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April 28, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Apr-28 vol. A (PDF)

L254A - Wed 28 Apr 2021 / Mer 28 avr 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 28 April 2021 Mercredi 28 avril 2021

Orders of the Day

Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à assurer à la population ontarienne des déplacements plus sûrs

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Public service employees

Front-line workers

Jeux du Canada

Small business

Front-line workers

Workplace safety

Anti-racism activities / Organ donation

Mother’s Day

National Day of Mourning

Introduction of Visitors

Poet Laureate of Ontario / Poète officiel de l’Ontario

Tabling of sessional papers

National Day of Mourning

Question Period

Employment standards

Long-term care

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

Land use planning

Long-term care

Health care funding

Small business

Climate change

Border security

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 immunization

Employment standards

COVID-19 response

Motions

Committee sittings

Petitions

COVID-19 response

Opposition Day

COVID-19 response

Orders of the Day

Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à assurer à la population ontarienne des déplacements plus sûrs

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à assurer à la population ontarienne des déplacements plus sûrs

Resuming the debate adjourned on April 27, 2021, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 282,

An Act in respect of various road safety matters / Projet de loi 282, Loi concernant diverses questions de sécurité routière.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate? I recognize the member for Waterloo.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Thank you very much, Speaker, and good morning to you. Before I get started, I just wanted to say a special congratulations to our colleague from Windsor–Tecumseh. Finally, after more than 500 days since the poet laureate bill in memory of Gord Downie was passed, just before question period today the province of Ontario will name Ontario’s first poet laureate.

I want to congratulate the member from Windsor–Tecumseh. He brings a certain amount of gravitas and grace to this place. As caucus chair and on behalf of our members, we are incredibly proud of this accomplishment and proud to serve the good people of Ontario with one Mr. Percy Hatfield. This is a special day for one of our friends and colleagues, and we are extremely excited to hear the announcement just before question period.

That said, we have before us a piece of legislation, Bill 282. This is a piece of legislation—the minister spoke to it yesterday for an hour—called Moving Ontarians More Safely. Thinking of the word “safety,” I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that we are in unprecedented times in the province of Ontario, and safety is one of those top issues that almost every Ontarian is thinking about, especially the essential workers who go to our manufacturing and our warehouses, who serve on the front lines every single day in this great province.

They would like us to be debating an issue that pertains to their health and safety in their workplaces. That is their top priority. We, of course, on this side of the House, in the NDP caucus, would love to see the government bring forward a piece of legislation that is solely focused on health and safety and managing the pandemic.

About two weeks ago, the House leader said, “We’ve started the fight. We’re no longer on the defence. We’ve started the fight.” I mean, this fight would be a very different fight, we would argue with you, if the province had brought in paid sick days, if the government had recognized early in this pandemic—when PSWs were still going to work, still going to multiple locations and the original phase 1 of COVID-19 was playing itself out in our long-term-care homes.

Then, in the second wave, when we had a greater understanding of how COVID-19 was being transmitted—you’ll remember that Health Canada, at the very beginning of this pandemic, wasn’t even recommending that we wear masks. They were saying that this was optional. The focus was on cleaning our hands and sanitizing spaces.

So we have learned along the way, and now that we are in, really, the height and the darkness of wave 3, we know how to keep people safe. In fact, the science table has been very clear on how we keep people safe in Ontario, and for some reason, even yesterday, this government failed to bring forward paid sick days. You still punted that responsibility to the federal government. I think of the disappointment that the people of this province felt hearing yesterday’s announcement and hearing very clearly from the Prime Minister, “This is your job. This is your responsibility.”

Amending the Employment Standards Act is your responsibility. Negotiating a paid sick day program, a real one, is the role of the provincial government. The fact that we are debating a piece of legislation today, Bill 282, on keeping road users safe—I think that’s what it’s called; the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act—our concern on this side of the House is, how are we going to keep the essential workers safe? Because now that we are in this third wave, the variants are beating us. This is very clear. The science table has said we cannot vaccinate our way out of this mess.

We must prevent the transmission, and preventing the transmission is in bringing in a made-in-Ontario paid sick day program, as we have requested for almost a year now. I truly do not understand the reluctance on the part of this government to do the right thing in this regard.

And it isn’t just the science table. I mean, the science table is your science table—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me. The point has been made with regard to paid sick days and so on. However, I want you to spin this back into the Moving Ontarians More Safely bill, the actual bill that we are debating right now. I would appreciate your help in that matter. Thank you.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Well, I was connecting it to the issue of safety. This was actually the theme of how the debate was handled yesterday, so, with respect—because I’m not trying to be oppositional, although it comes very naturally to me—the precedent has been set on the debate.

That said, I want to say to the government on Bill 282 that two thirds of this piece of legislation our members have brought forward over the last 10 years, beginning with Cheri DiNovo, the former member for Parkdale–High Park, with the vulnerable road users. I brought forward vulnerable road user legislation in 2018. I remember very clearly that there were three weeks left in the House before the 2018 election. I went over to the Minister of Transportation, who is now the leader of the Liberal caucus, and also the former member from Burlington, Eleanor McMahon, and I said, “Listen, you’ve got three weeks.

You said that you support this piece of legislation, which would increase fines for those drivers who actually physically damage and sometimes kill cyclists and pedestrians, because it is not regarded in any way, shape or form to the degree under the Criminal Code in the same respect as actually physically damaging somebody.” I went over to them; I walked across the floor and I said, “Listen, we can do this. You can do this. The legislation is very clear.

Ontario is behind the times on vulnerable road user legislation.” And I said, “Who knows if we’re going to get elected?” Every election is a new election, as you know, Mr. Speaker. They both looked at me and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. We will get it done after the election.” Both of those individuals didn’t come back here.

So here we are, almost three years later, having a piece of legislation that the government has brought forward which reflects many of our values, although there are areas that are missing on this. We just want it to get to committee.

In the middle of a pandemic, to be fair, we should be debating so many other issues that pertain to getting the economy back running, getting the health and well-being of workers in the province put on the front burner for this government, and yet here we are talking about street racing and drag racing.

When this bill passes second reading—as it should, very quickly; possibly just today—and goes to committee, we have amendments already prepared where we’re going to try to strengthen it. We’re going to try to work collaboratively with you in that regard and hopefully strengthen some of the penalties and the fines that our members have brought forward.

I just want to get one of our members on the record. The member for University–Rosedale released the following statement—I think this just happened yesterday—on the MOMS Act, including road safety improvements that she actually has been pushing for. This is a direct quote: “Cyclists are celebrating that the MOMS Act will allow for the reporting of dooring incidents to police, a key component of” the Doored But Not Ignored Act, which was brought forward by the member for University–Rosedale. “Currently, a cyclist can end up in an emergency room after being hit by a car door, and the police won’t even turn up to report the incident.”

This is very true. This happened to a good friend of mine, a city councillor in Waterloo. The car hit her and: “Do you want me to call you a taxi?” She said, “No, you call the police; you call an ambulance,” because there’s just a different sphere of understanding, if you will, about what happens when cyclists are hit.

She said, “The police won’t even turn up to report the incident. Requiring police to report on all dooring incidents will mean drivers can be held to account and cyclists can be safer.”

I fundamentally believe this. I grew up here in Toronto, both in Parkdale and in east-end Toronto. I didn’t drive until I was 32 because I cycled. But I got doored too many times and I just had to retire the bicycle. You can only take so much.

Often, the drivers would put the cyclists at fault. They weren’t doing the Dutch reach; they weren’t doing the check for cyclists. And so in many respects, this culture has changed.

Our member from University–Rosedale goes on to say, “Every transit rider has had the frightening experience of leaving a streetcar and nearly being hit by a car because the driver failed to stop.” This is especially true. With the older versions of streetcars, if you’ve lived here for quite some time, once those doors open, cars would actually accelerate to get past the streetcar.

So when this bill, which is not a paid sick day bill, goes to committee, as the lead said yesterday, we’re supportive of it. But we’re going to table amendments to improve the bill, adding vulnerable road user provisions, as per Bill 62, or tougher penalties for all offences resulting in bodily harm or death, as per Bill 122, if such amendments are in order.

I just wish that the government had the same sense of urgency that they do with ensuring that those who are on the roads, be they pedestrians, cyclists or drivers, are safe as they did for essential workers in Ontario. What a missed opportunity, Mr. Speaker. This is our third week of a six-week rotation—who’s counting?—and hopefully at some point this government is going to wake up and say, “You know what, let’s park everything, this Ontario Day, PMBs, these private members’ motions”—we don’t even know what the government is actually bringing forward this week for private members’ bills.

Just table everything else and bring a piece of legislation to the floor of the Ontario Legislature that focuses on keeping people safe, keeping people healthy, ensuring that they don’t have to go to work sick. That is the only way that we are going to interrupt the cycle of COVID-19 in the province of Ontario.

Last week—this is cohort one. Even when you’re not here, you’re sort of here. I was watching last week, and I did hear the member from Burlington in her speech talk about how we were being alarmist on the safety issue. You even referenced Chicken Little. I think we can all assume and acknowledge that that did not go over too well, because people do feel a sense of urgency and a sense of concern out in the communities that they live in, be it Burlington; Timiskaming–Cochrane; Brampton, for sure; Peel, for sure; Oshawa; or Scarborough.

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me. I recognize the member for Mississauga–Malton on a point of order.

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I appreciate the member talking. I’m just waiting to hear more about the actual bill, which is transportation, rather than more about COVID or paid sick days. I appreciate that.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I appreciate the reminder. I will again just remind the member from Waterloo to make your comments more relevant towards the bill that we are debating right now.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Well, I don’t know if the member actually does appreciate my comments, my point being that the same urgency that the government has brought with Bill 282, the same research, the same evidence that has been cited in this piece of legislation—which, of course, we’re going to be supporting, because two thirds of it has come from over almost a decade of advocacy from our side of the bench. Obviously, we’re going to try to make it a better bill, which we always try to do, if you actually follow protocol here in this place and bring that bill to committee to make it stronger.

It’s one thing for us to be talking about this. The member from Windsor–Tecumseh has to wait 500 days for action. The glacial pace that sometimes this government acts on—except when they have their own priorities, like interfering in the city of Toronto municipal election. That happened pretty fast, Mr. Speaker.

As I’ve said, the MOMS bill, as it is known, brings in some new road safety measures, and our members on this side have been very supportive of the thrust of it. Clearly, there is an emerging issue around street racing. Let’s get it to committee. Let’s do our due diligence with this piece of legislation. Let’s park it over here and let’s bring forward a piece of legislation like legislated paid sick days. Don’t keep punting over to the federal government. Just do your job.

Really, you have our co-operation on Bill 282, and we’re willing to partner with you to make it a piece of legislation that meets the needs of the people of this province. What we’re saying is that this is not necessarily the priority right now of the people of Ontario, in the middle of a pandemic, where the average caseload of COVID-19 is now consistently around the 4,000 mark. We are actually saying to you, we’re willing. We’ll stay to midnight, as long as it takes, to get paid sick day legislation on the floor of this Legislature.

