role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

February 23, 2022

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

< Previous sitting day

Next sitting day >

Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Feb-23 vol. A (PDF)

L034A - Wed 23 Feb 2022 / Mer 23 fév 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 23 February 2022 Mercredi 23 février 2022

Orders of the Day

Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour de meilleurs services et moins de frais

Members’ Statements

Kingston Integrated Care Hub

The Mikey Network

Government’s record

School extracurricular activities

Injured workers

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Black History Month

Highway tolls

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

Legislative pages

Visitors

Question Period

Manufacturing jobs

Hospital services

Manufacturing jobs

Government regulations

Home care

Gun violence

Automotive industry

Emergency services

COVID-19 immunization

Highway tolls

Child care

Law enforcement

COVID-19 response in Indigenous and remote communities

Emergency measures

Correction of record

Introduction of Bills

Smoke-Free Ontario Amendment Act (Vaping is not for Kids), 2022 / Loi de 2022 modifiant la Loi favorisant un Ontario sans fumée (le vapotage n’est pas pour les enfants)

Our London Family Act (Working Together to Combat Islamophobia and Hatred), 2022 / Loi de 2022 en solidarité avec la famille de London (ensemble contre l’islamophobie et la haine)

Navigation Project Management Inc. Act, 2022

Petitions

Optometry services

Gasoline prices

Injured workers

Employment standards

Winter highway maintenance

Optometry services

Long-term care

Optometry services

Highway safety

Optometry services

Multiple sclerosis

Orders of the Day

Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour de meilleurs services et moins de frais

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour de meilleurs services et moins de frais

Mrs. Tangri moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 84,

An Act to enact two Acts and amend various other Acts / Projet de loi 84, Loi visant à édicter deux lois et à modifier diverses autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister care to lead off the debate.

Hon. Nina Tangri: It is my honour to speak in support of the proposed Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022. As the centrepiece of our spring red tape reduction package, this proposed act covers many different areas.

Today’s second reading will be shared with the Honourable Vic Fedeli, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, and the Honourable Kaleed Rasheed, the Associate Minister of Digital Government.

But first, Mr. Speaker, as the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Ontario small business owners and their staff who have worked so tirelessly these past two years during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses account for 98% of the more than 400,000 businesses in Ontario, employing nearly 2.4 million people across our province. This government is proud of the hard work they do each and every day. We know you are more than just businesses—you are anchors of your community, providing jobs and creating better futures.

We’re grateful for the hard work that you have done during these difficult times and we’re proud to have provided support and programs to help Ontario small businesses through this challenging period.

I’d like to touch on a few of these programs, Mr. Speaker. One of the ways we are helping small businesses is through the Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant. Building on the $3 billion this government provided last year through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant, which helped more than 110,000 small businesses across Ontario, we are providing $10,000 to eligible businesses that were subject to closures under the modified step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen in January of this year. This grant money is targeted relief for businesses and people impacted by public health measures that were aimed at blunting the spread of the Omicron variant.

A number of eligible businesses have already started receiving their funds, as many applicants from last year’s grant program have been pre-screened and did not need to reapply to the new program. Mr. Speaker, we’ve done this because we don’t want to add unnecessary red tape. And on February 9 we opened the portal for newly established and newly eligible small businesses to apply, and it remains open until March 11. I would like to add, Mr. Speaker, that businesses receiving grants can use the funds in whatever way makes the most sense for them, such as paying wages or maintaining inventory.

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has changed the way many Ontarians now make their purchases. Due to the necessary public health measures put in place to keep people safe and healthy, many people have shifted their buying habits to purchasing more products online. Across Ontario, businesses recognized the importance of having an online presence to remain competitive and expand their reach to new customers in and beyond Ontario.

So, to help small businesses create and enhance their online presence, our government worked with partners to expand the Digital Main Street program dramatically. To date, we have committed more than $57 million and leveraged over $56 million from the federal government, bringing the total commitment of this program to over $114 million. This program has supported more than 21,000 businesses in increasing their online presence, including more than 14,000 businesses and artists to create online stores. Over the next two years, we’re extending and enhancing Digital Main Street help an additional 36,000 Ontario businesses.

