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October 5, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Oct-05 (PDF)

L191 - Mon 5 Oct 2020 / Lun 5 oct 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 5 October 2020 Lundi 5 octobre 2020

Private Members’ Public Business

COVID-19 response

Members’ Statements

Steve Crnec

Ontario farmers

Gerry LaHay

Cystic fibrosis

Tenant protection

Children’s Vision Month

Williamstown Fair

Teachers

Waste diversion

Scarborough Ribfest

Annamie Paul

Speaker’s Book Award

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Education funding

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Government’s record

Subventions destinées à l’éducation / Education funding

Small business

Skilled trades

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

Economic reopening and recovery

COVID-19 response

Education funding

Deferred Votes

COVID-19 response

Speaker’s Book Award

Introduction of Bills

Fairness for Residential Superintendents, Janitors and Caretakers Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur l’équité pour les concierges, les employés d’immeuble ou les préposés à l’entretien d’un immeuble d’habitation

Petitions

Alzheimer’s disease

Long-term care

Long-term care

Long-term care

Public sector compensation

Long-term care / Soins de longue durée

Long-term care

Long-term care

Social assistance

Correction of record

Orders of the Day

Moving Ontario Family Law Forward Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 faisant avancer le droit de la famille en Ontario

Order of business

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

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

This being the first Monday of the month, we are now going to have O Canada and the royal anthem.

Playing of the royal anthem / Écoute de l’hymne royal.

Playing of the national anthem / Écoute de l’hymne national.

Private Members’ Public Business

COVID-19 response

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I move that, in the opinion of this House, the government must rise to meet the urgent needs facing Ontarians during the COVID-19 pandemic and address worsening issues in housing, poverty, mental health, long-term care, education, job creation, crime, and violence; and that calling an election before the fixed date in 2022 would put politics ahead of public health and interrupt the ongoing COVID-19 response with a serious human toll in the short and long term.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Hunter has moved private members’ notice of motion number 110. Pursuant to standing order number 101, the member has 12 minutes for her presentation.

Again, this is the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: At this very moment, our province is under threat of novel coronavirus COVID-19. Yesterday, Ontario passed the 54,000-total-cases mark, sadly with 2,975 deaths, mostly in long-term care, and we are just hitting a second wave. It’s projected that the number of cases will rise to 1,000 per day unless actions are taken.

Hot-spot areas, like my riding of Scarborough–Guildwood, and Etobicoke North, which the Premier himself represents, have not had a break since the virus hit in March. We see a school year that has been lost due to lockdown, and a back-to-school that was rocky due to lack of proper planning and investments needed to keep class sizes low and students, educators and families safe. Long-term-care homes are bracing for a second wave as they cope with flu season and the change in weather.

Speaker, despite knowing the risks of a second wave, this government has failed to plan adequately for a surge in testing and contact tracing. Instead, they’ve restricted the ability of people to get tested. Ontario’s economy has been hard hit. Small businesses are at risk of closing, with no credible relief package in sight from this government. Women, Black, Indigenous, and other people of colour are seeing deeper and longer effects of job loss. Yet instead of preparing and doing the necessary work, the Premier and his ministers have been on a summer-long campaign-style tour, paid for by taxpayers. This must stop.

Instead of keeping their eye on the ball, they were busy politicking. Now, we have rumours of an early election, fueled by reports of PC incumbents being acclaimed to run in the next election, and every riding would have nominated candidates by March.

The priorities of the Premier must be about what is important to people. No—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Order, please. Order.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Today, all members of this House, and especially the Premier, can go on record in support of this motion and explicitly state that responding to the impact of COVID-19 must be our priority at this time, not campaigning for an unnecessary election.

We need to be able to take the Premier at his word, but, sadly, we cannot. I am calling on this House to ensure that Ontarians are not forced to participate in an election in the middle of a public health crisis. We have a duty to protect our residents, and pushing them to the polls at this time would be an unconscionable risk to their health.

The Premier and his government should instead dedicate their undivided attention to fixing our systems that are overburdened and overstrained by the pandemic, fixing the chaos in our education system, and protecting residents and staff in long-term care. This ought to be the focus of the government. We need to pay attention to what really matters.

In Toronto and in communities across the province, COVID-19 is particularly concentrated in low-income and racialized communities. To quote the chair of the Toronto Board of Health: “Like many infectious diseases, COVID-19 preys on poverty. Vulnerability to this virus is directly connected to the social determinants of health—income, race and ethnicity, and housing status, to name a few. Our public health data shows that the impacts of this pandemic have not been equally distributed and that its lasting effects will be hardest on those who are already vulnerable and marginalized in our communities.

That’s why all levels of government must commit to working together to tackle the social determinants of health and address social inequalities that COVID has both exposed and worsened.”

Our social inequalities have been aggravated by the pandemic in other ways as well. Gun crime is on the rise. Youth programs and after-school activities have been shut down. There is a tsunami of evictions. Food bank visits are skyrocketing. And we’ve seen a dramatic rise in opioid overdose deaths since the pandemic began in March.

The same social determinants of health that exposed racialized communities to COVID-19 are also key contributors to the rash of gun violence we’ve seen rising in our cities since the pandemic began. In the city of Toronto, there have been more incidences of gun violence, and they’re getting deadlier. Over the same period last year, incidents are up 12%, and shooting deaths are up nearly 20%. The former chief of police Mark Saunders said that you cannot arrest your way out of this problem. Clearly, more needs to be done to invest in communities. Many community organizations and non-profits are struggling, but the work that they do is essential for youth who benefit from it.

Nearly overnight, spaces for youth closed. Community centres and other programs that kept young people anchored, supported and cared for have disappeared. The government needs a plan to address this gap during the pandemic. Gun violence is both a public health and a social issue. This is a crisis. It’s a problem that my private member’s bill, Safe and Healthy Communities Act (Addressing Gun Violence), 2019, would bridge. The bill would declare gun violence a public health crisis. It would provide funding for hospital-based violence intervention and trauma-informed counselling for survivors and others affected by gun violence to help break the cycle of violence.

Toronto Public Health has adopted the bill and already are working to implement recommendations, and we should do the same. The province’s support would also give local boards of health the resources that they need to provide programs and services for reducing gun violence. I’m calling on the government to take the lives and trauma of Ontarians seriously and address poverty in our cities and communities. Invest in those communities and make resources available for youth spaces and after-school programs.

The Ontario government can afford to invest more in our education system to make it both safe and effective. The government’s plan is not working. Our education system is in chaos. Just today, the Catholic board announced another school that will be in lockdown. The virus has swept through our schools the same way it has swept through communities across the province.

We’ve heard reports that many boards do not have the resources that they need to roll out the return to school effectively, but the government just isn’t listening. To quote Dr. Carol Campbell, associate professor in the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto: “The United Nations has warned that students are facing a ‘generational catastrophe’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ontario, there continue to be issues with back-to-school plans and, already, over one in 10 schools have a confirmed COVID-19 case. Students’ learning and health are being negatively affected with increasing inequities evident. Our students’ futures are at” risk.

And they are at stake. Decisions taken or not taken now will have consequences for many years to come. The government must fulfill its mandate to the people of Ontario by taking action for the long haul of the pandemic to ensure that we do not have a generational catastrophe.

The province has received billions of dollars in transfers from the federal government to prepare for a safe restart and the reopening of schools. Students need help now. This disruption to their education and development could have impacts lasting well beyond the pandemic. We need to ensure that youth are safe and can learn, which begins in our world-class education system.

Ontario is in a housing crisis, as a direct result of the pandemic. Tenants are facing a tsunami of evictions. The government’s response so far is simply insufficient. The rent freeze for 2021 passed in Bill 204 does not go far enough and does not address the root causes of unaffordability and the predatory practices of some landlords. We haven’t seen the kind of direct support for tenants and small landlords in Ontario as we’ve seen in other jurisdictions, like BC, despite the fact that all tenants are facing the same issues as a result of the pandemic. With rising evictions, the Premier can’t keep shouting at the wind and expecting things to change.

Just last week, Toronto city council passed a motion calling on the Premier to reinstate the moratorium on residential evictions, and the motion passed with a margin of 22 to one. Housing is a right in Canada. People need a safe and healthy place to call home. Housing provides the ability to seek and maintain employment, education, and it impacts on mental health.

Food banks use has also skyrocketed during the pandemic. The Daily Bread Food Bank is reporting a 25% increase in visits since the pandemic began, and Feed Ontario, which is a provincial network of food banks, has reported a growing number of individuals who are working but still require the support of a food bank.

We’re also seeing a drastic rise in opioid overdose deaths since the pandemic. More work is needed—and solutions for this problem—or more people will continue to die.

Speaker, the breakdown of our social safety net under the strain caused by COVID-19 serves no one in the short or the long term. Our overburdened and overstrained systems accelerate social issues like poverty, housing, mental health, addictions, violence and crime. There is a human cost and an economic cost to these issues. They’re complex; they’re interwoven. They require urgent action from this government. The patchwork response that we have seen so far will not address the spectrum of needs that are worsening as a result of COVID-19.

We cannot afford a generational catastrophe, and the government must stop taking its eye off the ball and get to work. The government needs to plan and take action now. Today, the government has an opportunity to affirm that they see these issues and they take them seriously and will take action to make lives better and safer in Ontario. Indeed, Speaker, I invite all members of the House to vote in favour of this motion, and especially—

Interjection: No.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I heard someone over there saying “no.” What in this motion can you possibly disagree with? This is the job of elected representatives. People sent us here, not for ourselves, but to serve the needs that they have.

Speaker, my colleagues in the House especially need to vote for this motion and show Ontarians that you’re serious about this pandemic and saving lives.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I do appreciate the opportunity to address this motion today. I want to thank the member opposite for bringing this motion forward to the House. I think this is a very important motion that she has brought forward to the House. I would say that in over 35 years of being involved in politics, this is the first time that I have ever seen an opposition party bring forward a motion of confidence in the government.

I want to thank the member opposite for tabling this motion today, because it is very clear: What this member has done is express her confidence in the actions that this government and, frankly, this entire Legislature, have done, and she is begging us, colleagues, begging us not to call an election in that time.

I say very clearly to the member opposite: We appreciate that you brought forward this motion, we appreciate the vote of confidence that she and her leader are expressing, and the Progressive Conservatives will be excited to stand and make sure that all of us vote in favour of that motion of confidence in the government. I certainly am happy to hear that the Liberal Party will be expressing their support and joining Progressive Conservatives after question period today and getting into that lobby and voting in support of continuing this government through to the next election.