We will work co-operatively to fast-track, to make it an effective piece of legislation so that sick workers don’t have to go to work. They can stay home and stay safe and keep their families safe, Mr. Speaker. And that’s pretty much all I have to say on Bill 282.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Questions?

Mr. Aris Babikian: Good morning to all. Thank you to my colleague from the opposite side for her presentation. One of the changes proposed in the MOMS Act is to include working conditions for our highway workers by allowing the use of automated traffic control devices to direct traffic at a construction site.

Does the member opposite agree that we should adopt technology like the automated traffic control devices to protect the workers who keep our goods moving?

Ms. Catherine Fife: The answer is yes. We believe in keeping workers safe in the province of Ontario. We believe in taking every measure that is needed to keep people safe in the province of Ontario. We have been consistently fighting for worker safety. From the first time I actually came to this place, working-at-heights legislation had not been completed. There had been a 10-year study after some scaffolding workers, four new immigrants, had fallen to their deaths. There was a study. There was a round table. There was a special report. Nothing was actionable, though, at the time. We just kept talking about these workers.

We have consistently been fighting for the health and safety of workers in the province of Ontario. That is why we want you to bring paid sick day legislation to the floor of this Legislature.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. Gurratan Singh: As my colleague has clearly stated, I believe that this is an issue that we in the NDP are not in—there’s no contention. We agree with this piece of legislation.

What I want to ask her is: She has brought up time and again how important it is that we focus on the pandemic that’s before us. I know we’ve seen points of order coming from the Conservative government saying this is not relevant. Can the member please explain how everything we do in this House is relevant to COVID-19 at this time of crisis and every action that is being put forward should have a focus on how we address this pandemic that is gripping our province right now?

Ms. Catherine Fife: Thank you very much for the question. That was exactly where I was trying to go with my comments. Yesterday, the members opposite talked about how, because of COVID, street racing has become more prevalent. They’ve responded to a specific issue around the increase in speed, in stunt driving, in racing on our roads, and yet they haven’t responded in a legislative way to COVID-19 for essential workers.

Everything that we should be talking about in this place right now should be pandemic-related. The science table has made so many recommendations that you have turned your back on, including closing down all non-essential workplaces. If you’re not going to bring in a paid sick day strategy, then at least stop people from going to work if it’s not essential. This is literally life and death.

Let’s get this bill to committee and then bring something tangible to keep people safe in the province of Ontario to this floor.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Mississauga Centre.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: Thank you. Good morning, Speaker. In my work as a registered nurse in the emergency room, I’ve had the unfortunate privilege of treating many patients, including victims and drivers of motor vehicle collisions. It’s a very traumatic experience. The families are very often distraught. As you can imagine, the wounds inflicted on these drivers and their victims are very profound, so I think this legislation cannot come at a better time.

A key pillar of the MOMS Act is the introduction of stiffer post-conviction penalties for those convicted acts of stunt driving and street racing on our roadways. Does the member opposite agree with these increased penalties to deter drivers from engaging in reckless acts of street racing and stunt driving to keep our roads safer?

Ms. Catherine Fife: I mean, we don’t think they’re stiff enough.

But as a nurse and as someone who has seen first-hand, also, what COVID-19 is doing to our emergency rooms, to our ICUs—we have field hospitals. We are moving patients from downtown Toronto to northern communities, to other regions. As a nurse, why aren’t you going directly to this Premier and saying, “Bring in paid sick day legislation”?

There are doctors and nurses on that side who take an oath. They take an oath, just as we say a prayer every morning, and when we take an oath as legislators, we say we’re going to work for the people of the province. Why are you, as a nurse, not fighting day in and day out for paid sick day leave?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. John Vanthof: I listened intently to the member from Waterloo. Several members yesterday brought up a statistic that someone is injured from reckless driving every three and a half hours. That is a sobering statistic.

But perhaps much more sobering is the state of our hospitals now because of COVID-19. Where and how they’re going to be treated is up in the air. Would you please enlighten the government on how COVID-19 is impacting the hospitals and what we really should be looking at right now?

Ms. Catherine Fife: Thank you very much to the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane for that question. Dr. Warner has said we’re overcapacity. They’re razor-thin in making a decision about choosing how to triage patients. It scares the hell out of them, Mr. Speaker, to make that choice and make a choice about who is going to get health care and who is not. Those are life-and-death decisions.

People with disabilities in this province of Ontario are terrified of the fact that if they got hit by a car, if they had an accident, and they go to a hospital, someone is going to look at them and have to make that choice: Who gets the health care and who doesn’t? Who gets the ventilator and who doesn’t? That is where we are in the province of Ontario.

Where is the sense of urgency from this government on paid sick leave, on health care resources? What is going on over there?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the member opposite. We are doing everything we can to protect workers in this province, and in this case, protecting people from the vagaries of stunt driving. That’s what this legislation is about.

What I can’t figure out, and I’m having a really hard time figuring out, is why the members opposite don’t want to have a discussion about how we can fix the paid sick day issue for essential workers who are working now. All they want to talk about is that there are no paid sick days, but there are; or they want to say we haven’t closed essential workplaces, but we have. That’s not offering solutions. That is actually making the debate nonsensical.

What I would like to ask the member opposite is, why don’t you focus on proposing some actual solutions and then we can maybe work together to resolve this issue? Because the workers of Ontario don’t care what level of government pays for paid sick days. What they want to make sure is that workers don’t have to go to work when they feel sick. That’s what we would like to do as well.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Mr. Speaker, the flippancy of that attitude around—we brought a piece of legislation, Bill 239; we brought it in February. We have introduced paid sick day leaves 25 times in this House—25 times.

Mrs. Robin Martin: And we don’t like them—

Ms. Catherine Fife: Oh, you don’t like them—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me.

Ms. Catherine Fife: You don’t like them?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Excuse me. A lot of times, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it, and I’m not liking what I’m hearing. I’m going to ask that you respond through the Speaker, not to a member over here, all right? If we can just keep this civil, I would very much appreciate that.

Back to you for your response.

Ms. Catherine Fife: Through the Speaker: We have brought 25 motions on paid sick leave to this floor of this Legislature; 25 times the government has turned it down. We brought Bill 239 legislation months ago.

Mr. Speaker, when the member says that we haven’t brought forward ideas and legislation, the Hansard speaks for itself. The legislation that has come to the floor of this House speaks for itself.

Regardless of how she says it to me, the people of this province are not buying what this government is selling, and they know who is in their corner. It is straight on this side.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. There isn’t enough time for further questions and responses.

Further debate? I recognize the member from Markham–Unionville.

Mr. Billy Pang: Thank you, and good morning, Mr. Speaker. I’m delighted to be here in the House to speak to Bill 282, Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021. As the MPP for Markham–Unionville and a parent, safety, especially when it comes to driving and our roads, lies as a priority in my mind, something I’m sure many members similarly here share and advocate for.

Ontario’s roads are among the safest in North America, but that doesn’t mean that street racing and stunt driving don’t occur in Ontario. Unfortunately, every year we continue to see deaths and injuries caused by high-risk driving. These deaths and injuries do not only affect the stunt drivers themselves, but in many occurrences, these incidents also impose a threat to the safety of others on the road. Therefore, when I was invited to speak to the bill—a bill that will be another step to protect young drivers, vulnerable road users and our communities—it was a no-brainer.

The Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021, also known as the MOMS Act, is proposed legislation that will help protect people and families by targeting those who engage in stunt and aggressive, high-risk driving. This legislation also includes measures to protect our vulnerable road users, such as our pedestrians and highway workers, and it will also impose measures to improve truck safety and strengthen provincial oversight of the towing sector.

Street racing and stunt offences have been trending upwards since 2015, and last summer we saw a massive spike. In fact, the number of driver’s licence suspensions issued at roadside for these offences have increased 130% between 2013 and 2019.

While Ontarians are working together to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect our most vulnerable by limiting non-essential travelling, the emptier roads pose another issue that many of our communities are experiencing, which is reckless driving, and there is data that supports this. For example, the number of seven-day administrative driver’s licence suspensions for street racing and stunt driving under

section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act issued during the first wave of the pandemic, March to August 2020, was approximately 7,400, which was 52% higher than the 4,850 issued during the same period in 2019. And nearly 5% of drivers suspended during this period had one or more previous administrative driver’s licence suspensions in the last five years.

Mr. Speaker, driving and road safety will remain serious threats to the safety of Ontarians while we are in a pandemic, as we get out of the pandemic, and as we recover from the pandemic. So, yes, while our government is taking proactive actions to protect and support Ontarians from COVID-19, our government is also taking strong measures to protect communities and constituents who use these roads to travel from one destination to the next. This is why this bill is much needed.

As the Minister of Transportation said, driving is a privilege, and those who threaten the safety of others have no place on our roads. I agree with the minister. This dangerous behaviour should not be tolerated on our streets. It is simply unacceptable.

Based on our current data, every 3.5 hours someone is injured in a speed-related crash in Ontario. Young drivers aged 16 to 25 represented only 19% of drivers involved in collisions between March and June 2020 but represented 42% of drivers involved in collisions with a police-recorded speed of 50 kilometres per hour or more above the posted limit.

This week, a constituent in my riding reached out to my constituency office to voice her concern about speeding violations happening in Markham–Unionville on the major roads of Highway 7 and Kennedy Road.

We need more vital actions—because as a government we know high-risk driving behaviours regularly cause injuries and deaths on our roads—and Bill 282 will do just that. Under the proposed measures of the MOMS Act, it will combat street racing and speed driving by making amendments to the Highway Traffic Act, including the following:

Currently, drivers who are found street racing are subject to an immediate seven-day vehicle impoundment and an immediate seven-day driver’s licence suspension at roadside. Under this amendment, it will increase the vehicle impoundment to 14 days and increase the driver’s licence suspension to 30 days.

Furthermore, the MOMS Act will also propose amendments for post-conviction driver’s licence suspensions. Currently, drivers convicted of street racing under

section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act are subject to a post-conviction driver’s licence suspension of up to two years for the first conviction and up to 10 years for a second conviction. Under Bill 282, amendments will be made to

section 172 to escalate post-conviction driver’s licence suspensions: for the first offence, one to three years; for the second offence, three to 10 years; for the third offence, an indefinite suspension that may be reduced at a later date to be established by regulation; and for fourth and subsequent offences, an indefinite driver’s licence suspension.

This component of the amendment, which is essential to add, will also impose a mandatory driver education course to educate drivers with first to third offences on aggressive driving behaviour risks and consequences.

To combat speeding, the MOMS Act will also create a lower speed threshold for stunt driving charges of driving 40 kilometres per hour or more above the speed limit on roads where the speed limit is less than 80 kilometres per hour. And, if passed, this legislation will place a default speed limit in unorganized territories to establish the rate of speed on a highway not within a local municipality or a built-up area to 80 kilometres per hour.

Mr. Speaker, speeding and stunt driving are issues that families and constituents across all our ridings are concerned about. These actions are rash behaviours that cause great effects towards the lives of individuals and families who are involved.

