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March 20, 2018

41st Parliament, 3rd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2018-Mar-20 (PDF)

L002 - Tue 20 Mar 2018 / Mar 20 mar 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 20 March 2018 Mardi 20 mars 2018

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Introduction of Visitors

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

Private members’ public business

Wearing of hockey jersey

Wearing of ribbons

Norm Jamison

Pejcinovski family

Oral Questions

Public services

Government’s record

Dental care

Dental care

Home care

Dental care

Child care

Broadband infrastructure

Dental care

Student assistance

Government advertising

Dental care

Indigenous women

Forest industry

Dental care

Visitors

Members’ Statements

Lynch syndrome

Poet laureate

Myalgic encephalomyelitis

Hospital redevelopment

Albert Gauthier

Campus energy retrofits

First Responders United

Pharmacare

Prorogation

Journée internationale de la Francophonie

Introduction of Bills

Cutting Red Tape for Motor Vehicle Dealers Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 allégeant les formalités administratives pour les commerçants de véhicules automobiles

Pay Transparency Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transparence salariale

Magna Carta Day Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur le Jour de la Grande Charte

Home Care and Community Services Amendment Act (Dan’s Law), 2018 / Loi de 2018 modifiant la

Loi sur les services de soins à domicile et les services communautaires (Loi Dan)

Correctional Services Transformation Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la transformation des services correctionnels

End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 visant à mettre fin au financement public de la publicité gouvernementale partisane

Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’accès au rapport de solvabilité du consommateur et la disponibilité des ascenseurs

Mandatory Sexual Assault Law Training for Judicial Officers Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur la formation obligatoire des fonctionnaires judiciaires en droit relatif aux agressions sexuelles

Filipino Heritage Month Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur le Mois du patrimoine philippin

Phones Down, Heads Up Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 interdisant l’utilisation du téléphone portable par les piétons

504260 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2018

Motions

Private members’ public business

Petitions

Landfill

Injured workers

Child protection

Diabetes glucose monitoring

Correctional services

Respite care

Tree seed services

Landfill

Long-term care

Hospital funding

Hospital funding

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Good morning. Please join me in prayer.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Consideration of the speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the session.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I move, seconded by Mr. Chan, that an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor as follows:

To the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario:

We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, now assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The Minister of Health has moved, seconded by Mr. Chan, that an humble address be presented to Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor as follows:

To the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario:

We, Her Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, now assembled, beg leave to thank Your Honour for the gracious speech Your Honour has been pleased to address to us at the opening of the present session.

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: I’ll be sharing my time with the Minister of Seniors Affairs and the Minister of Education.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to lead off debate on the throne speech for the third session of the 41st Parliament of Ontario. I want to thank the Premier for this opportunity.

In Ontario, we are fortunate to have access to the highest-quality health care. Every day we hear of the caring, compassionate and dedicated staff who are focused on helping patients get the best possible care. Our government has been increasing investments in health care at near-record levels, and Ontario’s health care system is something to be proud of.

Mr. Speaker, we also know that Ontario’s economy has been performing strongly. In fact, it has outperformed nearly every other major economy, thanks to the hard work of the people of this province. But despite increased investments and a strong economy, many families are still facing challenges. Every day our government hears from people who share their stories, and they are a reflection of so many others who share similar experiences. These stories are particularly important because they have informed the steps our government must take moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, we need to make investments that will better enable people to care for their loved ones, and the throne speech reflected that. It’s about making deliberate choices to invest in the care and the services that the people of this province rely on. It’s about laying out a plan of care and opportunity for the people of Ontario.

This throne speech is about investing in areas that will make life easier for Ontarians. It’s about doing more for people. It’s about demonstrating that our government is not going to pull back at a time when many Ontarians are in need of support.

Our government has always worked hard to provide better care for Ontarians. As Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, I know that our government has worked to transform the health care system into one that puts patients first. We recognize that, as our population ages, home and community care is becoming even more important, and we value all of our hard-working health care professionals in Ontario. We know that personal support workers, or PSWs, are incredibly dedicated to their clients, and we value the services they provide for families.

To strengthen this critical workforce and address the challenges of recruitment and retention, our government increased the hourly wage for all PSWs in the publicly funded home and community care sector. This important investment reflects just one of the ways that Ontario is helping to provide much-needed care to Ontarians.

At the start of the year, we saw the biggest expansion to medicare in a generation with the introduction of OHIP+, children and youth pharmacare. As of January 1 of this year, we began providing free prescription drugs for children and youth aged 24 and under. Four million children and youth now have access to over 4,400 drugs, including antibiotics to treat infections, inhalers for asthma, various insulins, oral diabetic medications and diabetes test strips.

OHIP+ covers drugs to treat arthritis, epilepsy and other chronic conditions; medications also to treat mental health conditions, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder drugs. It includes drugs to treat some childhood cancers and other rare conditions. These drugs are provided at no cost, with no fees and no copayment.

Over one million young people aged 24 and under have had their prescriptions filled at no cost under OHIP+, and the numbers continue to grow. OHIP+ is a critical way that Ontario is helping to provide children and youth to get a better start in life. We want everyone in Ontario to feel this kind of freedom so they can make better choices and increase the quality of life for themselves and their families. This is a significant first step toward our vision of universal pharmacare that will help bring free drug coverage to everyone and ultimately will result in a healthier, more productive province.

All of these investments speak to our government’s commitment to transform our health care system into one that puts the needs of patients at its centre. We recognize how important it is for patients to have access to high-quality health care when and where they need it. We believe that a healthier Ontario, where no one is left behind, is a stronger Ontario.

Through the Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care, Ontario has been working to deliver care that is easy to access and more equitable for all Ontarians. Ontario’s health care system is something we should be incredibly proud of. Across the board, from the leadership to the doctors and nurses and the support staff on the front lines, we have built a health care system that is doing an incredible job of taking care of the people we love. Yet for all that we have accomplished, we recognize that there is more work to do. We know how important high-quality health care is to Ontario families, and we will continue to make investing in high-quality care a priority.

As outlined in the throne speech, we are proposing to make significant investments in the operation of our hospitals as part of the 2018 budget. Our government is focused on investments that will provide families across the province with faster access to care, to meet the needs of growing and aging populations.

We are committed to a strong, stable, publicly funded hospital system that delivers quality patient services efficiently, and we are working diligently to reduce the wait times for patients. In February, our government announced $187 million in ongoing support to make more hospital beds available for patients. The investments we are proposing in the budget will support each hospital in Ontario to continue to deliver high-quality care that meets the unique needs and priorities of their communities.

Those investments will also help to expand essential services and procedures that patients and their families need. Yet our government also recognizes that hospitals are not always a patient’s first choice for care, nor is it necessarily the most appropriate option. We understand that patients want to be able to get the care they need as close to home as possible. Our government is committed to expanding community support services to ensure that people receive care to meet that goal.

Through the Patients First Act, our government provided the foundation for a patient-centred home and community care sector that is fully integrated with other health care providers, and that is responsive to and respectful of patients’ needs. As well, Aging with Confidence: Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors, lays out a plan to meet the needs of seniors as they grow older.

We all have a collective responsibility to care for our seniors. For that reason, we will focus on major investments in home care to provide more services for people aging at home and provide financial relief for families caring for aging loved ones. The investments we are proposing will help to improve home and community care services today while investing for tomorrow. They will also provide patients and their caregivers with greater choice and control over their home care. Expanding home and community care will ensure the ongoing sustainability of our health care system and will address the needs of our growing seniors population.

Our government has been working hard to provide integrated care to all Ontarians, and that includes all health care, both physical and mental health. We know that one in five Ontarians will experience a mental health illness in their lifetime and we have been clear on this side of the House that there is no health without mental health.

We commend all of the brave individuals who have been speaking out across the province to reduce the stigma around mental health. We understand that for many people with mental health and addiction issues, seeking support through publicly funded services is a critical first step towards recovery.

Every Ontarian deserves access to mental health services to support them in living fulfilled and healthy lives. That is why we will continue to prioritize the growing need for mental health and addictions care in Ontario: to help people get the mental health and addictions services they need quickly and close to home.

We recognize that we need to support not only those who are experiencing mental health challenges but those who care for them as well. The investments we are proposing will help to streamline access to care so that Ontarians will know where and how to access mental health and addictions information anywhere in the province. Again, it’s about providing Ontarians with the support they need to care for their families and loved ones.

I spoke earlier about the success of OHIP+ since it was first launched back in January. The introduction of OHIP+ was an important step forward in the history of medicare in Ontario and across the country. It represents the first step in achieving the goal of universal pharmacare for all, but it is only the first step.

Speaker, as outlined in the throne speech, our government is proposing to expand OHIP+. That means more people without a drug or dental benefits plan would have access to more affordable prescription drugs and dental care. It represents another step forward toward the goal of truly universal health care for the people of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, our government is working to strengthen our health care system today and for the future. We want to ensure that everyone in Ontario can access the publicly funded health care they require, when they need it the most. A high-quality health care system is about more than helping patients find the care they need. A healthy population is also critical to helping Ontario thrive and grow toward a brighter future. Helping more people to access the prescription drugs and mental health supports they need to be well also helps them to participate fully in their community.

For those caring for aging parents at home, having access to the professional support and financial relief they need helps them to go to work each day with more energy and confidence. It means they are able to put more money away for their own future.

All of these investments in health care represent just one part of our government’s overall investment in Ontarians, and in a brighter future for our province.

It gives me great pleasure now to turn you over to my colleague the Minister of Seniors Affairs, who will share with you further details of our plan for care and opportunity.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Continuing in debate, I recognize the Minister of Seniors Affairs.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: I’m also pleased this morning to speak on the throne speech, and add my voice and my thoughts.

Yesterday’s speech from the throne exemplified how our government looks at the promise and the people of Ontario together. Our vision honours how far we have come, yet remains squarely focused on where we are heading. From child care to education, health care to the economy, our government has shown true compassion and a deep understanding for the challenges Ontarians face in their homes, workplaces and wider community. Our government has shown that we will not take a narrow view in response to the change each sector is facing, nor will we look solely at the opportunities these changes present for benefits in the short term.

We have shown that Ontarians come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Of course, the tools each of us needs to live life to our full potential will also be diverse. This is, of course, also true of seniors. Seniors are an example of a demographic where the needs vary extensively.

There is a common perception, often perpetuated by certain members of this Legislature, that Ontarians over the age of 65 can be addressed as one collective group. The opposition seems content to view seniors solely through the lens of health care, a view that, when you turn 65, your abilities diminish and your aspirations are a thing of the past. As Minister of Seniors Affairs, I can tell you that this unified view of seniors is far from true. The dynamism I see on a daily basis is strong and widespread, and it has informed our government’s approach to caring for seniors. We view them holistically.

