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September 1, 2022

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Sept-01 (PDF)

L014 - Thu 1 Sep 2022 / Jeu 1er sep 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 1 September 2022 Jeudi 1 er septembre 2022

Orders of the Day

Ronald Hansen

James Pollock

Members’ Statements

Alex Mustakas

Mental health and addiction services

Education

Services de santé dans le Nord / Northern health services

Slovakia Constitution Day

Suomi Koti

National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada

Events in Don Valley East / Labour Day

Events in Hastings–Lennox and Addington

Events in Kitchener–Conestoga

Wearing of pins

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Health care funding

Education funding

Home care

Transportation infrastructure

Northern airports

Housing

Long-term care

Long-term care / Soins de longue durée

Health care post-secondary education

Employment standards

Curriculum

Health care workers

Equal opportunity

Township of Armstrong sewage lagoon

Housing

Consumer protection

Business of the House

Deferred Votes

Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour favoriser le développement (mesures budgétaires)

Petitions

Dairy industry

Social assistance

Visitors

Orders of the Day

New members of provincial Parliament

The House met at 0900.

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

Prières / Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Ronald Hansen

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. Ron Hansen, with five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group, five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. Ron Hansen, with five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group, five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition. Agreed? Agreed.

Today we are honoured to remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. Ron Hansen, who was the MPP for Lincoln during the 35th Parliament.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Hansen’s family: his son Marc Hansen; his daughter-in-law Catherine Burke; his granddaughter Mary Jane Hansen; his brother Robert A. Hansen; his sister-in-law Elaine Hunter; his nephew Rob Hansen, and his niece Rica Hansen; cousins Margaret Hansen and Janice Boyd; and his caregiver Korreen Bennett. Also with us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, who was the Speaker during the 35th Parliament. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I recognize the member for Don Valley East.

Mr. Adil Shamji: Mr. Speaker, I’m honoured to rise and speak in the memory of Mr. Ron Hansen. Though he is a man who I never had the privilege of meeting, it is incredibly clear that his career reveals so many important lessons that all of us would do well to heed.

Born in Welland on May 27, 1943, Mr. Hansen was not a career politician—not at all, and to me, this was one of his most admirable attributes. He worked as a stationary engineer for General Motors for 35 years. Throughout his life, it is clear that he was devoted to service and activism, with participation in important organizations such as Greenpeace, Boy Scouts, Big Brothers and the Camrose International Institute, an educational organization promoting conservation over consumerism. As though this was not enough, he served as an auxiliary officer in the Ontario Provincial Police as well.

Public service is not just about the things that we do for this generation. It is about the things that we do for future generations, and in this regard there is no doubt that Mr. Hansen’s action to protect the environment was exemplary. He was a staunch advocate for the environment. In addition to his membership in Greenpeace, he was also founder of not one, not two, but three environmental groups, including Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal, the Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition and the Citizens for Modern Waste Management.

Additionally, he travelled all around the world, speaking about toxic waste management. His work in this Legislature, which I will touch on shortly, continued this work as well.

Mr. Hansen would later come to be nominated as the candidate for the New Democratic Party and to be successful in the general election in 1990. He had the honour of being member of provincial Parliament in the riding of Lincoln from 1990 to 1995.

As MPP, Mr. Hansen was known for voting with his conscience and not along party lines. This highlights another lesson that can be taken from his life of service—that he wasn’t afraid to speak truth to power.

Ron was the only MPP to speak up against the Ontario Waste Management Corp.’s plan to build a toxic waste treatment plant in Lincoln. While all three major parties seemed to support the proposal made by that crown corporation, Ron was instrumental in shedding light on what was truly going on in the riding. He brought multiple petitions into the Legislature signed by thousands of residents standing against the proposed toxic waste plant. He explained that it would threaten farmland, waterways and the fruit belt. He is an inspiration.

He represented and fought for his riding even when he had to go that route alone. He educated and inspired those around him. Make no mistake about it, he made a difference. It is what we all should aspire to do during our time in this Parliament.

Mr. Hansen passed away this year on March 9 at the age of 78 and will be missed by his many children, siblings, nieces, nephews, extended family and many friends. Today we honour his memory, and we thank him for his legacy. May he rest in eternal peace.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I rise today to pay tribute to the former MPP for Lincoln, Ron Hansen, a servant of the people of Ontario from 1990 to 1995 in the 35th Parliament of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Ronald Cooper Hansen was born in Welland, Ontario, on May 27, 1943. He studied production planning at Erie County Technical Institute and stationary engineering at Niagara College, of which he was always a strong supporter.

He was a loving and devoted father to Marc, Chris and Eric; a grandfather to Amanda, Benjamin and Mary Jane; and a great-grandfather to Lucas; a long-time employee of General Motors in St. Catharines and a strong voice for workers; a servant of the people of Niagara; and a man of conviction, integrity and passion.

Ron enjoyed fishing, bowling, travelling, technology and photography. Prior to his election, he was a member of Greenpeace, Camrose International and helped found three local environmental action groups: Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal, the Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition and Citizens for Modern Waste Management. He also helped with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Kingsway Bowling, Women’s Place, the community resources and action centre, the soup kitchen, community legal services, the co-op nursery, Niagara Peninsula Homes and the Niagara Regional Youth Home. He did all this while serving as an auxiliary OPP officer—a busy man.

Ron was elected to the Ontario Legislature in the general election of September 6, 1990, representing the former riding of Lincoln as the government member for the New Democratic Party.

I spoke with another former MPP for the riding of Lincoln, Phil Andrewes, who recalled the election night that Ron won. Now, Phil spoke very highly of Ron, though, as a Progressive Conservative, he would say that Ron was philosophically misguided. Apparently, the NDP campaign office was in a house at the end of Ontario Street in Beamsville, directly across from the PCs’ campaign office. The NDP had had little to no signs in the riding leading up to election night, and as the results came in at the PC headquarters, they saw that Ron had won.

An hour after the results had been declared, the PC campaign manager and team decided to go across the road to congratulate Ron and his team, but when they showed up to congratulate him, apparently Ron didn’t know that he had won.

As the former Premier of Ontario and ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae recalls, “Ron Hansen was a hard-working, caring and diligent servant of the people. All of us who served with him remember him with great affection.” This echoes the words of local constituents I spoke with from across the political spectrum. They all emphasized that he always listened, worked hard and wanted what was best for the area.

Ron was an MPP who was not afraid to represent local values and the concerns of his constituents, even if it meant breaking with government ranks. Ray Konkle, who served as the mayor of the town of Lincoln at the same time that Ron served as MPP for the riding of Lincoln, said that Ron could be like “a dog on a bone”—in a good way—when he got it into in his head that something had to change.

As an MPP of conviction, Ron faithfully and consistently shared the concerns of his constituents at Queen’s Park rather than compromising with the status quo. Ron voted his conscience on controversial issues. He presented petitions, promoting faith-based values and concerns, advocated for locally sourced government contracts and businesses and fiercely defended local farmers and community advocates against the interest of the political establishment. When Ron made a promise, he kept his word, and he was known for always getting back to his constituents, whether or not they agreed with him.

As a passionate MPP, Ron was also a fierce advocate of local issues and concerns in Niagara.

From his private member’s bill seeking to amend the Ontario Water Resources Act to promote responsible water usage, to advocating for local grape growers and pork producers—including my father—perhaps no other political issue demonstrated Ron’s passion than his fight to protect source water and tender-fruit lands in west Niagara in a battle against a proposed waste disposal facility that was successfully defeated—in fact, when I was speaking yesterday with former mayor Ray Konkle, he said that many of the rallies were actually held at his constituency office because he was right along Victoria Avenue, which was one of the truck routes for the toxic waste that would have been planned, so they were able to hold them in front of his constituency office.

He repeatedly championed the concerns of local residents in Niagara who opposed the proposal from the Ontario Waste Management Corp. to build a toxic waste facility in Lincoln.

In a question addressed to Ruth Anna Grier, the Minister of the Environment, during a heated session of question period on December 2, 1991, Ron noted that he had spent over $10,000 of his own money to fight the proposal as an active member of the Toxic Waste Research Coalition. Jim Bradley, the former MPP for St. Catharines, cited Ron’s integrity the same day in question period when he noted that the member for Lincoln was willing to lose his title as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs to “exercise his right to vote against a government bill which in fact was bad for his constituents from his point of view.”

Ron’s fight to preserve source water and tender-fruit lands in the west Niagara area has helped to preserve the legacy of current greenbelt protections for prime agricultural and environmentally sensitive areas in Niagara to this day.

On November 28, shortly after stepping down as Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs over this matter of principle, Ron stood in this chamber and he said, “I have to take a look. Here at Queen’s Park I have not found one person who sits on this side of the House or that side of the House who voted for me in the last election.... I have told the people in my riding that I will take the message of what they want to Queen’s Park, not what Queen’s Park demands of my constituents.”

Speaker, I believe that the words of the MPP for Lincoln continue to speak to this assembly today and to serve as a humble reminder why each one of us is here: To perform the duties of a member honestly and justly, and to faithfully represent the people of our ridings in the best interests of all Ontarians.

Ron was a champion of the working people of Lincoln, and I know I speak for all the people of Lincoln, and Ontario, when I say that we all give thanks for the life and legacy of Ron Hansen.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the member for St. Catharines.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Good morning. It is a distinct honour to stand here today and pay tribute to a proud New Democrat and former member of provincial Parliament for Lincoln, Mr. Ron Hansen.

I am pleased to acknowledge many of Ron’s family and friends who are here with us today in the gallery: His son Marc; daughter-in-law Catherine; granddaughter Mary Jane; brother Robert; sister-in-law Elaine; Ron’s caregiver and very close friend, Korreen; niece Rica; cousin Margaret; cousin Janice; nephew Rob; and Mr. David Warner, former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Ron’s son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are visiting all the way from Ireland this morning, and his cousin travelled from British Columbia, our fine west coast of Canada. Thank you all for taking this special trip, and welcome.

Ronald Cooper Hansen, born in 1943 in Welland, began his education journey at Niagara College, studying stationary engineering and production planning at Erie County Technical School. In true Niagara fashion, Ron worked for 35 years as a stationary engineer for General Motors in St. Catharines, and he served as the member of provincial Parliament for the riding of Lincoln from September 6, 1990, to June 7, 1995.

A large focus of grassroots groups and advocates in St. Catharines and Niagara is the need to have clean, waste-free spaces to live, work and play; spaces our children and our grandchildren can call home for generations to come.

Ron was an integral part of this local movement in the early days as a founding member of three environmental groups: Niagara Residents for Safe Toxic Waste Disposal; Ontario Toxic Waste Research Coalition; and Citizens for Modern Waste Management.