That is why I was so pleased when I saw a series of supporting statements from many stakeholders across the board, including Chief Superintendent Rohan Thompson of the Ontario Provincial Police, co-chair of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Committee. He stated, “In Ontario driving is a privilege and operating a vehicle on our roadways safely is an important social responsibility that we all have to one another. High speeds, stunt, and aggressive driving have no place on our roads and these behaviours put us all unnecessarily at risk. We applaud these changes and hope they will lead to safer roadways in Ontario.”

To add, Chief Jim MacSween of the York Regional Police also commented, “As a GTA police service, we welcome these new provincial measures. Longer suspensions will certainly assist us, and our law enforcement partners, as we continue to fight against racing and stunt driving on our roadways.”

Mr. Speaker, if passed, the MOMS Act will also implement measures to further protect our pedestrians who also use our roads. Like many members here, many of our constituents, families and students commute to downtown Toronto for work and study. The number of commuters who travel to downtown Toronto may be lesser due to the pandemic and working from home, but once our province is out of this pandemic and our economic engine starts roaring again, the commute will pick up again, greater than before, I can assure.

Placing the safety of Ontarians as the emphasis of this new legislation, the MOMS Act will protect passengers using streetcars by strengthening automated streetcar camera enforcement. Currently, passing a streetcar illegally is a driver-based offence. The new measures imposed in this legislation will introduce an automated camera enforcement framework to allow photo evidence of vehicles that illegally pass streetcars on the left or streetcars with the doors open to pick up or drop off passengers.

While the province has a long history of permitting automated, camera-based enforcement programs, I want to add, Speaker, that this proposed streetcar camera framework will be an opt-in program for municipalities. Each municipality will be responsible for all aspects of program administration, including procuring camera technology, processing photographic evidence and laying charges. Municipalities will also be responsible for working with the Information and Privacy Commissioner in establishing their programs and ensuring that the standards set under Ontario’s privacy laws are met.

To further protect Ontarians, Bill 282 will also make amendments to improve the collecting and retrieval of collision data to better track collisions involving car doors hitting bicycles or e-scooters. This modification, Mr. Speaker, is much needed. The current motor vehicle collision reporting, MVCR, system was last updated over 30 years ago, and driving enforcement has changed significantly since then. For example, throughout the years, distracted driving has become a key road safety issue, but the collision report does not allow the police to record whether a driver was operating a hand-held device at the time of a collision. As our province changes, we must develop and improve as well.

Speaker, the proposed amendments to collision reporting will also ensure that the Ministry of Transportation will obtain the most accurate and relevant information possible to understand road safety trends, evaluate the effectiveness of policy changes, and support evidence-based decision-making to improve road safety in Ontario.

The proposed modification to the Highway Traffic Act will, if passed, enable changes to how we collect collision data so that we can track dooring incidents involving cyclists and stationary cars. It also means that cyclists involved in a dooring collision will be able to receive a collision report at the scene, the same as drivers who are involved in a motor vehicle collision.

While no one would want collision incidents to happen, as the weather becomes warmer, cycling and e-scooting will gradually increase on our roads. The proposed changes to the collision data will ensure that parties involved in the incident will have a record of the report to keep for their individual recollection.

Speaker, through consultations, our government also received support from stakeholders, including municipal partners, enforcement organizations and road safety entities such as the city of Toronto, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ontario Safety League, regarding the proposals to enhance penalties for stunt driving, street racing and high-risk offences and the emphasis on public education and awareness. We also received strong recommendations from all stakeholder groups of a new provincial oversight regime for the towing industry, something that this proposed legislation also touched upon, but due to the time I have, I will not have the chance to highlight.

Mr. Speaker, those who threaten the safety of others have no place on our roads. This we have made clear from the start. Ontarians deserve to feel safe in their community, whether it is going out for a walk, biking, getting off a streetcar and driving on our roads and highways. One too many people get severely injured or pass away from street racing and unsafe driving, many of which actions are preventable dangers and consequences.

As a government, we are taking strong actions to fight distracted driving, give further support to our municipalities and enforcement organizations and increase public awareness toward the terrible consequences this reckless behaviour can have toward the drivers themselves and innocent bystanders on the road. I cannot be more pleased to speak to Bill 282, the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, which will establish a series of measures that will protect people and families, if passed.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Questions?

Mr. Gurratan Singh: This issue put forward around making sure our roads are safe is an important issue, but does the member believe that paid sick days should be passed with the same amount of speed, commitment and direction that is being put toward the MOMS bill? Do you think that same energy should be put towards passing paid sick days in the province of Ontario?

Mr. Billy Pang: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member: I think road safety is very important to the road users. I believe every single one in the chamber uses the roads every single day. When we are dealing with street racing, stunt driving and aggressive unsafe driving, increasing the roadside driver’s licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment periods for drivers caught street racing or stunt driving from seven days to a 30-day driver’s licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment is not enough. Therefore, in order to protect our Ontarians, we are escalating the post-conviction driver’s licence suspension for drivers convicted of street racing or stunt driving.

Therefore, yes, I heard the concern of the member from the opposite, but the Ministry of Transportation also listens to the—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. Further questions?

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Good morning and thank you, Mr. Speaker. I was listening to the debate yesterday and today about this MOMS Act. This is an important act. I could tell, from my former life as a councillor, every day I fought for this issue, especially as the neighbourhood became a war zone. It was a war zone. I’m talking about tickets and tickets for the last 10, 15 years, whether in the GTA or Markham or Scarborough.

Who was driving in the neighbourhoods, Mr. Speaker? It’s the people who are living in the neighbourhood—and also, especially, it’s young drivers. I have three kids. My youngest one has already got a licence. I know that they are very responsible, but still, we have to bring under control the stunt driving and reckless driving.

My question to my good colleague from Markham–Unionville: The member is talking about consultation—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you. Back to the member for a response.

Mr. Billy Pang: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member from Markham–Thornhill: Yes, we had a lot of consultations. I think you may notice that this is a historical moment, that our government hosted historical numbers of consultations in the history of Ontario.

All the stakeholders that we have consulted, including the municipalities, the law enforcement—a lot of them responded to our consultation that they were very supportive of this enhancement, because they believe that their enforcement—they need to carry out the enforcement at roadside, but they also understand that they need heavier penalties for those who are convicted.

Thank you to the member for the question.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. Wayne Gates: It’s always a pleasure to rise in this House, but I want to start by saying today is the Day of Mourning, when we mourn for the dead and we fight for the living. I believe, and I wish you guys believed, that there is no better way to fight for the living than by providing Ontario with paid sick days during a pandemic.

I know the Speaker wants me to ask a question on the bill, so I’ll do that as well. My question on the bill is, if you’re concerned about aggressive driving, are you not sending the wrong message to drivers by having a pilot project that increases the speed on our highways?

Mr. Billy Pang: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member: I hear his concern regarding the speed. Therefore, we created a lower speed threshold for stunt driving charges of driving 40 kilometres per hour or more above the speed limit on the roads where the speed limit is less than 80 kilometres per hour and introduced a default speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour on highways not within a local municipality or a built-up area. No matter if it is speeding, street racing, stunt driving or aggressive and unsafe driving, it’s not acceptable and it’s causing a lot of deaths and injuries to Ontarians. This bill tries to protect all the road users in Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. Aris Babikian: I’m so happy and pleased with this bill, because it is long overdue. One of the most important aspects—and I’m pleased that the bill is addressing it—is the towing industry. I have been personally at the short end of the shady practices of the towing industry, and it is time that we address this issue, because it affects a large number of our citizens in Ontario. Hopefully, when this bill is passed, we will be able to regulate this industry and make it more accountable.

So my question is to my colleague from Markham–Unionville. A CAA survey found that 90% of the respondents wanted some form of provincial oversight over the towing and storage industry. Can the member highlight how the MOMS Act speaks to this ask?

Mr. Billy Pang: Mr. Speaker, through you, to the member from Scarborough–Agincourt: Continued instances of violence and crime in the towing and storage sectors have demonstrated the need for meaningful change in the way the towing industry is regulated. The MOMS Act also includes a provision to enact the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act. This act, if passed, will strengthen provincial oversight of the towing and storage sector to reduce crime and fraud, promote road user and tow operator safety, improve customer protections and create a level playing field for tow and storage operators.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Miss Monique Taylor: Transportation enforcement officers are peace officers who inspect commercial vehicles to make sure that they’re mechanically safe, that they keep the roads safe, that their loads are secure and that they’re following the rules of the road. They work for the Ministry of Transportation.

So I’ve heard within your speech that the ministry cares about safety, and yet, these workers are underpaid. They are not given the security. They work in very dangerous conditions. Some individuals they pull over have warrants or have been charged and they’re flagged or violent. These staff at the highway truck inspection stations where they do the same work—they do the school buses to keep children safe and all the inspections, and yet, we’re hearing from the union that their job is unsafe and that they’re leaving in droves.

What does the member think about these workers that work under the same ministry? Are they protecting those workers also?

Mr. Billy Pang: To the member: I certainly thank the member for that very important question to protect workers. Regarding protecting workers on or near highways, it authorizes MTO transportation enforcement officers to close the road, drive along closed roads and direct traffic as part of their duties when responding to emergencies or assisting in collision investigations.

It also protects the road workers by permitting use of automated traffic control devices, such as automated flagger assistance devices, as an additional traffic control tool in construction zones to reduce the need for construction workers to physically stop traffic themselves. It permits vehicles used in highway construction to back up on the divided highway—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. Further debate?

M. Guy Bourgouin: Bon matin, monsieur le Président. Je ne m’attendais pas de parler ce matin, mais ça a l’air que je parle ce matin. Je vais faire un effort du mieux que je peux.

Premièrement, vous savez qu’on supporte le projet de loi 282, « Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, MOMS ». C’est sûr et certain, quand ça vient à la santé et sécurité du monde—on sait que dans le projet de loi, on parle de « stunt driving », on parle de « street racing ». C’est sûr et certain que ce côté de la chambre, on est d’accord que c’est inacceptable et que, oui, il faut pénaliser les personnes ou les gens qui font du « street racing » ou du « stunt driving ». N’importe quoi qu’on peut faire, monsieur le Président, c’est sûr et certain qu’il faut garder nos routes sécuritaires.

On a une obligation de protéger la population. Les personnes qui font ces choses-là ou ces actes-là, bien, ils méritent de se faire punir.

Pourquoi je parle de vitesse? Bien, on sait que le gouvernement a un projet pilote, qu’ils veulent augmenter les vitesses. Je crois que le projet pilote se fait dans le nord de l’Ontario.

Monsieur le Président, si tu te poses la question, sur un bord, on dit qu’il faut enrayer le « stunt driving », qu’il faut enrayer la vitesse des courses qui se font sur nos routes. Puis, sur l’autre bord, on regarde un projet pilote pour augmenter la vitesse. Si je peux utiliser le terme, c’est comme parler des deux côtés de la bouche, pour ne pas utiliser un autre terme. Ça va sans dire que ça apporte de la confusion aux personnes. Les jeunes, ils disent : « Bien, on a droit de faire de la vitesse. Le gouvernement semble nous dire qu’on a le droit de faire de la vitesse. On a un projet pilote. » Puis sur l’autre bord, c’est sûr que c’est inacceptable.