We recognize that the supports you require at 65 will be different from the supports you require at 85.

Ontario is home to more than two million seniors, a number that is expected to double in the next 25 years. As individuals, they have made extraordinary contributions to our province, a province I think we can all agree would be unrecognizable had it not been for their talent, ingenuity and commitment to bettering the world around them. As they age, seniors deserve to participate and achieve as they have always done: In different fields, in different ways, they want to continue to build our province.

The one thing that I have heard from seniors across this province is quite simple: They say, “We want to continue to lead lives of purpose. We want society to continue to give us the opportunities to fulfill our new dreams and new aspirations.” This is the fundamental thing that seniors are telling us. My ministry conducted an opinion poll, a survey of seniors. An astonishing 80% of Ontario seniors told us they want to learn something new. That is at the base of our strategy for seniors: to recognize their dynamism, their continuing desire to continue to—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Order, please.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: —to help build this province.

This was brought home to me fairly vividly recently. Last fall, I was touring a Habitat for Humanity project in Toronto. I went there thinking I was going to help put drywall in place, but as it turned out they said that first I have to learn how to drive a nail through a two-by-four the right way. In the time that I had, that was all I could do: learn how to drive a nail through a two-by-four the right way. But I also learned something more powerful. I learned that 75% of Habitat for Humanity’s crew leaders are seniors—75%. It’s a powerful reminder of how seniors continue to build up Ontario.

I often hear people say seniors have helped build Ontario, and I’m here to tell you that Ontario seniors are continuing to build up Ontario, and as the Minister of Seniors Affairs, I’m committed to giving them that opportunity.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, last November I was proud to join the Premier in Hamilton to introduce Aging with Confidence: Ontario’s Action Plan for Seniors. Aging with Confidence lays out our government’s plan to help seniors live their best life at every age. It captures the hope and optimism seniors across this province feel while also addressing any apprehension they may have, notably about receiving the right supports to help them age with dignity. It lays out our government’s plan to support seniors living independently, those requiring enhanced supports at home and in their community, and those requiring intensive supports.

Our government recognizes there are a number of challenges that accompany aging, and whether seniors require a little bit of care or a lot of care, the services should be there for them. Aging with Confidence includes more than $155 million in new investment for initiatives that keep seniors independent, healthy, active, safe and socially connected.

I recently was visiting a retirement community in Mississauga. In one-on-one conversations, I asked a number of them, “What is the secret to living a long and happy life?” The answers were almost unanimous: Stay active, never stop learning and go out and meet people. I met an 86-year-old woman who still goes skating. She still goes ice-skating. In fact, she doesn’t just skate in Ontario; she tours the United States. That is the human potential: Never stop learning, never stop being active. In that light, our government has committed to funding initiatives that allow seniors to be active and engage with their peers.

We are expanding our Seniors Community Grant Program by committing $11 million over three years to support more recreational, educational and social opportunities for seniors. We received tremendous interest this year, vindicating our decision to grow the program and have it benefit more seniors. This innovative program has supported activities that have benefitted more than 435,000 seniors since its inception. This includes projects such as the Peterborough New Horizons Bands—made up of seniors, many of whom had never previously played an instrument.

Interjection.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: It is true that Minister Leal and I had a chance to play some instruments with this band. Their commitment to lifelong learning and social engagement was a breath of fresh air when I took

part in band practice on a visit last winter, along with the member for Peterborough.

Similarly, I was inspired by the intergenerational program being run by the Coniston Community Garden, where seniors have the opportunity to share their joy of gardening with local children.

We are investing $8 million over three years to create 40 additional seniors active living centres across the province for seniors to remain active and engaged in their local area. This will expand the seniors active living centres network to over 300, allowing Ontarians to benefit from the programming these centres provide, including exercise classes, transportation services and communal dining experiences.

From Ancaster to Ottawa, Cobourg to London, I have toured many of the seniors active living centres our province has to offer. These facilities are led by outstanding teams of staff dedicated to providing seniors with a wide range of programming and engagement opportunities. These centres are an essential component of our government’s commitment to addressing social isolation.

We are supporting shared learning experiences between seniors and youth. There will be an investment of $600,000 over two years to support the existing ChangeTheWorld program that links youth volunteers with seniors to help enable their use of technology.

There will also be an investment of over $4 million over two years to establish a senior-youth mentorship program. This program will build relationships and encourage knowledge sharing between generations. We want to harness the opportunity for seniors to share with youth their wealth of lived experiences, on everything from career management to life skills.

We are also set to expand the successful age-friendly community grant program—a program whose success will be on display at next week’s Age-Friendly Communities Symposium. This symposium, the first of its kind in Canada, will highlight Ontario’s progress on developing age-friendly communities in small, urban and rural settings, including multicultural and indigenous communities. The goal is to showcase communities that have made tremendous progress building a physical and social environment that is accessible to people of all ages.

During the symposium, I will be presenting 40 municipalities with the brand new Ontario Age-Friendly Community Recognition Award. I would ask all members of provincial Parliament in this Legislature that if your municipality is getting an age-friendly recognition award—there are 40 municipalities that we are awarding—please be at hand to support your municipality and your constituencies by attending this awards ceremony. This award will honour communities that have led the way in making their communities more age-friendly and will inspire others to follow their example.

Keeping seniors safe is another fundamental pillar of Aging with Confidence. No senior should live fearing they will be taken advantage of by a family member or a salesperson at the door. Our government is taking a holistic approach by investing in efforts to prevent these incidents from occurring and then providing the right supports in the event this abuse does take place.

Over one third of seniors have not designated a trusted power of attorney. A public awareness campaign will raise awareness among seniors of how important and how easy it is to set up a power of attorney and to encourage them to choose who can make personal care and financial decisions on their behalf if necessary. Easy-to-use resources, including information on how to prevent POA misuse, will be readily available online.

Hearing stories of seniors being victimized by consumer scams is both disturbing and disheartening. Recognizing that seniors are increasingly being targeted, manipulated and, in some cases, even forced to hand over their financial information to individuals wishing to inflict harm, our government has taken action. We have committed to launching a consumer protection program aimed at protecting seniors’ hard-earned money through education and awareness, as well as through enhanced assistance for seniors who have fallen victim to these threats or scams.

Ontario’s Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee is the public guardian for over 13,000 mentally incapable adults, an office that touches the lives of more than 50,000 of Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens. We are committed to strengthening this office with an investment of $10 million over two years. This will go towards the creation of a contact centre, improving information management and modernizing service delivery—all designed to support anticipated increases in volume and complexity.

Seniors have made it exceptionally clear that they want to live in their own homes and in their community for as long as possible. They have told us that few things are more important than maintaining their independence. But at the same time, they have said that independence should not come at the cost of social isolation.

These are the three threads that we have married in our seniors strategy, because Ontario seniors have told us three things: “We want to continue to lead lives of purpose. We want to live in our own homes for as long as possible and as independently as possible, but not become socially isolated.” We’ve taken these three threads and married them together, and that is the essence of Ontario’s Seniors Strategy.

As my colleague the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care outlined earlier, our government has taken a holistic approach to supporting seniors’ health care. Between a once-in-a-generation investment in long-term care, increases to both hospital capacity and care hours, essential enhancements to—

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Order, please.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: If you listen, your questions will be answered—essential enhancements to home care and supportive housing, along with caregiver resources, our government has shown that we are dedicated to making this incredibly stressful and emotional time for Ontarians that much easier.

Another innovative component of this plan is a $15-million investment to create “naturally occurring” retirement communities. This means, for example, that if an apartment building is already home to many seniors, health care services and social programs could be introduced to help them age in place. This may include developing communal spaces for meals or for social and wellness activities. This does exactly what seniors want: to age in place without having to move away, and with their social network intact.

Interjection.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: You should listen; that would help you more.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): The member from Kitchener–Waterloo will come to order.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: With this investment, Ontario will lead the way as one of the first jurisdictions to take action on naturally occurring retirement communities in a major way.

I’d also like to highlight Ontario’s Dementia Strategy as it once again shows our government’s proactive approach to support a growing number of Ontario families whose lives are transformed by this illness. This strategy will provide more than $100 million over three years for better services, including increasing access to adult day programs, enhancing caregiver respite services, expanding behavioural supports, and improving the coordination of care.

In addition, our government announced that the Alzheimer Society’s First Link program will receive $8.15 million over three years to enhance dementia care coordination across the province. This program will provide 14,000 people diagnosed with dementia, and their care partners, with the services of a First Link Care Navigator who will help them access local supports and programs such as health professionals, information about day-to-day living care, counselling, and other community programs and services.

Having said all of that, there is one area that I haven’t discussed—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I’m just going to ask that everyone take a deep breath. I don’t appreciate conversations going across the aisle, okay? I’ve already asked the House to come to order several times. I would expect, with the demeanour in the House the way it is right now, that we can always get better.

So I’m going to turn it back over to the Minister of Seniors Affairs to continue with debate. Minister?

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Thank you, Speaker.

Having said all of that, there is one area that I have not discussed. It’s an issue that I know is on the minds of seniors daily. It’s a question my office gets repeatedly, and it’s one of the most visited sections on our new website: financial assistance for seniors. For generations, human life expectancy has been increasing, and this has allowed all of us to live longer and has allowed us to view 65 as the start of a new adventure rather than the end of a road well travelled. Part of a good retirement is, of course, financial security.

That is why, as a province and as a country, we have the Guaranteed Annual Income System, an enhanced Canada Pension Plan, the seniors’ public transit tax credit, and the Senior Homeowners’ Property Tax Grant—all examples of provincial programs designed to support seniors financially.

But there is more we can do. As we move forward, our government will continue to prioritize making life more affordable for all Ontarians, including seniors, and making life more affordable will be complemented by a reduction in hospital wait times, an expansion of home care, investments in mental health and an assurance that more people without a drug and dental benefits plan will have access to more affordable prescription drugs and dental care.

When I speak with seniors, I have the unique pleasure of learning what life was once like in Ontario—how our neighbourhoods were designed, how we did business, the way we communicated—and it’s always a delight, Mr. Speaker, to learn.

I’m proud that our government has the long-term vision and will make the necessary investments that will allow all Ontarians to age with confidence.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Continuing debate, I now turn it over to the Minister of Education.

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Our world and the economy are constantly changing and evolving. We know there are families in Ontario that are under a lot of pressure and living with a lot of uncertainty. People need help making ends meet, people need help finding jobs and people need help with supports for their families. For working families with young children, these stresses and strains can be particularly difficult and challenging. Families need a government that cares, a government that puts supports in place and will make life easier so they can succeed.