I’d like to touch on one final example, Mr. Speaker. The COVID pandemic has been particularly hard on our hospitality industry. So, to help support jobs at local restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries, we expanded opportunities for alcohol sales across the province. We initially introduced several temporary policy changes, including the sale of alcohol with takeout and delivery orders. We also allowed businesses to extend their patios so that parking spaces could be transformed into additional space used for outdoor dining. I’ve seen first-hand how this has helped restaurants.

A constituent of mine, Maryam Khaleghi, was able to extend her patio, helping her offer service to customers during a time when patrons could only dine outdoors.

Later, we made it possible for app-based delivery services to work with alcohol retailers to deliver their products. The changes also allowed licensed liquor delivery services to deliver to any private place. And to help these restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses rebuild and recover, we made these reforms permanent.

I think we can all agree, Mr. Speaker, that these small businesses enrich their local communities, and our government is proud to continue supporting them. Those are just a few of the supports that we have put in place for small businesses in the past few years, Mr. Speaker.

Now I would like to speak about what our government has already accomplished to reduce red tape in our province and how we propose to continue to eliminate unnecessary burdens for businesses and open doors to economic activity under the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act.

The introduction of our bill is timely, as this week marks Red Tape Awareness Week across Canada. When this government first took office, costly and burdensome regulations were squeezing businesses in every economic sector, driving jobs and investment out of Ontario. That’s why we made it an urgent priority to remove regulatory roadblocks for businesses and reduce their costs.

Mr. Speaker, I’m so proud to report that across our government, we have taken over 400 actions to cut red tape for businesses. We’ve made steady progress in our efforts to cut red tape and help Ontario businesses. Over a three-year period, we’ve managed to reduce the number of regulatory compliance requirements on business by 6.5%. And this government made a commitment to provide Ontario businesses, including not-for-profit organizations and the broader public sector, with a net $400 million in ongoing savings on their compliance costs by March 2022.

So far, we have delivered $373 million in net annual regulatory compliance cost-savings to businesses, not-for-profits, municipalities, universities and colleges, school boards and hospitals. With the proposed Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, our work continues.

We know Ontario’s entrepreneurial spirit will play a vital role in the province’s economic recovery, so we’re eager to help Ontario entrepreneurs navigate government as they start their new businesses. To help create an environment that will give Ontario entrepreneurs the best conditions to succeed, we have consulted extensively with businesses. They’ve told us about their frustrations with navigating through many dispersed and disjointed sources of government information.

This places an unfair burden on businesses, requiring them to dedicate more time than they can really afford on finding the information and services that they need. Many of these businesses have said they don’t know where to begin, and too much information from too many sources can often be overwhelming. They want a business starter pack, a simple, easy place to navigate through the various steps required to open a business.

Businesses have also told us that they want to receive updates from government when relevant information becomes available, because, right now, they don’t have time to sort through the endless waves of information out there trying to figure out what is relevant to them.

Businesses have said that when it comes to navigating business requirements for starting and running a business, they often get more help from the business community than they do from government. In short, when we should be helpful, we have put barriers for business to operate in this province, and rather than being seen as a partner in growth, we are often viewed solely as an enforcer. The At Your Service Act, 2022 would, if passed, help us turn into a true partner for business growth.

Right now, businesses, as well as the general public, are not clear on what they can expect from our government from permits and the licensing processes. They may not know how long approvals take and the customer experience isn’t always great. The act we’re discussing today would give government the authority to create a business service standard list, and this would provide businesses with realistic service standards for some approvals, permits and licences.

We would start with a small list and add more services to the single window on a regular basis, with a long-term goal of making all service standards public. The act would also require ministries to comply with service standards and/or guarantees as defined by the legislation.

Service commitments would support job creators starting new businesses by allowing them to open their doors faster. It would create a mechanism for redress, where appropriate, in cases where service guarantees have not been met, and the legislation would set out the framework for ministry reporting requirements because, as businesses know, you can’t manage what you can’t measure.

Once the legislation is in place to establish the business service standard, its exact content would be determined through regulatory drafting and be based on significant consultations with stakeholder groups, businesses and the general public.