Les courses sur les autoroutes ou bien le « stunt driving », c’est inacceptable, mais il reste que ça donne une perception que la vitesse est tolérée. Je pense que c’est un message qu’on pose qu’on ne devrait pas faire. Puis ça, c’est sans oublier, vous le savez, que j’avais déposé un projet de

loi sur l’entretien des chemins. Ça, c’est sans oublier que surtout le projet pilote se fait dans le nord de l’Ontario. Les conditions de la route dans le nord de l’Ontario sont pitoyables. Elles sont très étroites. On a vu les routes fermées à multiples reprises, monsieur le Président. Ça, c’est dans les meilleures conditions. Nos routes sont assez pitoyables. Ce n’est pas comme nos belles autoroutes quand on vient ici sur la 400, la 401 ou la Queen Elizabeth, qui ont deux, trois voies; nous, on a deux voies. Il y a deux voies chez nous. Puis si on tombe dans les routes hivernales, les conditions empirent.

Je peux vous dire que l’entretien des chemins cette année que j’ai vu dans ma région—la route était fermée pour deux jours, deux jours au complet. Vous ne vivez pas ça, vous autres, dans le sud de l’Ontario, mais chez nous, c’est rendu la norme. C’est rendu la norme. Ça, c’est sans mentionner aussi qu’il y a beaucoup de camionneurs qui manquent d’expérience et qui prennent le clos. Les routes sont fermées en condition régulière. C’est rendu quasiment une farce dans notre région. On dit : « Tiens, un autre dans le clos. » Ce qu’on ne réalise pas, c’est que ça nuit à toute la région.

Puis là, on va faire un projet pilote pour augmenter la vitesse. Où est la logique là-dedans, quand on a des conditions routières qui sont dangereuses? Puis le message que ça passe quand ça vient aux jeunes—ou à n’importe quel autre conducteur qui dit : « OK, cette vitesse-là est tolérée ». On va continuer à vous le dire.

Dans nos régions, on a beaucoup de zones de 80 kilomètres. Je pense que dans la région de Sudbury, quand on part de Sudbury jusqu’à Timmins, ou bien donc de Timmins à Chapleau, ce sont des zones de 80 kilomètres. Aussi, de Hearst, on a la route 11, comme vous le savez, mais après ça, il y a la route qui s’en va vers Hornepayne jusqu’à White River, qui en est une autre de 80 kilomètres.

Nos conditions de route ne sont pas faites pour la vitesse. Puis je trouve qu’avoir un projet pilote dans le nord de l’Ontario qui va augmenter la vitesse, puis avoir un projet de loi qu’on traite avec, comme c’est là, qui parle de « stunt driving » puis qui parle de « street racing », c’est un message qui dit deux choses, qui se contredit. Ça se contredit, parce que tu ne peux pas dire, d’un bord, « Bien, on fait un projet pilote pour augmenter la vitesse » et, sur l’autre bord, avoir un projet de loi pour dire qu’il n’y aura pas de « street racing » après ça, puis qu’on met la vie en danger.

Il faut pénaliser. Je suis le premier à le reconnaître. Mais on a dit au gouvernement que pour les régions du Nord—puis les experts le disent. Dans mon projet de loi, il y avait un expert qui disait : « Guy, nos routes ne sont pas »—c’est pour ça qu’il y a des petites bosses sur les côtés pour aider la situation du monde, pour réduire la vitesse, ou pour ceux qui s’endorment, parce que les routes sont isolées. On voit beaucoup de monde qui s’endort sur les routes. C’est une situation qui se passe dans le nord de l’Ontario. Le gouvernement semble être déconnecté, très déconnecté de la réalité qui se passe dans le nord de l’Ontario.

Je regardais le projet de loi, quand ça vient aux vélos électriques. Je peux vous dire, j’ai un ami à moi, Trevor Russell, qui est un gros amateur de vélo. Puis lui, il fait beaucoup de vélo sur le long de l’autoroute 11. Mais le projet de loi est silencieux quand ça vient à—parce que nos routes sont très étroites, comme j’expliquais. Entre l’accotement il y a peut-être 10 ou 12 pouces—non, plus que ça : peut-être 16 pouces de pavé, puis après ça, de la gravelle. Mais après ça, ce sont des fossés.

Mais il reste que, si le gouvernement pouvait adresser le problème pour les cyclistes, ça serait un bon amendement pour protéger ces cyclistes-là. Il y a beaucoup de cyclistes qui en profitent, puis en particulier, Trevor. Je sais qu’il y a un motoriste qui s’est arrêté, puis ça a viré en discussion assez chauffée—assez que Trevor est venu me voir, puis il a dit : « Guy, il faut qu’on mette une pancarte » que le MTO doit approuver pour éduquer les chauffeurs d’automobiles, et autres qui prennent la route 11, qu’il y a aussi des cyclistes sur la route.

Mais en ayant ce côté-là, que si le gouvernement avait adressé cette partie-là, surtout sur la route 11 où certains tronçons sont assez—parce que, entre les communautés, il y a beaucoup de cyclistes qui veulent pratiquer le sport. Je trouve que ça serait un bon amendement à ce projet de loi, puis ça adresserait un gros « concerne » de santé et de sécurité.

Il ne faut pas oublier, on parle du Day of Mourning. Je voulais mentionner que le Day of Mourning est reconnu à la grandeur du monde pour protéger les travailleurs qui sont—premièrement, c’est pour les travailleurs qui sont morts, mais aussi ceux qui sont blessés au travail. Mais pour adresser la santé et la sécurité des cyclistes dans ma région, ça serait déjà une bonne amélioration pour le projet de loi.

Mais aussi, il y a une réalité qu’on ne vit pas dans le sud de l’Ontario. On parle des cyclistes, des vélos électriques, mais si on regarde les vélos à gaz à deux roues—on a les fameux quatre roues, les « ATVs » en anglais; on a les « side-by-side » aussi—que le projet de loi ne semble pas les mentionner. Mais nous, dans le Nord, c’est une réalité qu’on voit au jour le jour. Le monde prend ces véhicules-là pour traverser les autoroutes. On a plein de sentiers. Puis nos jeunes de 16 ans qui traversent—c’est certain qu’il faut regarder l’âge de l’individu ou du conducteur. Mais il reste que, à quelque part, il faut réaliser qu’il y a une différente réalité dans le nord de l’Ontario.

Mais il me semble que le gouvernement a manqué à ça, quand ça vient à cette situation-là, parce qu’il y a un déconnecte—il y a un gros « disconnect » quand ça vient aux régions du Nord et aux régions du sud de l’Ontario, surtout quand—en tout cas, chez nous. Quand je parle de chez nous, c’est certain, c’est la région de Mushkegowuk. Je n’en connais pas gros qui n’ont pas de motoneiges, qui n’ont pas de quatre roues. Des trois roues, des quatre roues ou des ATVs, c’est la norme. Juste moi, personnellement, j’ai deux Skidoo, j’ai deux quatre roues. Ça, c’est à part de mes deux cabanes à pêche. Puis je ne suis pas unique dans ce scénario-là.

Donc, quand on fait des améliorations à une loi, il faut prendre en considération la réalité dans le nord de l’Ontario. Puis on semble, dans ce projet de loi, être silencieux un peu pour adresser ces « concernes », parce que les sentiers—pour nous, les fins de semaine, les familles partent avec ça puis ils traversent les autoroutes : la route 11 ou la route 17. Je parle seulement de la route 11 parce que ça, c’est plus chez nous, mais avant, quand je demeurais dans le comté d’Algoma, c’était une réalité qu’on était obligé de traverser la route 17. Il faut prendre en considération, quand on fait des projets de loi, la réalité du nord de l’Ontario, puis protéger aussi les personnes.

Puis pour revenir un petit peu au projet de loi quand on parle du « street racing » puis des conditions de nos routes—je l’ai mentionné un peu tantôt au début. Il ne faut pas oublier que nos routes, la 11 et la 17, nos conditions—écoute, la 17 c’est mieux. C’est sûr que les conditions sont meilleures. Mais il reste que c’est encore une deux voies. Mais la 11, c’est rendu que n’importe qui—j’ai rencontré du monde qui me dit : « Guy, j’ai peur de monter dans cette région-là. » Il y a des députés qui sont venus.

Je pense qu’il y a une députée qui a été visiter mon collègue de Timiskaming–Cochrane, puis elle n’en revenait pas des conditions des routes hivernales. Elle n’en revenait pas que, même dans les conditions idéales dans ce temps-ci de l’été—puis vous le savez, notre hiver dure pas mal plus longtemps que le vôtre. Encore, je suis parti de chez nous et il neigeait, quand je suis parti hier. Je suis parti hier. Parce que j’ai eu mon vaccin lundi, je ne pouvais pas être ici avant, mais il neigeait encore.

Dimanche passé ou la semaine passée, on a eu une tempête de neige à Hearst qui était de près de deux pieds de neige : deux pieds de neige, et on est rendu au mois de mai. C’est commun.

C’est pour ça qu’on a une réalité que vous ne voyez pas dans le sud de l’Ontario, puis les conditions—puis on a un projet de loi qui essaye d’offrir un projet pilote. Écoute, on va tuer du monde, monsieur le Président. Si le gouvernement ne réalise pas la situation des routes hivernales, des conditions qu’on voit, ou même les conditions idéales, je peux vous dire que c’est très dangereux, puis c’est concernant. C’est concernant parce que—je me vois encore voilà peut-être deux semaines, justement, avant la tempête de neige qu’il y a eu à Hearst dont je vous ai parlé, monsieur le Président.

Je m’en venais à Toronto il y a deux semaines passées. La route était fermée encore à Timiskaming. J’ai juste eu la chance—j’étais chanceux d’être là où il y avait un contour puis j’ai été capable de passer par Cobalt pour éviter l’accident qui a été créé par certains camionneurs. J’essayais de rejoindre mon collègue de Timiskaming et je n’étais pas sûr, si je prenais le détour, si j’étais capable de me rendre où je voulais pour essayer de contourner.

Mais nos conditions routières sont tellement—si on avait des autoroutes comme vous, à Toronto—la 400, la 401, la Queen Elizabeth. Puis là, on sait que vous allez avoir six « lanes ». Nous autres, on espère d’avoir un deux-plus-un. Un deux-plus-un, j’en ai parlé en Chambre : les routes se font alterner pour des déplacements. On se fait prendre derrière les camionneurs pendant des heures, même dans des conditions idéales, parce qu’il n’y a pas assez de « passing lanes ». Il n’y a pas assez de places où on peut dépasser dans nos régions.

Mais le gouvernement regarde un projet pilote pour augmenter la vitesse, ce qui est très concernant. Ça, c’est une réalité qu’on doit considérer avant d’avancer des projets de loi comme ça.