One of the most vital supports young families need right now to succeed is access to quality, affordable child care. Child care allows parents to head to work with peace of mind so they can participate in our economy and provide for their families. Child care allows mothers to head back to work when they choose so they can support their families knowing their children are being well looked after. And child care allows our kids to grow up in happy, healthy, safe learning environments so they can get the best possible start in life.

Mr. Speaker, when our government held consultations on the gender wage gap, the number one recommendation that was made was to increase access to affordable, high-quality licensed child care. Think about that: Access to quality, affordable child care was the number one and number two recommendation given to us to close the gender wage gap and create a fair and just society for all. So we decided to do just that: create a strong system of quality, affordable child care to support families so they can flourish and thrive and lay the foundation for a stronger Ontario for all of us.

In fact, research shows that child care sets our kids on an early path to long-term success. It promotes women’s participation in the workforce, reduces the gender wage gap, strengthens our overall economy and gives our kids a strong start in life. Think about that: A strong child care system builds a stronger Ontario.

By transforming the way we deliver child care, we not only create a strong future for children and families, but we also create a strong future for Ontario workers. By creating 100,000 new licensed child care spaces over the next five years, we will also be creating thousands of valuable jobs for Ontarians. This is good for kids, good for families and good for the economy. That’s why we delivered a speech from the throne that commits to building a quality, affordable child care system for Ontario families.

We will be making deliberate, strong choices to invest in the care and services the people of this province need and rely on, services that include public education, early years programming and child care. Speaker, Ontario is a leader in these areas and our publicly funded education system is recognized internationally as one of the best when it comes to excellence. Our early years and child care system is preparing our children for the future by giving them the best possible start in life.

Our vision for education and the early years is a system that’s inclusive, equitable and accessible, a system that puts our children on a seamless continuum of learning from birth, to kindergarten, to grade 12 and beyond.

Speaker, the bottom line is that this makes for a stronger and more prosperous Ontario for everyone who calls this great province home. It’s about equity, it’s about fairness and it’s about creating a solid future for everyone. This success is a direct result of key priorities we’ve made over the last 15 years. This includes our publicly funded education system—that’s 72 school boards, nearly 5,000 schools and two million students. It’s about supporting those students so they can flourish, thrive and reach their full potential.

That’s why our government has made historic investments in education through the Grants for Student Needs, which is projected to be $23.9 billion for the 2017-18 school year. That’s a 66% increase since 2003 and more than $4,900 more per student.

Just think about that. We have supported our children, invested in our education system and worked tirelessly to create an environment that supports and cares for our children. And, Mr. Speaker, because of these investments, student achievement is up, graduation rates are up and public confidence in our publicly funded schools is up. Parents know their children are getting the education they need to succeed, and students know they are getting the opportunity to fulfill their potential and become engaged, productive citizens.

The same thing can be said for our youngest learners. We are giving our children the best possible start in life, so we can put them on a path to lifelong success. That’s why we are transforming our early years and child care system.

It began with an ambitious modernization plan, where we replaced the Day Nurseries Act with new legislation and developed How Does Learning Happen, a resource that strengthens the quality of early years services across Ontario. We continued with new regulations to transform our early years system and to protect our youngest and most vulnerable learners. We eliminated unfair child care wait-list fees. We committed to transform the way we deliver child care in this province by creating more quality, affordable, licensed spaces.

Since we took office, Mr. Speaker, our investments in child care have increased by 182%, to $1.58 billion. Furthermore, our government has committed to $1.6 billion over five years to help 100,000 more children aged zero to four access licensed child care over five years. And starting this past year, this commitment includes capital funding to support the creation of 45,000 licensed spaces in schools and communities.

This groundbreaking commitment is part of our Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework. This is our blueprint for the future. It’s a plan to transform Ontario’s early years and child care system to support families right across this province. This seven-point plan supports our government’s vision for the early years, to ensure that Ontario’s children and families are well supported by a system of responsive, high-quality, accessible and increasingly integrated early years programs and services, a system that contributes to healthy child development today and a stronger future tomorrow.

That’s why, Mr. Speaker, I’m proud to say that our upcoming budget will continue to support child care access in Ontario. We will directly address the cost of child care and make it more affordable for families in Ontario. Affordability is a big priority for our government and will bring welcome relief to those who rely on child care.

Strong support in the early years is just the first piece. When children in Ontario turn four, they now have access to full-day kindergarten. FDK provides early, high-quality education to four- and five-year-olds, and it’s a huge savings for families. When we implemented FDK, it was recognized as the most significant transformation in our education system in a generation. It’s unique because it includes a play-based learning approach and a nimble and flexible staffing team of a teacher and an early childhood educator. It’s groundbreaking. It’s forward-thinking.

Our innovative approach to education continues through the elementary level. Again, it’s about that seamless continuum of learning for all.

We’ve focused on better ways of teaching students the basics of literacy and numeracy, and we’ve worked hard to develop their higher-order skills. We want creativity, citizenship and critical-thinking skills to be embedded in all aspects of our education system. This means that rather than just teaching students to remember information, we’re teaching them how to use and synthesize that information practically and beyond the classroom.

The results speak for themselves. In 2016-17, overall results show that 71% of grade 3 and grade 6 students are achieving at or above the standard in reading, math and writing. At the secondary level, Ontario has been a trailblazer in offering students opportunities to gain real-life, hands-on experience in the workplace. Our co-op program allows students to combine classroom and workplace learning while earning credits toward their high school diploma. We’ve heard from employers that they are looking for students who have this experience, students who know how to think creatively and critically about problems.

The groundbreaking Specialist High Skills Major program—SHSM—allows students to choose from 19 different sectors, including agriculture, health and wellness, and transportation, to help them prepare for apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace.

In September, more than 50,000 students were enrolled in almost 1,900 SHSM programs. That’s an amazing number of students. These programs allow them to focus on a career path that matches their skills and their interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario secondary school diploma.

Mr. Speaker, I can tell you, these innovative secondary programs are absolutely having a positive impact on our students, they are having a positive impact on our schools, and they are having a positive impact on our communities. We know this is having a positive impact on our students because today more students are graduating from high school than ever before, with 86.5% of students graduating in 2016. This is a jump from 68% in 2003-04. That increase in the grad rate means that approximately 217,500 more Ontario students have graduated than would have if the graduation rate had remained at the 2004 level. Think about that. Our work is paying off. Our young people are moving forward.

Our government has also made significant investments to renew and build new schools across the province, to ensure that students have modern, safe and healthy environments in which to learn. Since 2003, we have provided more than $18 billion in capital funding for school boards to build or rebuild one in six schools in Ontario.

We are proud of what we have accomplished to improve the education experience for Ontario students, but we also know that we need to go beyond the fundamentals if our students are to succeed in their future. It’s not enough just to get good grades; the public education system also needs to support the emotional, social and physical development of our students. Promoting and supporting well-being and equity is of fundamental importance to Ontario students and in helping them to reach their full potential. This includes supports for student mental health.

There is no question that young people today are facing some of the most serious mental health challenges. In fact, not a day goes by without us hearing about a young person who is having trouble dealing with stress, suffering from depression or is perhaps contemplating suicide. It’s troubling, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s unacceptable. We have to do everything we can to give our kids the help they need and the support they deserve.

They don’t need cuts, they need care—a government that cares, helps and supports them. Our kids can’t learn, thrive or be successful if they aren’t happy, healthy and well. And we can’t build a solid foundation for our children and their future if we don’t give our children peace of mind. There is a call for action, and all we have to do is listen and act. The time to act is now.

Mr. Speaker, we are strengthening well-being supports for all students, educators and staff in order to make schools across the province more inclusive, safe and welcoming environments. The plan was informed by feedback from thousands of Ontarians through province-wide engagements over the past year. And we are investing $49 million over three years to support it. But we aren’t stopping there.

Our upcoming budget will continue to support student mental health and well-being. In the 2018 budget, you will see major investments in mental health services Ontarians need. This will expand access to mental health care and ensure people can get the support they need in our schools and in our communities. Mr. Speaker, it’s the right thing to do.

It’s clear that our government has made our education and early years and child care systems a top priority. Along with our key partners, we are committed to delivering responsive, high-quality and accessible services and programs—a full continuum that is integrated and seamless from early learning and child care right through to adult education. That’s because education is one of the most valued public services in Ontario. It’s one of the ways in which we can level the playing field for all our children in this province, for all students and families, and give everyone the opportunity to succeed.

That’s why, in the upcoming 2018 budget and the years to come, we will continue to focus on equity, achievement and well-being in our publicly funded education system; and access and affordability in our early years and child care system. Mr. Speaker, the reason we are doing this is because we want to make life easier for Ontarians and address the uncertainty that many families are feeling.

I’m confident that if we remain committed to these priorities, we will begin to reach for even greater heights and build a better province for everyone in Ontario, young and old.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further debate.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Before I begin, I would seek unanimous consent of the House to defer our lead on this throne speech debate.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): The member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke is seeking unanimous consent to defer the lead. Agreed? Agreed.

To the member.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Thank you very much, Speaker. And I thank the House for accommodating that. Our lead speaker will join the debate this afternoon.

You know, I have listened to the Liberals speak, the government. They decided that the throne speech wasn’t worth an hour of debate on their part for the lead. This might be the only part of the day that we actually agree on, that it wasn’t worth an hour of debate. In fact, it wasn’t worth a pinch of whatever they say back in the country there. It wasn’t worth that for sure, Speaker. What a vacuous, empty throne speech we witnessed and listened to yesterday—an absolute waste of the Legislature’s time.

You know what it was, Speaker?

Interjections.

Mr. John Yakabuski: And look, I’m just barely beginning. Maybe they wanted to talk for the hour because they certainly seem to want to talk now. But I sat here politely and listened to their 40 minutes of nothing; and I barely get started and the member from Ancaster woke up and he’s on me. Well, my goodness gracious, certainly I’m glad that I could rise them from their slumber here in the chamber this morning.

When I listened to the Liberals, Speaker, it makes, I have to say—and I heard the Lieutenant Governor as she read the speech. Inside she must have been wondering, “Where have I heard this? Is this déjà vu—like Yogi Berra—all over again? I’ve heard this song before, time after time after time.”

I know I’m exaggerating. It’s sort of like the pastor at church. He told us how kids, children, can sometimes exaggerate. He was saying how his son says, “Oh, I’ve done this a hundred times,” to which he replied to his son, “Now, I’ve told you about this a thousand times.” We all tend to exaggerate from time to time. It may have been an exaggeration that we’ve heard it hundreds of times, but we’ve certainly heard it before.

What we heard yesterday was just like rewinding the tape. I know we don’t use tape anymore, but if we did, that’s what they would have been doing: rewinding the tape. My wife would call that “veik ir pika”: over and over again, over and over again.