He put the minister’s feet to the fire in 1991, fighting against Ontario Waste Management Corp.’s plan to build a toxic waste facility in West Lincoln, and worked to explore progressive waste management strategies. Ron once presented a 720-foot-long petition in this House, containing more than 6,000 signatures of residents against the decade-long proposed waste plant. At a time where society was slow to modernize, Ron took hold of the situation and worked to produce modern waste systems.

Ron’s contributions did not stop there, as he was also active with Boy Scouts groups, Big Brothers of Niagara and an avid bowler at the Kingsway. He assisted in establishing important resources, such as Women’s Place, the community resources and action centre, the soup kitchen, community legal services, Niagara Peninsula Homes and the Niagara Regional Youth Home.

Ron’s enthusiasm to help his constituents was very, very clear. His commitment to serve those who needed it most was top priority. Ron’s initial efforts in establishing these support networks paved the way for the incredible work that these organizations do today, helping thousands of low-income, marginalized and vulnerable residents.

Ron was a strong and vocal advocate for GO Transit service to the Niagara region—well, Ron, I’m happy to say we did it; almost three decades later, but we finally have regular GO Transit service that extends all the way to Niagara Falls.

An MPP under Bob Rae, Ron called for the establishment of a rural affairs ministry, citing the need for an effective voice for all of rural Ontario, a sector of advocacy that had gone by the wayside at that time. Ron wanted to establish ministry field officers as a liaison between the rural communities and policy-makers right here at Queen’s Park to talk about issues such as housing density, transportation and ambulance services. He recognized that rural communities had unique needs not being met by the conventional solutions applied to urban areas, something we can all keep in mind as MPPs even in 2022.

Ron was known for leading with his conscience, refusing to toe the party line. He asked bold questions and voted on bills in a way that reflected his personal values. Ron’s ideals and his willingness to fight against large corporations who didn’t care about the “little guys,” as he called them, is truly inspiring.

Ron Hansen passed away on March 9, 2022, at the age of 78. Not many people can say they served their community, served their province, as a member of provincial Parliament. It is a privilege to serve our constituents, and I know that Ron felt that joy as well.

To Ron, thank you for your dedicated service to the residents of Lincoln and for igniting that fight in all of us here at Queen’s Park.

Applause.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you to the family and friends who have joined us today at Queen’s Park for this tribute for Mr. Hansen.

James Pollock

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I now turn to the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Madame la Présidente, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. James Pollock, with five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent to allow members to make statements in remembrance for the late Mr. James Pollock, with five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group and five minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government. Agreed? Agreed.

We are here today to honour, remember and pay tribute to a former member of our provincial Legislature, the late Mr. James Pollock, who was MPP for Hastings–Peterborough for the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Parliaments.

Joining us in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. Pollock’s family: his children Kevin Pollock, Heather Pace and Virginia Warren; and his son-in-law Angus Warren. Also in the Speaker’s gallery is Mr. David Warner, Speaker during the 35th Parliament. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

I recognize the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s an honour to stand in this place and pay tribute to James “Jim” Ivan Pollock, who served in this Legislature as the member for Hastings–Peterborough from 1981 to 1990.

I would first like to thank his family for sharing him with the people of Ontario. We all know that it’s not just the person standing in the Legislature, it’s the family supporting him, especially coming from a farm.

It’s a privilege to be able to pay tribute and to research the lives of people who served here before and, in many cases, find common connections. Jim Pollock was a dairy farmer for the biggest part of his life, a profession that I also shared for 35 years. We have both seen many of the same sunrises and worked past many sunsets. Farmers are typically jacks of all trades and deal with whatever comes their way. A dairy farmer is always on call, a trait shared by people in public life, a trait that Jim shared with others not only as MPP but before that as reeve of Rawdon township and warden of Hastings county.

Jim married the love of his life, Jean, and took over the family farm when he was 23. That struck a chord with me too. My wife and I got married and bought the farm when I was 23, and I can relate to the struggles that they must have had in those years, and the joy. Because there’s nothing like raising kids on a family farm, and you only know that if you grew up on one.

During his provincial political career, he served as deputy whip and agriculture critic, among other duties—both roles that I have filled for my party. And I can tell you one thing: that farmers and party whips are eternal optimists.

As I was doing my research, I came upon a tweet from the Minister of Energy expressing his condolences on Jim’s passing. One of the comments mentioned something about Jim’s opposition to a mega landfill project in his area. That sparked my interest. A Conservative dairy farmer opposed to the creation of a mega landfill in his area: That really warmed my heart. I have some history with that. In fact, I found a statement from MPP Pollock on a resolution regarding the shipment of solid waste: “I just want to make a few comments on this resolution.

I agree with the environment critic for our party when she says we can agree with the first part.... However, I do not particularly agree with the last line ... where they do not want it in northern Ontario. I can assure members we do not want it in eastern Ontario either. I do not know about western Ontario. Western Ontario can speak for itself. Anyway, we certainly do not want it in eastern Ontario.” That was spoken like a farmer: plain, direct, no-nonsense, but respectful of others and their opinions.

I never had the opportunity to meet Jim Pollock, but I wish I could have. I’m willing to bet that a handshake meant something to Jim Pollock.

Standing in this House is a privilege, especially for a farmer. It’s a special feeling for a farmer, one that I share with James Pollock. In his honour, I would like to share a few feelings that only a farmer can know: soil crumbling in your hand when it’s ready to plant; a beautiful summer day, a slight breeze, with the baler chugging bale after bale of perfect hay, hay that will still smell like summer when it’s fed months later; a late night calving a cow and the calf isn’t breathing—I don’t know how Jim did it, but this is how I do it.

You usually tickle their nose with a piece of straw to start them to breathe, but if they don’t, you grab them and you swing them. And if that doesn’t work and you’re desperate, you hang them over a gate and pull really hard. When they gasp for air—and they don’t always do it, but when they gasp for air, that is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It was those feelings that Jim Pollock brought to this Legislature.

In closing, once again I would like to thank his family for sacrificing themselves to allow him to come here. Every farmer I know wants to leave the farm a little bit better than they found it. Because of his family, Jim had the opportunity to not only leave the farm better, but his riding better and the province better. On all our behalf, thank you very much.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I recognize the member for Kingston and the Islands.

Mr. Ted Hsu: I’m honoured to rise today to pay tribute to a fellow member from eastern Ontario, the former member for Hastings–Peterborough, James Pollock. James—or Jim, as he was often referred to—passed away on October 28, 2021, at the age of 91. He is survived by his wife, Jean; his four children, Virginia, Lyle, Kevin and Heather; his two grandchildren; and is remembered by his beloved sisters, Patricia and Doris. I want to thank his family and Mr. Warner for being here today.

Born in Stirling, Ontario, about 20 kilometres north of Belleville, Jim grew up on his family dairy farm. At the age of 23, he took over the farm with his wife, Jean Wallace, and ran the farm until 2019, when he was 89 years old. An experienced farmer, Jim farmed dairy, beef and then cash crops.

He always had a sense of optimism. As a polio survivor, he often said that he was one of the lucky ones. Jim Pollock never took anything for granted, and he carried that with him throughout his life.

Jim was an active member of his church, the local masonic lodge, the Trent Valley Shriners Club and the Stirling Legion. He serves as a reminder to us that we are all here to work for our communities, big or small; that we are all here to work together to make Ontario a better place.

Jim was also a big fan of the show Jeopardy. He always made time for hosts Art Fleming and Alex Trebek, and in 2008 he got the chance to go to California for three tapings.

Jim had a long life of public service. Before serving in this chamber, he spent 13 years as a member of the Rawdon township council. In 1978, he was the warden of Hastings county and served on Hastings county council until 1981. Then he decided to run for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and went on to serve this House in the 32nd, 33rd and 34th Parliaments. MPP Pollock served on numerous committees and as the critic for natural resources during the David Peterson government. He often travelled around his riding and understood the value of talking to his constituents and how much their views mattered.

On behalf of all of my Ontario Liberal colleagues: Jim, may you rest in peace and thank you for your years of service.

Mr. Ric Bresee: It is my honour today, again, to rise in tribute to the late James “Jim” Pollock. Mr. Pollock served this House on behalf of his constituents in the then riding of Hastings–Peterborough from April 1981 to July 1990. He was successful in three elections, including the very tough swing election of 1987, which only brought 16 PC members to this House—although Pollock actually increased his margin of victory.

Jim Pollock was born and raised on a dairy farm in Stirling, Ontario, which he took over from his parents in 1953, the same year he married his wife, Jean. Together they farmed for 66 years and were married for 68, raising four children: Virginia, Lyle, Kevin and Heather. He had a great sense of humour and optimism, which translated into a strong sense of community and a belief in community service. As was his style, that belief was translated into action through his engagement with his church, the AOTS, Masonic Lodge, Trent Valley Shriners and Stirling Legion. He was a charter member of the Rawdon township volunteer fire department and a member of the local conservation authority.

On top of all that, or perhaps as a result of it, he decided to step into municipal politics, starting with the council of the township of Rawdon for 13 years. During that time, he rose amongst his peers to serve as reeve for six years and eventually sitting as the warden of Hastings county and a member of Hastings county council until 1981.

While he was still actively farming, he turned his attention to provincial politics. He won the Conservative nomination for Hastings–Peterborough, and as I said before, was elected three times to the Ontario Legislature. He always worked to help the small towns and communities in his riding, and he and his wife Jean tried very hard to attend every milestone anniversary and birthday party to bring greetings from the province. Jean was very much an integral part of his team and a strong partner to Jim every step of the way.

Jim has been referred to by many that knew him as a good upstanding man with a strong moral compass and a heart for the people he served. Jim was well-known for working with all government parties, including when he was in opposition. His sole focus was on the issues of his constituents in the riding, and he was not looking to gain favour or power. He was determined to get the job done.

After being re-elected in 1985, Pollock was named the eastern Ontario critic for agriculture, and in 1987 became the party’s natural resources critic. Agricultural issues were very important to him. He raised the issue for his region of the expanding population of deer. It was affecting the apple farmers. He was said to have brought in the damaged branches of some apple trees to this assembly to stress and to demonstrate that concern. He also worked hard to resolve issues around invasive species, specifically the zebra mussels in the Trent canal system.

Following his service in government, he remained active in his community and continued farming for almost another 30 years—although he did switch from dairy to beef and eventually to cash crops—continuing into his late eighties. I didn’t personally have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Pollock, but I do know several who knew him and worked with him, and it appears that Jim had a lasting impression on all those who knew him.