In 35 years, I have never seen the Ontario spirit more alive and well than it is today with this motion, Mr. Speaker. In 35 years, I have never seen the Liberal Party so openly express its support for the Progressive Conservative Party, and I appreciate what the member opposite has done. It must have taken a lot of courage to admit, colleagues, that this government is on the right track and that it had to continue, no matter what. And to put a motion on the floor of the Legislature, begging the government to continue right through to 2022—Mr. Speaker, I have never seen that. So I thank the Liberal Party for bringing this motion forward today.

I cannot thank her enough, because as a former education minister, colleagues, she could have brought forward other motions. She talked about things that were important to her. I know her riding quite well. I know that the Guildwood Village Community Association must have been begging her to bring this motion forward, to show its support for the government of the province of Ontario. And to the members of the Guildwood Village Community Association: We hear you. We hear the worries expressed through this motion from your member, and we will make sure that this government continues doing what it has been doing right through to June of 2022.

Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough, an organization I know quite well, do fabulous work. I can only imagine that for this member to bring this motion of confidence in the government forward, they, too, must have been asking for her to do that, and we will respond favourably. We’re very excited to get up in this House and vote. In fact, we’re so excited, we’re going to force a vote, because it is a motion of confidence, really, and I’ve never seen that.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it’s obvious where the member comes from in this motion. Look, an opposition party—they’re the opposition. Clearly, when they see failings in the government, they want to highlight those failings. It’s natural. When we were in opposition, and we were in opposition a long time as Progressive Conservatives, we highlighted the things that we were disappointed in constantly, and when we were elected in 2018, we worked very aggressively and quickly to make the changes that we thought were important.

I can tell you, as somebody who was a partisan for the Progressive Conservative Party, there was not one day of those 15 years that I didn’t wish Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne would call an election. The day after they were elected, I wished that they would call an election so that we could bring them down and start anew and get a better government in place.

But this, colleagues, is something that I have never seen. I have never seen an opposition party bring forward a motion of support, a motion of confidence in the government, begging all colleagues to join with the member for Scarborough–Guildwood, join with the leader of the Liberal Party, in expressing confidence in the actions of this Premier and what he has accomplished over these very many months. And it wasn’t just the Premier and the government alone; it was all of us, colleagues. We’ve all worked very hard to make sure that our communities are safe, to make sure that our communities will continue to grow, to fight this COVID-19.

But before that, Mr. Speaker, the member—and I see why the members of the Liberal Party are so desperate, because they see the position they put the people of the province of Ontario in. COVID has become increasingly more difficult to fight in the province of Ontario because the Liberal Party left us in such bad shape. We are the most indebted sub-sovereign government in the world, making it more difficult to fight COVID.

But because of the actions of this government and of this Legislature, we were able to cut unnecessary spending and put more money available to the government so that it could fight COVID head-on. We’ve worked with our partners at the federal and the municipal levels, and they’ve done a great job at all levels. They’ve allowed us to focus on health care.

Whereas the previous government did nothing to reform the health care system for years, our Minister of Health, along with the Premier, has put in place a new system of Ontario health teams, which will be a blanket of care. Whether you require long-term care, home care, health care, a visit to a doctor, our system that we are putting in place will make sure that you’re covered.

We saw that the Liberals, under the previous administration, did nothing with respect to long-term care, Mr. Speaker. This government put the necessary resources in place to make sure that we could build new long-term-care homes, because it was so important. Something that we should have started decades ago, this government put an emphasis on, and we are doing that. I thank the member for Scarborough–Guildwood and the Liberal Party for their show of confidence in those actions.

We also moved very quickly with respect to small business. We knew how difficult it had been. We saw jobs leaving the province under the previous Liberal administration. They couldn’t wait to get out of here.

They turned a province that was the envy of North America, the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family, and they drove jobs away. How did they do it? They did it with high hydro prices. They did it with overregulation. They drove jobs away. We became one of the least competitive jurisdictions in North America.

I am glad that the members opposite have expressed confidence today in the fact that, prior to COVID, we started eliminating red tape. We invested in small, medium and large job creators. Jobs were coming back to the province. Our revenues were increasing in the province of Ontario because people were working again. They had hope. They had opportunity. They knew that this was the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family, Mr. Speaker, and today we have a motion on the floor of this Legislature that confirms that at least the Liberal Party believes that we are on the right track.

Does more need to be done? Absolutely, it does, and I appreciate the member opposite raising some of those things in her motion that we need to work on, because they’re some of the very things that we are talking about.

When the Minister of Health brought forward new legislation with respect to safe injection sites, we turned it into a blanket of care so that it would be full service, so that you could go from getting the care that you need to hopefully getting back into the community and getting a job. That’s the type of thing that we’re talking about; we’re the first province. We’re doing more on housing than the previous government ever did.

Our transit-oriented communities that will allow for development around our transit systems will change how housing development is done in this city and across this province for generations to come, and I’m very, very proud of that. It’s something that has been very, very important to the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and to the Premier of this province, one of the pillars of what we’ve worked on since being elected.

So, I again want to thank the honourable member across the floor for bringing—it would have been easy just to sit here and vote against what the member has, but when you look at what the member has done, she is embodying the Ontario spirit unlike any of us could have ever imagined by bringing forward a motion like this. I commend the member. I commend the member, because it can’t be easy. When a party is reduced to seven seats, it can’t be easy to make such a public declaration of the fact that—

Mr. John Fraser: And then you gave us one.

Hon. Paul Calandra: And the member says, “You gave us one.” They’re riding on that, right? Yeah, they’ve got one more. They got eight. They got eight. So now they can fill the back row of the Caravan. Good for them, Mr. Speaker.

But, here, it could not have been easy for the new leader of the Liberal Party and for this member to so publicly endorse the actions of this government. It could not have been easy when they were sitting in their small caucus room to say, “Look, we have the first opportunity. We have an opportunity to debate anything that we want in this Legislature. The House leader and the government and the Premier have made sure that there are more opportunities to debate: the first Monday morning, private members’ business”—and I thank the member. They could have talked about education.

They could have talked about health care. They could have talked about the things that were important to them. Presumably, increasing regulation, increasing taxes are the things that Liberals like to focus on. Bad energy policy—they could have focused on that. But they didn’t, and this could not have been easy. It could not have been easy to rise to the occasion and say, “Let’s make history,” because that’s what the Liberal Party of Ontario is doing today, and I say very, very clearly to Mr. Del Duca, to the entire Liberal caucus, “Thank you.” Thank you for your support. Thank you for making history today.

Thank you for being part of the Ontario spirit. Thank you for showing your support.

I encourage all members of this Legislature to stand up with the Liberal Party of Ontario, to stand with Progressive Conservatives and vote in favour of this motion after question period today to show your support for this government, to show your support for this caucus and to show your support for this Premier, who has done so much to bring Ontario back and to help guide us through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Again, to the member for Scarborough–Guildwood, thank you. You have made history today. And to Mr. Del Duca: You have made history, and all Ontarians thank you for it. Again, colleagues, I encourage all of you to vote with us and support this very important motion.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I’m going to start by stating the obvious, Speaker: Of course Ontarians do not want to see this province plunged into an election. We are in the middle of a pandemic. We have to deal with a backlog in testing cases of almost 100,000. We have to deal with the chaos that is unfolding in our schools. We have to deal with the potential devastation of the virus once again through our long-term-care homes. We have to deal with the complete unravelling of our small and medium-sized business sector, as small businesses face the very real prospect of closing. All of that is the highest priority for the people of this province—not going into an election.

However, the concern we have with this motion is that Ontarians are also very clear that they do not want more of the same. It is this government’s policy decisions that have been made from the beginning of this pandemic, particularly now as we are well into a second wave everyone knew was coming—and all kinds of advice was given to this government about what needed to happen to protect Ontarians from the effect of the second wave, but this government chose to ignore that advice.

Speaker, we do not need more of the same. We need to deal with the issues in our COVID assessment centres as people wait for hours and have to come back day after day to try to access a test. We know that now they’re moving to an appointment-only system, but there are real concerns that have been expressed by experts that that is going to under-represent the actual spread of COVID in our communities.

Limiting testing, reducing the number of symptoms that will trigger a COVID test for children: That’s not the way to deal with the assessment issues in this province. I would point to a column that was in the Toronto Star this weekend by Bruce Arthur. He calls the Premier’s response to all of the issues in the assessment centres an “incoherent, sclerotic mess, and the failure of the testing is a trembling pillar.” Ontarians expect this government to deal with issues like testing, because they understand how crucial that is to contact tracing and to understanding where COVID is going in our communities.

Unfortunately, this government announced some changes last week that really only tinker around the edges. They do nothing to get at the real problems that we are confronting in this province. They are ignoring the advice of scientists, epidemiologists, physicians, many of whom commented last Friday on the new measures that were announced by this government. Dr. Michael Warner, the medical director of critical care at Michael Garron Hospital, said, “Let’s be clear.” The Premier and the Minister of Health “are wilfully choosing not to follow the directions of” Toronto’s medical officer of health.

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, associate professor of family medicine at University of Ottawa, said, “This is an ongoing abject failure.”

Dr. Kate Dupuis from Sheridan College says, “It’s up to individuals now to protect our communities. Our government isn’t going to. No one inside your home except for people who live there or provide necessary care.”

The Ontario Hospital Association said, “Given the rapidly-growing number of” COVID “infections within the city of Toronto, the OHA unequivocally supports the request by” Toronto’s medical officer of health “for stricter public health measures in Toronto.”

Ottawa Public Health says, “Our health care system is in crisis. Labs are working beyond capacity, causing dangerous backlogs, which affects our contact tracing and case management. Hospitals are nearing capacity, and we’re seeing more outbreaks in LTC homes. Our system can’t handle much more of this.”

We need the government to step up and take on these critical challenges for the people who live in this province and in particular for parents of school-aged children, who are deathly afraid of what is happening in our schools. We’re seeing more and more parents opting for remote learning rather than in-class instruction because they see the failure of this government to take action that’s actually going to protect students in our schools, to put a cap on class sizes of no more than 15 students and to ensure that the PPE is there, the HVAC, the ventilation improvements are there to actually protect students and education workers.

But again, in the Toronto Star on Sunday, another great column revealing that this government has actually invested very, very little—the minimum amount that it possibly could—into trying to ensure the safe reopening of schools in Ontario. This government talks a good line about how much money it’s spending to keep kids safe, but in fact, it has barely spent $400 million out of the $103 billion that it actually claims to be investing. We need a government that’s going to be looking at what actually has to happen in our schools to keep education workers and students safe.