It was a stark admission of the failure of this government for the past 15 years. I know the Lieutenant Governor reads the speech, but it’s this Premier’s speech. It’s just the tradition. She talked about how people are struggling in Ontario. Yes, you’re right. They are struggling in Ontario. Let me just check my records here. Oh, in October 2003 the Liberals were elected government and they’ve been running this province into the ground ever since.

So if the people are struggling in Ontario, who do you think is to blame? Is it the opposition, which passes no legislation? Is it the opposition, which makes no appointments to agencies, boards or commissions? Is it the opposition that appoints the deputy ministers and the assistant deputy ministers? No. So if it’s not us, who is it? I suspect it must be those folks over there, Speaker, who have been running this province into the ground for 15 years.

And now they’re talking about how people are struggling and, “On the eve of our exit, we have found a conscience. We have found a soul. We have loved you all this time but we’ve only begun to realize how deeply. And now we’re going to fix everything. That’s why we needed, in the greatest urgency in the history of mankind, to prorogue the Parliament and have a throne speech. Because we’ve got to tell the people of Ontario we’re sorry and we’re going to do better.”

Mr. Steve Clark: “And we really mean it this time.”

Mr. John Yakabuski: “We really mean it this time. Just give us one more chance. Yes, yes, we’ve been hosing you for 15 years. Yes, we’ve emptied your pockets to the point that the only thing left in them is lint. Yes, we’ve hollowed out the manufacturing sector in this province. Yes, we’ve put long-term-care homes into a crisis, and also home care into a crisis, and hallway medicine and hallway health care. Yes, we’ve done all those and we’ve got a list of scandals longer than Shaquille O’Neal’s arm. But if you just put your trust in us one more time, we’re going to do better. Just forget about that 15 years.

Forget about all those scandals. Forget about 300% increases in hydro. Forget about it.”

What was that movie that Andy Garcia was in? “Just forget about it. Forget about it. Yes, we’ve been messing it up for 15 years, but forget about it. Forget about it. We’re going to do better. Just give us one more chance and we’re going to do it right.”

Well, Speaker, I don’t think they can fool you, but they’re going to try to fool the people of Ontario, because they’re hoping that they haven’t been paying attention. Do you know what the people of Ontario were paying attention to last night? Premier Wynne calls a town hall, advertises it all across creation—

Mr. Todd Smith: On the taxpayer’s dime.

Mr. John Yakabuski: On the taxpayer’s dime—and she could barely draw flies. Doug Ford, on only two days’ notice, schedules a rally at the congress centre, and it was an overflowing crowd of over 2,000 people who have had enough of this government in Ontario.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: The biggest crowd you’ve ever seen in Ontario. It was huge. Say the word “huge.”

Mr. John Yakabuski: Were you there with us?

Mr. Taras Natyshak: No, I hear it; I hear it.

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Order, please. Please address the Speaker.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: See the pictures.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Apparently, we don’t only have the Liberals scared and nervous; they’re a little nervous too. They’re having this little game now between them about, “Okay, this is a new game in Ontario. Who can spend the most money in 20 minutes on the television?” It’s a little fight between Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath.

It’s sort of like: You remember that television game show, Speaker? I’m not trying to date you or anything, but you remember the television game show Name That Tune? “I can name that tune in four notes; I can name that tune in three notes.” It’s a little reversed: “I can spend $6 million; I can spend $8 million; I can spend $10 million.” It’s going up. It’s not fewer notes; it’s more money.

And every time they open their mouths, it’s like, “Who is going to work harder to buy the votes of the people of Ontario?” It’s almost like a contest about who is going to buy the votes and spend more of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money—which has to be paid back at some time. It’s a free-for-all. It’s not about responsible government; it’s about offering the people anything they want with their own money—which they don’t realize—for their votes. Yes.

Interjection.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Well, we didn’t have that. It was never called that, Jeff. I say to Jeff: If you’re going to be critical, you’ve got to get it right—so, barrels of money.

Let’s talk a little bit about the promises in the throne speech. First of all, they’re going to fix health care. Here we are, probably in the greatest crisis time in Ontario’s health care history, with more people in hallways than ever before. Beds have been closed and people are in hallways, but now they are going to spend the money that’s needed to fix it.

We’ve got 34,000 people on the waiting list for long-term care. Just a few scant years ago, the Liberals, in their new caring strategy, announced that they were going to build zero new long-term-care beds—zero. Deb Matthews was the Minister of Health at the time, and they were going to build no new beds because they had an aging strategy that did not require them to build new long-term-care beds.

We were wondering, “What in the name of Sam Hill are they thinking?” We’ve got an aging population and the numbers of people who are entering their senior years is growing every year, and the level of acuity in our long-term-care homes is getting higher and worse every year, and they’re not going to build long-term-care beds.

Their strategy then was, “By the time we build them, the baby boomers will have filtered their way through the system and we’re actually going to need fewer beds.” That’s small consolation to the people who actually need the beds now. “Well, if we just wait until you die off, we’re not going to need the beds.” That was their thinking. I won’t need a bed after I’m dead either. I won’t need this seat. I won’t even need a bed at home; I won’t need one anywhere. But if you’re just waiting for me to die, you could be waiting a while—I hope.

Then, all of a sudden, the Liberals realized, “Holy moly, we’ve got an election in 2018. We’ve got to come up with a new plan.” So now, last year, “We’re building new beds. Hallelujah. Let the bells ring out and let the banners fly. We’re going to build new beds.” Some 30,000 beds over 10 years, I think it is now. The promises just have no limit. First you’re not building any beds, and now you’re going to build 30,000 beds.

After 15 years, I suspect that the people of Ontario are on to you. They’re not buying what you’re selling. They have been fooled too many times by these Liberals. The promises that they continue to make are not resonating anymore, because for the people, it’s just hollow talk; it’s empty rhetoric. They don’t view it as being credible anymore. They don’t believe you. They do not believe this government, and that is something, Speaker.

When you’ve been in power for so long—we’re all raised to believe that the government is there, regardless of its political stripe, regardless of which political party holds the levers of power in any jurisdiction in our western democracies—we are conditioned to believe that they are there for us, the people—we, the people. We are conditioned to believe that government is there for us. They don’t believe that about this government anymore. They don’t believe that about this party.

They believe that this party now exists to serve itself, to serve themselves, to serve their agenda, and whatever it takes, whatever message they have to disseminate to the people in order to get elected is the one that they will spread.

You have to ask yourself if this is where the people have landed, that they no longer believe in the government that is running the show in Ontario. It really is a sad day for democracy. But how did we get there? We didn’t get there with 15 years of good government. Things do go wrong from time to time, and it’s not always the government’s fault. But if the people would be able to sit back and say, “You know, a lot of things happened that were beyond the control of the people in power.

We believe that they had our best interests at heart, but sometimes events are bigger than any government”—but that’s not where we are in Ontario. We’ve actually reached a point where political cynicism is at the highest level ever, and it is governments that run for the purpose of re-electing themselves that drive that cynicism to these new record levels. It’s at new record levels, the cynicism that exists in politics today. You have to ask yourself—if only this government was actually acting in the best interests of the people as opposed to their own re-election plans.

All you have to do, Speaker, is look at the last couple of years. Every bill that has been brought forward by this government, every initiative that they have taken to the people of Ontario, every single thing—the acid test of whether it gets approved in the corner office on the second floor is one thing: “Does this improve our chances on being elected or reduce our chances on being elected? If it passes the test and it says it improves our chances on being elected, that’s the bill we’ll debate in the House.” That is the initiative that will be put forward.

But how is it possible—and I say this from the point of view of any political party—that the people’s interest and the political party’s interest are always aligned? It just doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t matter if you’re Liberal, Conservative or NDP.

That’s the basis on which this government has worked from in the past couple of years: There’s only one test that must be passed and that is, “Does it further our chance for re-election?” Not, “Will it have a detrimental long-term effect on the people of Ontario?” Not, “Will it put us in a financial position that hamstrings future generations for decades to come?” That is not the concern that they have ever asked themselves. They do not care what happens in Ontario over the next generation; they only care what happens in Ontario on June 7. And that is regrettable.

As people who are elected to this assembly, we have to believe that acting in the best interest of the people we serve will ultimately be in our best interest as well, but the priority has to be the best interest of the people—the people first. If you put the people first I don’t think you’ll ever go wrong.

It’s not just the big things. I have a list here that, oh, my God, it even pains me to read. The waste and the scandals of this government’s 15 years in office is just—$8 billion on eHealth and we still don’t have it.

Interjection: Name the hospitals.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Name the hospitals, Lou—$8 billion. What’s going on in the hospitals?

Interjection.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I see the member for Northumberland is going on about hospitals. What’s going on in our hospitals when we have people in hallways waiting for health care for days and days and days—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Order, please.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Speaker, I’m almost out of time.

You know what really irks people? When there is no concern whatsoever for the taxpayers’ money, like this recent example: Has anybody seen that Ontario cannabis store logo? Some $650,000 on a logo that could have been designed by a four-year-old; $650,000 of the taxpayers’ money. That is shameful.

It’s this kind of waste that is going to spell the end of this tired, out-of-touch, corrupt government in the province of Ontario.

Debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): There will be opportunity this afternoon for questions and comments.

Since it is now 10:15, this House stands recessed until 10:30.

The House recessed from 1013 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’d like to welcome to Queen’s Park the president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, Gyllian Phillips, and their executive director, Mark Rosenfeld. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Speaker, I had a meeting this morning with some members of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. I’d like to welcome John Ciriello, from the University of Western Ontario Faculty Association; Stephen Pitel, from Western; Jennifer Sutton, from Brescia Faculty Association; Neil Brooks, from Huron University College; and John Grant, from King’s University College Faculty Association. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Ann Hoggarth: Today, I would like to welcome Caius Harbridge from my riding of Barrie. Caius is a grade 7 student at Portage View school and is serving as a page. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Caius.

Mr. Ted Arnott: I’m very pleased to welcome Denise and Mike Roy and their daughter Sierra Roy, who are the family of page captain Mikayla Roy, who is here today as well from our riding of Wellington–Halton Hills. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to welcome the board of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture here today and thank them for the great meeting they hosted.

L’hon. Nathalie Des Rosiers: J’aimerais accueillir à Queen’s Park des représentants d’OCUFA que j’ai rencontrés ce matin : Jeanette Hatherill de l’Université d’Ottawa, Root Gorelick de Carleton University Academic Staff Association, Gyllian Phillips et Ben Lewis.