I found this quote from long-time provincial colleague MPP Norm Sterling: “During my 34 years as an MPP in the Legislature, I never met a more sincere, hard-working politician than Jim Pollock. I am proud to say that Jim and I were close friends, often sharing a story or talking about his constituents’ problems. Jim and Jean have given much of their lives to all of us. I will always remember his smile and good deeds to our province. We will miss him very much.”

And from Tom Deline, the current mayor of Centre Hastings and another past warden of Hastings county, when he was asked about his memory just a couple of days ago: “Jim Pollock, in my mind, was a man of the old school where a handshake was your word and you stood by it. He was a true gentleman who worked tirelessly for the municipality within the county of Hastings. Jim attended the wedding of my wife and myself, and we had the pleasure of seeing him at our wardens’ banquets and annual past wardens’ get-togethers which helped maintain those close friendships. His wife, Jean, was his biggest asset and supporter. He will be greatly missed.”

Jim Pollock was a farmer, a father, a volunteer and a public servant. We are grateful for all that he was and all that he gave to his family, to his community and to this province. Speaker, we lost Jim Pollock on October 28, 2021. He will be missed.

Applause.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): I want to thank the family members of Mr. Pollock for joining us today for these tributes. I also wish to all the guests who joined us today at Queen’s Park a good rest of your day. Thank you.

Orders of the day.

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: No further business, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): There being no further business, this House is recessed until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0937 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Alex Mustakas

Mr. Matthew Rae: Today, I would like to recognize and congratulate Alex Mustakas, the founder and artistic director of the not-for-profit Drayton Entertainment in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Alex is an important and active member in our local community and someone who has done so much for one of our cultural industries in Ontario.

Earlier this year, Alex was presented with the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada. The medal recognizes Canadians for outstanding contributions in any field. Alex received the medal for his lifelong commitment to making the performing arts affordable and accessible to those in Ontario and beyond.

Alex has achieved a truly formidable feat, building Drayton Entertainment from the ground up, operating theatres at seven locations across southern Ontario. I had the pleasure of meeting with Alex and seeing a couple of their performances earlier this year, which I greatly enjoyed.

In addition to Alex’s Meritorious Service Medal, his work with Drayton Entertainment has gained him and the organization six Lieutenant Governor’s awards for the arts, a prestigious honour bestowed on arts organizations that exemplify outstanding private sector and community support. The team at Drayton Entertainment was able to do this with an unorthodox but promising business model: one that’s fiscally responsible, utilizes strong networks and gives back to the community.

Some of the organization’s good work includes annual donations of over 2,000 tickets to more than 750 charities, aiding them in their own fundraising efforts. And unlike many other organizations, Drayton Entertainment relies on volunteers, with over 30,000 hours of volunteer activity per year.

I want to congratulate Alex again. Under your guidance, I know Drayton Entertainment will continue to be very successful for years to come.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Jessica Bell: This week, we recognized Overdose Awareness Day. In 2021, 560 people died from an overdose. That is the highest number of drug poisoning deaths ever recorded in Toronto. Acute drug toxicity is the current number one cause of death for youth in Ontario aged 15 to 24. Ontario has an opioid crisis.

These are the words of Zoë Dodd, a leader in the work to save people’s lives. This is what she says: “The US and Canada have now been in a devastating drug poisoning crisis for a decade. This isn’t happening like this anywhere else in the world. These deaths are preventable. This crisis will end when we truly shift as a society.”

To the workers leading change on this crisis’s front lines, you have been to too many funerals. To the families who have lost people to drug overdose, I am so sorry.

International Overdose Awareness Day is a day for us to remember those whom we’ve lost and to continue to advocate for better solutions.

That means listening to health professionals who see clean and safe supply as a way to stop people dying from toxic street drugs. It means permitting and funding opioid consumption sites like the one in Kensington, so people can safely use; it means increasing funding to mental health treatment and addiction treatment that’s been proven to work; and building more permanent supportive housing.

This is a complicated crisis, and compassion and kindness are needed to address it.

Education

Mr. David Smith: Today, I’d like to speak about returning to school, and I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak.

The achievement and well-being of children and youth are always at the forefront of my mind. I want to take the time today to give a shout-out and thank the organizations in the riding of Scarborough Centre, like Lights Out Basketball Academy, for their efforts and initiatives in getting our young minds prepared for greater success.

Lights Out Basketball Academy is an organization based at Ellesmere Community Centre and led by Coach Ken Wade, Coach Rogel, Coach Jerron and Coach Christian. They not only teach essential basketball skills to our kids, but they work hard in bringing positive differences into their lives.

Recently they have partnered with Adidas Canada to ensure that their players return to school with backpacks. Small gestures like these make such a difference and ensure that kids are going to school ready to learn and looking sharp.

To the students of Scarborough Centre: Even though I am no longer your school board trustee, you can rest assured that I will continue to advocate for you and have your back, to ensure you have the appropriate resources you need to succeed.

Our government has enacted a great plan, supported by historic investments in education, so you can have a safe, normal, enjoyable return to school, with the full range of extracurricular activities and supports you deserve. Best wishes for a happy and healthy return to school in the 2022-23 school year.

Services de santé dans le Nord / Northern health services

M. Guy Bourgouin: C’est toujours un honneur de se lever en Chambre pour représenter les bonnes gens de Mushkegowuk–Baie James.

The community of Kashechewan is facing a nursing crisis at their nursing station, which is their only medical facility. It’s their lifeline. They currently have two nurses manning the station, when usually they have nine—and even 12, prior to the pandemic. They are open for emergency-only cases. Basic medical care is not an option—no prenatal services, no regular checkups. Being proactive and preventative for health issues such as complications with diabetes is not an option. They deserve better.

The entire province is facing a nursing shortage, but these communities have even greater challenges, and things need to be addressed. These are fly-in communities with no road access, no access to nearby hospitals or ER departments. There is a surge of COVID that has threatened the community. Funding is heavily needed in these communities in order to hire proper staff, to get specialists and doctors in and out of the communities for clinics and consultations to give them the medical attention they deserve.

Finally, a long-term recruitment and retention plan needs to be developed with the First Nations and Inuit health branch, Indigenous Services Canada and the provincial government to ensure adequate and accessible health care for all northern communities facing these issues.

Slovakia Constitution Day

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: Today, September 1, the people of Slovakia are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Slovakian constitution of 1992. For me, as someone who was born in the capital city of Bratislava and traces her paternal routes to this beautiful country, it is a day of pride and celebration.

The signing of the constitution de facto established Slovakia as an independent and sovereign country and was a direct consequence of the events of the peaceful, non-violent and student-led velvet revolution, which took place in Czechoslovakia in 1989 and resulted in the ousting of the communist regime.

Slovakia today is a developed country of 5.4 million, with an advanced, high-income economy, a strong stance on civil liberties, democratic governance, universal health care and free education.

Led by Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president, Slovakia is a member of the EU, NATO, UN and the Council of Europe. Being home to eight UNESCO heritage sites, Slovakia boasts the largest number of castles per capita in the world, situated within its picturesque and mountainous landscapes.

An interesting fact to note, Mr. Speaker: Did you know that many of Ontario’s Jaguar, Land Rover and Kia vehicles are imported from this largest-per-capita car producer, which manufactures over one million passenger vehicles per year?

I am proud to be among the 72,000-strong Slovakian diaspora in Canada, in good company with politician Tim Hudak, sports journalist George Gross and hockey player Natalie Babonyová.

Dear colleagues, please join me in wishing our Slovakian Canadian friends a Šťastný Deň Ústavy Slovenskej republiky.

Suomi Koti

Ms. Lise Vaugeois: I would like today to talk about Suomi Koti, a non-profit seniors’ residence that has been providing our elders in Thunder Bay–Superior North with exemplary independent living residences for over 30 years.

Suomi Koti is one of the few organizations in Thunder Bay that offers independent living for seniors at not-for-profit rates. It is affordable, beautifully maintained, close to amenities, surrounded by trees, and I would be very happy to live there myself.

Suomi Koti has plans to build an additional 60 apartments, 20 of which will be reserved for low-income seniors, but to do this, they must rely on donations and government funding to create this new and much-needed housing. There is currently a five- to seven-year wait-list to get into this and the two other non-profit homes in the city, so the need is clear.

The board of Suomi Koti has worked with the most respected designers and planners to put together their funding and building plans. Unfortunately, federal and provincial funding levels are no longer what they were when Suomi Koti was first established, and they are struggling to access funding even though this type of housing is clearly needed.

Speaker, I look forward to meeting with representatives from the provincial government to advocate for financial support for Suomi Koti so that they can continue to do what they already do so well: provide first-rate, affordable housing that seniors in Thunder Bay–Superior North need and deserve.

National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada

Mr. Aris Babikian: The opening of the CNE is another indication that our lives are back to normal. I was delighted and honoured to attend the opening of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada booth at the CNE and meet so many old friends.

The NEPMCC is a forum of more than 800 member publications—print, online, radio and TV—that represent 65 different languages. They reach over seven million Canadians. I would like to congratulate Mr. Thomas Saras for leading the organization to new heights and achievements.

For more than seven decades, ethnic newspapers have been meeting the challenges of assistance, guidance and integration of millions of newcomers who have immigrated to Canada. All of this is done in the spirit of helping them to become better Canadians. Its role has been to introduce immigrants to their new environment as efficiently and as painlessly possible for them, their families and their community in order for them to become full-fledged citizens of our country, so that the newcomers are willing and able to contribute their talents and abilities for the benefit of all Canadians.

They also promote excellence in journalism among their members. They serve as a forum for the study and discussion of barriers faced by ethnic groups. And they gather and disseminate information, which leads to a better understanding and cooperation among the various ethnic groups in Canada and mainstream society. They are an integral part of our society and they deserve our unwavering support and solidarity.

I wish the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada and Mr. Saras many more successes and milestones.

Events in Don Valley East / Labour Day

Mr. Adil Shamji: First, I would like to acknowledge the Clerks, who have been so supportive of me as a rookie MPP. They literally reminded me that it’s my turn to speak now.

On this last day of the legislative week, we have the special opportunity to look ahead with anticipation to a long weekend, because this Monday is Labour Day. For some people, this may be an opportunity for rest. For the residents in Don Valley East, it is anything but, because we will be a beehive of community activity.

For example, the residents of Flemingdon’s Sunny Glenway community will be hosting an enormous outdoor community fun fair that will include a barbecue, live music, a magic show and a variety of activities for children.