How would we put this into practice? The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, and myself, with the incredible support of the Ministry of Finance’s Ontario Digital Service and my colleague Minister Rasheed, together with Minister Romano from the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, are proposing to improve and build on existing service standards that impact businesses. We intend to improve service standards and deliver a better online user experience.

As promised in the 2021 Ontario budget, we are proposing to provide a single window for business, an online portal that would make it easier for businesses to access the information and services they need to get up and running, create jobs and grow. An integrated digital experience would make it easier for businesses to access the information and services that they need. This would include a single web portal so they could easily see where in the approval process their applications are. This is a multi-step process that Minister Rasheed will tell us more about, but I’d like to thank the minister and Minister Fedeli for their incredible work in driving this initiative forward.

This government has always focused on the pocketbook issues of everyday Ontarians. Helping Ontario families further supports Ontario businesses. That attention to the bottom line for families has never been more important as we come out of this pandemic and as we grapple with inflation.

That is why the Ontario government is proposing to eliminate the annual licence plate sticker renewal fee as well as the requirement to have a physical licence plate sticker for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. If passed, this will provide financial relief to millions of vehicle owners in Ontario. They would still be required to validate their registration every one or two years, at no cost, to confirm that their automobile insurance is valid. They would also be required to pay any outstanding tolls and other municipal fines.

For vehicles owned by individuals, those people who have already paid their licence plate renewal fees would be refunded for fees paid, retroactive to March of 2020.

I want to thank Minister Mulroney and the Ministry of Transportation for their work on this initiative. This will no doubt put money back into the pockets of Ontarians.

Speaker, after careful consideration, our government is proposing amendments to the Highway 407 East Act, 2012, to remove tolls on highways 412 and 418. If passed, these amendments will bring fairness and financial relief for Durham residents and provide drivers on these highways with travel savings and more predictable travel times. Minister Mulroney, Minister Bethlenfalvy and MPP Lorne Coe have advocated for this for quite some time.

It is also part of the province’s plan to help alleviate gridlock across the Durham region and beyond. This plan would offer an alternative transportation route for individuals and businesses in the greater Toronto area, in particular in the Durham region, as well as in Peterborough and adjacent areas.

Drivers may also observe lower vehicle operating costs as their vehicles may move more smoothly at higher speeds with less stop-and-go traffic.

In this era of just-in-time inventory systems, reducing travel times would mean added savings for businesses, and that’s good news for the Ontario economy.

When the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act is proclaimed into force, it will require tow truck operators, tow truck drivers and vehicle storage operators to have a certificate to operate. An amendment to the Licence Appeal Tribunal Act would allow them to appeal decisions about certification through the existing Licence Appeal Tribunal and it would provide for the ability to further appeal Licence Appeal Tribunal decisions to the Divisional Court.

Mr. Speaker, through this bill our government is taking concrete steps to recognize the vital roles of Indigenous communities and service providers much more meaningfully. By modernizing legislation, we propose to remove barriers and make it easier for government-funded services and supports to be accessed and delivered.

We are proposing amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to help transform the child and family services sector. Our goal is to provide children, youth and families with services that are community-based, high-quality, culturally appropriate and responsive.

The proposed changes would help address systemic disparities experienced by First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and youth who are involved with the provincial child welfare system. They would enhance access to customary care. They would improve access to culturally appropriate, prevention-focused services, such as circles of supportive persons and other holistic supports, and they would strengthen the role of prevention-focused Indigenous service providers.

Providing access to supports and services that integrate Indigenous cultures, heritages and traditions is a key part of our work to achieve better opportunities and outcomes for First Nations, Inuit and Métis families. Keeping Indigenous children connected to their culture and communities also contributes to community well-being. It grows the economy and reduces costs to government over time. I’d really like to thank Minister McKenna and her entire team for their efforts on this important initiative.

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to support the mining industry in Ontario. Ontario’s mineral production has shown solid growth over the past 10 years, with a total value of $10.1 billion in 2018 and is forecasted to keep growing a lot in the long term. With the largest value of mineral production in Canada, Ontario offers a wealth of opportunities for producers, suppliers and service providers. In 2018, mining companies in Ontario spent $583 million on over 200 exploration projects, ranging from prospecting to advanced exploration.