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’d like to introduce our page captain Annabelle Rayson today. Her mother, Stephanie Lobsinger, is in the members’ gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: It gives me great pleasure to introduce our page captain today: Lauren Grierson, from Toronto Centre. She is joined here today by her mother, Catharine Matthews; her father, David Grierson; and her twin sister, Kaitlin Grierson. They will be joining us here in the public gallery this morning. Welcome.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: I’d like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Personal Support Worker Association. We have Debbie Jensen, Sylvia Ryan, Rebecca Piironen, Cynthia Stephens, April Hill and Miranda Ferrier. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to introduce Tiffany Encina. She is a student from Ryerson. She is not only gracing me with her presence at my office but helping me out as well. Welcome.

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: I’d also like to give a very warm welcome to today’s page captain, Lauren Grierson. Lauren is a grade 8 student from Deer Park Junior and Senior Public School and a resident of Toronto Centre. I met her and former page Kaitlin Grierson, who is with us today, as ambassadors for Forests Ontario for their Green Leaf Challenge last year. I also want to welcome their family: Cathy Matthews, and Lauren’s father, David Grierson. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and welcome back, Kaitlin.

Ms. Laurie Scott: I know she’s watching at home or at the office, but I’d like to wish Vicki Welton from Lindsay a very happy birthday on behalf of her son, Cody Welton.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: On behalf of our Premier, I want to welcome Sylvia Dixon to the Legislature today. She is the proud grandmother of Luke Dixon, who is a page here in the Legislature, from the riding of Don Valley West.

Mr. Joe Dickson: Just on a point of order, Mr. Speaker—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): We’re doing introductions. Thank you.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Mr. Speaker, I’d like to introduce—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Excuse me. Further introductions: the Minister of Finance.

Hon. Charles Sousa: Speaker, thank you so very much for allowing me to introduce page captain Aidan Fletcher; his mother, Michele Hirak Fletcher; his father, Andrew Fletcher; his sister, Avery Fletcher; his grandmother Elizabeth Fletcher; and his grandfather Peter Hirak. They will be in the members’ gallery this morning. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Granville Anderson: I would like to welcome Hannah Scott from UOIT, who is at Queen’s Park today with the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Welcome.

Hon. Mitzie Hunter: I would like to welcome the members of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, OCUFA, to the House, and also to invite everyone to a reception today here at Queen’s Park from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All members are invited.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): As is the custom of the Speaker to introduce former members in the gallery, in the Speaker’s gallery today we have Mr. David Warner, the Speaker for the 35th Parliament. Welcome, David. We’re glad you’re with us for the tribute.

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I beg to inform the House that the following document was tabled during the adjournment: a report entitled Ontario Health Sector: An Updated Assessment of Ontario Health Spending, Winter 2018, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Private members’ public business

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I also beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 98(c), a change has been made in the order of precedence on the ballot list for private members’ public business, such that Mrs. Gretzky assumes ballot item number 7 and Ms. Forster assumes ballot item number 71.

Wearing of hockey jersey

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I will now entertain the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka on a point of order.

Mr. Norm Miller: I would ask for unanimous consent to wear the Boston Bruins jersey of Bobby Orr, number 4, as this is his 70th birthday. He’s the greatest hockey player who ever played.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Parry Sound–Muskoka would like to wear the jersey for the rest of the sitting, in honour of Bobby Orr’s birthday. Do we agree? Agreed.

Wearing of ribbons

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Ajax–Pickering on a point of order.

Mr. Joe Dickson: Mr. Speaker, I believe that you will find that we have unanimous consent that all members be permitted to wear ribbons in recognition of MEAO, the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario, and their guests, who will be introduced later on this afternoon at 3 o’clock.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Mr. Dickson is seeking unanimous consent to wear the ribbons. Do we agree? Agreed.

Norm Jamison

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader on a point of order.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to recognize the former member of provincial Parliament from Norfolk, Mr. Norman Jamison, with a representative from each caucus speaking up to five minutes.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent to pay tribute. Do we agree? Agreed.

Therefore, please allow me to introduce and welcome, in the Speaker’s gallery, the family of the late Norman Jamison, MPP for Norfolk during the 35th Parliament, who are seated in this gallery: his wife, Sharon Jamison; daughter Carrie and her husband, Tim Makins; daughter Andrea and her husband, Chad Husted; daughter Shannon and her husband, David Spoelstra; daughter Eileen and her husband, Matt Sankar; and grandchildren Caitlin and Brooklyn Makins, Lucas and Zachary Husted, and Noah, Christian and Ava Spoelstra. Welcome to the Legislature.

I will turn to the members for their tributes.

Mr. James J. Bradley: It’s an honour for me to pay tribute today to Norm Jamison, an individual I had the advantage of knowing, having been a member back at the same time and recalling the avalanche of 1990, which led to the New Democratic Party. It was a surprise to many at the beginning of that campaign but not by the end of the campaign. Norm was one of the individuals who were fortunate enough to be elected on that occasion.

What was interesting was—and the member for Norfolk would know this—that the Haldimand-Norfolk area was not what you would call the heartland of the NDP, by any means. So when Norm started out the campaign—remembering that in the polls in those days, the Liberal government was well ahead at the beginning of that campaign, and by the end was not ahead; I can assure you of that. People who took on the position of candidate in those days in the New Democratic Party were, I think, rather courageous people.

I know that there was a scramble sometimes near the end, as there is, to get candidates, and it was good of people to come forward. Many of the people who came forward were from the labour movement, and Norm was one of those.

He was born in Ireland, I think, as many people would have known, and had an interesting time back in Ireland itself, which had encountered some conflict over the years. He was pleased to come to Canada and to the city of Hamilton, where he would become a worker at Stelco’s Hilton Works plant, and a proud worker at that.

In 1979, Norm moved to Stelco’s Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, where he served as the vice-president of United Steelworkers Local 8782. People in the labour movement would know this better than others, but if you think politics is tough in the political scene in which we’re involved, you should be in labour politics; then you would know what tough politics are. My friends who served there would tell me that. But he took that on.

He became a provincial candidate, actually, in 1987, and a municipal councillor in 1988. He was elected to the House by winning Norfolk for the NDP in that fateful time of 1990.

Despite having his own doubts about his ability to win, Mr. Jamison went on to advocate for the best interests of his community and steelworkers across Ontario. While he was a member of the steelworkers union—and obviously there were a number of people who worked at the steel works, whether in Hamilton or Nanticoke—he also recognized that he represented a broader community at that time.

He was appointed parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology with responsibility for small business, to help local businesses reach new global markets. I found a quote that I thought was rather interesting, because it’s interesting not only in the day that he said it but even relevant today. I’ll mention that a little later on.

He became parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Economic Development and Trade in 1993. He continued to be what the Hamilton Spectator referred to as a “no-nonsense, straight forward” guy, which meant he could be a pain in the neck to the Premier of the day. There are people like that, I’m told, in various caucuses. He certainly was not afraid to speak up when the NDP caucus got together. That is a particular attribute which I can say I admire in people. I try to actually follow in his footsteps.

He endlessly did what was right for his constituents, and he was a fierce defender of their interests, even if it meant standing up to his own government in its decision to close Selkirk Provincial Park. That’s tough, again, to be openly critical of your own government for those reasons.

Following his departure from Queen’s Park in 1995, he returned to Stelco, where he would continue to remain engaged in community relations.

In his personal life, Norm showed an endless commitment to his community as the United Way representative for Norfolk county and a member of the Lions Club.

Norm’s efforts in advocating for his constituents and standing up for citizens across Ontario serve as an example of the role of member of provincial Parliament. As a result, it’s my pleasure, as I say, to pay tribute.

I found a quote that he made that I thought was rather interesting. I may not be able to quote it exactly, but he talked about the fact that in competition, you don’t go to the bottom. There was a lot of pressure in those days. Remember, they were in the midst of a very deep recession, and the pressure was to make concessions on the part of labour and for governments to make concessions to everybody else because they wanted to keep business.

He said, “We will not succeed in meeting our competitive challenge by developing a business environment which features low wages, little security for workers and little protection for the natural environment. I believe we cannot go back to the time of a dollar-an-hour wage. Our future prosperity will depend on sustained innovation, the ability to adapt to quickly changing circumstances in our community and our ability to deliver these high-value products and services that are not vulnerable to low-cost competitors.”

That is almost throughout time that that pressure is there. He resisted that particular pressure, and his constituents, particularly those who were involved in industry, were very thankful for that.

We thank the members of the family who are here today for sharing Norm with us for five years, and actually for sharing him with the community in the other capacities in which he served. I certainly pay tribute to him and to his colleagues in the New Democratic Party who happened to know him. Perhaps they didn’t serve with him—one member did; the member for Timmins–James Bay would have served with him—but he was certainly an individual who will be remembered within the caucus and within the constituency in which he was so active.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute?

Mr. Toby Barrett: It is an honour to pay tribute to my predecessor, former MPP Norm Jamison. First and foremost, having known Norm for 30 years, I can attest that Norm Jamison was a true gentleman. He was quiet, thoughtful, courteous. He was a listener and an engaging conversationalist. Norm had respect. And why wouldn’t he have respect? He was a steelworker, loyal to his union, and a devoted family man.

Norm was handsome, northern Irish, with the kind of stature you don’t mess with. I will quote Ian Nichols, an area NDP candidate: “One of the things that sticks in my mind is that he was from Ireland ... if you wanted to go toe to toe with someone, he wasn’t the guy to do that with. Everyone who knew him, understood this.”

Norm was born in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland. His family immigrated to Canada in 1952 to escape sectarian strife between Protestants and Roman Catholics. Norm returned to Ireland in 1970 and joined the Ulster defence unit. He tired of the violence and the occasional chance meetings with Irish republican toughs.

Upon his return, Norm renewed his acquaintance with Sharon. The pair had met at a dance in Hamilton in the weeks just before he left for Europe. They married and went on to have four daughters.

I recall Eileen, the youngest, speaking at the funeral, describing herself as “my dad’s favourite,” saying her dad would drive his daughters anywhere, just to be with them, shopping for things they didn’t need. Then Shannon came forward saying—and I took notes—“I’m pretty sure I was his favourite,” describing her dad as so physically and emotionally strong. Then from Andrea and Carrie—also their dad’s favourites, by the way—we heard that Norm taught his daughters how to throw a punch. With four daughters, Norm must have got up at about 4 in the morning to have a shower. I don’t know how he accommodated that.

Four sons-in-law, of course: Matt Sankar, Dave Spoelstra, Chad Husted and Tim Makins. And the grandchildren: Christian, Ava, Noah, Lucas, Zachary, Caitlin and Brooklyn.

As Norm’s health faltered, he received a call from Bob Rae. Sharon put the call on speakerphone, and Norm’s eyes opened and a smile crossed his face once he heard his leader’s voice.