The Canadian Community Services Organization, supported by the North Toronto Cluster of Churches and East York Town Centre, will hold a back-to-school event in which they deliver somewhere between 500 and 600 backpacks, for free, along with kits of personal protective equipment. Families across the riding will enjoy the warm company of friends and family.

But we mustn’t lose sight of the bigger picture. I invite all of us to remember and celebrate what Labour Day is all about. It is about honouring workers and about all those people who fought for us to secure better rights, higher wages and safer working conditions. We’ve come a long way, but there is still farther to go. In the midst of a pandemic, the people of Ontario still need 10 paid sick days. They mustn’t have their wages capped to 1% by Bill 124, and they need to believe that their workplace is safe.

To everyone in this Legislature, in Don Valley East and across our great province, I wish you a safe, happy, restful and inspiring Labour Day weekend.

Events in Hastings–Lennox and Addington

Mr. Ric Bresee: I rise once again to share some great news from the amazing riding of Hastings–Lennox and Addington. I want to highlight a wonderful event. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join with four different branches of the international Lions Club to welcome a group of European Lions members as they ran over 1,000 kilometres across two countries, from Chicago to Montreal, in support of advocacy, awareness and fundraising for the people of Ukraine. Their motto, modified from the international Lions Club’s, is “We Run, We Serve” and, in 2022, “We Serve the Ukraine.”

I want to express my gratitude to the Bath and District Lions Club, the Madoc Lions Club, the Amherstview Lions Club and the Odessa Lions Club for their invitation to join this event and for their support of this amazing effort. Of course, I want to thank the runners themselves for their dedication to service.

The Lions Clubs across this country and around the world provide a fantastic opportunity for local people to come out and serve their communities.

Events in Kitchener–Conestoga

Mr. Mike Harris: It is my pleasure to rise today to announce the triumphant return of fall fairs to the great riding of Kitchener–Conestoga. I want to give a heartfelt welcome back to the Wellesley Township Fall Fair: one night only on Tuesday, September 13—and folks, it’s free admission. Their theme this year is “Reconnecting Communities.” They will be celebrating by raffling off the newly finished community quilt project of 2021.

Next, the New Hamburg Fall Fair; it runs September 15 through 18. The theme this year is “Back to our Roots,” a celebration of our agricultural community. New attractions include the Ultimutts stunt dogs and Reptile Kingdom.

We can’t forget, of course, the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, which returns on September 24, and it is a team effort. The Lions Club sells sausage on a bun, the Optimists sell schnitzel on a bun, the Lutheran churches sell apple dumplings and Mennonite churches sell apple fritters—which I know you’re a big fan of, Speaker.

Last, but not least, Oktoberfest: It’s wunderbar, and it’s back, running from September 23 to October 15. The official keg-tapping will be Friday, October 7. Come raise a stein and polka around the largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany.

All of these fall fairs cannot run without the help of countless volunteers, so thank you to all the volunteers for all their hard work and helping to celebrate our region’s proud history.

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

I feel the obligation to remind the members that the members’ statements are 90 seconds in length, not two minutes, and remind them as much as possible to adhere to the time that the standing orders provide. I’m reluctant to interrupt members who are concluding a good statement, but we have to keep in mind the standing orders.

Wearing of pins

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order: The member for Elgin–Middlesex–London.

Mr. Rob Flack: Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to allow members to wear gold ribbon lapel pins in recognition of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Elgin–Middlesex–London is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear gold ribbon lapel pins in recognition of September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Agreed? Agreed.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today His Excellency Vít Koziak, who is the ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Canada. His Excellency is accompanied by Mr. Michael Martincek, who is the honorary consul general of the Slovak Republic in Toronto. Please join me in welcoming our special guests.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Also in the Speaker’s gallery today is the family of today’s page captain, Prassan Aggarwal: his mother Salonee Aggarwal; his father Neeraj Aggarwal; and his sister Siya Aggarwal—some of you may remember her from her time as a page in the Legislature in 2019. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: It gives me great pleasure to welcome Helen Chinnery and her son Stephen Warner to Queen’s Park this morning.

Having had the opportunity to work with Stephen, it’s also bittersweet that after working with the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the Premier, and finally, at health, Stephen is departing Queen’s Park to study law.

Stephen has always approached his work here with commitment, enthusiasm, a great sense of humour and, most importantly, a passion for public service. I am grateful for his friendship, and I will miss him deeply.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I’d like to welcome Derek Fox from Bearskin Lake First Nation and Melinda Meekis from Deer Lake First Nation. Derek Fox is Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation—and also, his assistant. Meegwetch for coming. Thank you.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: I’d also like to take this opportunity to welcome my compatriot and good friend His Excellency Vít Koziak, ambassador of the Slovak Republic, who is here to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Slovakian constitution.

I would like to invite all members to join us for the flag-raising today at noon.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: I have a number of visitors to introduce today, so please bear with me.

First, I would like to welcome, from Punjab, India, Dr. Gurbir Singh Gill, who’s well known for his contributions and efforts in demonstrating the importance of making health care accessible to all. His dedication and hard work in improving the health care system in Punjab, India, has resulted in him perfecting a groundbreaking technique in cardiology that has already positively impacted the lives of his patients and set a precedent for future generations in the medical field. Dr. Gill has successfully performed—and treated over 21,000 patients without the use of stents.

He has been recognized for his contributions and achievements by the health minister of Punjab and has received the international health care award for the year 2022.

I would like to welcome Dr. Gill to the Legislature here today.

Hon. Doug Ford: Every Premier who has served has always had a great OPP detail, and there’s usually a sergeant who’s in charge of the detail. My sergeant—it’s his birthday today. He has served every Premier, back to Leslie Frost—at least, that’s what I hear; at least, he looks like he has served every Premier, back to Leslie Frost. He told me I was his favourite Premier, but I talked to other Premiers and he said the exact same thing to every single Premier he has served.

Happy birthday, Homi. I wish you all the very best.

Ms. Laura Smith: Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome Sharline Wang and Lei Zhang, the parents of our brilliant young page Sophie Zhang of Thornhill.

Mr. Vincent Ke: I’m happy to introduce my friends from Germany: Zhou Jing and her husband, Bernd Wohlfart, and her daughter Melanie Rose Wohlfart. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and enjoy your trip in Canada.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I wanted to introduce this morning page Liliana Commisso, who comes from Vaughan–Woodbridge and is attending St. Gregory the Great Catholic Academy. Welcome to Queen’s Park, and I hope you enjoy your time here with us.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to welcome Josh Young to Queen’s Park today. Josh has been an intern in our office at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. He is attending law school in Dundee, Scotland, this month. I wish him all the best and thank him for serving working people in this province.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: I’d also like to introduce two more sets of groups, so just really quickly. I’d like to recognize Jagjit Dhillon, a police officer from the Toronto police 23 Division; I would like to welcome Mejor Natt, a local community businessman who always gives back to the community; Amarjit Rai, a local, well-known news media personality in the Punjabi community; and I’d also like to introduce my father, Jagdish Singh Grewal.

On Monday, I gave a member’s statement that recognized the community of the Bayridge Block Party. I shared in my member’s statement last Monday that they, just on their street, fundraised over $10,000 for SickKids Hospital. All the young boys and girls are here with us today in the public gallery, just above me, so please join me in welcoming them all to Queen’s Park today.

Question Period

Health care funding

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier. Ontario’s health care crisis is getting worse by the day. Over the last week alone, there were overnight and weekend closures at Chesley hospital, Durham hospital, Walkerton and St. Mary’s, which was closed for a week. And just this morning, the Kemptville District Hospital announced its ER would be closed for the next six nights.

Doctors and front-line health care workers are very clear: This is a staffing crisis, and forcing seniors into private long-term-care homes is not going to solve that crisis. Why is the Premier saying no to front-line health staff who want to solve the staffing crisis?

Hon. Doug Ford: That’s the exact reason we have to move the patients into long-term care: because of the staffing crisis, because of the backlogged surgeries, because of the long waits in the emergency departments. That’s the exact reason.

Mr. Speaker, there isn’t a CEO of any hospital that has disagreed. As a matter of fact, I got a message from a CEO this morning: “Thank you so much for making this move.” They’re sending me messages non-stop.

This is about taking care of the public, taking care of seniors; making sure that we reduce the wait times when they go into the emergency room; making sure we get rid of the backlog when it comes to surgeries. That’s the reason we’re doing it, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Again to the Premier: Families are left in a frightening and vulnerable position when a local emergency room closes. We all know that. It’s happening in community after community because hospitals are dangerously understaffed. Nurses are leaving because of low wages and poor working conditions.

Will the Premier start taking steps today to address this crisis, starting with a repeal of the disastrous Bill 124?

Hon. Doug Ford: Speaker, to my friend in the opposition: We started four and a half years ago when he propped up the Liberals to fire 1,600 nurses. We’ve hired over 14,500—added 14,500 nurses. We’re adding another 5,000 nurses. We’re adding 27,000 new PSWs. We built the medical school that is going to be graduating more doctors into the system—one that hasn’t been built in over a decade. We added over 720 doctors last year alone.

We’re going to continue building on the success that we’ve seen by putting additions and building brand new hospitals in over 50 areas. There’s going to be 50 new hospitals, or with additions on top of that, spending over $40 billion.

There’s no government in the history—not of just Ontario, of Canada—that has put more money into the health care system than this government has.

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Again, to the Premier: Frankly, Speaker, the emergency rooms are closing. The Premier can talk all the numbers he wants. The emergency rooms are closing.

The Premier talks about the status quo. There’s nothing more status quo than Conservatives privatizing health care. Asking nurses and health care workers to accept cutbacks and pay freezes has been the status quo that this Premier has created. Public hospitals need proper funding and resources to maintain quality of care and to maintain safe working conditions. Nurses and health care workers need support, not wage freezes.

How many ERs have to close before this government gets it?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: The only part that I will agree with the member opposite: It is concerning when an emergency room closes temporarily, whether that is for an hour, a shift or, in fact, over a weekend, which is why Ontario Health works so closely with our hospitals to make sure that individuals who could perhaps do a locum are matched with a hospital that is facing a short-term closure. We’re doing that work. We have done a lot of work with Ontario Health to make sure that those matches are done, and frankly we avoid many closures as a result of that work. That work will continue.

But I also want to remind the member opposite: You talk about the shortage of health care workers. It was actually under the NDP government, when Bob Rae was Premier, that you cut residency spaces for doctors in the province of Ontario. So I will take no lessons from the member opposite or the NDP on how to better provide health care services in the province of Ontario.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. Students are going back to school next week, to what we all hope is going to be a more normal school year. Experts have been clear that addressing the impacts on their learning and their well-being is going to require serious interventions. But instead of a serious plan backed up with real investment, this government is shifting millions away from schools and into direct, one-time payments, forcing parents to buy their own supports.