Mais je vois que mon temps est terminé, monsieur le Président. Merci.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Unfortunately, the time for debate has expired. However, you will have more time when we resume this debate, as well as with the question and answer.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Ms. Catherine Fife: Over the last few weeks, countless constituents have reached out to my office to share their concerns and issues with this government’s inadequate third wave response. Between choosing to expand police powers instead of an Ontario paid sick day plan, or shutting down playgrounds and golf courses despite contrary advice from public health experts, it’s no wonder that people are frustrated.

The science table has been crystal clear about what the government needs to do to slow the spread and keep people safe. Here’s their advice.

They have advised to only keep essential workplaces open. Has the government done that? Nope. But the region of Peel and city of Toronto have at least stepped up to protect their communities.

They have advised to pay essential workers to stay home when they are sick, exposed or need time to get vaccinated. Has the government done that? Nope. Yesterday, the government once again failed to legislate paid provincial sick days, in the same week that we saw a 13-year-old girl die from COVID-19.

They have advised to accelerate the vaccination of essential workers and those who live in hot spots. Have they done this? Not yet.

The science table has also very helpfully told the government what won’t work: any policies that harm or neglect racialized, marginalized or other vulnerable populations.

This government has a blueprint. It has been told what to do and what not to do.

So my question to my colleagues in government: Why haven’t you acted on the science table’s advice? The longer you wait, the more Ontario suffers.

Public service employees

Mr. Vincent Ke: Today, I reflect on some very important people who make a great difference in the lives of Ontarians every day. They are the public service staff and liaisons who work tirelessly for elected officials in constituency, legislative and ministry offices all across Ontario. Daily, they receive and respond to the needs of Ontarians who reach out to our offices to ask for assistance, information, guidance and support. They gracefully handle a very high volume of phone calls, emails, schedules and meetings.

On top of their routine tasks, the overwhelming amount of inquiries they deal with daily during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding health and safety measures, lockdowns, vaccines, border restrictions, and school updates, for example, is truly incredible.

Unfortunately, at times they also face the expressed anger and frustration of the public, which can be challenging and stressful. They work through it all and continue to shine because they genuinely want to help people.

Speaker, please join me in thanking all support staff for their incredible patience, kindness and hard work as they continue to help keep Ontarians and the province moving in the right direction. They are Ontario’s silent stars, and their service shines bright.

Front-line workers

Mr. Wayne Gates: Today, on the Day of Mourning, I’d like to stand and speak to the essential workers in this province: the moms, dads, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives who have gotten up every day and gone into work to keep us healthy, safe and fed in the face of this terrible pandemic, risking their own lives to provide for their families and others.

As I look across the aisle at this government, which has led us directly into the third wave of this pandemic, with our health care system in crisis, I must say they have not only failed our front-line essential workers, but they’ve forgotten them entirely.

In Niagara, I speak to those workers every day. They’re anxious, they’re scared, and honestly, they don’t know what they’ll face each day when they go to work. Those workers going in, day in and day out—our border workers, postal staff, food and grocery staff, and many more—deserve better. They deserve to be vaccinated and, for the many who do not have benefits, they deserve paid sick days.

This government promised to provide North America’s best paid sick days plan. This week, that has turned out to be a myth. We know the message they’re giving to workers: “We don’t care about you.”

After it took public health officials, instead of this government, to finally take the lead and close workplaces in outbreak, we know the message they’re giving to workers: “We don’t care about you.”

This government can call them champions and heroes until they’re blue in the face, but their actions speak louder than words.

I’m calling on this government to change direction, to recognize the value and the importance of our front-line workers to our communities. Get them vaccinated immediately and provide Ontario with paid sick days.

Jeux du Canada

M me Natalia Kusendova: Hier, j’ai eu l’occasion d’assister à une réunion des organisateurs et organisatrices des Jeux du Canada 2022 et j’aimerais souligner le travail important qu’ils font.

Les Jeux du Canada 2022 se dérouleront dans la région de Niagara et apporteront beaucoup de bénéfices à cette région. Ils permettront aux résidentes et résidents de la région de profiter de nouvelles installations sportives et de loisirs, en plus d’encourager la création de nouveaux emplois et de favoriser le développement économique régional. C’est un événement très important et je remercie le gouvernement et la ministre des Industries du patrimoine, du sport, du tourisme et de la culture pour leur contribution de 29 millions de dollars.

Ces jeux mettront également en valeur la francophonie ontarienne et renforceront les liens entre les francophones d’un océan à l’autre. Le drapeau franco-ontarien sera visible dans tous les centres sportifs pour les gens à voir et chaque bénévole portera le vert pour représenter la francophonie ontarienne.

Ces jeux ne seraient pas possibles sans le travail acharné des bénévoles. J’aimerais remercier toutes et tous qui ont déjà beaucoup contribué au succès de ces jeux et j’encourage d’autres résidents bilingues à s’impliquer dans ce grand événement. Pour s’inscrire au bénévolat, envoyez un courriel à volunteer@2022canadagames.ca.

Small business

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Today I rise to amplify the many voices of small business owners in my riding of Windsor West. Small businesses are the heart and soul of my community. Many have spent the entire pandemic constantly in fear of the permanent closure of the business they have put their entire lives into. They are struggling to make ends meet while anxiously awaiting the government support they were promised to get them through the pandemic.

I have spoken to many small business owners. They require funds to pay rent, pay their bills and allow them to open in some capacity, whether that is through curbside pickup, takeout or delivery. They tell me direct and expedient aid is needed in order for them to stay afloat.

Ontario’s New Democrats have supported small businesses and shared their clear recommendations throughout the pandemic through our Save Main Street plan as well as other legislative and policy recommendations.

Small business owners have told me the Ontario small business program is flawed. While some businesses have been successful in navigating the complicated process and receive the funding, many more are still anxiously waiting to receive funds or have been outright denied without an appeal process. The scope of the program is too narrow, leaving many of the small businesses in my community without proper support to continue operations.

I wrote the Minister of Economic Development asking him to immediately re-evaluate the program so that more businesses can receive the much-needed funding they deserve to stay afloat, and to actually respond to inquiries from business owners and MPP offices, which is currently a rare occurrence.

I urge this government to rectify this program so that businesses can receive the support they desperately need and were promised. For many, this support will be the deciding factor of whether they can remain open or must close forever.

Front-line workers

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Today is the National Day of Mourning, a day to remember and honour workers who have lost their lives or been injured on the job.

This past year has shone a brighter light on the systemic inequities in our economy. Low-wage essential workers, many of them women and people of colour, have experienced a disproportionate burden during the pandemic. I will never forget the PSWs having to wear garbage bags as PPE, or the workers who have had to choose between their health and the health of their families and going to work and paying the bills.

We owe immense gratitude to these workers and we must treat them like the heroes they truly are. This means paid sick days and paid time off to get tested and vaccinated, prioritizing vaccines for essential workers who can’t work from home, mandating medical-grade PPE in the workplace, rapid testing and other measures to ensure that workplaces are safe.

Too many workers have paid too high a price during this pandemic. I want to offer my sincere condolences to the family members, co-workers and colleagues of those workers we’ve lost during this pandemic. It’s our obligation to never forget and to take the actions to ensure that workplaces are safe.

Workplace safety

Mrs. Robin Martin: Today, April 28, is the National Day of Mourning, commemorating workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness on the job, and I want to share a few reflections from my own riding of Eglinton–Lawrence.

Many people living to this day in my riding immigrated there in the 1950s from Italy. They or their loved ones mainly worked in the construction industry and literally built the city of Toronto that we know today. Unfortunately, many of their loved ones were injured, sometimes very seriously, or killed at their place of work as they struggled to earn a living to provide a better life for their families.

For many years, I have attended the Day of Mourning for fallen workers on April 28 at the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial in my riding at the Columbus Centre, along with my colleagues Ministers Lecce and Tibollo. I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the sacrifices made by these individuals from people like Paola Breda and Marino Toppan, who have gone to great lengths to document their stories and to keep their memories alive.

This has always been a very moving ceremony. I know that the Italian Canadian community will be back there to remember and pay their respects as soon as COVID-19 is behind us, and I will be there with them.

Speaker, remembering is important. It makes us reflect on how we got to where we are today, and it gives us the knowledge necessary to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. One worker injured in Ontario is one worker too many.

Anti-racism activities / Organ donation

Mr. Taras Natyshak: Because we could all use some good news about some great people doing amazing things, I want to recognize a couple of amazing people.

One is Laura Soutar-Hasulo from my area of Windsor and Essex county. In response to some pretty vile acts of anti-Asian racism, anti-Semitic and xenophobic actions back home, Laura took it upon herself to develop lawn signs that clearly state, “Hate Has No Home Here.” There were initially 100 orders for those signs. It’s now gone national and international. There’s over 600 orders for her lawn signs that spread a message of love and acceptance and tolerance. We want to give her a great shout-out. She’s an amazing leader and we love the work that she’s doing.

Also, as members would know, April is organ donor awareness month. Despite the challenges that COVID presents to those who work for our amazing network at the Trillium Gift of Life Network, they’re continuing to provide the services for donor and family recipients. I want to give them a shout-out: Dr. Natalie Malus; my amazing cousin-in-law, Stephanie Natyshak, who is the organ and tissue donor coordinator; and a special shout-out to Janet, Meaghan, Kelly, Tanice, Kara, Denise, Melinda, Leannah and Rachel.

Also, Kaidyn Blair: Kaidyn Blair received a liver donation 18 years ago, Speaker. He just celebrated his 19th birthday. He is an amazing ambassador for organ donation. We know that he’s getting a checkup in London right now. We love him. We love his mom, Tammy, and Jeremy. Kaidyn, happy birthday from the Ontario Legislature. We’re all with you. We wish you the best of health going forward, and thanks for being a hero for us.

Mother’s Day

Miss Christina Maria Mitas: Today, I would like to bring attention to a wonderful day that is rightly celebrated every year and is very quickly approaching. That special day is Mother’s Day.

As you all know, I’m a mom to two little ones, Sebastian and Cressida, my one- and two-year-old wild angels. While I’m still in the “up all night as your little co-sleeping baby boy kicks you and climbs all over you” phase, which translates into perma-exhaustion on my part, I can easily say that being a mom is the greatest honour and gift of my life.

I can also say that my grandmother, Litsa—God rest her soul—was absolutely right: I got it once I became a mom. And what is it? Everything about my own mom. I understand that our moms play an essential role in raising us and supporting us as we grow in life, that life changes when you become a mom, that people look at you differently and size you up differently, but you persevere and move mountains for your children and your family.

I’m very fortunate to have my mother with me to this day, and I realize how much of a blessing it is to have her. My “Andre,” as I like to call her, Athanasia “Suzy” Mitas Kipros, gave birth to me two weeks before her 20th birthday. Since then we have grown up together and she has done everything to give me the best opportunities in life, encouraged me when needed, pulled me down to earth when appropriate, scolded me and banned me when I needed it, and always been my loving cheerleader. She’s always put me and my sister before her own needs, and she teaches us what it’s like to be selfless.

Over the past two years, my mom has been the greatest support I could ask for. Being a politician is not an easy job and neither is being a mother, so to be both requires a lot of help, understanding, love and emotional support. My wonderful mom fulfills all of these roles in spades.