In our long-term-care system, we had almost 2,000 deaths of residents of long-term-care homes in the first wave, and there are real concerns about what’s going to happen with this second wave. We’re still not providing long-term-care home workers the PPE they need and putting the protections in place, actually creating that iron ring that the government likes to talk about, to ensure the safety of residents of long-term-care homes.

Speaker, we saw a recent report from the Canadian Medical Association Journal that compares what happened in the first wave in Ontario to what happened in BC. It found that there was a much higher rate of death in Ontario than in BC, and it warns that Ontario has not learned the lessons of that experience in the first wave.

So as we brace for the impact of this second wave, how can we ensure that Ontarians are going to be protected? I would suggest that it’s not by introducing a motion that says that the government should call an election on June 2, 2022. The problem is not the date of the election; it is the electoral system within which this province operates. It is an electoral system that rewards governments that determine when they’re going to call an election based on when it’s to their political advantage.

We saw that in New Brunswick with the recent election that was called, because that government, which actually had been doing a pretty good job—a much better job than this government, quite honestly, Speaker, in involving all members of the Legislative Assembly in decisions about how to respond to COVID-19. That government, as a minority government, had been doing that work. But it saw an electoral advantage. It saw an opportunity to translate its minority status to a majority government, and who can blame that government? That’s what first past the post means. It rewards that kind of decision-making.

So that government was able then to elect a majority government, and now is able to unilaterally—just as we saw with this majority government—make decisions, moving forward for that province.

So, Speaker, in my capacity as critic for democratic reform, I wanted to point out some of the advantages of moving away from first past the post and looking at a system of proportional representation as the most effective way to ensure that the problems associated with COVID-19, the risks to the people that we represent, can be dealt with in a much more collaborative way, a way that involves the ideas of all members who are elected to represent the voices of our constituents.

There’s research that’s been done: Countries that have systems of proportional representation have been much more effective in their response to COVID-19. They have experienced fewer deaths, fewer hospitalizations, fewer people on ventilators. All of this is well-documented in the research. That is because those countries operate in a system of negotiation, of compromise, of hearing from different sides of the table so that they can make good decisions that actually respond to the priorities and the needs of all of the people of this province.

I also just do want to give a shout-out to Fair Vote Canada that just recently put out a paper called Building a Better Democracy. I encourage all members in this chamber to take a look at that paper and review the benefits of proportional representation to build a better democracy. Because, Speaker, democracy is more than about elections. Democracy is about engagement. It’s about citizen participation. It’s about feeling that the government is responding to needs that have been identified by the people who are represented.

Leger just recently did a poll. They asked Canadians questions about democracy: What do they care about in democracy? Some 97% of Canadians who responded to that poll said they want a system that encourages parties to work together more in the public interest. They want a system that encourages elected members to work on longer-term solutions to problems, rather than quick fixes.

Thank you, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate?

M me Lucille Collard: Ontario is in the second wave of COVID-19—I’m stating the obvious—but our priority needs to be protecting and supporting our communities. Cases are rising, test centres and labs are overwhelmed, the back-to-school plan is causing stress for everyone, long-term-care homes are seeing new outbreaks—the list of concerns is growing every day. This government has adopted extraordinary measures to move legislative matters rapidly, in order to be responsive to the crisis at hand. It would be inconsistent and irresponsible for a government that has taken such actions, despite criticism, to interrupt legislative business and force the province into a premature election.

The government holds a majority, it has the power and it needs to fix what needs to be fixed: that is, a less-than-successful restart to schools; better protection for our seniors in long-term-care settings that are experiencing, again, the impact of the second wave; and to address the pandemic’s growing, disproportionate and detrimental impact on Black, Indigenous and people of colour.

There are enough elements to address from this COVID crisis without throwing in the mix the impact of a costly, premature election. I know that in my riding of Ottawa–Vanier, residents would not be impressed or appreciate such a self-serving decision by the government that could come at the cost of their well-being. Our riding has been through three provincial elections in the past five years. We know elections well. We know the extremely concerning risk that would be involved in having another one so soon. Rumours are circulating, and this government’s actions have raised suspicions and concerns.

There is enough to worry about right now and we can’t be adding to the anxiety that Ontarians are feeling about the future.

This motion is important and it is an opportunity for the government to reassure communities that they remain focused on the issues at hand, and will continue to prioritize health and safety by keeping up the fight against COVID-19. If the rumors are only that, then let’s stop them right now—today—by clearly affirming that the government knows that the priority remains to be present and supportive of the people of Ontario. Our communities deserve to know that they are priority number one, and that the government has our back.

I urge all members that believe the same to support my colleague’s motion. And I am glad to hear that the members of the Progressive Conservative Party just said that they would support the motion. Let’s now see them do whatever it takes and unlock the funds and resources that we need to get through this crisis. We shall hold them accountable to that.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate?

Mr. John Fraser: I’ll cut to the chase: At the end of June, the government took its eye off the ball. Opposition health briefings ended. The government decided to take people’s charter rights and punt them off to a committee, some obscure committee, and not debate it in this House—introduce an omnibus bill—and the Premier’s summer tour became the priority.

All the while, we knew that there was a second wave of COVID-19 coming, and that there was a risk. Experts told us, “There are two million kids going back to school. You need to get to 75,000 to 100,000 tests.” LTC homes were pleading for help. We knew that we needed smaller and safer classes. So where did we find ourselves in September? A chaotic return to school; long-term-care homes still pleading for a plan; families waiting in line for tests for inordinate amounts of time: It was total chaos, to the point where last Friday, if you took a test, you might have to take it again because the backlog was 90,000 and that test might go bad.

But the government’s priority the week before was nominating 72 candidates. That was your biggest, most important communications priority, and not talking to people about who should get a test, not talking to people about what your plan was and not clearly communicating how you were going to address testing.

The point of the motion is not about the election. It’s about taking your eye off the ball. I’m glad that you’re voting for the motion, because what that’s going to tell me is you’re not going to take your eye off the ball again like you did at the end of June.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We return now to the member from Scarborough–Guildwood, who has a two-minute summation.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I want to say thank you to the government House leader, thank you to the member from London West, and of course, thank you to my colleagues, the member from Ottawa South and the member from Ottawa–Vanier.

Speaker, it was very interesting to hear the comments coming from the government. They missed the boat completely and the point of this motion. The point of this motion is to focus the government’s attention not on itself, but on people, like the mother who called me this morning from York region who said, “I’m really concerned because I don’t believe that children are getting the right supports in this environment”—that’s something that the government needs to ensure is happening—and like the fact that people who need tests are lining up for hours and hours and hours, and not getting the results for many days, and the virus continues to circulate.

I really liked what the member from London West said about BC, that, because of their proactive response, they’ve seen fewer deaths. What we’ve seen from this government is a slow and sluggish response, and delay after delay, not because their resources are not there, because we know that you’re sitting on billions of dollars in cash transfers from the federal government that was meant for the safe restart, but you’re just choosing not to spend them. I received a message from a small business owner who came to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, still waiting for a meaningful package for small businesses so that they can get through this as well.

The concerns that the people of Ontario are putting forward are what I lay on the table in this motion today. I’m glad that you’re going to be supporting it, but support it for the right reasons, not for the wrong reasons.

To the member from London West, I, too, am the democratic renewal critic, and I appreciate what you said about the importance of—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Thank you.

Ms. Hunter has moved notice of motion number 110. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

All those in favour, please say “aye.”

All those opposed, please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A vote being necessary, the vote will be held after question period this morning.

Vote deferred.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Orders of the day?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Given this historic motion, Mr. Speaker, no further business until 10:15.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Therefore, there being no further business, this House stands in recess until 10:15 this morning.

The House recessed from 0951 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Steve Crnec

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I rise today to bring birthday greetings to a dear friend of mine. Steve Crnec is turning 94 today—that’s right, 94; he was born in 1926. Back in the day, we used to call them the Roaring Twenties. “Roaring” is certainly a descriptive word that described Steve for most of his life. He slowed down a bit, but just a bit, Speaker.

If you’re a New Democrat in Windsor and Essex county, you have likely worked with Steve Crnec on an election campaign or two. If the kids were tearing down election signs, Steve would be the first to scramble up a tree and put the sign up there so they couldn’t get at it.

The member for Niagara Falls may have the best moustache in the Legislature, but Steve Crnec has the best moustache this side of Croatia. It’s a handlebar without the handle. It’s big and bushy, like the one Yosemite Sam, the Looney Tunes character, has. It just droops down—all the better to match his ponytail, of course, Speaker. It’s also a convenient way just to reach out very gently and pull him in for a big kiss; I’m not ashamed to say I have done that on more than one occasion. His wife, Dr. Madeline Crnec, used to be an analyst on my old Percy’s Political Panel, back in my old CBC days in Windsor.

Steve, happy birthday, buddy. I hope the next time we get together with you, we’re doing shots of slivovitz.

Ontario farmers

Mr. Toby Barrett: The days over the past several months have been tough for many in certain professions. We value and respect those essential workers who showed up and who continue to show up. One field where challenges have been plentiful is farming.

I know many people took to growing their own food this spring and summer, including myself. It’s not as easy as it seems, and that’s just on a very small plot. Imagine trying to produce and harvest food to feed many, many people in Ontario and across Canada. The pressure is immense. Weather—too much rain, then not enough—pests and, of course, early frost are always something on a farmer’s mind. And farmers, of course, are not immune to the challenges a global pandemic has presented.

In my riding of Haldimand–Norfolk, labour-intensive agriculture is dealing with some of the strictest rules in North America for housing seasonal workers. I know my farmers cannot endure much more, as they have been put in a precarious and unfair situation. They’re clearly at a competitive disadvantage, and the risk, as well, is they may not be able to adequately feed the rest of us.

Farmers don’t ask for much, but what they do ask is to be treated fairly, and most importantly, they ask for support. We ask for support for our farm families who put food on our tables.

Gerry LaHay

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Today I remember a great man who taught many about kindness, thoughtfulness and life’s second and third acts. Gerry LaHay was a wise soul, and an impassioned writer, speaker and devoted friend to many. Last week, he met his final rest. The loss felt in London is colossal.

Gerry and I also had many conversations about insufficient ODSP funding. He felt that many years of government neglect were pushing more and more people deeper into poverty. COVID has only made these flaws more apparent. ODSP recipients hardly received any assistance during the pandemic and are struggling now more than ever. Gerry reminded us that ODSP recipients deserve to live with dignity and that we all must do our part to ensure Ontarians with disabilities are not left behind. He taught us all that if we don’t look outside ourselves, we will never see what others need.