Since there have been no further details of this new voucher-style program, will the Premier commit instead to investing that $225 million into our schools where it can do the most good?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We can do even better, Speaker. We can increase it by $689 million for this September, for publicly funded schools, to ensure kids get back on track with a learning recovery plan that actually gets them on track.

But in addition to increasing investments in publicly funded schools—yes, we do believe, as Conservatives, that we need to help parents through this economic difficulty. That should be the default position of every single one of us. For whatever reason, the NDP and the Liberals have continued to oppose $1.6 billion in direct financial relief. We did it with a $200 payment. We doubled it to $400. And now we’re providing an additional $225 million to parents directly to help them with this economic challenge.

All of us agree that there’s economic instability, and we want to help families through it. In addition to supporting parents, we have a plan, Speaker, to help these kids catch up. It starts with them being in school this September. Normal and stable and more enjoyable: That is our vision. It is our priority, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure your kids stay in school right to June.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: This government spent $900 million less on education last year than in previous years. The funding promised for this new direct payment is more than twice what’s been budgeted for mental health supports in schools. It’s $50 million more than what has been budgeted for in-school tutoring. Instead of funnelling that money into one-time cheques—$50, $75; we’re not sure yet—will the Premier invest it in hiring more teachers and more educational assistants so that our kids can truly catch up?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Since 2002, there are 40,000 more education workers in our schools, and the population of students has remained almost constant at two million. We have more staff in our schools, and for this September, as the Premier noted, 3,000 more are on the way because our government has invested in a plan to ensure front-line staff are there to help our kids catch up.

That is our commitment: to keep them in school, to help them learn and recover from this pandemic, and focus on the life and the job skills that are going to set them up for success when it comes to getting those jobs of the future. We have a vision for these kids to be ambitious and bold, and it starts with stability in schools, with a full learning experience—the life and the job skills that come with that as well, through clubs, sports, extracurriculars—the leadership we want in the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders.

We have a plan. We have invested over $175 million in tutoring expansion. When it comes to mental health, as the member opposite noted, we have increased investments from when the former Liberals were in power by 420%, underscoring our commitment to the health and safety of all children in this province.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’d like to know where these phantom staff are. Where are these mystery public health nurses who are supposed to be in our schools? You show me one of those. They sure as hell aren’t in our schools.

Speaker, this minister oversaw the longest school closures of any province or territory in this country—in North America. It’s a terrible track record. Instead of correcting that with the investments in our students, this government has shortchanged them at every opportunity.

The Premier can ensure a strong start to the new school year by investing and hiring more staff, bringing in more mental health supports and funding smaller classrooms. Will he do it?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair and to elevate their language.

Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We obviously believe these kids need to get back on track after two years of difficulty. We have a plan to help these kids catch up, and it starts with these kids being in school and staying in school without interruption.

Every three years, families in this province have to deal with their kids staying at home because of strikes imposed by unions, supported by the members opposite.

I think what is most regrettable is that when we have a positive plan for these kids to get back on track—on the eve of back-to-school, when all of us should be coming together to support children and their return—we have a doom-and-gloom scenario again by the New Democrats, undermining the confidence of families at a time when we should be united to keep kids in class.

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan in place, with over $600 million more for this September, $175 million for tutoring—there are 49,000 kids last week alone who benefited from that support—and a mental health lift and a jobs-in-focus priority that’s going to help these kids stay in school and get back on track.

Home care

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. The government is attacking seniors’ fundamental right to consent, forcing them into long-term-care facilities far away from their circle of care, from their families, but they continue to ignore the failures of our home care system. Most alternate-level-of-care patients in our hospitals are not waiting for a long-term-care bed; they are waiting for home care. But the wait-lists have tripled under this Ford government.

Why has the government not made any improvements to our home care system that would allow frail, elderly people to stay in their homes safely and respectfully?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I hope the member opposite, when she has an opportunity to vote for a billion-dollar investment in community care, will think carefully about what that actually means in our communities. It means 739,000 additional nursing visits. It means 157,000 nursing shift additional hours. It means 117,000 therapy visits, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology. It means 2,118,000 hours of personal support workers—two million, Speaker. It means 236,000 other types of home care visits.

I absolutely agree that we can do better to make sure that people are safe in their homes, but the member opposite needs to think carefully about that when we vote on today’s budget.

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

M me France Gélinas: The private, for-profit home care agencies cannot recruit and retain a stable workforce because they don’t offer good jobs.

Speaker, 90% of elderly people want to age at home, not in a long-term-care home. This government could bring tens of thousands of home care workers back to the job they love by mandating home care providers to offer 70% permanent, full-time jobs—well-paid, with benefits, sick days and a pension plan. But this government is standing by while private, for-profit home care agencies fail more and more frail, elderly people each and every day. Why is that?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: When our government passed the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, it was precisely because we have understood that what people want is the ability to age at home safely and with the supports they need. We are doing that with a billion-dollar investment, and we will continue to do this important work to make sure that we are educating and offering PSWs additional opportunities to work in Ontario. We are doing it by increasing the capacity of nursing students in the province of Ontario at our colleges and universities.

We are doing it by having internationally trained, educated health care professionals given the opportunity quickly to see and assess their qualifications and get those certificates so that they can work in our communities. We’re doing the work. I hope the member opposite is willing to support us in that work.

Transportation infrastructure

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Speaker, the Bradford community’s economic potential is incumbent upon the success of this road project’s expansion. This road project will not only benefit residents and travellers, it’s pretty much the key to their downtown success—and that is so crucial. The people of Bradford deserve to have certainty when it comes to delivering on this project.

We have seen the Liberal track record regarding road expansion like the Bradford Bypass: broken dreams and delayed potential.

Speaker, to the Minister of Transportation, can she tell us how this project will help spur economic growth in York–Simcoe and beyond?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member from Newmarket–Aurora for the great question.

Speaker, I have spoken at length in this House about the urgent need to get this project done, to fill the infrastructure gap that is crippling drivers. But building the Bradford Bypass is so much more than just about relief from gridlock. This new link will provide Ontario with the economic boost that it needs.

We have the heart of agricultural production right here in our backyard. The Holland Marsh grows over 56% of the province’s share of root vegetables and is the second largest grower of carrots in North America. But if our transport trucks are trapped in gridlock, this prevents those goods from getting to market quickly, and it stops us from realizing Ontario’s economic potential.

Speaker, our government is the only government building towards a brighter future for our province and we will get the Bradford Bypass done.

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

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Speaker, the people of Bradford and the GTA have waited long enough for the Ontario government to deliver on the Bradford Bypass project. Our local community has discussed and advocated for this project since the late 1960s and early 1970s.

But what did the Liberal government do over the years? They delayed and cancelled. In 1986, the then David Peterson Liberal government cancelled the proposed project. It was brought back once more only to be cancelled by the then Dalton McGuinty-Kathleen Wynne Liberal government.

Our community desperately needs this road expansion project to be completed. Speaker, to the Minister of Transportation: Can she please elaborate on the public support we have seen for getting this project done?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you again to the member for the question. She is right, Speaker. Communities in York region and Simcoe county have long called on their government to build the Bradford Bypass, and my predecessor Julia Munro was a fierce advocate for the Bradford Bypass for 23 years in this House.

But even as these calls have intensified over the years, successive Liberal governments just refused to listen. Our PC government, under the leadership of our Premier, is finally answering the call and delivering the Bradford Bypass.

Speaker, I am so pleased about the resounding support this project has received, including from York region’s chairman and CEO Wayne Emmerson, who has said, “Projects, like the Bradford Bypass, will make life easier for people by alleviating gridlock that already exists on our roads and highways.” And Bradford West Gwillimbury’s mayor, Rob Keffer, has applauded our government’s plan for this much-needed piece of infrastructure.

Speaker, make no mistake: Building the Bradford Bypass is a priority for our government and we are delivering.

Northern airports

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch. Good morning. Remarks in Oji-Cree.

My question is for the Premier. Twenty-seven First Nations in the Far North are air access only. These northern airports are lifelines to essential services: policing, groceries, mail, education, health care etc. They use gravel runways 3,500 feet in length, which may have been okay in the 1960s, but is definitely not okay today. What is the government doing to plan to extend and improve these gravel runways?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: It’s actually a very important question because, as the member will know, the Premier and this government have put an emphasis on developing the north, because we understand how important the north is to the economic success of the entire province. That has not, of course, always been the case in the province of Ontario. For many, many years, the north was ignored.

He will also know, Mr. Speaker, how important it is when you consider all of the work that the Minister of Mines and the Minister of Northern Development are doing with respect to the Ring of Fire.

The member is correct. It’s not only about economic development in the north, but it is also about the communities that will follow the enormous development that is happening there. We are building hospitals in the north, long-term care in the north. We’re building roads in the north. This is all part of what happens when the Ring of Fire comes to the north, and the infrastructure in the north will have to be improved. It is all part of the emphasis that this Premier has put in place since he was elected back in 2018, and we will continue that work.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: That’s not the answer I’m looking for. I’m looking for answers regarding airports. And let me be clear, the Ring of Fire will not happen unless you talk to all First Nations.

Speaker, imagine landing a six-ton aircraft at 160 kilometres per hour on a gravel runway that is less than a kilometre. Stop and think about that. We would never say it is safe to drive a car or a bus or a truck on a gravel road at 160 kilometres per hour, yet every day, planes are landing under these conditions. In Kingfisher Lake, my home community, the airport runway, which is gravel, was built in 1987. We are still using the same gravel runway.

What is this government’s plan to update these airports, to make them as safe as airports in the rest of Ontario?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I think the member is really—it’s surprising, but he’s on the same page as us when it comes to the investments that are needed in the north. Yes, it has been a long time since there has been a government that has been so focused on the north, that has been so focused on economic opportunity and understanding how important the north is to the entire province.

For far too long, people have thought of the north as a drag on the province of Ontario, but it was this Premier and this government who said that it’s absolutely the opposite, that there is a tremendous amount of wealth and resources in the north. There are skills in the north; we have seen it. The Minister of Mines has been a passionate advocate for the north and has brought jobs and opportunity to the north.

But the member is right. Infrastructure needs to be improved as we make these important investments which will bring hundreds of billions of dollars to the province of Ontario, thousands of jobs, enormous opportunities for all of the people in the north. The member is right, and that’s why we’re making investments not only in roads and bridges but, of course, airports will need to be part of this, because that’s what happens when you—

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

The next question.