In Ontario, we attract more exploration spending and produce more minerals by value than any other jurisdiction in Canada. And on a global level, Ontario ranks among the top 10 regions for exploration spending and production for platinum group metals and nickel.

We want to help this vital industry grow further. That’s why this government is working to create further business certainty for the mining industry and improve the timelines related to approvals and authorizations to undertake mining activities. Our government has committed to finding efficiencies for the mining sector to attract global investment, expand the industry and create new jobs.

As part of this commitment, the ministry is proposing to make administrative amendments to fix incorrect or outdated provisions in the Mining Act. These proposed amendments would address gaps that have been identified since the Mining Act was amended through the Supporting People and Businesses Act.

We’re also proposing to give renters and owners of mining lands the ability to claim costs reasonably related to Aboriginal consultation efforts when testing for mineral content, ensuring a consistent approach, with eligible costs considered for other programs administered under the Mining Act. Costs associated with these consultations have been highlighted by the Ontario Mining Association as significant expenditures during exploration activities.

Additional proceeds from the sale of materials for testing could generate revenue that could be used to offset other costs, thereby increasing business certainty. This change would reduce regulatory barriers while maintaining public health and safety and respecting the environment and, of course, treaty rights. Additional proceeds from the sale of these minerals could generate revenue that could be used to offset other costs.

I really want to thank Minister Rickford, our Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, for his advocacy and dedication on both of these proposals.

We are also proposing amendments to The Laurentian University of Sudbury Act that, if passed, would reduce the size of Laurentian University’s board of governors from 25 to 16 members. Reducing the board size would create a more efficient and nimble board. It would be better equipped to respond to the immediate challenges that Laurentian is facing and to drive necessary and timely challenges to LU’s operations—including the important task ahead of transforming the university.

Mr. Speaker, while real estate is one of the government’s greatest resources, we don’t always get the greatest possible value from our properties. Taking a government-wide approach would help drive leaner processes and greater efficiencies—and allow the government to realize greater value from government real estate, maximizing the value for taxpayers. This is why we are proposing to establish a centre of realty excellence, or CORE. This would be a single body across the public sector to ensure prudent management of government property and to determine priority surplus properties aligned with key programs, including affordable housing and long-term care.

In addition, while real estate data is currently dispersed and not readily available to the public, our government is proposing to create an online realty portal as a central repository for real estate data for the Ontario public service and broader public service. The portal would be used by both the public and government to identify potential opportunities for collaboration and strategic projects, and to provide more comprehensive options for government on their realty decisions.

Although the portal is not included as part of the proposed legislative amendments in this bill, its implementation will help support the objectives of CORE. This government-wide initiative would not be possible without Minister Romano’s efforts and leadership on this file.

After two difficult years, the people of Ontario deserve a credible plan for recovery that is based on sound fiscal planning and considers the most recent available information. That’s why the government is proposing to amend the Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act to extend the deadline to release the 2022 budget from March 31, 2022, to April 30, 2022. This would allow the government to introduce the budget at a time when we can assess the effects of the reopening of the economy and ensure our 2022 budget best reflects the priorities of the people of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for the opportunity to provide some clarity on several aspects of the proposed Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022. It is my pleasure to invite the Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, to share more about this important act. He’s also going to talk to you about our efforts to eliminate unnecessary red tape and burdens and open doors to economic activity, to ensure that this province is one of the best places in North America to raise a family, work and operate a business.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much, Minister. It was absolutely great to see you launch the bill yesterday, and your description of it today was just absolutely perfect. Thank you very much for all the work you’ve done to bring this red tape bill to the floor of this Legislature for debate. On a personal note, it has been absolutely wonderful to work with you.

Our government here, through this Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, is laying the foundation for certainty and stability in our economy for people, communities and businesses all across the province. Cutting red tape and putting money back into the pockets of families remains a hallmark of our government’s mandate. It has since the very beginning. Since day one, we’ve been relentless in finding ways to make it easier for people and businesses to interact with the government. With this legislation, we will create a business-ready environment for investment, put money back in peoples’ pockets and make Ontario the number one choice in North America to raise a family and to operate a business.