Gerry, you were one of a kind, and we miss you terribly. Thank you for sharing yourself with us.

Cystic fibrosis

Mr. Stan Cho: I rise this morning to lend my voice in bringing awareness to a genetic disorder that affects thousands of Ontarians, including in my community of Willowdale. Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is the most-common fatal genetic disease affecting children and young adults in Canada, and at present there is no cure. It’s estimated that one in every 3,600 children born in Canada has CF. The disease causes damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs and, in many cases, leads to the destruction of lungs and a loss of lung function that is fatal in the majority of people with CF.

For months, I have been meeting with members of the CF community in Willowdale and representatives from Cystic Fibrosis Canada, including Jennifer, whose eight-year-old daughter, Alison, is living with CF. Jennifer’s daughter is often unable to play with other kids, attend school or enjoy many of the activities that make being a kid great. During this pandemic, it has been especially hard for her to be away from her friends or receive necessary care. In September, Jennifer and I met with Willowdale MP Ali Ehsassi to discuss ways both the federal and provincial governments can help approve and make available life-saving treatments for CF.

At the moment, there’s no proven cure for cystic fibrosis, and I know that our government is negotiating with pharmaceutical manufacturers to make new treatments available in Ontario, but we all have a role to play in ensuring that Ontarians living with CF have access to new treatments, the best care and breakthrough medications. Let’s all work to help Alison.

Tenant protection

Ms. Suze Morrison: Today is International Tenants’ Day, a day to highlight the challenges facing tenants around the world. This year, tenants’ organizations are calling on governments to take action to ensure housing for all. In the fight against COVID-19, access to housing has become a matter of life and death. For those without stable housing, it is impossible to isolate, and as many tenants have lost their income and their jobs, more and more people are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

COVID-19 has compounded the housing and homelessness crisis that many of our communities are facing. Too many tenants are being renovicted, receiving massive above-guideline rent increases and waiting decades on wait-lists for affordable housing. Liberal and Conservative governments have let tenants down over and over again and have ignored the housing crisis for years.

Now, instead of helping tenants during this difficult time, this Conservative government has managed to take things from bad to worse. Tenants urgently need rent relief. They need a ban on commercial evictions and real rent control that’s going to put a check on the sky-high rents we’re experiencing in many of our communities. We need substantial investments in affordable housing and to repair the existing infrastructure of housing that we have. We need significant changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to ensure that tenants have faith that their landlord is properly maintaining their units.

Everyone deserves a place to call home, and it’s time that this provincial government took action to make that a reality.

Children’s Vision Month

Mr. John Fraser: October is Children’s Vision Month. Vision problems can really create a problem for young people when they’re trying to learn. Some 80% of classroom learning is visual. I remember in about 2013—I was here in this building—an ophthalmologist said to me, “We don’t actually check children’s vision in school anymore.” I said, “That’s not true.” I found out it was true, and literally nobody was checking the box. Parents don’t often see it. It didn’t always happen in the physician’s office. It was a problem with the perception of perception: It’s hard to tell when someone can’t see.

I was pleased to be able to do some work as the parliamentary assistant to bring vision screening to schools in Ontario, and I know in September 2019, the Ottawa Public Health unit started doing that; now it’s been pulled back because of the pandemic. It’s really a critical thing. It can affect a child’s brain development.

I just want to mention this to members in this House, that once we get out of this pandemic, we’ll have to refocus on this effort to ensure that every child has their vision screened before they get to school, to go see an optometrist and get the glasses, if they need them.

Williamstown Fair

Mr. Jim McDonell: I rise today to recognize the achievements of the Williamstown Fair board, for their centuries-long commitment to their community and especially for their dedication this September to hold again Canada’s oldest annual fair, the 209th edition of the Williamstown Fair.

On September 5, the Williamstown Fair staged a wonderful experience by hosting a drive-through experience, along with a horse-riding and dairy calf competition. It was gratifying to see the work put in by the many volunteers and the resulting support from the residents. They were able to bring together more than 1,000 feet of displays that everyone could enjoy from the safety of their motor vehicle.

The fair board also collaborated with their partners from World’s Finest Shows, the Raisin Region Conservation Authority and the township of South Glengarry. World’s Finest prepared cotton candy, candy and caramel apples to serve to visitors in each vehicle, while Raisin River and South Glengarry worked together to give away free trees to the first 500 vehicles. This example of community spirit in these troubling times is what makes the riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry the special and strong place that it is.

Teachers

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I rise on international teachers’ day to celebrate the amazing work that Ontario teachers are doing in the age of COVID-19. As public health experts emphasize the critical importance of physical distancing and gatherings of no more than 10, in-class teachers are in cramped classrooms with as many as 30 students, while rooms down the hall sit empty because of this government’s stubborn refusal to reduce class sizes.

Online teachers are grappling with challenging technology issues. I talked to London West parent Anna Foat, whose two sons, aged 6 and 9, are learning online. Anna says, “We have every advantage: a mom who has flexible work and time to do IT support,” and sons with their own Chromebooks who are being taught by “brand new enthusiastic teachers.” Yet they are all frustrated by provincially mandated digital tools and systems that do not work together, by log-in and authentication errors that regularly reduce her sons to tears, by unrealistic expectations that parents will download, print or reproduce worksheets, then upload or use a webcam, if they have one, to record the assignment.

Speaker, this government had six months to plan for the safe reopening of schools. Instead, they chose to ignore crucial public health recommendations for safe in-school learning and to flood schools with uncoordinated remote learning devices. We are profoundly grateful for the dedication and professionalism of teachers who are rising above the chaos and doing everything they can to help students learn.

Waste diversion

Ms. Jane McKenna: Speaker, every year Canadians buy over a billion batteries, and according to Environment Canada, only 5% of them are being recycled. When batteries break down in our landfills, chemicals get into the groundwater and can contaminate the supply. That’s why I partnered with Call2Recycle, Canada’s national consumer battery collection and recycling program.

I’m pleased to report that during two weeks in September, my Burlington office collected over 160 pounds of batteries. In addition, my paint recycling drive took in 872 cans of paint, including 103 spray cans. Recycling paint and batteries protects our environment by keeping hazardous waste out of our landfills, and it’s something everyone could be doing.

I am pleased to be working with the non-profit Electronic Recycling Association and the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario in a six-week-long collection drive. We’re accepting used laptops, computers, monitors, printers, cell phones and tablets from now until November 6 at my Burlington office. Electronic devices will be refurbished and provided to children undergoing cancer treatment.

I want to thank the Burlington community for always stepping up and supporting these efforts.

Scarborough Ribfest

Miss Christina Maria Mitas: I just wanted to give a shout-out to the Scarborough Ribfest, which happened a few weeks ago and was put on by the Rotary Club of Scarborough. We had over 2,800 cars drive through the Centennial College campus on Progress, so thank you, Centennial College, for lending us your parking lot.

My family and I were one of the cars that went through. We went to Camp 31, which is a family favourite, and got ribs, mac and cheese, and chicken. On the way out, we grabbed blooming onions, and funnel cakes with strawberries and ice cream. My daughter enjoyed her first Scarborough Ribfest meal. She loved the sauce, as she says, the most.

Next year, I really look forward to coming out with all of you Rotarians at Thompson park and waiting in one- or two-hour lineups in the blistering heat, because, let’s face it, that’s part of the experience.

I thank you, Rotarians, so much for putting on this event this year, for not giving up and for ensuring that Scarborough still had this really great community event. It was really nice to see so many of your familiar faces. Thank you for the work you did on the Ribfest and thank you for all of the volunteer work that you do for Scarborough.

Annamie Paul

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the member for Guelph has a point of order.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I rise with a point of order. I’d like to congratulate Annamie Paul for not only being elected the leader of the Green Party of Canada—

Applause.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Thank you. But I also want to congratulate her, Speaker, for a historic election. She is the first Black woman and the first Jewish woman to lead a major political party in Canada with seats in the House of Commons.

Speaker’s Book Award

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It gives me great pleasure to inform members about this year’s Speaker’s Book Award short-listed books and authors, and announce the winner of the 2020 Speaker’s Book Award.

As many of you know, our annual Speaker’s Book Award was launched in 2012 by Speaker Dave Levac and is given to an Ontario book or author—or authors—each year, and normally announced during a ceremony that’s held here in the Legislative Assembly building. Unfortunately, it’s not possible for that event to occur this year, so I am announcing the winning book this morning in the chamber.

For almost a decade, the Speaker’s Book Award has brought attention to a diverse collection of Ontario books that have included biographies, historical events, cultural perspectives and accounts about communities facing significant challenges and criminal justice issues, all written by Ontario authors and all published here in Ontario.

A short list of books is chosen out of numerous submissions received each year. These books are then read by a panel of judges and a winning title is chosen. This year’s selection panel included former MPPs Marilyn Churley and David Tsubouchi, along with broadcast journalist Robert Fisher, Indigenous educator Nancy Cooper and David Bogart, communications officer here at the Assembly.

The 2020 short list included the following titles:

—The Forest City Killer: A Serial Murderer, a Cold-Case Sleuth, and a Search for Justice, by Vanessa Brown, published by ECW Press, 2019;

—Marvellous Grounds: Queer of Colour Histories of Toronto, edited by Jin Haritaworn, Ghaida Moussa and Syrus Marcus Ware, published by Between the Lines, 2018;

—BlackBerry Town: How High Tech Success Has Played Out for Canada’s Kitchener-Waterloo, by Chuck Howitt, published by James Lorimer and Company Ltd., 2019;

—Resilience Is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde, by Julie Lalonde, published by Between the Lines, 2020;

—House Divided: How the Missing Middle Will Solve Toronto’s Affordability Crisis, edited by Alex Bozikovic, Cheryll Case, John Lorinc and Annabel Vaughan, published by Coach House Books, 2019; and

—The Age of Fentanyl: Ending the Opioid Epidemic, by Brodie Ramin, MD, published by Dundurn Press, 2020.

I am pleased to announce this year’s Speaker’s Book Award. It goes to: Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde, by Julie Lalonde, published by Between the Lines, 2020.

Many of the members here today will be familiar with Ms. Lalonde and her personal struggle with abuse, and her subsequent campaigns advocating for women’s rights and the denouncement of violence against women in this province and beyond. Hers is truly a compelling story and I would encourage all members to take the opportunity to read it, along with the other excellent titles in this year’s short list.