Housing

Ms. Jess Dixon: Speaker, we all know that housing availability is at an all-time low across Ontario, with more than a million new residences required to address the shortage. The previous Liberal government didn’t have the initiative when it came to addressing supply constraints. It didn’t matter if it was high-rise, mid-rise, single-family, residential or missing middle, the entire process of building housing got mired in delay and wrapped in red tape.

This shortage can’t go on. There are young people in my riding—young hard-working people, people who are out building our economy—who are desperate to strike out on their own and start laying down their own roots, but they are stuck still living with their parents because the shortage has left them with limited options on where else to go.

What is the Associate Minister of Housing doing to keep us on track to building homes faster?

Hon. Michael Parsa: I would like to thank the member for the question, and the member is absolutely right. Ontario is in a housing crisis due to lack of supply, because of inaction by the previous Liberal government.

That’s why the people of Ontario put their trust in this Premier and in this government, because they know that we are here to act, to build, and because they know that we will work with all levels of government to get shovels in the ground.

As part of our More Homes for Everyone plan, we’re cutting through red tape and getting homes built faster. Through the community infrastructure and housing accelerator, we’re providing municipalities with the tools they need to speed up the approval process. This will remove barriers, creating new housing projects all across the province.

And, Mr. Speaker, we’re just getting started. We’re putting together Ontario’s first-ever housing supply action plan implementation team to engage with municipalities, the federal government and the ministry. As the Associate Minister of Housing, I’m here to ensure that we will fulfill our commitment to the people of this province. And, Mr. Speaker, we will—

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

The supplementary question.

Ms. Jess Dixon: Ontario’s population is expanding rapidly with projections of two to six million by 2043. By many accounts, the province is just not prepared to handle this kind of growth. We’ve got an aging population. We’ve got an increasing number of new Ontarians. We need the infrastructure to support all of them. We especially need it in major metropolitan cities and in rapidly growing areas, like the region of Waterloo.

We’re so lucky to have all these new residents. They keep our economy buzzing, and they keep our province vibrant. But if we don’t buckle down and build now, we’re going to see more and more Ontarians under-housed.

Can the associate minister explain how our government is working to keep pace with the growth happening here in Ontario?

Hon. Michael Parsa: Again, I thank the member for the question, and as I’ve said on countless occasions in this House: The time for getting shovels in the ground and getting on with the buildings of more homes is now.

That’s precisely what this government is doing. In 2021, our government broke ground on a record number of homes being built, with more than 100,000 new homes in only 12 months. That was the highest level since 1987.

And we can’t stop now. To keep up with the pace of population growth, we’ve introduced A Place to Grow, our plan for the greater Golden Horseshoe, designed to increase housing supply, create jobs and build stronger communities. We brought forward the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, which will ensure Ontario’s fastest growing cities have the tools they need to get projects approved quicker and build more homes faster.

Under the previous Liberal government, too many Ontarians gave up on the dream of home ownership. This government will never give up on them. I will never give up on them.

Long-term care

Ms. Chandra Pasma: Last week, Deana, a resident of Extendicare’s West End Villa, was forced into a move she didn’t want to make, thanks to the government’s Bill 7. Deana had temporarily ended up on a floor run by the Ottawa Hospital after they took over management of two floors at West End Villa. Warned that she was facing the possibility of being moved far from family, and hospital charges of up to $1,800 a day, Dina was forced to accept a room in this for-profit facility that she does not want to live in.

Why is the Premier insisting that no one will be coerced against their will when it is already happening to patients like Deana?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Well, look, we just passed the bill yesterday.

Having said that, we do contemplate working with hospitals to make space that is available in long-term-care homes available to our hospitals so that patients who need more complex care can have that care. That is something that has been working very well in communities across the province of Ontario. It works well in Markham–Stouffville. It has been working quite well in Ottawa. That is part of our changes to the health care system—our modernizing of the health care system.

We’ve said it a million times: We’re not just going to simply go with the status quo. It is not a good level of care when a person who wants to be in long-term care is sitting in a hospital. This has been the case in this province for years. I read you yesterday a report from the Auditor General, dating back to 2011, that highlighted how dangerous it was to have seniors waiting in hospitals when they should be in a long-term-care home. We’re acting on it, Mr. Speaker, and that is one of the ways we’re doing it.

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

Ms. Chandra Pasma: Speaker, Deana may be bedbound, but she has the same right to choose where to live that we all have. People don’t become disposable just because they’re elderly or they have a disability, but instead of being able to choose a new room or a new facility herself, she was told, “Take this one now or, next week, we can put you wherever we want or charge you whatever we want.” It’s this government’s bill that was used to coerce her decision. Will the Premier finally acknowledge the danger and stop Bill 7 from coming into force?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I think the member opposite is losing track of the fact that we have patients who are sitting in hospital beds who need to be better served in community. That can, in some cases, be in a long-term-care home, and I want to reinforce that Bill 7 ensures that the individual, even if they are moved into a long-term-care facility, will still have their priority list of five there, so that when a bed is available in the long-term-care facility of their choice, they will have that opportunity.

I have to remind people that hospitals are not homes. We need to ensure that people have the ability to live out their lives in community, in long-term-care homes, where there is social programming and where there are opportunities for enhancement, which is, of course, not what is available in hospitals.

Long-term care / Soins de longue durée

M me Lucille Collard: The government is rushing the passing of Bill 7—not allowing the government to hear the concerns of Ontarians because there will be no public hearings. We understand that hospitals are under enormous pressure and that we need to find measures of support and relief, but moving patients out of ALC into inappropriate long-term-care facilities is displacing the issue, not solving it. The Premier himself said yesterday that patients deserve proper care, so why not invest in more home care?

The bill does not contain details regarding the implementation, and not knowing how far this government will go to free beds in hospitals really worries families.

My question is, how will the government ensure that patients’ rights to consent to proper care will be guaranteed?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, the member suggests that this is something new. But look, we have a report dating back to 2011 that was commissioned by the former Liberal government where their own commissioner begged them to do something about ALC and to work with long-term care in order to make that happen. This is dating back to 2011.

We then have a further report from the Auditor General in 2012 which highlighted the dangers of having our seniors in hospital who should be transitioned into long-term care. In addition to the potential for C. difficile, they talked about older patients’ decline in physical and mental abilities due to lack of activity as being one of the dangers.

That’s what this bill fixes. It allows us to work with long-term-care homes, it allows us to work with the patient who wants to become a resident, see what services are available in the homes around their choice, and if their choice is not available, they stay at the top of the priority list for their home of choice, but at the same time get better care in the home while they wait for that.

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

Les gens sont inquiets, car le projet de loi ne donne aucune assurance que le consentement, la volonté et les besoins des patients et des familles seront respectés. Selon la loi, le patient doit être libre de consentir au traitement ou de le refuser. Le consentement doit être obtenu sans contrainte, ni coercition.

Est-ce que le ministre peut garantir aux Ontariens que la réglementation de mise en oeuvre du projet de loi 7 va respecter leur droit de consentir librement aux soins?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, the bill highlights that the Patients’ Bill of Rights will of course continue to be respected, but what the bill really does, though, Mr. Speaker, is that it works with patients in hospital who are waiting to be transferred into long-term care.

What we’re able to do is, we’re opening up 500 spaces for respite care. I’ve talked about how important that is, and I hope all members would agree that that’s important. We’re able to bring on 1,000 beds that have been set aside for isolation purposes—1,000 of the 2,000—and put them back into service, so that people can have access to those beds.

We’re able to work with long-term-care homes and the patients: “What is your preferred choice? Is it available? If it’s not, what homes in and around your preferred choice are available? Will that home work for you? If it doesn’t, what do we need to do to make it work for you? Do we need to put in kidney dialysis? Do we need behavioural supports for you, or specialized nursing for you?” This bill allows us to do that.

The regulations that I introduced a couple of days ago eliminate ward rooms. It reiterates the fact that there are no more ward rooms. We talked about the $60 million going forward. It’s better for patients, and we won’t stop—

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

Next question.

Health care post-secondary education

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Speaker, the pandemic has exacerbated the growing nursing shortage in Ontario’s health care system. Nurses and personal support workers are the cornerstone of the health care system, and that’s why we must address this problem.

To do that, we have to improve access to post-secondary education. Many young people want to become part of the solution and enter this revered profession, but are concerned about barriers such as limited selection in accessing high-quality local education.

Mr. Speaker, what is the Minister of Colleges and Universities doing for my constituents that wish to receive a nursing degree close to their home?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Markham–Thornhill for that important question. We all can agree—we know how vital nurses are to the health care system. I’m proud to say that we’ve created the conditions where a record number of Ontario students are excited to enter the nursing field and begin their postgraduate nursing education.

Our innovative approach to connecting students to nursing programs closer to home is delivering real results so we can keep Ontario open for all. Since 2020, we have allowed stand-alone nursing programs at 14 colleges and universities across Ontario to keep up with this demand. This means that students across the province, from St. Catharines to Ottawa to Sault Ste. Marie, have greater choice than ever before. This means getting them through the system quicker and getting them into the workforce.

In addition, our $61-million investment into the Learn and Stay program will provide life-changing financial supports to students right here in Ontario. These investments and programs are making real change in Ontario, and we will continue to provide students with the education and skills they need to address health care needs in this province.

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

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Thank you, Minister, for that answer.

Speaker, Indigenous communities also urgently need more nurses and PSWs. Unfortunately, Indigenous people have long faced barriers in accessing effective and culturally safe health care. With enrolment in Indigenous institutes increasing by 43% since 2018, we must ensure that students receive culturally relevant, high-calibre education.

Speaker, what steps has the ministry taken in expanding enrolment in PSW and nursing programs at Indigenous institutes?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you again to the member for the question. Our government is proud to support a post-secondary system that is accessible, respectful and inclusive for all students, including Indigenous learners and educators. That is why we continue to work with colleges, universities, Indigenous institutes and Indigenous partners to create the conditions that make it easier for everyone to access high-quality post-secondary education.

Through an investment of $34 million over four years to Indigenous institutes, we are increasing enrolment at PSW programs at six Indigenous institutes. This investment is expected to directly train over 400 PSWs in the next four years, and will support the enhancement of Indigenous knowledge and language in students’ learning.

Together, we are working to overcome the unique challenges facing our health care system and our students. We will continue to work collaboratively with Indigenous communities, so that students receive culturally relevant, high-calibre education and Indigenous people can continue accessing effective and culturally appropriate health care.

Employment standards

Mr. Jamie West: Speaker, everyone except the Conservative government seems to know that paid sick days help workers. It helps them keep their families safe, their co-workers safe and help keeps our community safe. But instead of 10 paid sick days, the Conservative government had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, in the middle of the pandemic, to offer a measly three temporary paid sick days. Workers can only use those for COVID-19 and nothing else, and if a worker used them in the past two years, those are gone forever.