The transformative actions taken by this minister to date have resulted in almost $400 million in net annual savings to businesses. If passed, this act will further support businesses and entrepreneurs, ease the financial burden on people and remove overly complex processes that only serve to frustrate and thwart investment.

As I had the privilege of saying in Minister Tangri’s release yesterday, cutting red tape and modernizing our regulatory system remains a top priority for this government. Making it easier to follow the rules and hold the government to clear service standards encourages our incredible entrepreneurs to invest in Ontario and create good jobs.

Some of the proposed changes in the act include cutting costs for millions of Ontario vehicle owners by refunding licence plate sticker renewals paid since March 1, 2020. This puts over a billion dollars back into families and, quite frankly, back into our economy. That’s where it belongs.

This bill will provide more flexibility related to provincial assets by creating a centre of realty excellence. This holistic approach across all government-owned properties will ensure priority surplus properties align with key programs, including affordable housing and long-term care. I’ll talk about that one in a second.

This will establish a single window for business, which will require service standard guarantees so businesses can track the information they need from this government—more on that one in a minute as well—and it will help to level the playing field for Ontario businesses by changing the government’s approach to procurement. The change will strengthen the province’s supply chain and help domestic businesses grow and create good-paying jobs. The changes Ontario has made to date are helping us deliver clear and effective rules that promote public health and safeguard the environment, without sacrificing innovation, growth and opportunity.

Speaker, for this centre of realty excellence, I’m going to give you a real example. You’ve heard me in this Legislature speak about the former OPP station in the city of North Bay—a great example. When I was mayor of the city of North Bay, I joined the previous provincial government in opening a new OPP centre. It’s a beautiful, beautiful building. I get to visit it frequently and see the command centre. But I would drive back to my office by the empty OPP building and wonder, “I wonder what they’re going to do with that.” A couple of years went by and the next thing you know 10 years went by.

It cost the government $1.4 million to leave that building empty. The lawn was cut every summer. The leaves were raked every fall. The driveways were plowed all winter. It’s an empty building with smoke coming out of the chimney, empty 24/7, 365 days a year. It turns out there are about 800 buildings like that in the province of Ontario.

What happened? If you go today to that building you will see the former OPP centre is now a 16-unit apartment for formerly homeless people and right beside it, which will open this April, is a $3-million building attached to it. Down the street is another multi-million-dollar building. Together, those two will have room for 100 low-rent formerly homeless who will be now housed in this. What we say with having this centre of realty excellence is all government-owned properties will make sure that the use is aligned with our key programs, including affordable housing and long-term care.

We’re not just saying that; in North Bay, we’ve done that. You can go there today. I met the 16 people who are living in the former OPP station. I met with them just a few weeks ago. And the new multi-million-dollar building that’s attached, as I say, will open this spring. It is happening. It’s in action. It’s not just talk, and that’s the beauty of it.

There are a couple of things I wanted to talk about in this. There is not enough time to go through all of it, but I’ll talk about three points. The mining amendments: I’m from northern Ontario. I’ve had a prospector’s licence since the 1970s. I can’t stand in this Legislature and not talk about mining. Every single red tape act that has come to this Legislature from this government includes mining—every single one. It’s beautiful.

This one has a real tie-in for First Nations consultation, that whole important aspect of doing business in the north. We’re making First Nations consultation-related costs an eligible expense. We’re allowing proponents to recover additional costs related to the testing of mineral content which were not previously eligible.

Look, we have a transformation happening here in the province of Ontario where an auto industry that was in decline—it was in a drought for 10-plus years, 15 years, and now it is resurging all because of our push into electric vehicles, with our cash behind us, as the people of Ontario are supporting Ford and others, with hundreds of millions of dollars to save those jobs and to put people back at work. This is 100,000 people, and it’s all going to now need the minerals of northern Ontario. For the first time in 120 years, the people of northern Ontario are part of the auto sector, and it is absolutely spectacular to have that happen. These few amendments will just help along the way.

Speaker, I could talk about that for the rest of the day, but we’re going to talk about the At Your Service Act for a few minutes. We are committed to improving government services for Ontario taxpayers after years of inaction and increased regulation. Right now, businesses as well as the general public are just not clear on what they can expect from government permits and all of these licensing processes. They have no idea how long it’s going to take, where they are in the system. And the customer experience, quite frankly, ain’t always that great.