Again, we congratulate Ms. Lalonde and her winning publisher, Between the Lines, along with all this year’s other short-listed authors and publishers. Information about the 2020 short list and the winning book will be available on the Legislative Assembly’s website very soon. Thank you very much.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. Throughout the spring, the Premier insisted that he was sparing no expense in the fight against COVID-19. Yet Saturday’s Toronto Star reports that people running Ontario’s labs and testing were pleading with the Ford government to bump up the investment throughout the spring and summer. They were pleading with the government to expand the testing capacity only to be told that the government just didn’t want to spend the money.

In the midst of an unprecedented health crisis, why has the Premier been trying to cut corners and save a buck?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say quite the opposite to the leader of the official opposition: We have been strengthening our lab capacity since the beginning. To remind the member, when we started out, we were able to do 5,000 tests through Public Health Ontario. Since then, we’ve expanded that capacity to be able to do over 40,000 tests per day in Ontario. We have a connected lab network that includes Public Health Ontario, hospitals, universities and community labs, and we’re still expanding more.

In fact, we have just indicated that as part of our public health plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe, we’re spending over $1 billion to increase our testing, our lab capacity and our contact tracing. That is something that we’re going to continue to do because we know more testing needs to be done to flatten this curve and be able to deal with the second wave of COVID.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, nobody in Ontario that has been dealing with the long lineups and the consistently changing statements from the Premier believes that the government was ready. Labs have been informed that the government was aiming to conduct 100,000 tests by October. Now, that deadline has been quietly moved back to January. Canada’s largest city is scaling back on contact tracing. We’re in an ever-worsening second wave now and in chaos because the Premier refused to spend the money that was necessary to protect the people of Ontario.

Will we ever see a real plan and the investment necessary to back it up?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say, through you, Speaker, to the leader of the official opposition, that that is absolutely not the case. We have been increasing our testing capacity since March, and we’re going to continue to increase it. We did not ever indicate that we would be doing 100,000 by the end of October. What we did indicate was that we were going to be increasing from 40,000 to 50,000, and we’re well on our way. We routinely do more than 40,000 tests per day in Ontario.

We are changing our capacity with respect to testing because we listened to what you were saying all last week, indicating that people are waiting outside in long lineups. It is getting colder. We’ve responded quickly. Now, we’re changing to appointment-based testing so that people will have a better idea of when they need to go. They don’t have to stand up outside in lineups for long periods of time, and they will be screened before they come in to make sure that they are eligible to receive a test. So we are responding to changing conditions, to changing weather and—

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

The final supplementary?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, for the last week or so, the Premier has demeaned and derided doctors, hospitals and medical experts who have spoken on his failure to act, and now, this Minister of Health just threw the labs under the bus. Only this Premier will call an ER doctor an “armchair quarterback” in the middle of a pandemic.

These front-line health experts are telling us that it is “100% true” that the Premier’s attempt to save a buck back in June, the way this government loves to do—it’s all about saving, saving, saving—

Interjections.

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

The government side will come to order.

Start the clock. Please place your question.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s “100% true” that the Premier’s attempt to save a buck back in June has left us scrambling today: That’s what the experts are saying.

So at what point will this Premier admit that his government’s decision to focus on cost-cutting instead of fighting COVID-19 has led to exploding numbers and us scrambling to try to react?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact—let’s speak actual facts—this government has spent an incredible amount of money on the issues that we absolutely need to deal with in order to deal with COVID-19.

First of all, we’ve spent over $935 million to our hospital sector this year; a 5.5% increase, which is greater than any hospital funding in a decade. Secondly, we have allowed for $458 million to go into home and community care so that people who can be cared for at home, who don’t need to be in hospitals, can be cared for where they want to be. We’ve also put in $283 million to support dealing with the backlogs of surgeries and procedures that we’ve needed to deal with, and $1 billion to test, trace and isolate cases.

Moreover, we’ve done all of that, expended those sums of money, with the incredible assistance of our public health experts—the best in the world. We have a team of people who we’ve spoken to. We held over 45 sessions with over 300 health experts, in bringing forward our plan for keeping Ontarians safe—

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

The next question.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It seems interesting that the minister says one thing and the Financial Accountability Officer says the other about how much this government was prepared to invest over the summer to get us ready for a second wave.

My question is to the Premier. This weekend, Toronto Public Health actually had to stop its contact tracing. The biggest city in our country had to stop its contact tracing, saying that they can no longer notify close contacts of people who have tested positive with COVID-19, because they simply don’t have the resources to keep up otherwise.

Toronto’s medical officer of health has been pleading with the Ford government for action that will help her do her job. Where is the action? Why hasn’t it come?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, in actual fact, there has been significant action taken, which is why we released our plan, which is why, with the pillars that we have, that we want to reduce the number of cases that we’re seeing; which is why we’ve also targeted Peel, Toronto and Ottawa with special measures to make sure that you don’t have more than 100 people in restaurants—I believe Toronto has reduced that to 75—and no more than six people at a table.

These are places where we’re seeing the outbreaks, and we are responding to the remarks and concerns that have been expressed by Dr. de Villa, and the outbreaks in these areas. We have also allotted more than 200 contract tracers specifically to the city of Toronto to allow them to catch up and be able to carry on the contact management.

We are very aware of their concerns and we’re responding due to the concerns that have been expressed by both Mayor Tory as well as Dr. de Villa.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: What the minister is saying is that once again they’re scrambling to catch up instead of getting out ahead of what’s happening with COVID-19. People are desperate for clear direction and leadership from this government, and the Premier has failed to deliver. Even simple questions about what we should be doing in terms of celebrating Thanksgiving with our loved ones didn’t even get a clear answer.

The medical officer of health in Ottawa describes the situation as a crisis. In Niagara, they’re scrambling to try to redeploy public health staff. The medical officer in Toronto, of course, we know is pleading with the province for some help.

Will the Premier admit that his plan to save money isn’t working for the second wave? It didn’t work for the first wave, which is why we had over 1,800 seniors die in long-term care from COVID. So will he just admit that his saving money isn’t the right thing to do, and start listening to public health and medical experts who are pleading for the government’s help?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have prepared for the second wave. We’ve been preparing for that throughout the summer months with the consultations that we’ve held with public health experts and experts in other areas of health. That’s why we came forward with our plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe, which is a comprehensive $2.8-billion program. We are spending the money, and we are spending the money in the right areas.

We’re going to maintain the public health measures that we need to maintain. We’re going to bring forward the most comprehensive flu campaign in Ontario’s history. We’ve going to make sure that we can identify and manage outbreaks of COVID-19. We’re going to keep up with the backlogs of surgeries and procedures that were postponed in the first place. We’re going to recruit and deal with health human resources to make sure that we have the right people in place to manage COVID-19. And we are ready for surges, to be able to increase hospital capacity and community capacity in the areas where we do see the outbreaks.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, consultations are useless if you don’t take the advice of the experts. They’re useless.

Here is what families actually see: A second wave of COVID is spreading in our schools, in our long-term-care homes, across our communities. People on the front lines of our labs, in hospitals and in public health say that they’ve been ignored for months, and they are pleading for action. And the Premier is attacking experts and insisting that his plan is working, where everybody sees that it is not.

The government needs to do better, Speaker. When will the Premier finally admit that the government failed to make the investments needed over the summer and start listening to front-line health care experts pleading with the government for some help?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, we have been making the investments. I believe I answered in your previous question to indicate that we’re spending $2.8 billion—that’s a lot of money—to increase our resources, to make sure that we can test, trace and isolate new cases of COVID-19. We are continuing to do that. Our plan is working. Compared to most other jurisdictions, we are doing extremely well per cases per 100,000.

This is an outbreak that’s not just happening in Ontario, I might remind the leader of the official opposition. This is happening throughout the world. We are prepared for it. We have been prepared since the early summer, and we are moving forward, making those investments in our testing capacity, in our lab capacity, in increasing the number of contact managers by 1,000, from 2,750 to 3,750. We are making the necessary improvements in our home and community care to make sure we have more money to respond to more people that are going to be home and to expand our hospital capacity when we need to.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, there were outbreaks in 114 long-term-care homes before the government stopped the practice of personal support workers working in multiple homes. We knew then, as we know now, that the risk of transmission increases exponentially when workers move between multiple groups of people. That’s why it was so disheartening to read in the Toronto Star that classes in up to six schools in the Toronto Catholic District School Board were exposed to COVID-19 through a staff member who is still required to rotate through different classes and different schools.

Speaker, why is the government putting students and staff at risk, ignoring the lessons of the first wave of COVID-19?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. We provided guidance to all educators and to all boards to limit the mobility of teachers within schools. For specialized teachers, like French—as cited in the

article noted by the member—or music teachers, we’ve asked them to undergo strict screening before they enter schools.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health, who has improved our plan, endorsed our plan, is constantly reviewing the protocols to make sure that they are adhering to the highest standards, and we are open to any adaptations he may make to further improve them. But that’s why, Speaker, you will note in the summer, we asked, when it comes to these specialized teachers, for our union partners to work with us when it comes to managing prep time, to bundle it, to start at the beginning of the day, the end of the day, to minimize these impacts.

This could have been avoided, Speaker. But I do believe there is a way forward, working with our unions. This is proof positive that these issues are manifesting in schools. We have to reduce the risk, which is why we’re asking them to work with us to do just that.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, here we go again: Blame the boards, blame the teachers, blame the unions, and refuse to take any responsibility of your own.

You do not need to be an epidemiologist to know that moving staff from class to class and school to school is going to increase risk. There are six schools impacted, and those families can’t even get a test today because testing centres are closed.

It is not just itinerant teachers, I want to point out, Mr. Speaker. Education workers of all kinds—EAs, custodians—are still being asked to work in multiple settings, and it is on this government and their failure that they are still doing that.

The government has ignored repeated warnings. Speaker, will the Premier direct his minister to act now to limit the risk to students and staff and bring forward urgently needed funding to keep these workers and students safe?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The government has provided a $1.3-billion investment to school boards. The issue before us has absolutely nothing to do with funding; it’s access to educators.

The member knows we have a limit of French teachers in the province of Ontario, so when the Premier said he’s open to ideas from the opposition, I look forward to that member bringing forth ideas on how we’re going to create thousands of French teachers just overnight, as the member opposite pretends that that could happen.