To quote the former Premier, Bob Rae: “He was an outstandingly hard-working, decent, engaging man, and was the source of good advice, counsel and support to me as Premier. I thought the world of him then and now. He thoroughly enjoyed his elected service and was an outstanding MPP. He was one of those politicians who generated respect and affection from people in all parties.”

Prior to my being elected in 1995, I was fortunate to build up a working relationship with Norm. I was doing joint union-management work with industry, including steelworkers and Stelco management. Every year I would sit in Norm’s office to get his commitment to do the opening keynote address for our annual symposium. I know Sharon got dragged to that on at least one occasion.

We also worked together during the 1995 election to ensure that the all-candidates’ nights were fair, respectful and well organized. I was the rookie and Norm would mentor me, offering me good advice throughout the election. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is just one measure of the kind of man that was Norm Jamison. I’ve said this many, many times: Norm Jamison was a true gentleman, a true representative of his family and our local area.

Sharon, just the other day, told us that the day Norm was elected was a dream come true, and throughout his service, his priority was to do a good job for his constituents and to contribute to the area. And that he did—I can attest to that—all the while looking after and making time for his family.

“Norm was honoured to serve,” Sharon said. “He was very proud of it and he’d be thrilled with the tribute today.”

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Further tribute.

Mr. Paul Miller: Unfortunately, I never knew Norm or had the opportunity to serve with him. It is surprising because we share a lot in common: We both were Stelco workers, big, big union guys, and NDP MPPs from the south central Ontario area. We both are history buffs, strong defenders of our ridings’ interests—and I have three daughters; Norm beat me by one. I think we might have been long-lost twins; it’s quite possible.

I have to admit, reading about some of his work, I was quite impressed. There was one quote of his that especially struck me as a good idea. During a point of order on December 6, 1994, he said that all MPPs needed to shorten their statements and questions to let more people talk; I can relate to that. I’m sure we would all agree the statement makes him a true visionary. In honour of Norm Jamison, I think some of us should start cutting our speeches in half.

From everything I’ve learned, researching Norm, I got the sense that it would have been an incredible privilege to know him personally. I also recognize that he had a wonderful impact on the people he knew.

I’m proud also to introduce a large group of Norm’s family today. That includes his wife of 45 years, Sharon; children Carrie, Andrea, Shannon and Eileen; their spouses Tim, Chad, David and Matt; as well as Norm’s grandchildren Caitlin, Brooklyn, Lucas, Zachary, Noah, Christian and Ava. It’s certainly no small group, Speaker.

Norm had many people who loved him and looked up to him. So, to all of you who are here today, thank you so much for sharing Norm. From all of us, thank you for sharing Norm with us, as we are all aware that there’s a great deal of dedication required for both an MPP and their family. Long days spent on the campaign trail, unexpected difficulties that arise regularly—everything is amplified a million times. I’m sure we would all like to say this to our loved ones. Thank you for all the love and support you gave to Norm.

After reading a bit about Norm, it made me want to learn more. With that in mind, I thought it would be most appropriate to reach out to some of the many Norm was close with, to get a better understanding of who Norm was. Today, I’m going to read out just a few of the many statements from his colleagues in the Legislature.

To give you a sense of Norm’s dedication to his riding, I will start with a quote from someone who worked with Norm, current senator and former minister Frances Lankin:

“Norm Jamison was a large man with a large personality and a large heart. Norm invited me down to his riding a number of times, and I could see the relationship he had with his constituents. He was always there for them and you could see the high regard in which they held Norm as their MPP.

“I first worked more closely with Norm when I was Minister of Health. We were taking strong policy steps with respect to the negative health effect of smoking. Norm represented Norfolk”—big tobacco country—and the farmers. “He was the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Industry and he took a very active role advocating for the farmers in his home community.

“Sometime not too long after, there was a cabinet shuffle and I was moved to the new Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Norm was the PA and the first day in my new portfolio, Norm showed up in my office, sat down”—calmly—“and said, ‘Okay, so you are no longer Minister of Health. You are responsible for economic development.’ A pause—’Now, let’s talk about tobacco farming.’

“He was tough, tenacious, a lot of fun to work with and always put his community first. He left us much, much too early.”

Former MPP and minister Rosario Marchese was also eager to pay his respects to Norm. He had wanted to be here at the event but, unfortunately, is travelling at the moment. However, he was somehow able to send a message, using some pretty shaky WiFi, all the way from Chile. Here’s part of that message:

“Norm always struck me as a sincere, humble man committed to his district. A union guy through and through. I was so sorry to hear of his passing and my heart goes out to his family.”

The final quote I want to leave with you is one from Norm’s wife. She wrote to me about Norm’s incredible dedication to his family:

“Norm was always interested in politics and had a very strong social conscience. His political activity started when he campaigned for the NDP candidate Ian Deans in Hamilton”—my area. “When he moved out to Norfolk in 1981, he joined the NDP riding association and became the provincial candidate in that area. In 1990 he was elected as a New Democrat. His dedication to his constituents and the communities he represented was evident everywhere in his riding and appreciated by all who knew him. He was well liked and made a very positive and significant difference in the Norfolk riding.

“Family was everything to him, and no matter how busy he was, we”—the family—“always came first. He instilled a strong belief that family is the most important thing,” and it was everything to him. “We would describe him as someone who wore his heart on his sleeve and gave of himself unconditionally. He loved people, loved hearing their stories, learning from them and helping them. He was genuine in all that he did and taught his girls to treat everyone with love and respect and to fight for what you believe in. Norm was a fighter until the very end, when he lost his courageous battle with liver cancer.”

“A few of Norm’s favourite pieces of advice were as follows: ‘Life is about choices,’ and ‘Every day you are miserable is a day wasted.’ I think I may have wasted a few.”

Laughter.

Mr. Paul Miller: Thank you, Norm, for the guidance.

“He is dearly missed by his family and all those that knew him. We are so proud to have been able to call him our husband, father and friend.”

Here’s to a parliamentarian who was a strong representative of his area, a loving man and a true visionary, a man who lived every day to the fullest.

If you can hear us, Norm, thanks for all you gave us.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I’d like to thank all members for their very kind and heartfelt statements.

In particular, thank you to the family for being here. As you can see, these are cherished moments that we have in this House to show the affection we have for former members and each other. Thank you for the gift of Norm.

The Legislature would like you to have a copy of the Hansard and a DVD of the tributes that were paid toward Mr. Jamison. Thank you so much for the gift of Norm.

Pejcinovski family

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I will now recognize the member from Ajax–Pickering on a point of order.

Mr. Joe Dickson: Thank you for the point of order, Mr. Speaker. I believe you will find that we have unanimous consent to observe a moment of silence before question period as a sign of this House’s condolences for the family that tragically lost their lives in Ajax this past week, the three members of the Pejcinovski family: mother Krissy, son Roy and daughter Venallia. Thank God, the fourth member of the family, their daughter Victoria, is alive. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Ajax–Pickering seeks unanimous consent for a moment’s silence. Do we agree? Agreed.

I would ask all members of the House to please rise for a moment of silence in tribute to the family in Ajax.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): God rest their souls.

Oral Questions

Public services

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Acting Premier.

One problem with the Liberal government is that they will say anything and promise anything to stay in power. We saw it yesterday with the throne speech. The Liberals talked a lot about care. But for 15 years, they ignored health care. They ignored mental health care. They ignored dental care. They ignored long-term care. In fact, the only thing they actually care about is clinging to power.

Mr. Speaker, why do the Liberals pretend to care about families 79 days before the next election?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, let’s be clear: Ontarians do not want to go back. They do not want to go back to the kinds of cuts to public services that were made by Mike Harris. They do not want to go back to the kind of meanness towards people that was exhibited by Stephen Harper.

What people really want is, they want a caring and a fair society that allows them the opportunity to grow. What they want is a Premier and this government to help them build Ontario by investing in them, by investing in their care, by making sure that the kinds of pressures the families are facing today—that the government is providing them relief. It’s about the pressure families are feeling about finding good child care for their little ones, saving up tuition for their teens heading to university, or how to deal with an aging parent by finding proper home care. That’s what Ontarians want and that’s the kind of care we’re investing in.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. Okay. I’ve heard from both sides. Your indicators are that you’ve forgotten what I started before the break, and we’re going to ramp it up.

I’ll make another observation: While the question was being put, members from the same side were making comments, and when the answer was being put, members from the same side were making comments. You’re not helping each other. I’ll help you.

Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier: The Premier has made commitments of billions of dollars in new spending for expensive re-election ploys. This is a desperate attempt to spend their way to votes instead of trying to fix the problems that they actually created. In fact, Speaker, one media headline said it all: Premier’s “Throne Speech Is Liberal Snake Oil.”

“It’s the oldest snake oil in the Liberals’ bag of tricks and if it was true, Ontario’s streets would already be paved with gold.”

Certainly our streets aren’t paved with gold, and in the case of the Ring of Fire, which was not mentioned in the throne speech, the roads are not even existing at all.

Mr. Speaker, is this not a desperate attempt to win votes with the taxpayers’ own money?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Well, Speaker, while Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives may be focused on cutting vital public services that the people of Ontario need and deserve, our government will remain focused on building its care agenda. Our government will remain focused on focusing on home care and elder care, on investing in our mental health care system, expanding child care and eliminating the price of tuition. Speaker, these are the pressures that families are facing. These are the kinds of investments that they want from their government, building on our historic investments in building our health care system and our education system.

We need to take the next step in building that care agenda. So while Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives are focused on cutting public services, we’re going to build a caring and fair society for the people of Ontario.

Hon. Michael Coteau: The Trump virus is spreading.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Children and Youth Services, come to order.

Final supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier: Over the last 15 years, the Liberals have doubled government spending. They’ve more than doubled the provincial debt. Ontario is the world’s most indebted province or state anywhere. So what do the Liberals decide to do? They attempt to cling to power by trying to fool the people of Ontario right before an election. But they aren’t fooling anyone. If the Liberals get re-elected, it will be just more of the same.

So, Mr. Speaker, do the Liberals think they can win votes by spending more taxpayers’ money, and who do they think they’re fooling?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, the member opposite claims to be a numbers guy, so maybe he can help me with this. What we want to know, what Ontarians want to know, is how many jobs are going to be cut under a Conservative government. According to one independent economist, it could be 40,000 jobs. Another says it’s going to be 75,000 jobs. During the last election, we know the same party, these same members, ran on—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, come to order. The member from Prince Edward–Hastings, come to order.

Finish, please.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, during the last election, we know that the Conservative members, all the members who were elected to the House, ran on cutting 100,000 public sector jobs: teachers, nurses, personal support workers, child care workers, people who make our communities and our economy tick, people who provide essential services to our families and to Ontarians across the province. Clearly, they’re still clinging onto the same agenda of cuts. That is not acceptable to Ontarians. That is not acceptable to our Premier and this government.

