who are run off their feet and worried sick every minute of the day about the well-being of their loved ones.

Together we can build that kind of Ontario, where we take care of the people who have taken care of us over the years. We can start today.

I urge every member of this House to think carefully about the crisis in long-term care. Those on the government side: Think carefully. You’re in government now. You can make the kind of decisions that will actually make a difference in people’s lives. Please support this motion. Stand with us and show that you care about long-term care, that you care about the people, the seniors and other vulnerable folks who need to be in long-term care, and that you care about those families who desperately want to see a space open up for their loved ones.

Thank you very much. I look forward to the debate.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Be seated, please.

Further debate?

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: I’m pleased to join the debate on the motion introduced by our colleagues in the official opposition about long-term care.

I should start by thanking them for raising the issue of long-term care. It gives our government another great opportunity to tell the people of Ontario about the actions we are taking to create new, permanent, long-term-care beds that are so desperately needed.

As the health minister’s parliamentary assistant for long-term care, I hear time and again about the pressures in the system. I hear from stakeholders in hospitals: doctors, nurses and administrators who have patients waiting for a long-term-care bed to open up.

I hear it from families in my riding of Oakville North–Burlington trying to get the right care for an aging parent: patients who don’t need to be in hospitals at all but cannot go home, and, through no fault of their own, are taking up beds for people who do need to be in a hospital, and people who need emergency or urgent care, and are too often being treated in storage rooms or hallways. These two groups of people need care, and too many in each group are not getting the care they deserve.

Our medical staff who are on the front lines are doing their best and providing excellent care, but patients need the appropriate care that maintains their privacy and dignity.

We all know the reasons for this two-headed problem. Wait-lists for long-term-c