What we know, Speaker, is that itinerant teachers have been asked to enhance screening. We have asked school boards to limit the indirect and direct contact for students to 100. School boards have very clear protocols on how to administer, and we will work with our school boards, as well as the public health agencies, to make sure we limit the spread in our schools. We are seeing incredible compliance, and I want to thank our school boards, our public health and our educators for doing everything they can to reduce the risk within our schools.

COVID-19 response

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Deputy Premier. This past week, we received a real wake-up call. We saw from the modelling update that if we don’t act now to halt these trends, we could see a thousand new cases a day by mid-October. We could have 200 to 300 people a day arriving in our hospital ICUs. In fact, Speaker, there were 732 new cases just last Friday. We’re in a second wave of COVID-19.

Throughout this pandemic, we have made some tough but necessary decisions, always based on the best medical advice and scientific evidence available. Speaker, can the Deputy Premier please share with the Legislature about the new public health measures that our government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the command table, announced to stop this virus from spreading any further?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member from Mississauga–Streetsville for the question and for your leadership. Effective this past Saturday, we’re making the masking policies already in place in many communities across the entire province. That means wearing a mask when shopping, when taking public transit and at work if you can’t keep two metres between you and your colleagues. As much as possible, we also need to limit close contact with anyone outside our households.

We also have to extend the pause on the reopening of any other businesses or facilities for another 28 days, and we are bringing in additional targeted measures in Ottawa, Peel and Toronto: Restaurants, bars and nightclubs in Ottawa and Peel must limit their capacity to 100 customers or less. Toronto Public Health has already decided to limit capacity to 75, with no more than six people per table, and each customer’s contact information must be collected for contact tracing.

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

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Thank you to the Deputy Premier. I also put my supplemental question to the Deputy Premier. I know that these strong measures are necessary and build on additional new requirements for gyms, fitness centres, banquet halls and event spaces.

Deputy Premier, I know that Ontario has been a major leader when it comes to testing. We have over four million individuals tested; we are a leader in Canada and North America. But with the weather getting colder, this will lead to more of my constituents returning indoors, which has led to more community spread and a surge in testing. Additionally, we can’t continue to have people waiting in the cold and outdoors to get tested.

Deputy Premier, can you please share with my constituents about the new, enhanced process our government has implemented on testing to help streamline the process and provided better service and certainty to everyone in the province?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you again for the question. Beginning yesterday, assessment centres will no longer be accepting walk-ins. As well, assessment centres are now moving to an appointment-based-testing-only system. The vast majority of assessment centres in Ontario are already offering testing by appointment, and they will continue to operate as usual while we make this important transition.

Up to 80 pharmacy locations in Ontario will also continue to offer tests by appointment, with more pharmacies to offer tests in the coming weeks while they transition. The assessment centres will also take the opportunity to conduct a deep cleaning. This will also give labs a critical opportunity to clear any testing backlogs.

Colleagues, these changes are absolutely necessary. We’re working with our partners in hospitals and assessment centres to make sure this transition to testing by appointment is as smooth as possible.

COVID-19 response

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Thousands of Ontarians are anxiously waiting to get their COVID test results because we have this huge backlog, the result of government inaction. The public testing centres have shut down their walk-in services; they now require Ontarians to book on the website Eventbrite, often days in advance, to get an appointment. Ottawa Public Health calls it a crisis. But today, the Globe and Mail reports that if people have the means to pay hundreds of dollars, they can jump that queue.

The Premier calls health care a free market, and is letting private companies use medical supplies from Ontario Health and charge hundreds of dollars for a COVID test. Why is the Premier letting private corporations profit from COVID testing?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would like to assure the member opposite and the people of Ontario that this is not happening. This is not allowed. We are not allowing companies to receive private swabs that we are using in our assessment centres that they can then go and use to conduct tests at hundreds and hundreds of dollars. This is not happening.

Our tests are public tests available to people without charge. That is what our public health system is modelled on. That’s the way we are conducting tests. And while companies can buy their own swabs elsewhere and conduct tests of their workers if they wish to, we are not allowing any private companies to obtain Ontario swabs and then use them to do testing at a private cost.

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

M me France Gélinas: One of the companies offering these for-profit tests is Switch Health. The Premier knows them well. He allowed their private mobile test on farms earlier this year. Now, because he calls health care a free market, he’s fine with this company and others charging Ontarians for a private COVID test, going completely against the founding principle of medicare.

Right now, our assessment centres are backed up. People are struggling to get an appointment. Public health had to stop contact tracing and lab capacity is overburdened and backlogged. All of this could have been—should have been—avoided. Why is this government allowing private companies to profit from COVID testing instead of making sure that our public health care system has what it needs to test Ontarians in a timely manner?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, our government is not doing what the member has suggested. In fact, Ontario Health has been directed not to provide swabs to any providers known to charge patients, and we’re currently determining further action to ensure that this activity is discontinued. This is something that private employers can do if they wish, as I indicated earlier. If they wish, they can conduct testing for their employees free of charge, but they need to buy their own swabs and they need to have their own equipment.

What we are focusing on is testing in the public sphere. You’re right: That’s what our public system is based on, and we are following that. Anyone who comes to any of testing and assessment centres, or pharmacies, does not have to pay for a test. They will be given a test. That is our responsibility and our duty to the people of Ontario, and that is what we are doing. No private testing is being used using Ontario swabs that belong to the public system.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Minister of Health. The messaging on testing has been all over the place. The public was told that anybody who needed a test could get a test. But testing capacity was not there to meet demand, even though we knew demand would go up when schools and businesses reopened. So I understand why the government has reacted to move to appointment-based testing to deal with the backlog that they created, but I’m worried that the appointment-only testing will make it even less accessible for vulnerable people.

There are many people, for instance, people who are homeless or who may have disabilities, who may not be able to access the technology to set up an appointment to get a test.

Speaker, can the minister tell us what is being done to ensure that vulnerable Ontarians have access to testing?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. This is a very important point because we want to make sure that anyone in Ontario who needs a test will get a test. The move to the appointments is, in fact, a response to long lineups, changes in weather. In fact, all of the northern testing centres are already doing appointment-based testing. That hasn’t shown to be a problem.

However, we do recognize there may be some people who might be in that situation who might need to have home and community care come and visit their homes to be able to do their testing for them, or primary care through their physician’s office. There are other ways that we can do this testing without necessarily having people being tested in the assessment centres themselves. We have allowed for that, and that is happening as we speak.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Thank you, Minister, for the answer. I hope the government communicates that clearly with the people of Ontario.

If we have learned anything about this pandemic, it is that speed is of the essence. The federal government has entered into conditional contracts for purchasing millions of rapid testing to deal with these long lineups, even though some of these companies haven’t been approved by Health Canada. The federal government has done this because they know we have to increase capacity for rapid testing.

There’s a company in my riding that is waiting on imminent approval for rapid testing, and they have said that if they can have a conditional contract, they can roll that out quickly. So knowing that time is of the essence to deal with the testing backlog, will the minister commit to entering into conditional contracts with companies who are on the brink of receiving Health Canada approval for rapid testing so there is no excuse for further testing delays?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, yes, we are looking at the new point-of-care testing that’s coming forward. We’ve had a brief conversation about the company that’s in your riding. We’re always looking to follow new innovations because, as the Premier has indicated, that is a game changer. If we can do point-of-care testing and get results in 10 or 15 minutes, it’s a big difference from what we’re dealing with now, where we try to receive test results within 24 hours, but it doesn’t always happen for a variety of circumstances.

So we are moving forward. We are in contact with Health Canada and with the federal department of health. They are obtaining the orders, and then we will receive the orders from them. That is happening, and we are looking for other creative, innovative solutions. But we are working directly with the federal government on this and with Health Canada, encouraging them to have these tests approved as quickly as possible while making the necessary testing requirements and making sure they do their due diligence.

Government’s record

Mr. Stan Cho: This morning, the Liberals, at the direction of their new leader, Steven Del Duca, brought forward an unprecedented private member’s motion outlining their confidence in this government. The motion, sponsored by the member for Scarborough–Guildwood, expresses her party’s desire to see the government continue the great work it has done for a full four-year term. Later today, there will be an opportunity for all members to vote on this motion and record their support for this government.

Would the government House leader please update this House on the great work this government has done and will continue to do for the people of this awesome province?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the tough question from the member for Willowdale. Today was a very historic day for many reasons: Not only is today the first day that the opposition was provided two additional questions during question period to hold government accountable, it was also the addition of another private members’ bill or motion. But as historic as that is, it pales in comparison to the fact that today, for the first time—at least in my 35 years of being involved in politics—an opposition party has tabled a motion of confidence in the government.

As I said in my speech this morning, I thank the honourable member. I know how difficult it must have been to sit around the table with her new leader and to put the very first motion that they have had to debate in months and to make it a motion of confidence in the government. I urge all members of this Legislature to do the right thing and vote with us and vote with the Liberals. Show your support for this government, and vote in favour of that confidence motion.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: I agree with the member from Scarborough–Guildwood that this government has done a great job since coming into office in 2018. We returned fiscal sanity and accountability to Queen’s Park, and started tackling the Liberals’ out-of-control $15-billion deficit.

We made Ontario open for business; invested $26 billion to build better subway transit in Toronto; reduced small business taxes; increased housing supply to make the dream of home ownership a reality for families and young people; invested in education, health care, mental health and supports for the skilled trades; and created over 300,000 jobs before the pandemic hit.

Though, I am still a little surprised at this unprecedented motion of confidence brought forward by the Liberals today. Usually, opposition parties bring forward motions that challenge or criticize the government.

I think the government House leader mentioned that in his 35 years in politics, he’s never seen anything like this. Can you expand on that? Can you tell the House if you’ve ever seen a motion of this kind from an opposition party?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I want to thank the honourable member for that question. As I said, not only in my 35 years have I never seen an opposition bring forward a motion of support and confidence in the government, I have actually asked the legislative library to find out if, in the history of parliamentary democracy, an opposition party has ever gone out of its way to use the time that it has been given to hold government accountable to show support in the government.

As I said in my remarks this morning, that truly shows the Ontario spirit. When the Liberal Party can come forward with a motion of support in the government and confidence and ask for the support of all members of this Legislature for that, it speaks volumes to not only the job that we are doing as a government and that this Premier has done, but all legislators in this place.

I thank the honourable member for making history. I thank the Liberal Party for the support that they’ve had. I encourage all members: Vote in favour of this confidence motion. Join with us and the Liberals in making sure that this government—

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. The next question.