Government’s record

Mr. Victor Fedeli: My question is for the Acting Premier.

“For many of our friends and neighbours, life is getting harder.... The cost of living is rising, and at the same time, stable, long-term jobs—jobs that pay a decent wage—are proving harder to find.... And as these pressures mount, they bear down on families where it matters most. People are struggling to take care of themselves, and their loved ones.”

This is not from the opposition. This is straight out of yesterday’s throne speech. This is the Ontario the Liberals have created. Mr. Speaker, how can they be proud of the fact that “people are struggling to take care of themselves, and their loved ones”?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, we do live in an unprecedented time. Our economy in this province is growing. It’s one of the fastest-growing economies in Canada—in fact, in all of the G7 countries. More jobs have been created since early 2000. Our GDP is growing.

But, Speaker, what we are also seeing is that the pressures on families are growing as well. There is a tremendous amount of anxiety that families—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): All right. You’ve asked. We’re in warnings.

Finish.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Even though our economy is growing and we’re creating more jobs, there is a tremendous amount of pressure that our families are facing. They are feeling pressures around home care and child care and long-term care. That is why, Speaker, we are making a deliberate choice to invest in these essential, important public services. Unlike Doug Ford and the Ontario Conservatives, we’re not going to cut those services. We’re going to invest in those important services.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier: I’m sure the 51,000 people who lost their jobs in Ontario in January don’t believe a word that you just said.

Speaker, on April 2, 2012, someone on the government side of the House said these words in the Legislature: “I think everyone here knows that eliminating the deficit is the most important thing we can do to move to economic growth.”

Can the Acting Premier tell us who said that?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Minister of Economic Development and Growth.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I was fascinated by the first question of this round that came from the Leader of the Opposition, Speaker. It was interesting that he quoted from the throne speech.

It would have been more heartening for the people of Ontario if you had actually listened to the entirety of the throne speech and heard about how we are ambitiously investing in the people of this province.

As the Acting Premier said just a second ago, since the depths of the global recession, this province has created more than 800,000 jobs. We lead not only this country but the entirety of the G7 when it comes to GDP growth. We are creating jobs because we are literally, every single day of this week, investing in our people, investing in infrastructure, investing in public transit and investing in all of those things that are truly the ingredients of what will provide for a brighter future for the people of this province.

Just once, Speaker, I would deeply appreciate it if that party would find a way to get it right and support the initiatives that we’re embarking on to build a—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Final supplementary.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier: Let me tell you that it was the Premier who spoke of no deficits.

Yesterday, we saw once again that this government will say anything to cling to power. They highlight how life is harder in Ontario, but ignore the fact that it’s because of 15 years of Liberal rule that life is harder in Ontario. All the spending and debt, and where are we? A 32,000-long-term-care-bed wait-list, hallway medicine, and autism and mental health wait-lists, all with no results. The Liberal insiders got rich, while the rest of us got stiffed.

Mr. Speaker, will the Liberals admit that this latest spending spree is an attempt to cling to power and not to make life easier in Ontario?

Hon. Steven Del Duca: Speaker, not for the first time in my time in this Legislature, what we’re seeing from the Conservatives is yet again a significant deficit in creativity and a significant deficit in believing in the people of this province.

As I mentioned a second ago, 800,000 new jobs have been created since the depths of the global recession a decade ago—

Mr. Paul Miller: Look who’s talking. You stole all of our ideas. Thank God we’re here, or you’d have no ideas.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): I can’t quite pinpoint—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): You’re throwing your own member under the bus? All right. I’m trying to be serious here. Jeez.

Finish, please, Minister.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: As I was saying, as the Acting Premier mentioned a little bit earlier today, we are investing in every corner of this province. We are building the province up.

I would say to the members of the Conservative caucus that it’s okay if you have misguided beliefs about cutting, slashing and burning, but the people of Ontario deserve to know the truth about exactly who you’re going to hurt, who you’re going to throw under the bus and who you’re going to push to the side. Let’s show the people of Ontario—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock, please. Be seated, please.

Another reminder: If you address the Chair, you’ll know that I was standing.

Dental care

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Acting Premier.

Kathy Lee is a 66-year-old Torontonian. She retired from a career as a daycare worker. She has no health care benefits anymore, and no dental coverage at all. Kathy hasn’t been to the dentist in nearly two years.

Why have the Premier and her Liberal government done nothing in the past 15 years to help Kathy get the health care that she needs?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I thank the member opposite for the question.

Speaker, it’s people like Kathy, and many people like Kathy across the province, who we are focused on. We want to make sure that Kathy and all of the people around the province have the kind of services that they need when it comes to quality health care in their communities. That’s why we’ve been making unprecedented investments since we have come into office in making sure that we’re building health care up.

After the devastating cuts that were made to the health care system by the previous NDP government and by the previous Conservative government, our focus has been to make sure that we build new hospitals, that we invest in our community health centres and make sure that there are important services available to all Ontarians.

We recognize that more needs to be done, and that is why, as we heard in the speech from the throne, we will be investing in important care that people like Kathy and other Ontarians need in our province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary.

Mr. John Vanthof: Fifteen years is a long time to focus.

Kathy’s mom also has no dental coverage. She says that when she or her mom needs to go to the dentist, her sister has to cover the cost. It’s embarrassing for Kathy, so she and her mom just don’t go unless it’s an emergency.

Why has this Liberal government spent 15 years in office and yet taken absolutely no action to help Kathy and her mom?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Our government continues to take action to help thousands of families with health care costs, providing families with over one million free prescriptions thus far through OHIP+.

Our government made the biggest expansion to medicare in Ontario in a generation by providing drug coverage to over four million children and youth—four million children and youth who now have access to over 4,400 drugs, including antibiotics to treat infections, asthma inhalers, insulin, seizure medications, oral contraceptives, antidepressants, drugs to treat arthritis and epilepsy, and some drugs to treat cancer and rare diseases. That is happening at no cost, no fees and no co-payments to our families.

This is a significant first step towards our vision of universal pharmacare that will help bring free drug coverage to everyone, ensuring a healthy start in life for our children and youth that will result in a healthier, more productive province.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary?

Mr. John Vanthof: Kathy says that the fear of having something go badly wrong with her teeth and being forced to rack up credit card debt to get the problem taken care of is something she worries about all the time. Kathy isn’t alone, either: Two thirds of Ontario seniors have been left without dental care by decades of Liberal and Conservative governments. We have an aging population, so that statistic will only get worse if we don’t take action now.

Why did this Liberal government ignore the huge gap in health care for Ontario seniors for 15 years?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, as you know, we have a Healthy Smiles program, which is focused on children and youth in our province. We want to expand and build on that program.

That program provides free preventive routine and emergency dental services for children and youth from low-income households across the province. This program is helping more than 450,000 kids access important dental services, and this number continues to grow.

We will work towards building out a larger program for low-income adults that will provide peace of mind for these families and individuals, allowing them to be more productive.

We welcome some of the ideas that have been brought forward by the NDP to help seniors and to support our health care system, as these are steps that our government has already been taking.

We will continue to invest in the care of Ontarians.

Dental care

Mr. John Vanthof: Once again to the Acting Premier: Kallee Lin is a young woman who works in the arts and culture sector in Toronto. She does have a few hundred dollars per year in medical benefits at her current job, but it’s not nearly enough to meet her basic health care needs. She is forced to choose between going to the dentist and dealing with the other physical and mental health issues that she faces.

Why is this Liberal government okay with Kallee being forced to choose between going to the dentist and addressing her other medical needs, after 15 years?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: As I said earlier, our government very much recognizes that Ontarians are feeling pressures, even though our economy is growing, even though more jobs are being created, through our increases in minimum wage to $14 an hour to soon-to-be a living wage of $15 an hour on January 1, 2019. People are still struggling when it comes to some very important services they need for their own care.

That’s why we want to invest in that care. We want to make sure that pressures that families are feeling about finding good child care or saving up money for tuition to go to college or university or for an aging parent to have long-term care—we are investing in that. Our speech from the throne was very clear that our care agenda will make exceptional investments in those important services.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. John Vanthof: Kallee says that she has put off getting needed gum grafting for more than a year because, if she does go ahead, she won’t have any money put away in case of an emergency.

Why does this Premier not seem to care that young workers like Kallee are facing this impossible choice?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I think one thing the Premier has exhibited in her role as Premier and as a member of provincial Parliament is that she cares deeply about Ontarians. She is always focused on investing in programs and services that are important to Ontarians. That is why she has recognized and continues to work toward ensuring that we have fairness and opportunity for the people of Ontario.

That is why, Speaker, the Premier is focused on building a caring society, investing in things like child care, investing in things like health care and mental health care. Not to mention, we need to make sure that we look at how we can expand our OHIP+ plan, as was stated in the speech from the throne, and not to mention looking at dental care programs for those who may be on low incomes.

We thank the NDP for the ideas they have put forward. We will continue to ensure that we are investing in the care of the people of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Final supplementary?

Mr. John Vanthof: There are about 4.5 million people in Ontario just like Kathy and Kallee, people who have always worked hard, done the right thing and played by the rules. But they have been let down by decades of Conservative and Liberal governments who care more about hanging on to power than helping people like them.

Will the Liberal government apologize to Ontarians without dental care for taking no action over the past 15 years to help them?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Speaker, our government has been focused on building a strong, publicly funded health care system. We have invested heavily in our hospitals; all the hospitals across the province have grown significantly, providing more services to Ontarians. We have been investing in our community health services to make sure that, at a community level, we have good health care services available. We have made unprecedented investments in building a primary health care system so that no Ontarian is left behind in terms of access to primary health care, be it through a family doctor or a nurse practitioner or through their local community health centre.

We are going to continue to build on that foundation. We are going to continue to build on that investment. That is why we launched the OHIP+ program. We want to expand that program and ensure, when it comes to dental care, we’re looking after low-income Ontarians as well.

Home care

Mr. Jeff Yurek: My question is to the Acting Premier.

Today, we’re joined by Patients Canada, the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association, the Ontario Community Support Association and Home Care Ontario. They are here today in protest of this government’s new and controversial PSW agency.

The government has moved forward with its new home care bureaucracy with zero consultation. Instead of spending precious dollars on home care and patients, they’ve moved $3 million from front-line workers to the expanding bureaucracy. Given this government’s poor track record, this clearly is not going to be benefiting patients.

Can the Acting Premier explain why they failed to consult with PSWs, patients and home care organizations?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I thank the member opposite for the question.

We know that Ontarians want more control and choice over their home care services. That’s why our government launched two new innovative, self-directed care models that patients could opt into that would (

a) provide home care clients with funding to purchase services in their care plan or to employ people to provide these services, or (

b) provide home care clients with the opportunity to select and

schedule their personal support workers from an organization that will protect clients from the administrative burden and legal risk of directly employing staff.