The act we’re discussing today would give government the authority to create a business service standard list. Now you know what you’re going to get.

My staff will be upset that I used this word, but it’s like Domino’s 30 minutes or it’s free: You know; you’ve got some certainty about what you’re going to get. This is going to provide business with a realistic service standard for some approvals, permits and licences. We’re going to start with a small list, add more services to the single window on a regular basis, with the long-term goal of making all service standards public. Minister Tangri outlined that process. She talked about the ministries that will be involved.

Many have told us that they don’t know where to begin, and they get too much information from too many sources and it’s overwhelming for them. They want a business starter pack. That’s what they want. It’s a simple, easy place to navigate through the various steps required to open a business. And that’s what we’re going to deliver.

Speaker, I want to spend the rest of my time talking about BOBI. BOBI is the building Ontario businesses initiative. BOBI is what people in business in Ontario have been asking for, for a very long time. One of the things we learned throughout this global pandemic was just how very important our domestic supply chain is to the success of our province and to our economy. We need to ensure that local businesses can succeed.

The building Ontario business initiative, BOBI—that’s all I’m going to call it from now on—will provide companies in Ontario with greater business opportunities through the public procurements, helping them to sell more services, more goods and create jobs in their local communities.

Let me give you a bit of an example of what this is all about, Speaker. Think about where we were at the beginning of the pandemic. We needed masks and gowns, and all of a sudden we realized we don’t make any of this in Ontario anymore. The previous government—I read this in one of my answers yesterday, and I’ll paraphrase. In their final—thank God it turned out to be their final—economic report was an announcement. In the first six pages, they said it six times. Basically, they’d thrown the towel in on manufacturing. They gave up on manufacturing.

It’s there in black and white in their economic report, saying, “We’re not going to have much manufacturing in Ontario, but we’re really going to beef up the service sector.” That’s it? The economic engine of Canada all of a sudden is snuffed out? You’re turning off the ignition on that engine? You gave up on manufacturing.

We come into a pandemic and we realize, “Wow, we don’t make anything.” We don’t make these masks. We don’t make gowns. We don’t make face shields. We don’t make ventilators. We don’t make wipes. We don’t make alcohol to make the disinfectant. It turns out we didn’t make very much of that at all, if any of it. Then, we learned very shortly, other foreign jurisdictions said, “No, you’re not getting our masks either. No, we’re not sending our sanitizer to you.” All of a sudden, we were looking at a supply chain shortage.

Premier Ford stood up and he called it the Ontario spirit. It was a call to arms. He said to the manufacturers in Ontario, “We need you. Sorry we let you down as a government—the previous government let you down over all of those years and abandoned you—but we need you and we’re there to support you.” We put $50 million in the Ontario Together Fund, which helped these manufacturers pivot to make PPE, our protective equipment. So we saw companies make ventilators. We made 10,000 ventilators from scratch in Ontario. Auto companies pivoted to make ventilators to save our lives.

Auto companies, again, and auto parts makers and other companies pivoted to make masks, to make gowns, to make face shields, to make the alcohol to make sanitizer, to make the alcohol to make the wipes.

The very first Ontario Together Fund we did was a company called Virox in Oakville. I remember going down there that morning, driving there from North Bay, making that announcement and driving home. They make a sanitary wipe, a disinfectant wipe. We weren’t making them in Ontario. All of these places that we went to—Clorox now makes their disinfectant in Windsor. I toured that plant a couple of weeks ago. If you imagine, we went from zero domestic PPE purchased by the province of Ontario—today, 74% of the PPE the province of Ontario buys is now made domestically, most of it right here in Ontario.

BOBI would require public sector entities to give our Ontario businesses preference when conducting procurement processes for goods and services under the trade thresholds, so we will keep that. We’re allowed to do this under our trade agreements around the world. We’re allowed; we just have not enacted that. We, this government, will enact BOBI. We’ve taken a cautious approach that respects all our trade agreements, but we’re going to level the playing field for our Ontario businesses for the first time.