Subventions destinées à l’éducation / Education funding

M. Guy Bourgouin: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Alors que le ministre de l’Éducation se dit prêt à faire l’impossible pour garder nos enfants en sécurité dans les écoles, les conseils scolaires francophones et les programmes d’immersion font face à une pénurie de personnel.

Monsieur le Président, le premier ministre croit-il vraiment qu’on peut faire face à une pénurie sans précédent avec des mesures floues comme des salons d’emploi, des partenariats et des portails en ligne?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The province of Ontario and governments across the country have been facing a shortage of French-language educators. But I’m very proud that just days ago last week, the Minister of Francophone Affairs, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education and I announced a plan to re-establish the French second-language working group, which brings together boards, unions and leaders in education, to confront this issue head-on and address it meaningfully with action—after 15 years of inaction by the former government that got us to this place where we do not have a sufficient supply of educators.

The issue is not financing, Speaker; it’s literal access to qualified educators in our province. We are working with the French government in trying to attract skilled educators from France and the Francophonie across the world. We’re working with Laurentian University, working with a specific program to foster more graduates in French education. We’re doing everything we can, knowing this issue is acute, recognizing that you can’t just create them overnight. We’re going to keep working very hard on this, Speaker.

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

M. Guy Bourgouin: Ce gouvernement a carrément les deux pieds dans la même bottine.

Ce gouvernement doit arrêter de faire la sourde oreille. Il doit écouter les enseignants, les conseils et les spécialistes pour prendre des mesures agressives et concrètes. Allez-vous prendre des mesures claires et tangibles adaptées aux besoins des francophones, oui ou non?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We do agree with the member opposite that it was absolute inaction from the former government, which has really resulted in this shortage and the acuity of that problem. But that is why just days ago, to the member opposite, we literally just relaunched the working group on French as a second language to ensure we work with all partners, with federations, with school boards and with faculties of education to encourage more individuals to pursue French-language education and to teach within our schools.

We relaunched it because we recognize the problem, and we’re working very hard, aggressively, with a limited timeline to get results for your community and for all communities across this province.

Small business

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Speaker, my question—

Interjections.

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

Start the clock. Once again, the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The first wave of the pandemic was devastating on our small businesses and local economies. The second wave shows every sign of being worse than the first, and our testing and contact-tracing infrastructure is unprepared and overwhelmed. Yet the response from the Premier has been slow and reactionary. Many small businesses fear that they will not survive a second wave lockdown.

Just this week, I was contacted by Michael Wood, a small business owner in Ottawa, whose message is clear: Small businesses need support. They need their government to act. They need real rent relief and more. They’re worried about closing. That will devastate the livelihoods of their families.

Speaker, through you to the Premier, will the Premier step up to provide real relief to small businesses, or will he wait for them to collapse before he acts?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Stan Cho: It certainly has been a tough time for our small business community out there. That’s why this government responded from the very beginning of the pandemic with real relief for individuals and businesses: $3.7 billion announced in March, increased to $11 billion in those direct supports in August; $241 million was put towards direct rent relief. It has been almost 591,000 employees who have been helped by this program. That’s almost 60,000 commercial tenants throughout this province.

But businesses are attacked in a number of ways, not just on paying their rent but their hydro bills. That’s why this government has provided $175 million in relief there, $355 million in employer health tax cuts and WSIB premium reductions. This is a tough situation for small businesses. That’s why we’re there to support our hard-working small business community.

Mr. Speaker, the message is clear. Again, to small businesses out there: We have your back.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Mr. Wood presented at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on August 17. He needs action from this government now.

This government is asleep on the issue of support for small business. The COVID pandemic is making the cost of doing business in Ontario unaffordable for small businesses. Insurance companies are denying coverage or hiking rates to unreasonable and unaffordable levels in industries where the risk of transmitting COVID-19 is elevated or uncertain. I asked the Minister of Finance about this issue on July 8. He said he would look into it. This issue affects small businesses, including restaurants, some non-profits. In fact, even film and television production is seeing escalating costs that are quickly becoming unaffordable.

Ontario’s economy has been hard hit. Many small businesses are at risk of closing, with no credible relief package in sight from this government. Winter is coming, Mr. Speaker, and we need action now. Will the Premier step in to address the issues of insurability caused by COVID-19, or will he wait until these businesses close?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I actually had an opportunity to host a round table with the individual referenced by the member opposite, Michael Wood, who has been a great advocate for small businesses across the province.

We’ve held over 90 round tables. It was due to consultations with businesses owners like Michael Wood that this government worked together with our federal partners to put together the commercial emergency rent relief program. It is through these conversations that this government was able to put forward programs like electricity rate relief, to the tune of $175 million. It is through the conversations with these small business owners that this government was able to put forward a Tackling the Barriers website that looked at temporary reg changes that could help support small businesses, like allowing restaurants to deliver alcohol with takeout food.

This government will continue to support small businesses, whether it was before the pandemic, during the pandemic or during this very difficult time.

Skilled trades

Ms. Lindsey Park: My question is to the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Speaker, the people in my riding of Durham have been hit hard by COVID-19, like so many across the province of Ontario. While it’s encouraging to see more people returning to work as we safely reopen the economy, some people in my community do not have jobs to return to.

Recently, the Premier and Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development announced that our government is helping people retrain and gain the skills they need to work in the skilled trades. Would the government please tell this House how this investment will help increase skilled trades jobs in our community?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you to the member for Durham for the question. Last month, the Premier and minister announced $37 million to support over 80 projects across Ontario. This funding will help more than 15,000 people to train for new jobs in high-demand fields.

In Durham region, this includes investing in construction, automotive, aerospace and transportation jobs. These jobs not only help provide for people and their families, they are the foundation for long-lasting, meaningful careers that will be in demand for years to come.

For example, we’re investing in a project that will bring together industry partners with the most talented students to help them find hands-on work placements that will teach them the skills they need to succeed. We’ve got a plan to get people back to work, and I look forward to speaking in the supplementary.

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for that answer. This is great work that’s being done to train and upskill people so that they have the talent they need to connect to the jobs of today. This investment is giving Ontario Tech University, Durham College and Loyalist College the tools they need to deliver work-integrated learning, like placements and apprenticeships, and we know how important those are to young people today.

As we know, the pandemic has impacted different people in different ways. Particularly, it has created an additional barrier for those who are already unemployed or underemployed. Can the government please also share with this House how these investments are supporting these groups that need help?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you to the member for the follow-up question. I’m happy to share that we are enriching school training programs to better align with the needs of employers and to help get workers back into the workforce.

Take, for example, our Driving Success commercial driver training program with the Ontario Truck Training Academy. This program provides future drivers with the training, opportunities and experiences they need to thrive in the current and future workplace. It has been specifically designed to enhance the student’s knowledge, increase job retention and improve communication between training organizations, candidates and employers.

Speaker, we’re on a mission to get people into good jobs that support them, their families and their communities. We will not stop until this important work is done.

Long-term care

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. It’s been five months since the Premier promised to build an iron ring around long-term-care homes. This weekend, Vermont Square, a long-term-care home in my riding, reported that 26 residents and 15 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. That’s 45 people.

We have known for months that our province was in for a second wave, set to begin in the fall. Now here it is, and families are reliving the nightmare. Seniors at Vermont Square want to know, why is the Premier failing to protect them from the second wave?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for that question. Looking at the outbreaks in our long-term-care homes, some of the homes are particularly affected—a small number. There are only 12 homes out of 626 homes that currently have resident cases, Vermont being one of them. We look at the measures being taken in conjunction and coordination with the hospitals, with the IPAC teams, the infection prevention and control teams, working with the medical officers of health, adding more and more layers of protection. This is something that’s been ongoing since January, looking at ways to protect our long-term-care homes.

The reality is, we have an invisible intruder that is in the communities. You’ve heard Ottawa, Toronto, Peel—these areas have higher numbers of community cases. So we are adding more measures in addition to what we’ve done already to support our homes, and we will continue to do that with great vigilance and care.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: The Ford government was urged to prepare long-term-care homes for COVID-19 as early as January. Chronic understaffing, overcrowding and funding cuts have made long-term-care homes particularly vulnerable. Instead of acting, this Premier has chosen to do the minimum.

When the first wave hit, we know long-term-care homes were devastated. We are now well into the second wave, and it’s looking like it will be worse than the first. There are now 43 outbreaks in long-term-care homes—43. Why is the government failing to properly prepare long-term-care homes for a second wave?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. I completely disagree with the premise of your question. In fact, we have been preparing all along, working as a coordinated effort with the Ministry of Health as the lead for the command table, with Public Health Ontario, Ontario Health, our medical officers of health.

Again, I will clarify: An outbreak in a long-term-care home includes a staff member that might be isolating at home, when there is no case in the long-term-care home. As I said, a small number, about 12 homes right now, have any resident cases. That’s out of 626 homes. Some 98% of our long-term-care homes have no resident cases.

The dollars that we put behind our plans also matter: $243 million for surge capacity staffing, infection control, screening. Over half a billion dollars that we’ve just announced, in addition to hundreds of millions of dollars, have gone to this sector.

We will continue to work with our sector to—

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

COVID-19 response

M me Lucille Collard: My question is to the Minister of Education. The return to school has been a source of much anticipation and anxiety. Unfortunately, the fears and concerns of Ontarians surrounding the back-to-school plan are becoming facts. As we see an increasing number of persons in schools testing positive, we are learning with dismay that the province is decreasing testing instead of expanding it. Our education workers are now working under impossible stress.

Families were waiting for hours to have their children tested, to then wait days to get results because of the backlogs. Dr. Vera Etches at Ottawa Public Health said our health system is in crisis and on the edge of collapse. Communities, families and students are looking up at the government for support.

What is the minister’s plan to tackle the wave of COVID-19 spreading through our education system?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I should start, Speaker, with the recognition of today as World Teachers’ Day. I think all members will join me in thanking our front-line educators who, every day, make a difference in our province and inspire the next generation to pursue higher learning and to be people of good character. We’re very grateful for their leadership every day, particularly now.

With respect to Ottawa region, I was pleased to assemble a call with Dr. Etches, with the board chairs, directors and a public health nurse—leadership within Ottawa—with a single mission: to understand how the protocols are working. What I can tell you is in Ottawa region, it’s clear, with higher rates of community transmission, it’s creating some impact in our schools. But our educators, our administrators and public health are working very quickly and decisively to get into those schools, contact-trace, isolate when required and test these children.

The Minister of Health has unveiled a robust, national-leading plan to increase capacity so that all parents and all kids get the test when they need it.