Speaker, we know that a small group of patients with chronic long-term needs wants strong relationships with their care provider, which will leave the care provider more satisfied and the client with better care. The reality is that clients with complex conditions may need or want assistance to design their own programs, and may have little knowledge in dealing with employer taxes, employee benefits and how to conduct background screenings of PSWs.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Back to the Acting Premier: This government has planned the creation of this US-modelled PSW bureaucracy for months, behind closed doors. They’ve handed this new bureaucracy over to the SEIU in exchange for them running attack ads through Working Ontario Women. They’ve taken dollars directly from patients’ front-line care for their own political gain. They continue to put insiders and their political self-interest first, while making life harder and more unaffordable for Ontario families. This government should be ashamed of themselves.

My question for the minister: How many more dollars does this government plan to strip from patient care in order to buy votes?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Stop the clock. The member will withdraw.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you.

Acting Premier?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Personal Support Services Ontario is an option that helps that navigation process—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): The member from Niagara West–Glanbrook is warned.

Carry on.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: This service is an option that would help the navigation process. It allows both the personal support worker and the client to focus on what is important, which is the care. After careful consideration and feedback from the sector, we adjusted the parameters to ensure that there will be no local disruption to the market.

This model will serve a very small client population, in parallel to our existing home care system. It will be implemented in three LHINs to be evaluated for cost effectiveness, patient need and patient outcomes.

We know how critical home care is to the quality of life of Ontarians, which is why our government will be making major investments in home care, as we heard in the speech from the throne yesterday, to provide more services for people aging at home and to provide financial relief for families caring for aging loved ones.

We will continue to put Ontarians first. What the Conservatives need to come clear on is how many PSWs they are going to fire—

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question.

Dental care

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Acting Premier.

One in three workers in Ontario today do not have workplace health benefits like dental coverage, and the problem is getting worse; it’s not getting better. More and more people are working in unstable work, with no health benefits for themselves or for their families.

Whether it’s the 2017 report on income security, the 2016 Changing Workplaces Review or the 2012 Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario, this government has been told for years that all workers should have access to dental coverage. Why has this government not listened to your own advisers, your own reports, your own recommendations, and failed to give the people the health benefits that they deserve in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: As I said earlier, we thank the NDP for the ideas that they are bringing forward to further support Ontarians and further strengthen health care delivery in Ontario. We are exactly on that track, to ensure that more and more Ontarians get the care that they need in order to support themselves and their families.

OHIP+, which is a pharmacare program for children and youth until the age of 25, is a great example of that. What’s remarkable about that is that families, with a simple OHIP card, don’t have to pay anything when it comes to accessing up to 4,400 prescription medications that will be funded through OHIP+. That is an incredible program. It’s the first of its kind in Canada. In fact, it’s the first of its kind in North America.

That is our track record, and we’re going to build on that in providing care to Ontarians.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Ms. Catherine Fife: This government has known for years that one in three workers in Ontario today has no dental coverage at work. That is over 2.5 million workers who work without benefits.

Mr. Speaker, we shouldn’t settle for this. We shouldn’t be in this place in the province of Ontario. It is not okay that millions of workers and their families go without the health benefits that they need. We should fix it and make sure that every worker has the benefits they need and deserve.

Why has this government done nothing to fix the problem, leaving over 2.5 million Ontarians working and living without the basic health benefits that they need?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Our government is focused on continuing to make investments to make our health care system a stronger and more supportive one for all Ontarians.

As a result of those investments, we have the shortest wait times from GP to specialist. Ontario has the shortest wait times from specialist to treatment. We have the shortest wait times for CT scans. We have the shortest wait times for MRIs. We have the shortest wait times for ultrasounds. We have the shortest wait times for radiation oncology. We have the shortest wait times for general surgery. We have the shortest wait times for gynecology procedures. We have the second-shortest wait times for medical oncology. Speaker, the list goes on and on.

That has happened because of the investments that we have made in our health care system. But we recognize that we need to do more. That is why, through the programs like OHIP+ and our commitment to enhance those programs, to ensure that Ontarians get the care they need, that remains the focus of our Premier and the government. We will continue to make those investments.

Child care

Mr. Arthur Potts: My question is to the minister responsible for early years and child care.

I’m very proud of our government’s commitment to ensuring families have access to high-quality and affordable child care and early years programs. In my riding, I have a lot of young families who call Beaches–East York home, yet we do face a shortage of child care spaces. So I have been working very closely with providers such as Centre 55 and the Kingston Road Montessori school to increase the number of spaces available.

I know that this message is resounding across Ontario—that more spaces need to be created. So I’ve heard from families that there are challenges with child care access, and I want to ensure that all of these families can be accommodated.

Speaker, you’ll note that the word “daycare” doesn’t even appear in the platform of the new leader of the official opposition, but I have heard from families that there are challenges with child care access. We need to support them.

Can the minister responsible for early years and child care tell us what this government is doing to ensure that families’ needs are being properly met?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Thank you to the hard-working member from Beaches–East York for this very important question.

We know that Ontario families are facing challenges when it comes to finding quality, affordable child care. That’s why our government decided to transform the way we deliver child care in this province. We have been working tirelessly for months to build new, affordable child care spots. In fact, in December we announced that more than 8,400 Ontario children will now be able to benefit from the opening of 493 new child care rooms in close to 200 schools across the province. In January, we announced another 2,700 new licensed child care spaces for children aged zero to four, through new and renovated schools.

Speaker, this funding is changing thousands of lives. It is one of the many steps we are taking to improve our child care system and build supports, and we’re working hard to make sure we get it right.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Arthur Potts: I want to thank the minister for that answer and for the leadership that she is showing on this very important file.

It’s encouraging to know that the government is working to address the needs of Ontario families. I recognize that there’s a lot of work yet to be done, but families are keen to see how our system is being transformed.

About two years ago, I heard from constituents who were concerned that some daycares were charging non-refundable, non-transparent wait-list fees. In response, I brought forward a private member’s bill to address this issue.

Many parents are looking for child care options now, but we know that the province has announced 100,000 new spaces.

Speaker, what can the minister tell us about the next steps that she is taking in order to help transform Ontario’s child care system to provide the kind of equitable, affordable, accessible daycare that is so important?

Hon. Indira Naidoo-Harris: Our government has been taking bold steps to ensure that child care is more accessible and affordable. By eliminating wait-list fees for child care, we have been able to improve access to child care and make life easier for families. By subsidizing 60% of new child care spaces, we are working hard to provide more affordable spaces for families.

When children in Ontario turn four, they will be able to access full-day kindergarten, which provides early, high-quality education to four- and five-year-olds. This results in huge savings for families and gives our children a great start in life. All of this has laid a solid foundation for care and opportunity for children and families.

I know there’s more work to do, but I want you to know that more is under way, and we will be addressing some of these issues in the upcoming weeks.

Broadband infrastructure

Mr. Todd Smith: My question this morning is to the Acting Premier.

For those who don’t know, Internet and cable providers pay a fee to hydro companies to attach their wires to hydro poles. Last week, CBC News reported that a 133% increase is being proposed by the Ontario Energy Board for those fees. Many of those companies, many of those providers, have formed the Ontario Broadband Coalition to fight the rate hikes.

They’re being honest here: They’ve said that this expense would be one that they’d be forced to pass on to their customers. I can’t say that it’s shocking that life is about to get more expensive for residents of Ontario, and the Liberals are doing nothing about it. They’re sitting on their hands.

My question this morning is, will the Liberals stop this unfair rate hike in Ontario?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Minister of Energy.

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m pleased to rise, because I know how important it is for Ontario families and businesses to have access to fast and reliable broadband Internet. That’s why it’s this government that has invested roughly $490 million since 2007 to upgrade broadband infrastructure across the province, bringing it closer to homes and businesses everywhere.

We’re committed to building on this investment, and we continue to work closely with small, rural, northern and remote communities to understand their broadband needs and will be releasing a draft broadband strategy later this year.

When it comes to the issue that the opposite member brought forward, the Ontario Energy Board, our independent regulator, has recently undertaken a policy review of the wireline pole attachments and has issued a draft report for comment. We understand that the OEB has received a number of comments on this report and is now considering these comments. It is our expectation that the OEB continue to work with the telecom companies, utilities and other stakeholders to arrive at a wireline pole charge policy that is fair and balanced for both hydro and broadband companies.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Supplementary?

Mr. Todd Smith: This new pole tax that’s about to occur in Ontario is going to make the expansion of broadband Internet more expensive. It’s going to make it less likely that it’s going to occur in our rural areas.

The Liberals and the Minister of Energy say that they have no control over the proposed hydro pole fee hikes. They’re passing the buck to the OEB, as we just heard from the minister, but this government interferes with the OEB time and time again. They will issue directives to help their friends, but not regular folks when they need the help.

Everyone knows that the Liberals can stop this rate hike. This 133% hike will make the fees the highest in North America for broadband Internet service. It will create an even higher barrier for rural Ontarians trying to get this service.

Will the Liberals put a stop to this unfair rate hike, or will they do the same thing they did with hydro rates in Ontario and drive them up to the highest—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. Thank you.

Minister?

Hon. Glenn Thibeault: I’m very pleased to rise and talk about hydro rates, because it is this government that looked after the rates and made sure that they have dropped by 50% for all rural and northern people right across the province.

Do you want to talk about a government that is investing in people? We’re building this province up by investing in infrastructure, roads and broadband; $490 million is what we’ve invested since 2007, and we’re going to invest more. We will not start cutting $10 billion.

Let me quote: “With his erratic and out-of-control behavior, I worry that if Doug was to lead our party, he would lead us to certain defeat.” Who said that, Mr. Speaker? That member. They are actually not only going to lead them to defeat, but they’re going to lead our province to ruin.

We will continue to invest and make sure that we look after and care for the people of our province.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Be seated, please. I will now remind you that we are in warnings. Anyone care to make a comment? I didn’t think so. Thank you.

New question.

Dental care

Ms. Cindy Forster: My question is to the Acting Premier.

Lisa is a low-income senior who lives in my riding. Over the last year, she has lost 30 pounds because she cannot be treated for TMJ, a locking of the jaw, a severe arthritis. Her jaw locks; it gets stuck, and she has such overwhelming pain that she has been unable to eat. Worse, when she went to her doctor last fall, she was told that the oral services that she needed to fix her jaw are not covered by OHIP.

Speaker, people like Lisa shouldn’t be forced to choose between getting the dental care they need or paying the hydro bill, the rent or buying food.

Why does the Liberal government continue to fail low-income seniors in our communities by not ensuring that they have the dental care that they need?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I thank the