My hope is that as we continue to move forward in these uncertain times, we will take days like Mother’s Day to appreciate our loved ones and cherish them in the best way we can. To all the moms, and especially mine, happy Mother’s Day. We love you and appreciate you more than we’ll ever be able to put into words.

National Day of Mourning

Ms. Jane McKenna: Mourn for the dead, fight for the living: That’s the enduring theme of the Day of Mourning. In 1984, the Canadian Labour Congress established April 28 as the Day of Mourning. Eight years later, the Parliament of Canada passed the Workers Mourning Day Act, making April 28 the official National Day of Mourning. Today, more than 100 countries across the globe recognize this day.

On this international Day of Mourning, we remember workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness as a result of work-related incidents. We honour the many families and friends who have been deeply impacted by these tragedies, and we collectively renew our commitment to improve health and safety in every workplace.

As we mark the second Day of Mourning during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also acknowledge the sacrifices of front-line workers who have died or become ill in their service to the public, Speaker. April 28 is also recognized by the United Nations and the International Labour Organization as the World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

As much as this day is to remember the dead, it is also a call to protect the living.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m pleased to introduce some very special guests who we have with us today in the Speaker’s gallery. We have with us Randell Adjei; his parents, Esther and Fawkins Ablorh; and Rukiya Mohamed; as well as Vicki Whitmell, who is our legislative librarian.

Welcome to the Ontario Legislature. It’s a real pleasure to have you here.

More about Randell Adjei in a moment.

Poet Laureate of Ontario / Poète officiel de l’Ontario

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, on a point of order: I just want to say that while the honour of appointing the first poet laureate is to come to the government House leader, I think we would all agree that the member for Windsor–Tecumseh truly deserves this honour, to thank him for persevering through many Parliaments to get to this point here today. He is an incredible member of Parliament and it is an honour to work with him.

Applause.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I am certain that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent that the member for Windsor–Tecumseh be permitted to immediately move government notice of motion 108 to provide for the appointment, by order of the House, of the Poet Laureate of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for Windsor–Tecumseh to be permitted to immediately move government notice of motion 108 to provide for the appointment, by order of the House, of the Poet Laureate of Ontario. Agreed? Agreed.

I recognize the member for Windsor–Tecumseh.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Good morning, Speaker. I move that, in accordance with subsection 1(2) and

section 2 of the Poet Laureate of Ontario Act (In Memory of Gord Downie), 2019, S.O. 2019, c. 16, Randell Adjei be appointed Poet Laureate of Ontario for a period of two years, commencing on April 28, 2021.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Hatfield has moved government notice of motion number 108. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to seek the indulgence of the House to give a brief statement.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce Randell Adjei as Ontario’s first poet laureate.

C’est avec grand plaisir que je présente Randell Adjei comme premier poète officiel de l’Ontario.

Members may recall that the Poet Laureate of Ontario Act (In Memory of Gord Downie) was passed unanimously by this Legislature in December 2019. The bill was originally introduced by the member for Windsor–Tecumseh, with the goal of creating this position here at the Legislature while at the same time honouring the late lead singer of one of Canada’s most iconic bands, The Tragically Hip, who sadly passed away in the fall of 2017.

The search to find our first poet laureate started last fall and came to a conclusion earlier this spring thanks to the dedicated work of a selection committee that included Vicki Whitmell, executive director and legislative librarian, who is here today; Rita Davies, the chair of the Ontario Arts Council; and David Tsubouchi, member of the board of directors of the Ontario Arts Council and a former Ontario cabinet minister and MPP; and me.

We were unanimous in our appreciation of the talent of Randell Adjei. Mr. Adjei is a native of Scarborough, Ontario, and he is a spoken word artist, public speaker and cultural curator. He discovered his gift and love for poetry thanks to the support and inspiration from a grade 8 teacher who introduced him to writing as a means for self-expression.

Mr. Adjei further developed his artistic skills in high school. Believing in the power of performance art to strengthen his resilience, he founded RISE, which stands for Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere, in 2012 as a safe and inclusive performing arts opportunity to allow youth to express themselves in a positive way. RISE is now one of Toronto’s largest and longest-running youth initiatives.

A member of the League of Canadian Poets, he has performed across the globe and in support of people such as President Barack Obama and Toronto Mayor John Tory. His first anthology, I Am Not My Struggles, was published in 2018.

Mr. Adjei is eager to start his ambitious two-year term as our poet laureate and he plans to be extremely active. In addition to writing poetry, some of his other objectives in the post include creating more social networking opportunities for poets across Ontario, connecting with various regions across the province to host events—when we can, safely—facilitating workshops and performing spoken word poetry while using this platform to link Ontario’s diverse communities by weaving poetry into our day-to-day lives.

I know that all members will join me in congratulating Randell Adjei on his appointment. We know that he will make an extraordinary contribution to the province’s literary arts.

Je me joins à toutes les députées et tous les députés pour féliciter Randell Adjei de sa nomination. Nous savons qu’il apportera une contribution extraordinaire aux arts littéraires de la province.

Congratulations, Randell Adjei.

Applause.

Tabling of sessional papers

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following documents have been tabled: a report entitled Explaining the Decline in Ontario Insolvencies During the Pandemic, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario; and a special report entitled COVID-19 Preparedness and Management: Special Report on Pandemic Readiness and Response in Long-Term Care, from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.

National Day of Mourning

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition has informed me that she wishes to raise a point of order.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Today is the Day of Mourning. I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the workers who have died, been injured or contracted illness at work, particularly the essential workers and front-line heroes who have struggled throughout the pandemic without paid sick days, adequate PPE and the protections they need to keep them safe on the job.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition is seeking unanimous consent of the House that the House do observe a moment’s silence for the workers who have died, been injured or contracted illnesses at work, particularly essential workers and front-line heroes who have struggled through the pandemic without paid sick days, adequate PPE and the protections they need to keep them safe on the job. Agreed? Agreed.

I’ll ask the members to please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Members, please take your seats.

Question Period

Employment standards

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, before I start, I just want to thank those folks who have arrived from Newfoundland yesterday and other folks who are on their way from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Red Cross, leaving the safety of their homes to come to Ontario to help us with this third wave of COVID-19, the severity of which was absolutely avoidable. We know that our ICUs are still overwhelmed; they’re overflowing with patients. We know what the experts have recommended for over a year now.

This question is to the Deputy Premier, Speaker. The Premier, last week, promised the best paid sick days program in North America, and of course, as we know, the Premier’s latest scheme has been roundly panned by all of the experts. In fact, one of the docs, Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, sums it up by saying that the program is “the definition of passing the buck. And more will die needlessly....”

When will the government stop the nonsense and put in place a paid sick days program in the province of Ontario to save the lives of working people?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the parliamentary assistant, the member for Burlington.

Ms. Jane McKenna: Let me be clear: We are disappointed that the federal government didn’t improve the programs as they said they would. But make no mistake, it is because of Ontario that this leave provision has been approved to what it is today, and it will be because of Ontario that we fix the outstanding gaps.

We were the first in Canada to introduce job protective leave. We were the first to proactively work with the federal government to extend benefits to 20 days. We were the first to proactively work with the federal government to ensure payments were brought from 12 to 14 days to three to five days.

We will continue to do whatever is necessary to support the health and safety of all workers in Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, it is very clear that this Premier has done everything he possibly can to avoid bringing paid sick days to our province. He eliminated the two measly paid sick days we had in this province back in 2018. In fact, he calls paid sick days a “waste of taxpayers’ money.” He accused critics of the federal program of “misleading” Ontario workers. He has ignored all of the evidence of the help that paid sick days would bring to Ontario workers in avoiding catching COVID-19.

It has been a week since our Premier promised the people of Ontario the best paid sick days plan in North America. When will this government stop protecting the Premier and start protecting Ontario workers with paid sick days?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Let me be clear again: We’re very disappointed that the federal government didn’t improve the programs as they said they would. But make no mistake, it’s because of Ontario that this leave provision has been approved to what it is today, and it will be because of Ontario that we fix the outstanding gaps.

Again, we were the first in Canada to introduce job-protected leave. We were the first to proactively work with the federal government to extend benefits from 10 to 20 days. And we were the first to proactively work to make sure it wasn’t 12 to 14 days but it was three to five days that people were getting their direct deposits.

We will continue to do whatever is necessary to support the health and safety of all workers in Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It has been a year, and this government hasn’t done what was necessary to protect the safety and lives of Ontario workers. They haven’t done anything that the experts have recommended. They did not close all truly non-essential businesses and support them financially to get us through this next wave that we’re in. They did not bring vaccinations in any urgent way, in the numbers necessary, to our hot-spot neighbourhoods, as the experts recommended. Of course, they did not bring paid sick days into play here in this province, and they need to do it—25 times this government has voted in this Legislature against paid sick days.

We’re going to have another debate—because we are never going to give up on the workers of this province—this afternoon on paid sick days in this province and other recommendations that experts have brought forward. The government has a chance to turn it all around this afternoon and do what the experts recommend. Will they support that motion this afternoon, do the right thing and save lives?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Again, let me be clear: We are very disappointed that the federal government didn’t improve programs as they said they would. But make no mistake, it’s because of our Premier of Ontario that this leave provision has been approved to what it is today, and it will be because of Ontario that we fix the outstanding gaps.

We were the first in Canada to introduce job-protected leave; the first to proactively work with the federal government to extend days from 10 to 20 for benefits; the first to proactively work with the federal government to ensure payments were brought forward from 12 to 14 days to three to five.

Again, we will continue to do whatever it takes to support the health and safety of all Ontario workers.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is for the Deputy Premier. Speaker, the Auditor General’s report today confirms what we all knew: Seniors in long-term care were left vulnerable by successive Liberal and Conservative governments that didn’t invest in long-term care in any way that was necessary to give people dignity and quality of life. There have been decades of neglect in long-term care.

The government knew that COVID-19 was coming, and they should have been moving heaven and earth to protect those seniors, but we all know that they didn’t. Instead, what this government did was eliminate comprehensive inspections. What they did was pretend that there was going to be an iron ring around long-term care, which never arrived. They had no plan to support the residents in long-term care.

Year after year after year, this government and the previous government ignored all of the recommendations to deal with the problems in long-term care.

In April of last year, I met with the Minister of Health, the Premier and a couple of other members of this government’s cabinet, and they told me at that time, even though they knew the state of long-term care, that they had everything under control, that everything was prepared for—no problem; they had everything under control with COVID-19. Are they now prepared to admit that they weren’t prepared in long-term care for COVID-19?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I appreciate the comments from the member opposite.

I will remind the House that the previous government, sometimes supported by the Leader of the Opposition—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: —oversaw the challenges and neglected this sector. So I would like to thank the Auditor General and her office for this special report on long-term care, because it really does note that very first comment that I made, that the members seem to find humorous.