My question is, why doesn’t the Premier care about workers who get sick with something other than COVID-19, and why are workers who get COVID-19 and have already used their paid sick days not able to have more?

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

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Look, this government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, will always have the backs of workers across this province. That’s why, Mr. Speaker, we were the first province in Canada to bring in job-protected leave. If anyone had to stay home because of COVID-19, they can’t be fired for that.

Furthermore, we became the first province in the country to bring in paid sick days during the pandemic. I recently extended those paid sick days until the end of March. But let me be clear to all workers in this province: We’ll continue to have their backs every single day.

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

Mr. Jamie West: I want to talk about Barb—she asked me not to use her real name. Barb is a local PSW, and between the rising cost of food, rent and her student loans, she barely earns enough to support herself and her children. Barb worries a lot about getting sick, because if she gets sick, she’ll have to choose between feeding her kids or endangering the elderly patients where she works. It’s not a decision a mother or health care provider should make, Speaker.

Front-line workers deserve to recover from illness at home without fear that their bills won’t get paid. I’m not talking about protected leave; I’m talking about paying your bills and putting food in your belly.

My question is, will the Premier commit to 10 permanent employer-paid sick days so that Ontario can keep workers, families and our communities safe?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: This government will always continue to have the backs of every single worker in this province. That’s why, again, we brought in job-protected leave—the first in the country. We were the first in Canada to bring in paid sick days during the pandemic, and to update the member opposite, on average, workers across the province are using two of those three paid sick days.

I’m also proud to say, unlike the NDP plan that would bankrupt thousands of small businesses in this province, under our paid sick days, we’re reimbursing businesses for the cost of those paid sick days. Mr. Speaker, we’ll continue every day working for workers in this province and we’ll continue to have their backs.

Curriculum

Mr. Nolan Quinn: My question is for the Minister of Education. Industries and businesses across all of Ontario are struggling to find employees to fill jobs they’re offering. A company in my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, SigmaPoint in the city of Cornwall, is facing extreme difficulties finding engineers that they need to seamlessly run their business.

This labour shortage is hampering our economy. It is often the case that our young people are not aware of, or qualified, to work in these sectors. As legislators, we cannot accept this. We need to ensure that our students, starting with the youngest learners, including my own young children, know about the jobs of the future and are equipped to fulfill the jobs.

Mr. Speaker, through you, to the minister: How will this government ensure that our children are prepared to enter the workforce and fill our employment gaps?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry for this critical question, because as our government is seized with safeguarding our future prosperity amid global change and disruption, we have a plan to ensure the next generation of entrepreneurs and leaders in our province have the skills they need to get those good-paying jobs.

Mr. Speaker, the fundamental problem we have to define is that this curriculum the children are learning in this province, from math to science, was outdated and static. The last time the former Liberals updated the curriculum was 2005 in math. YouTube had not been launched, Twitter had not been released, the first iPhone had not been released on the market, and yet, kids were learning skills totally disconnected from the global economy.

Clearly, we must do better, which is why we’ve modernized our math and science curricula with a real emphasis on life and job skills: Coding, financial literacy, teaching kids about mortgages, budgeting, credit and debt—these are the skills generations of young people wished they learned and, under our government, they will this September.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I remind the members not to use props.

Supplementary question.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: While I’m certainly pleased to know that this government has placed an emphasis on STEM learning in schools, our students must be able to transfer these skills to real-life opportunities. How can it be true that we have a labour shortage, and concurrently, a large number of young people without jobs?

The answer is simple, Speaker: Our young people were not adequately prepared for the current demands of the job market. For 15 years, the previous Liberal government was distracted trying to teach discovery math and other items that failed to help our students find employment with good paycheques.

We need to ensure that our children, including children of my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, are being taught relevant subjects that are continuously updated so that they can access and be aware of well-paying jobs. To the minister: How is the updated STEM curriculum going to prepare our next generation for the jobs of the future?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It is a critical question, because what it underscores is a necessity for curriculum to be relevant to the job market. Under this government, we have created 500,000 good-paying jobs in this province, and yet, in this country, the youth unemployment rate still remains stubbornly high. Something has to change. We accept that the curriculum needs to be modern and reflect the life skills young people need to get the jobs of the future that we aspire for them.

That’s why we mandated coding—the first government in this province to mandate coding from grade 1 through grade 8—in both the math and the science curriculum. In grade 3, kids will know how to literally build a robot. We’re teaching them skill sets that are going to help set them up the STEM careers we want.

We’re also, for the first time, speaking about artificial intelligence, with the emergence of new jobs within those sectors.

Financial literacy is now a mandate. It is a compulsion of graduation, starting in grade 1 with learning basic money skills, all the way to grade 8, where they’re literally building a budget for the year after their graduation.

We have a plan to help these kids succeed and get good-paying jobs, and it starts with keeping them in school this September right to June.

Health care workers

Ms. Lise Vaugeois: My question is to the Premier. This government spouts a lot of numbers about the thousands of new health care professionals they hired during their last term, but there is—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member, take your seat.

Order. Member for Niagara Falls, come to order. Government side, come to order. That shouldn’t have happened.

Start the clock. I recognize the member again.

Ms. Lise Vaugeois: Thank you.

As I said, this government spouts a lot of numbers about the thousands of new health care professionals they hired during their last term, but there is no evidence whatsoever that any of these new professionals exist. They are nowhere to be seen in Thunder Bay–Superior North, and given the staffing crisis gripping every single health care setting in the province, they’re nowhere to be seen anywhere else.

Is your refusal to negotiate a fair wage with existing health care workers, thus sending them out of the profession in droves, part of your long-term plan to privatize health care, ultimately leading to low-waged and precarious work for all health care workers once you have destroyed the existing workforce?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for that question. It’s true: We have hired thousands of health care workers, and we have thousands of students now wanting to enter the nursing profession. Today’s report showed 25,000 students wanting to enter the nursing profession in Ontario’s publicly funded colleges and universities, world-class—

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Because of the record investments that this government is making in the health care system, a record number of students are wanting to enter this profession. We know how vital nurses and PSWs are to the health care system, and we will continue to make those investments.

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

Ms. Lise Vaugeois: These sound like imaginary friends to me.

The $5,000 bonus given to nurses but not other health care workers not only did not represent a permanent wage increase, it continues to cause division and resentment amongst all those health care workers who are not eligible for the bonus—an entirely predictable outcome in the government’s divide-and-conquer strategy.

I was called recently by a young nurse who was adamant he did not want their “damn $5,000.” He wanted to see across-the-board pay and benefit increases so that more health care workers would stay in the profession and they wouldn’t be working in a constant state of exhaustion.

Will this government admit it is deliberately driving existing health care workers out of the profession in order to gut the public system?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Let’s elevate our language.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities—

Hon. Jill Dunlop: —those 25,000 applications to the nursing programs right here in Ontario.

Let’s look at the opposition’s record. You admit you need more nurses. Let me see: a $61-million investment in the Learn and Stay program, which would bring 3,000 nurses in the next four years—did this opposition support it? No.

Interjections.

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

The member for St. Catharines, come to order. The member for Kitchener–Conestoga, come to order. I have to be able to hear the minister in her reply.

Restart the clock.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care’s investment of $35 million to increase enrolment to allow for over 1,000 RPNs and over 800 registered nurses—did the opposition support us? No.

The Ministry of Long-Term Care’s investment of $100 million to support upskilling and training of nurses and registered practical nurses—did they support that? No.

Our investment of $342 million to add over 5,000 registered nurses and 8,000 PSWs—did they support this? No.

This government is making the investments and providing the opportunities for students to enter the nursing profession.

Equal opportunity

Mrs. Daisy Wai: This question is for the Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity.

Our national and economic security depends on a robust cyber security system. With the recent news of a data breach at DoorDash, I know that many people in my riding of Richmond Hill are now aware of the critical role that cyber security oversight has for everyone’s protection. Unfortunately, there appears to be a lack of diversity and inclusion for women in this important field. It is reported that they make up a small percentage of the cyber security workforce, at roughly 11% of the jobs globally.

What is our government doing to highlight the growing need for women in cyber security?

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: Thank you to the member from Richmond Hill for that excellent question.

You improve the security of an organization when you have diverse mindsets.

Today, September 1, is International Women in Cyber Day. It is a day set aside to bring awareness of the challenges women face and to celebrate women’s achievements within the cyber security industry.

To better address the growing demand for jobs in the cyber security field, we have to encourage a diverse set of voices throughout the field and in leadership positions.

I’m really glad the Minister of Education highlighted the importance that our government is making in changing the face of STEM for young kids—because we are modernizing our science and technology curriculum to place an emphasis on STEM that will encourage more young girls and women to explore cyber security.

Mr. Speaker, women can be at the forefront of this industry and can change the landscape in cyber security while increasing their representation.

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

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you, Minister, for your tireless efforts to support women.

Unfortunately, many women have experienced roadblocks and challenges trying to enter the cyber security industry.

One of the major concerns is that the field often isn’t on the radar of girls and women as they pick post-secondary programs or consider new careers. Another challenge women face is the perception that only those with a programming background can get a job in the field.

With today being International Women in Cyber Day, as the minister mentioned, what is our government doing to advocate for a more significant presence of women to be leaders in this industry?

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: Thank you, member from Richmond Hill, for the question.

In the world of cyber security, it is becoming increasingly evident that our sensitive and private information is vulnerable.

The women involved in this industry are our front-line heroes, keeping us safe in an environment of new technology and cyber attacks. The same as a firefighter or a police officer, women in cyber security have the same ability to protect and serve our communities as well.

The industry is booming today and growing in exponential ways. I recently had a meeting with the Ontario Centre of Innovation and learned about the work they are doing to elevate women in the advanced technology industry to start up and scale up their businesses.

Mr. Speaker, now more than ever, I am excited to highlight and encourage young women to consider a career in cyber security. Our government will highlight women’s achievements and cast down barriers as an ally alongside them because women belong in every place, at every table and in every space.

Township of Armstrong sewage lagoon

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. The Ministry of the Environment has approved the use of a former dairy farm lagoon in Armstrong township for the importation, storage and spreading of raw sewage from Quebec. I have made the minister, the ministry and this Legislature aware several times of the issues involved with the approval process and have been unable to get answers, so I’ll make them here.

Could you please confirm that adjacent property owners need to be consulted as part of the EA process?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, let me just say that I won’t be able to give him specific answers to that, so I will take it under advisement and meet with him after question period.