So you’re going to see subsequent regulations to be implemented. They’re going to outline which businesses are considered to be Ontario businesses—you can’t just call yourself an Ontario business; you’re going to be making things here—and how those businesses are giving preference. You’ll see this soon: which goods and services we’re talking about, what is going to be affected and what threshold amount. You’re going to see those details. But BOBI is going to encourage the use of local subcontractors, training programs, research and development, and opportunities that will benefit all Ontario businesses, including in the small towns and rural areas of the province.

I’ve got to tell you, Speaker, it has been a real privilege being Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Every second I have, we go somewhere. Our team goes somewhere. We tour places. And when I talked about using local subcontractors, we were at a place just a couple of weeks ago that was making a pharmaceutical product. I saw the plastic jugs there that they were loading and filling with their pharmaceuticals. I saw the lids that were getting screwed on, all through this automated system. I said, “Where do you buy the bottles?” “Oh, they come from Ohio.”

Well, hang on a second. We have seven companies in Ontario that I have toured alone that make that bottle. Here we go. We’re matchmaking with them. “See that lid that you’re screwing on? There are companies in Kitchener, Cambridge and Barrie that make that lid. They injection-mould that very lid. You don’t need to buy it in the States anymore. You’re going to buy it here, and here’s their contact.”

The other day, we were touring a company that was using a million plastic trays of a certain configuration a year, buying them from the States. We toured a place in Minister Jones’s riding that has injection-moulded plastics, that makes that product. In fact, not only do they make the product, they make a biodegradable version of that product. We’re doing matchmaking.

So it’s not just the province of Ontario, through BOBI, that’s going to have a preferential treatment. We’re also matchmaking these companies for the subcontractors. It is just a work of art to watch this machine roll, and BOBI is going to help make that happen in a big way.

Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity, I congratulate the minister on an excellent bill, and I hope that we have support across the aisle for this.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I now recognize the Associate Minister of Digital Government.

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act. I also want to thank my colleagues Minister Tangri and Minister Fedeli for bringing this bill forward.

We know that the people of Ontario want to get things done, but we also know that the government can sometimes get in the way. It can slow things down and frustrate progress. I’m proud to support this bill because it will help aspiring entrepreneurs start businesses and create jobs. With this bill we are revitalizing how the government provides information to job creators. We are building mechanisms to hold the bureaucracy accountable to their service delivery, and we are streamlining processes to empower the people of Ontario and help them succeed.

Minister Fedeli and Minister Tangri have already spoken to how this bill fits into our commitment to make Ontario North America’s most business-friendly jurisdiction, but this is so important that I must say something about it too. I want to remind my colleagues that the previous Liberal government passed regulation after regulation year after year for 15 years. They added red tape that hurt people trying to build Ontario. Our province was not open for business. Almost four years ago, our government inherited those problems. We have made steady progress undoing the damage, and this bill is another step in the right direction.

The people of Ontario are ambitious. They work hard and they do what they can to succeed, but for far too long, they had to succeed without the help of their government. That was wrong. That is unacceptable.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government has worked tirelessly to fix the Liberals’ mess. From building new roads, hospitals, schools and public transit to protecting our progress combatting COVID-19 and continuing our support of local businesses, we have established a strong track record of building an Ontario that puts people first.

Unlike the former government, who failed to invest in important infrastructure and actually cancelled the infrastructure our province needed—like that gas plant—our government is building the future.

Look no further than the nearly $4 billion we have committed to invest so that people all over Ontario will have access to reliable high-speed Internet by the end of 2025; the $1.3 billion invested in highway infrastructure to rebuild and restore highways in this province; or, in my riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville, the use of an MZO to enable construction on much-needed long-term-care homes, residential single-detached homes, semi-detached homes, townhouses and apartments to help tackle our province’s housing crisis. These are just a few examples of how we are building back Ontario.

We are a government that says yes—yes to building a better future. We want to build a better future for our children, grandchildren and generations to come so they all can thrive right here in this province we all call home.