The report’s key finding suggests that staffing and the lack of new development and redevelopment of existing long-term-care spaces contributed to the spread of COVID-19. To date, it’s our government that has taken extensive and ongoing measures to protect the health, safety and well-being of residents, staff, caregivers and families. It is our government that inherited this broken system that was assieged by COVID-19. We will continue to—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order. The Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries will come to order.

Supplementary question.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the government knew that the situation in long-term care was a disaster waiting to happen. In fact, the minister would have known that there were many, many, many infectious outbreaks happening in virtually all long-term-care homes before COVID-19 hit Ontario. Two thirds of the homes were breaking IPAC, infection prevention and control, rules constantly. She should have known that; she did know that. Yet this government cancelled comprehensive RQI inspections.

This government really ignored all precautionary principles. In fact, during the COVID-19 crisis—they stopped all in-person inspections during the worst of the crisis. Measures to contain COVID-19 were initially left up to home operators, is what the AG’s report says. How can it be that after explicit warnings, after knowing the state of affairs in long-term care, we still had a government that let so many seniors die?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Today’s recommendations, and those that will come from the long-term-care commission as well, inform the work that is already under way to repair a broken system, badly neglected for many years. It is our government that is modernizing and fixing the long-term-care sector.

The neglect that happened over many, many years left a system that could not respond immediately to COVID-19. We used the expertise of public health, Ontario Health, multiple ministries to address this as we went, and we started early, with guidance in January. In March, there were more measures. In fact, there were so many measures, sometimes it was hard for the homes to keep up, because there was so much work being done.

The Auditor General says, “Long-standing systemic problems in the sector were quickly and starkly amplified at the onset and during the first and second waves of the pandemic, and were contributing factors to the outbreaks and spread of COVID-19 in the long-term-care homes.” When she says that, she’s talking about what was left in the wake of the previous government—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Seniors suffered in unspeakable conditions throughout COVID-19. In fact, the second wave was even worse than the first. This government cannot justify how they neglected our seniors. Look at the Canadian Armed Forces report to see exactly what was happening in long-term care. Four thousand people lost their lives to COVID-19. Thousands of family members have been traumatized by the experience. Thousands of other seniors were left to suffer alone, with no support, with no family. This should never have happened, Speaker, and the AG’s report clearly indicates that this government knew the state of affairs in long-term care. They knew, and they were warned.

The long-term-care system, contrary to what this minister just said, is still in crisis. It’s massively understaffed. There’s massive underinvestment, and this government is dragging its feet and saying that maybe, in 2025, we may have some kind of improvement in long-term care—not good enough. Stop dragging your feet.

When will long-term care be fixed by this government?

Interjections.

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

I remind members to make their comments through the Chair.

To reply, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I will point out when the AG says, “More than 10 years later, little progress had been made and the issue remains, now with significantly greater risks and consequences for the safety of residents.” That is the Leader of the Opposition. That is the legacy left behind—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Waterloo, come to order. The member for Northumberland, come to order.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: The Leader of the Opposition sat in this chamber and had the opportunity, for many years, to address what she knew, and she didn’t. Neither did the government of the day.

It is our government that has taken responsibility for this sector, so badly neglected for many years under the people sitting right there. I will take no lessons from you as I work to repair long-term care and to support staff, residents and families, while you neglected it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, please make your comments through the Chair.

The next question.

Long-term care

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Deputy Premier. The government knew that there were problems in long-term care left by years of neglect by the previous Liberal government, but the Auditor General’s report shows that, just like the Liberals, the PCs ignored all of them. The report states, “Actions taken over the years have been insufficient to ensure that we would be better prepared as a province for the ‘next time.’” The Auditor General says the concerns raised by experts in report after report for over a decade have been left to fester.

My question is, how much more needless suffering and death is it going to take for this government to prepare long-term care for the next pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: It is our government that’s doing the work. It is our government that has put in a monumental commitment to four hours of direct care per resident; to hiring 27,000 new hires into long-term care over the next four years, a $4.9-billion commitment; not to mention the over 8,600 hires who we were able to put in with the pandemic pay; and the historic levels of investment, the $1.75 billion and almost another $1 billion recently announced for another 80 projects.

The languishing sector that was left for so many years, with only a few hundred beds built under the previous government between 2011 and 2018, left this sector at risk. It is our government that is working around the clock to repair it, not only from the neglect left behind but also from a global pandemic. It’s our government that is putting in the work.

As the Minister of Long-Term Care, I am proud of everyone who is working around the clock to protect this sector and do the work that’s needed.

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

Mr. Taras Natyshak: The Auditor General says that there are no surprises in her report. That’s because, despite the Premier’s bluster, there was no iron ring. Last January, they didn’t prepare long-term-care homes for the incoming pandemic. They didn’t properly train staff to handle outbreaks. They didn’t even have gloves and masks and training for their own inspectors until after the military arrived. With two thirds of homes reportedly failing to keep infections down, a pandemic was always a question of when, not if.

My question is, why do this Premier and this minister treat seniors in long-term care as second-class citizens, without the respect that they so greatly deserve?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: That is preposterous. I spent my career looking after seniors and looking after the most vulnerable. That is an absolute insult to every physician and every PSW that is doing the hard work.

There is no doubt that this sector had cracks and that it was left open to COVID-19. We worked with public health, we worked with the scientists in Ontario—the best expert advice, and we took it early. We worked with the Ministry of Health and we worked across the ministries to shore up this system. It couldn’t be turned around on a dime. The years of neglect were so bad, the staffing crisis so severe and the crowding in our homes so severe after so many years of neglect by the previous government, supported by the opposition, that we could not turn it around fast enough, but, boy, did we try, and, boy, do all those thousands of front-line workers continue to do the work—

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

Interjections.

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

COVID-19 response

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is to the Minister of Finance. I know for months our government has been calling on the Trudeau government to implement changes to the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit program in order to ensure Canadians in my riding and across the province can self-isolate, care for an ailing loved one or get vaccinated without losing their income. Despite repeated appeals from Premiers across Canada, and in the face of advice from medical experts, the federal government has failed to fill the gaps in their program and make sure workers can access funds quickly and easily.

Given the federal government in their budget last week once again failed to deliver these needed changes for Ontarians, can the Minister of Finance tell the House how we intend to fill these gaps?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Willowdale and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you to the member for Oakville. This is a critical issue. As Ontario battles a devastating third wave of this global pandemic, driven by dangerous variants that have crossed our borders, we must do everything we can to stop the spread. No one should have to choose between buying groceries and protecting the health of their family.

That’s why Ontario was the first province in Canada to ensure no worker could lose their job because they were self-isolating. That’s why Premier Ford worked with the federal government to provide $1.1 billion in a paid sick leave program. That’s why, after a very disappointing federal budget which failed to deliver desperately needed changes to the federal program, our government stepped up to the plate and offered to fill the gaps by immediately doubling payments for all Ontario workers, up to $1,000 per week, $25 per hour, for four weeks.

This government will continue to fight for Ontarians. We need our federal partners and all members of this Legislature to put politics aside and ensure that every worker in Ontario has access to adequate paid sick days.

Interjection.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I want to thank the parliamentary assistant for the answer and commend the minister for stepping up to supplement the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit.

I know there’s a lot of misinformation out there on this program. The opposition, for a year now, has been trying to convince Ontarians that the program doesn’t exist and that Ontarians do not have access to paid sick days through the federal program. I’m glad that our government is trying to work collaboratively with Ottawa to improve access, to make sure there is no gap in pay and that workers don’t have to worry about losing their paycheque.

But can the minister please explain why improving the federal program is the best way to deliver paid sick days to Ontarians that we badly need in this pandemic?

Mr. Stan Cho: Working with the federal government is the simplest and fastest way to get money into pockets. We need them to continue partnering with us to get this job done.

Unfortunately, yesterday the Prime Minister and the federal Minister of Finance suggested that instead of delivering more money directly to workers, the province should force already struggling small businesses to pick up the tab. Our government has spared no expense in protecting the health and safety of Ontarians and supporting the struggling small businesses, the job creators, that have sacrificed their livelihoods to keep our communities safe.

Our government does not believe that businesses should bear the increased burden of a paid sick day program, as members opposite have suggested. Instead, our government will remain steadfast in our commitment to protect workers by providing this support directly. The federal government already has the means to deliver the program, and we are willing to pay the bill. I hope that they will work with us.

Land use planning

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. The Premier is fast-tracking a new 400-series highway that will carve through irreplaceable farmland and the greenbelt. Highway 413 will cost at least $6 billion, but it will save drivers about 30 to 60 seconds per trip. Now research from Environmental Defence shows that the highway could lead to an extra 17.4-million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles by 2050.

It’s not going to help drivers. It’s certainly not going to help the environment. It will make money for powerful developers; that goes without saying. At what point is the Premier going to put the public interest ahead of the interest of his donors and cancel this wasteful and harmful highway project?

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

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member opposite for the question. There is a strong case for moving forward with Highway 413.

By 2051, the population of the greater Golden Horseshoe is expected to grow to almost 15 million people. We need our road infrastructure to keep up. We must alleviate congestion, which is already terrible in the greater Golden Horseshoe, before it gets worse for commuters and before it gets worse for the environment.

Mr. Speaker, we want to get this right. That is why we’re continuing the environmental assessment process, which the Liberals cancelled. We believe that work on this project, on the environmental assessment aspect, is essential so that we can determine whether or not we move forward with Highway 413, which could be critical infrastructure for the people of York, Halton and Peel regions.

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

Mr. John Vanthof: The minister just said there’s a “strong case” to be made for the highway. We would contend there’s also a very strong case to be made for the environment—and as a farmer, an even stronger case to be made for agricultural land. We lose 175 acres a day now. The 15 million people who are going to be living in the GTA in a few years are going to need food, and we’re going to need farmland. You can’t build it. And now we have the chance to plan ahead to protect it.

So, again, we need to look at these projects from the environmental point of view and from the feeding-the-people point of view. Is that going to be a major component in determining how you go ahead with the development of this province?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member opposite for his comments, and I agree. That is why our government resumed the environmental assessment process, so that we could consider whether or not to proceed with Highway 413, with all of the facts and evidence that are necessary to make decisions of this magnitude. The Liberals didn’t think that was important. They think we should just let people come to the greater Golden Horseshoe and not consider what kind of infrastructure is necessary.

I agree, we need to consider all environmental impacts, which we will get. We will get the information from the environmental assessment process when we need to consider impacts on agriculture, on farmland, on the greenbelt.

Mr. Speaker, we’re not the only ones who think that it’s important to consider this infrastructure; so does the Ontario Livestock Transporters’ Alliance and so does the Peel Federation of Agriculture. Is the member opposite suggesting that I ignore their requests for me to consider whether we should move forward with this infrastructure?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: They are speaking for their communities. They are speaking for the needs of their industry.

I believe it’s important to take into account the needs of all our stakeholders as we study whether or not to proceed with this highway.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There’s way too much heckling in the House this morning. Please come to order and allow the member who has the floor to make their presentation so that I can hear that person.

The next question.

Long-term care

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Today, the Auditor General released a report about the government’s response to COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term-care homes. In the report, it details that ALC patients were transferred from hospitals to crowded homes during the first wave. Homes struggled to provide adequate space and staffing to address the surge. Simply put, they were not prepared for the influx of patients.