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

Mr. John Vanthof: I appreciate that response, and I look forward to the detailed answer.

When my office contacted the ministry regarding the use of a former dairy lagoon, the ministry responded that the site did not contain an abandoned lagoon, even though it obviously does. When my office contacted the ministry regarding the well that provided water to the former dairy farm, the reply was that no prior well existed on the property. Once again, that is not accurate.

The community is losing faith in the role of the ministry in the approval of this project. Minister, will you commit to releasing all documents pertaining to your ministry’s approval and monitoring of this project?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, Mr. Speaker, the minister is working very hard and very diligently to ensure that we have one of the most robust environmental assessment regimes in the entire country. I know you have seen day in and day out the passion that he brings to this.

Moreover, Mr. Speaker, we know how important agriculture is to the province of Ontario. It’s something that the Minister of Agriculture has been talking about constantly. We will continue to work with our farmers, we will continue to work with communities, and we’ll continue to work with this member to ensure that what we are doing each and every day is highlighted, respecting the fact that we need to protect our environment, making sure that the rules that are in place protect not only our communities but protect the people who work within our communities, and ensuring that our farmers and our agriculture community are respected in that process.

As I said, Mr. Speaker, at the conclusion of question period, I will sit down with the member and take some additional advice from him and hear some of his specific concerns.

Housing

Mrs. Robin Martin: With the GTA population expected to increase by between two and six million in the next 20 years, Ontario needs to have a plan. We will need the necessary infrastructure to accommodate more residents, and most importantly, we will need enough housing. We can’t afford delay and red tape. A population increase of this magnitude requires immediate action. Experts and advocates are calling on the federal and provincial governments to address the crisis and move aggressively to support the oncoming population increase.

Speaker, can the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing explain how the strong-mayors legislation will help expedite priority projects and housing so that we can keep up with population growth?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for Eglinton–Lawrence for that tremendous question. I think it’s so very important, especially during the time of a municipal election, that we’ve got to make sure that we get that plan in place. Municipal governments play a crucial role in determining housing supply.

But the member is right. As Ontario’s population has grown, housing—new construction, the supply of housing—hasn’t kept pace. We’re now facing a housing crisis that freezes too many young families out of the market. Our proposed strong-mayor system will empower municipal leaders to work more effectively with the province on provincial priorities like building more housing.

On this side of the House, we understand that municipalities play that critical role in ensuring our success, but we have to—and I have to implore the opposition to really look at this. This is so important, that we give the mayors in our two largest cities the tools that they need to get the job done. That’s exactly what our proposed bill will do.

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

Mrs. Robin Martin: Leading voices have warned that the lack of new housing and planning for population growth in Toronto could hamper the city’s economic future. These same voices have said that the top concern for everyone should be addressing Ontario’s housing crunch and the difficulty that many residents have buying and renting.

Many of my constituents are very concerned about home ownership for themselves and for their children. They ask why governments are not taking immediate action and cutting through the red tape that is holding up development.

Speaker, can the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing explain how our strong-mayors legislation will result in more homes and provide reassurance to my constituents about their future in cities like Toronto?

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through you to the member: I’ve said this many, many times in the House, that we need to work with our municipal partners to unlock more housing supply. Too many Ontarians are worried that they’re never going to be able to own the home that meets their needs and their budget. Our government has to move forward. We have to implement policies and build upon the success of More Homes for Everyone and our housing supply action plan.

I want to remind the members of the House that last year, we had the most housing starts, over 100,000. It’s the most we’ve had in our province in over 30 years.

But, Speaker, more has to be done. We need to pull out all the stops to ensure that municipalities have the tools to get the job done. We’ve committed to Ontarians in the last election that we’re going to be building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, so that people can realize the dream of home ownership. That’s exactly what our proposed strong-mayors bill will accomplish.

Consumer protection

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Buying a new home should be a dream, not a nightmare. We continue to hear about bad builders who extort homebuyers by raising the price of homes after contracts have been signed, or turn around and cancel the contract and re-sell the home to the highest bidder. This has to stop.

Your regulator, the HCRA, has only investigated 10% of all complaints, and not a single fine has been laid. To make matters worse, because of the government regulator’s inaction, many homebuyers have had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars in court, sign NDAs and go through years of unnecessary stress, because your government regulator isn’t protecting them.

Why is this government letting this happen, and if they’re not willing to act, are they willing to reimburse homebuyers for their legal fees since they are unwilling to protect them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Mr. Speaker, it is this government that vowed to stop bad developers from trying to make extra money off the backs of hard-working Ontarians, and it is our government that is strengthening the regulatory tools available to address this concern. These include much heftier fines for bad builders and enhanced powers for HCRA to proactively investigate potential bad behaviour by developers.

Altogether, these stronger penalties and approaches would cost unlawful developers very dearly: on a single home, from hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to the loss of their builder’s licence. Speaker, we are making bad builders think twice before trying to take advantage of our homebuyers. Also, we are actively working to stop these incidents from happening any further through multiple different means.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our question period for this morning.

Business of the House

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader on a point of order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I’m just rising on standing order 59 to outline the business in the coming week and to thank members on all sides of the House for a very productive week for the people of the province of Ontario.

On Monday, September 5, pursuant to standing order 9(i), the House, of course, will not meet, in recognition of Labour Day.

On Tuesday, September 6, in the morning and afternoon, we will be dealing with Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act. In the evening, we will have private member’s notice of motion number 2 from the member for Brampton North.

On Wednesday, September 7, in the morning and afternoon, we will proceed with Bill 3, Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act. In the evening, we will have the member for Scarborough–Guildwood’s Bill 9, Safe and Healthy Communities Act.

On Thursday, September 8, in the morning, colleagues, we will have tributes to deceased members of Parliament. Let me just thank members who have been participating in that. They are very important to the family members, and the speeches on all sides have really been very, very well done. So thank you and congratulations to everybody.

We will then have a statement by the ministry at routine proceedings. The Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions will have a statement on World Suicide Prevention Day. In the afternoon, we will continue with tributes to deceased members of provincial Parliament and, in the evening, the member for Windsor West’s private member’s notice of motion number 1.

Deferred Votes

Plan to Build Act (Budget Measures), 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour favoriser le développement (mesures budgétaires)

Deferred vote on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 2,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 2, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1147 to 1152.

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

On August 31, 2022, Mr. Bethlenfalvy moved third reading of Bill 2,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Brady, Bobbi Ann

Bresee, Ric

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Fedeli, Victor

Flack, Rob

Ford, Doug

Ford, Michael D.

Fullerton, Merrilee

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Ghamari, Goldie

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Hogarth, Christine

Jones, Sylvia

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Ke, Vincent

Kerzner, Michael S.

Khanjin, Andrea

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

McGregor, Graham

McNaughton, Monte

Mulroney, Caroline

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rae, Matthew

Rasheed, Kaleed

Riddell, Brian

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sarrazin, Stéphane

Saunderson, Brian

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Smith, Todd

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Williams, Charmaine A.

Yakabuski, John

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

Nays

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Bell, Jessica

Blais, Stephen

Bourgouin, Guy

Bowman, Stephanie

Burch, Jeff

Collard, Lucille

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Harden, Joel

Hsu, Ted

Hunter, Mitzie

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Pasma, Chandra

Rakocevic, Tom

Schreiner, Mike

Shamji, Adil

Shaw, Sandy

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

Vaugeois, Lise

West, Jamie

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 76; the nays are 30.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1156 to 1300.

Petitions

Dairy industry

Mr. Joel Harden: It’s an honour to rise today to present this petition. I want to thank, again, Marlene and Bernie from the Merry Dairy ice cream store on Gladstone. It reads:

“I Support Small Ice Cream Shops in Ontario.

“Whereas small ice cream shops offer customers a delicious treat, dairy producers valuable clients, and offer staff jobs;

“Whereas the Milk Act prevents small ice cream shops from local wholesaling, even if the source of their dairy ingredients comes from a certified dairy plant. In fact, the Milk Act currently restricts the wholesale of any products made with dairy ingredients, not just ice cream;

“Whereas small ice cream shops that wholesale without their own certified dairy plants are subject to thousands of dollars in fines ...;

“Whereas consumers have the right to choose from a variety of safe dairy products, and not just those made by large suppliers;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to allow small ice cream shops access to local markets for wholesaling, provided all ingredients are fully traceable, and all dairy ingredients come from certified dairy plants in Ontario.”

Speaker, it’s an honour to sign this petition. I’ll send it with Juliet to the Clerks’ table. And I understand that back home I have 70 more pages of this waiting for me.

Social assistance

Miss Monique Taylor: I’d like to thank Dr. Sally Palmer for providing my office with these petitions.

“To Raise Social Assistance Rates.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario’s social assistance rates are well below Canada’s official Market Basket Measure poverty line and woefully inadequate to cover the basic costs of food and rent;

“Whereas individuals on the Ontario Works program receive just $733 per month and individuals on the Ontario Disability Support Program receive just $1,169 per month, only 41% and 65% of the poverty line;

“Whereas the Ontario government has not increased social assistance rates since 2018, and Canada’s inflation rate in January 2022 was 5.1%, the highest rate in 30 years;

“We, the undersigned citizens of Ontario, petition the Legislative Assembly to increase social assistance rates to a base of $2,000 per month for those on Ontario Works and to increase other programs accordingly.”

I wholeheartedly support this petition. I will affix any name to it and give it to page Daniyal to bring to the Clerk.

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Windsor–Tecumseh might have a point of order.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Thank you, Speaker—and I apologize; I was unable to be prompt with it. I do have visitors in the gallery today who I want to introduce to the House. David Ennis and Ian Sutcliffe are both students at the University of Windsor, and I’d like to welcome them here today. They’re experiencing the Ontario Legislature for the first time.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Beaches–East York may have a point of order.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Sorry; if I could just emulate that—I missed the opportunity to introduce my amazing volunteers, Ewan and Davide, who are here for my inaugural speech.

There are more people coming, but they are not here yet. Thank you so much.

Orders of the Day

New members of provincial Parliament

Hon. Graydon Smith: I move that the House recognize newly elected members of provincial Parliament for their contributions to public service and their communities.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry has moved government notice of motion number 5. I’ll recognize the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Graydon Smith: Some of you were here the other day when I was telling a tale, the tale of my life and how I got here. There were twists and turns and tumbles, and it was quite a story. Then I learned the hard truth, as I was telling the tale, about procedure here in the House and how sometimes debate on a bill comes to an end rather abruptly.

But I’m back, Speaker, to talk a little bit more today and finish off just the last few remarks of my speech. I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to do so, because as it came to a conclusion the o