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

M me Lucille Collard: Again to the Minister of Education: School boards are asked to perform miracles without adequate resources. Education workers, and especially teachers, are stretched too much between teaching in class, teaching online, teaching to additional students because of other teachers withdrawing for health reasons, all the while looking after the well-being of the students they care for. The increasing number of persons in schools being exposed to the virus requires testing capacity to have efficient contact tracing if we want to avoid school closures.

Education workers are the front-line workers of our education system. The economic recovery cannot happen without the recovery of our education system. Now is not the time to limit testing. Now is not the time to try and save money. The health of our communities has no price. Will the minister ensure that education workers have access to priority testing and access to timely results?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We are fully committed to all citizens of this province having access to testing within their community. The Minister of Health has unveiled a variety of steps of increasing capacity, as well as the assessment centres, pharmacies, more points of contact. This is a reflection that we are all doing our very best. Our school boards on the ground are being provided with significant funds—literally over $1 billion of investment—to help ensure every layer of protection is in place.

When I reflect on how Ontario is doing in this federation, when you look at what other opposition members or governments are saying across the country—the opposition in Quebec, for example, the Liberal Party member Gregory Kelley said, “Ontario is taking #backtoschoolsafely seriously.” Premier Ford “is miles ahead of us in protecting kids, teachers & support staff. Money has been invested for distance learning, school ventilation and PPE for staff. Quebec must do more to reassure parents.”

We respect Quebec’s role in our country, but we will acknowledge we lead this nation in investment in a very serious, comprehensive protocol. We will do whatever it takes to keep kids safe.

Economic reopening and recovery

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. This past Friday I spoke with Ben Graci. He and his family own and operate The Doctor’s House event venue in Kleinburg, in the riding of King–Vaughan. They have been in the event venue business for over 35 years. They employ 130 people and they host up to 300 events a year. Due to the economic effects of the pandemic, businesses like The Doctor’s House are hanging on by a thread. They have written to this government asking for help and they haven’t heard anything from anyone on that side of the House.

They have done their part to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They closed their doors and they are paying the highest price. They’ve asked for direct government support. Without it, their business has no future. CECRA ends today.

Will the government work with Mr. Graci and the other event venues to support them financially through this difficult time?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I appreciate the member opposite bringing this important issue to the floor of the Legislature. Through the ministry we continue to engage with our stakeholders. Last week alone, we had over 700 stakeholders, including those in the event business, talk to the ministry about some of the challenges they’re facing as a result of COVID-19.

I had the opportunity earlier in the summer to visit Kleinburg with the Minister of Education, the local member for that area. I can also tell you that on Thursday evening I had a significantly long conversation with the federal minister responsible for economic development and all of my provincial and territorial colleagues on the requirement for us to have a national approach to supporting banquet and event spaces, such as the one you’re talking about.

I’d be more than happy to take your direct concerns today to my staff and meet with the individual later on today or later on this week. We recognize these have been challenging times and we want to make sure that right now we’re taking their concerns to the federal government, and we’ll continue to do that.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Just to be clear, Mr. Speaker, these businesses are asking for provincial support. That’s what they need.

Mr. Graci formed a group with his colleagues. Collectively they represent over 100 event venues and banquet halls and employ 5,000 people. After a drastically reduced 2020 season, most of the 1,100 event venues across the province won’t be able to survive even two more months without government support.

These venues wrote to the government explaining this problem and asking for support in the form of bridge financing, rent and mortgage relief, and real tax relief, and they have heard nothing. Ontario’s banquet halls and event spaces employ approximately 50,000 people in this province. At the very least, the government should have directly responded to their concerns. The government can’t just give up on these businesses. It should not be allowed.

What is the government’s plan to support event venues and banquet halls in the province of Ontario? They deserve our support. We should show up for them.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: This is the second question in a week where the NDP asked the question, I responded, and then they forgot to pivot, Speaker.

The reality is, this ministry, this government, continues to work with event venues and banquet halls. We have continued to set up multiple sectoral tables, including 14 ministerial advisory committees within my ministry alone focused on how we can best pivot to support these sectors.

As I said, my ministry had a large gathering via telephone town hall last week with over 700 of our stakeholders. We continued to meet over the weekend with our theme park operators and last week with our professional sports, and we continue to meet with those like Mr. Graci. I’m happy to take his concerns and meet with him later today and set up a table as well for him, if that’s what he thinks, with his stakeholders.

The reality is, the member opposite doesn’t seem to understand that there’s no point in Ontario duplicating something that’s already going to be coming from the federal government—and I had those conversations just last Thursday.

I just wish, for once, they would—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The next question.

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Deputy Premier.

On Friday, Ottawa’s chief medical officer of health, Vera Etches, said that our health care system is in crisis. Our hospitals are at 100%. We’re on the edge. That same day, there was a testing backlog of 92,000 tests. That meant that people were waiting. But what’s worse is, you might have to get retested because your test went bad.

Then we find that Toronto Public Health is shutting down contact tracing because they can’t keep up.

For a month now, we’ve been unable to keep up with demand.

Experts have been telling the government that if you’ve got two million kids going back to school, you’ve got to get to 100,000 tests. So why aren’t we there, and when are we going to get there in testing in Ontario?

Hon. Christine Elliott: With respect to the issue of testing: We have been increasing tests. We started at 5,000 at the beginning of the pandemic. We’re typically doing around 40,000 tests per day in Ontario right now, which, as has been noted by the Premier, outperforms all of the other provinces and territories in Canada combined, compared to Ontario. We’ve already tested over four million Ontarians, and we’re increasing that testing capacity. We are getting up to 50,000—that should happen within the next few weeks—and we’re going to increase from there, because we know that with the second wave, testing, tracing and isolating cases is key.

But along with the testing strategy, of course, you have to have the lab capacity to be able to do the testing on a timely basis. We’re increasing the lab capacity, as well. We’re reaching out to other universities that have testing facilities. We’re working on establishing a network, which we did not have when we started with this.

So we are increasing both of them, and we will be able to continue to increase our volumes as time goes on.

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

Mr. John Fraser: Speaker, British Columbia did more tests than they’ve ever done, about 11,000, which is roughly equal to the share of the population. And do you know what their backlog was? Zero. Maybe the Premier should make that comparison, because that’s what we’re talking about here.

We’re still in a situation where we have huge demand and huge test backlogs. On the weekend, in the Toronto Star, experts were saying that to get to 100,000 tests it’s going to take up to three to four months, but they just announced the money last week.

We had the time, the advice and the money in Ontario to do what needed to be done, and it didn’t happen. The Premier took his eye off the ball, and as a result we’re not going to be where we need to be right now.

So my question is, when are you going to get to 100,000 tests here in Ontario, to make sure that we can meet the demand that’s necessary to manage this pandemic?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have been meeting our targets every step along the way. Remember, we started at 5,000 tests per day; we’re now at 40,000 tests. We will get to 50,000 tests within the next week or so. We are going to increase from there, to get up to 70,000, 80,000, and then on from that.

We are meeting those targets, and we’ve been working on this since the pandemic began. We brought out our plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe, which is dealing with testing, tracing, isolating, but also managing all the volumes of tests and procedures and surgeries that were postponed during the first wave.

We’re also getting ready for flu season. We’re going to have the largest flu immunization campaign in Ontario’s history.

So we are moving forward on all fronts. We are meeting our targets. We are doing everything that we can to keep Ontarians safe.

Education funding

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier.

Families in my riding are frustrated with this government’s failed online learning plan. Elementary students in my riding have been waiting weeks to start school.

One of my constituents, Helen, was so excited to start grade 7 that she woke up at 5:30 in the morning on the first day of school. She logged into her virtual classroom, only to be disappointed that she didn’t actually have a teacher yet. It wasn’t until, in fact, last Friday, 11 days after she had been scheduled to start school, that she finally met her teacher and her classmates—11 days.

Helen’s mother, Sandi, is frustrated at this government’s botched back-to-school plan, which left school boards scrambling to hire teachers for virtual classes. It meant that her daughter spent days isolated and disappointed, unsure of when she would actually get to start school this year. What does this Premier have to say to parents like Sandi who are fed up with this government’s failed online learning plan that left students in my riding without a teacher for weeks?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: What I’d say to Sandi is, if it was up to her MPP, she wouldn’t have the choice of online learning in this province of Ontario. So the irony is not lost on me, the irony’s not lost on Progressive Conservatives, who stood alone in this House—and now the member thinks that that individual can lecture this government, when we’ve set a national leading standard that 75% of online learning must be done live, synchronous learning. In Quebec, for example, from grades 1 to 3 it is a matter, I believe, of four to six hours a week. We do that in a day.

We have educated by mandate and compulsory—every educator must undergo professional development when it comes to online learning. We’ve ensured virtual learning environments in every school, Internet in every high school.

We’re taking this seriously, Speaker. We’re creating a state-of-the-art platform. We’re doing it for the first time in this province, and we’re proud of the work that we’re doing in this province.

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

Deferred Votes

COVID-19 response

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We now have a deferred vote on private members’ notice of motion number 110, as moved by Ms. Hunter.

The bills will ring for 30 minutes, during which time members may cast their votes. I’ll ask the Clerks to prepare the lobbies.

The division bells range from 1136 to 1206.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The vote has been held on the motion for private members’ notice of motion number 110.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 45; the nays are 0.

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

Motion agreed to.

Speaker’s Book Award

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before I recess the House, I want to once again congratulate Julie S. Lalonde for winning the Speaker’s Book Award for her book, Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde.

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1209 to 1300.

Introduction of Bills

Fairness for Residential Superintendents, Janitors and Caretakers Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur l’équité pour les concierges, les employés d’immeuble ou les préposés à l’entretien d’un immeuble d’habitation

Mr. Bisson moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 210,

An Act to amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 with respect to the minimum wage for residential superintendents, janitors and caretakers / Projet de loi 210, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2000 sur les normes d’emploi en ce qui concerne le salaire minimum des concierges, employés d’immeuble ou préposés à l’entretien d’un immeuble d’habitation.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Yes, Mr. Speaker. The bill amends the Employment Standards Act in order to ensure that people who are the heroes that have kept our apartments and the common areas in those apartment buildings clean at least get paid the minimum wage for the work that they do. Currently, they’re not. This would remedy that issue.

Petitions

Alzheimer’s disease

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have a petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that cause thinking, memory and physical functioning to become seriously impaired; and

“Whereas there is no known cause or cure for this devastating illness; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias also take their toll on hundreds of thousands of families and care partners; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect more than 200,000 Ontarians today, with an annual total economic burden rising to $15.