This morning, the Minister of Health announced that the government is now instituting an emergency order to transfer ALC patients from hospitals to long-term-care homes that are not their choice. There was some confusion this morning. The minister said that they would be transferred with their consent in her remarks, and the press release clearly says without their consent.

So can the Minister of Long-Term Care confirm that patients are being transferred without their consent?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I’m very pleased to confirm the statement that was made today and the decision that has been made.

There is a situation where, because of the crowding in our hospitals right now, there are some patients who are there who are alternate-level-of-care or no longer needing hospital services, who are waiting for their first choice of a transfer to a long-term-care home. What we are saying today is, in the situation of extreme overcrowding at a particular hospital where there is a surge, there will be a discussion with some of those people to determine whether they are willing to move to a long-term-care home that is not their first choice. That would be discussed in advance.

It would be a very respectful discussion. It would take into consideration all of the issues that are important to people, including ethnocultural considerations. There would be no charge for the copayment. And we would ask for their consent.

But there may be circumstances, under extreme overcrowding in our hospitals, where it might be necessary to transfer someone without—

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

Mr. John Fraser: The bottom line is, you have the power to transfer people without their consent.

You may recall, I raised this issue with the Minister of Long-Term Care in November, about capacity in long-term-care homes. It’s five months later, and now what the government is having to do is take an extreme measure because they failed to plan adequately for capacity in long-term care.

If the government is going to do this, there are a number of things that need to be in place. The homes must be able to provide appropriate care and appropriate staffing. New residents must be fully vaccinated so they don’t have to isolate—so should their essential caregivers. There should be some geographic limits to this, and there should be a structure in place, an incident management structure in place, something to prevent the things that happened in the first wave from happening in the third wave.

Speaker, can the minister confirm that these types of provisions, along with others in consultation with the sector, will take place to ensure that we—

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Yes, absolutely, I can confirm that. All of the issues that have been mentioned by the member have been taken into consideration, and any movement that might have to take place would only be under a situation where there is an extreme surge in a particular hospital—one we hope that we never have to use. But we have to be prepared in the event of another surge because of this third wave because of the variants.

It’s important to plan ahead. That’s what we’re doing. We really don’t want to have to use this. If we have to, of course, we would do that very respectfully and have that conversation with the family, with the person being transferred. They would still maintain their place on the list for their first choice. They would not have to pay the copayment. They would be vaccinated before they would leave.

In addition to that, we are setting up a hotline for people to call if their family member is decompensating in a new situation, for alternate arrangements to be made for them to be moved to another place where they will do better. Because we are looking for a perfect match, but there is—

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

Health care funding

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Yesterday, Ontario’s 2021 budget received royal assent. In that budget, which every member opposite voted against, our government invested $16.3 billion in Ontario’s health care system to build capacity, help battle the third wave of the pandemic and support our heroes on the front line.

Ontarians know that our health care system is under serious strain and is being pushed past its breaking point after years of underfunding by the previous Liberal government that left our hospitals vulnerable. Our government has invested historic amounts into Ontario’s health care system. At the same time, the federal government’s share of health care funding has been steadily shrinking.

Can the Minister of Finance tell us why Ontario and every single province and territory in Canada has called on the federal government to honour their commitment to the long-term sustainability of health care in Ontario and Canada?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant and member for Willowdale.

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you to the member for Oakville. This is an important question. While collaboration and temporary funding has helped to address some challenges over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 has also underscored long-standing challenges facing the health system that require urgent action on the part of the federal government.

Enhancing the Canada Health Transfer remains one of our government’s top priorities. Every Premier in Canada, of every political stripe, has called on the Trudeau government to increase the Canada Health Transfer to cover 35% of health spending, a far cry from the 50% that was the original deal. With an aging population and a rapidly expanding demand for services, Ontario needs a stronger federal partner to ensure we can improve wait times, reduce surgery backlogs and provide access to more beds and better treatments, and come out of the pandemic with a stronger, more resilient, world-class health care system.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for the answer. I know that my constituents are worried about the health care system and want every level of government to make sure it’s protected for future generations.

For decades, past governments failed to fix hallway health care and build the capacity we so desperately need today. Health care spending is rising rapidly in Ontario, and we can see, with the shrinking Canada Health Transfer, that the cost is going to be increasing for Ontario taxpayers.

Would the minister please tell us what the members of this House can do to ensure the federal government meets their commitment and does not abdicate their responsibility on Canada’s public health care system?

Mr. Stan Cho: You know, the Ontario NDP and the Ontario Liberals couldn’t find a single issue with what was in our government’s last budget. And despite record spending, historic spending to protect the health care system, members opposite repeatedly called on this government to spend more. Yet the opposition is oddly silent, Mr. Speaker, as the Trudeau government allows the Canada Health Transfer to shrink every single year. Over the coming years, the CHT will decrease from 22% to just 18%, a gap of $30 billion a year.

Speaker, while this government is making unprecedented investments in health care, it’s the federal government that will be cutting health care funding in Ontario by $30 billion annually.

I hope that all members of this House will stand up to protect public health care in Ontario, join this government and the leadership shown by Premier Ford, put politics aside and call on the federal government, call on the Trudeau government, to live up to their commitment and protect the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s world-class health care system.

Small business

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. On Monday, government members shot down Bill 275, a diverse procurement strategy supported by informed stakeholders who fully understand how women and BIPOC business owners have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. At one point during the debate, a government member said, “We cannot rush diversity.” This comment coming from a government that gutted the Anti-Racism Directorate and cancelled Indigenous curriculum writing is a bit rich.

It seems that when it comes to actually doing work to support BIPOC folks and address the she-cession, the government is all talk and no action. In fact, we’re still waiting for the much-talked-about women’s economic task force.

Bill 275 can make a real difference to Ontario’s diverse businesses, and you need all the help you can get. Why would the government choose not to support Ontario’s diverse small business owners in the middle of a pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

To reply on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I do appreciate the question from the member opposite. We’ve seen a number of bills that have been forward by the opposition that really don’t address the issues as they suggest that they would. When it comes to procurement, of course, we were left with a situation by the previous government where there was no such thing as centralized procurement. It really put us in jeopardy when we started to respond initially to the pandemic. We moved quickly to ensure that that was addressed.

Going forward as well, when it comes to supports for our small and medium job creators, we saw just the other day an attack on them in this place, when the members of the Liberal Party brought forward a bill that would put severe punishments on our small and medium job creators. We turned that down because they cannot afford to pay any more. That was supported by the opposition.

When it comes to more supporting our small and medium job creators, we will continue to have their backs. That is what—

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: We’re in the middle of an entirely avoidable third wave. Small businesses continue to struggle to even access funds that were promised to them after the Boxing Day lockdown during the second wave. They’re still waiting for leadership from this government. There’s a laundry list of complaints from small business owners about the small business support grant.

My colleagues and I have also reached out countless times asking for support for our business constituents who employ 80% of the workers in Ontario. It has gotten to the point where the problems with this grant program are jeopardizing livelihoods and will undermine economic recovery.

To the government: What went wrong with the grant program, and why is it taking so long to fix it and to support small businesses across this province?

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

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I appreciate the question from the member opposite. We understand that businesses have been faced with incredible pressures throughout this pandemic, but the small business support grant, as of today, has paid out $2.4 billion in payments to small businesses: 107,000 first payments and an automatic doubling, which was committed to in the previous budget; of that, 57,000 businesses have also received their automatic second payment in that support grant for over $873 million, just on that second portion.

In terms of some of the delays some businesses are experiencing, we have tripled the support staff on the back end to ensure that we get back to those businesses as quickly as possible and to ensure that they can get the supports and money into their bank accounts, because we do recognize this is a challenging time—but over 107,000 first payments and 57,000 second payments for over $2.5 billion in direct support.

Climate change

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Premier. COVID has taught us that failing to follow the scientists has catastrophic consequences, with paid sick days being one example. Scientists are warning us of the urgency to act on another pending crisis: the climate crisis. A new report today shows that Highway 413 will increase GHG emissions by 700,000 tonnes per year—17.4 million tonnes of climate pollution in the next three decades.

Will the Premier listen to the scientists, not the land speculators, and cancel Highway 413?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member for the question. As I indicated earlier, we are doing the important work of completing a fulsome environmental assessment process as we consider whether or not to proceed with Highway 413. We believe, unlike the Liberals, that it’s important to collect all the evidence.

The information that was published today is, of course, of great interest and will feed into the work we’re doing, but we believe that the demographic growth in the greater Golden Horseshoe to come in the next few decades warrants our government taking the time to consider what the transportation needs are of the greater Golden Horseshoe, and that means continuing with the environmental assessment process for Highway 413.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: An expert panel has already concluded that the cost of Highway 413 far exceeds any benefits. The report today shows that the cost of air pollution alone will be $1.4 billion. The highway will pave over 2,000 acres of prime farmland and unleash sprawl on additional farmland needed to grow food. It will pave over 400 acres of the greenbelt, increase climate pollution to a point where we will not be able to meet our obligations, and cost taxpayers $6 billion to $10 billion, all to save commuters 30 seconds.

I think the evidence is clear. The scientists, the experts, now local municipal councils, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and others are saying, “Listen to the science. Cancel Highway 413 and use that money for higher priorities.”

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: The GTA West highway corridor is subject to an individual environmental assessment, which is among the most stringent assessment processes on record.

As I’ve indicated, we’re taking the necessary time to study the highway and all of its impacts. That includes taking in information from stakeholders who are looking for additional transportation infrastructure so that they can get their goods to market.

As Minister of Transportation, it is my responsibility to oversee the transportation network today and to consider what its needs are for tomorrow. We are doing that important work. We believe it’s essential for drivers in the coming years, but also in the coming decades, and we will do all the work that’s necessary as we study the project itself.

Border security

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is to the Minister of Finance. In the past week alone, there have been dozens of flights into Toronto’s Pearson airport carrying passengers with dangerous COVID-19 variants. There have been other possible exposures at airports in Hamilton and Ottawa. While Ontarians are largely doing their part to stop the spread of the virus in the communities, variants coming across our borders are making the pandemic harder to contain.

I know our government has taken action by issuing an emergency order restricting travel between the Manitoba and Quebec land and water borders, but as case numbers explode in countries around the world, international flights continue to land in Ontario every single day. Will government renew its call to secure our airports as the federal government should have done months ago?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the member for Willowdale and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you to the member from Oakville for that question. Everyone knew that these variants of concern were a threat, but the federal government did too little way too late to protect us from them.

The difficult but necessary measures Ontarians followed to curb the first and second waves are struggling to flatten the variants during the third wave of this pandemic. Canada could have avoided these devastating variants with stricter border measures, like those in Australia, and kept variants out or with a consistent supply of vaccines to better protect people, like we’ve seen in Israel or in the UK.

The Trudeau government has finally halted flights from India after weeks of warnings, but all travellers, regardless of where they’re coming from, may have been exposed to a variant. The federal government is resp