Above all else, our government is making life easier for the people of Ontario. As the Associate Minister of Digital Government, it is my job to improve customer service across government. The impact of this work cannot be overstated. For example, earlier this month, Minister Calandra and I launched the Long-Term Care Homefinder. The website was developed in-house by my talented team at the Ontario Digital Service alongside the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Together, we are making it easier for prospective residents and their families to find information on long-term-care homes in Ontario.

This resource is something that Ontarians expect and deserve, and we are making it happen. Although this work is only in its first stages, it is already helping drive accountability across the sector.

As another example, last year the government launched the Verify Ontario app, which made it easier for businesses to check proof of vaccination. Before we launched the app, businesses had to check paper documents, which took almost three times longer to do. By focusing on customer service and user convenience, my team at the Ontario Digital Service made checking vaccination status easier—and it wasn’t just the Verify Ontario app. Our COVID screening tools for workers made it easier for businesses to check for COVID symptoms and fulfill mandatory screening requirements.

Since its launch in December 2020, there have been over 16 million screenings completed. Mr. Speaker, by not losing sight of those who will be using government services, by focusing on the user’s experience and emphasizing customer service, I am absolutely confident that we have increased the success of those health measures.

This approach extends well beyond the government’s COVID response. This past November, Minister Romano announced that the people would now get digital reminders to renew their driver’s licences and health cards. By expanding renewal reminders to text and email, we are expecting to save nearly $29 million over the next five years and reducing paper waste. But this work was only possible because of the Ontario Digital Service Notify program which, again, was developed because we understand that getting text or email reminders is more convenient. It’s what people want.

Better customer service is saving people time and money, and reducing government waste. Mr. Speaker, Premier Ford is right to remind us that we cannot lose sight of how important customer service is, and I’m honoured to be at the centre of this work. But improving customer service across the Ontario government has not been easy, Mr. Speaker. There are no quick fixes. And that is why the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act is so important, because it is going to make the government more responsive to what people want and what they deserve.

Let me explain. At the core of it, we are doing two things. First, we are requiring that all relevant ministries develop service guarantees and commit to abide by them. This can cover everything from how long it takes for paperwork to be processed after it has been submitted, to letting people know that the government has received their paperwork in the first place.

Second, we are going to hold the government—both ours and future governments—to account. If passed, this bill will require that all ministries with service guarantees track how often they fail to meet those guarantees. And if passed, this bill will also require that those results are posted publicly so the people of Ontario will know where their government needs to do better.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind everyone that this approach is foundational to Premier Ford’s way of doing business. You cannot take the customer, you cannot take the taxpayer and you cannot take the citizen for granted. The people of Ontario have a right to know if the government isn’t serving them well, if the government is holding up its end of the bargain. With these new transparency requirements, we are helping citizens stay informed and empowering them to hold the government accountable. And I can’t think of anything more Conservative, more on brand for this government than making it easier to hold government to account.

If passed, the single window for business will allow us to do things like create a central hub, taking thousands of pages of content and making them easier to access through a single entry point. Those wanting to start a business wouldn’t have to sift through thousands of pages of content across different websites. The single window for business would act as the new front door for entrepreneurs looking to start a business.

There will be important features that stakeholders have long asked for, including a start-a-business tool, where budding entrepreneurs can answer just a few questions about the kind of business they are opening and we’ll provide them with a customized checklist and steps they need, including permits and what supports are available to them.

I understand how unresponsive government can be, and this is where my team at the Ontario Digital Service comes in. They have been working across government to make life easier for the people of Ontario. They have helped support our pandemic response and create tools for businesses to succeed. I’m extremely proud of my team at the Ontario Digital Service, who have been working around the clock for the last two-plus years, especially during COVID times. I just want to say thank you to my team at the Ontario Digital Service for doing such a great job in making sure that we come out of this pandemic stronger than ever before. So thank you to my team.

Mr. Speaker, in a tech-linked world, people expect connection and convenience to government services. This government understands that need, and my team at the Ontario Digital Service is helping make that happen.

This bill is essential to accomplishing our task of putting the people first and making Ontario the best place possible to do business and a place where government leads by example in offering incredible customer service. Let me be clear about this: With the passage and implementation of this bill, there will be no more mysteries for businesses, but transparency, efficiency and accountability. That is what the entrepreneurial people of Ontario need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize again that with this act we responded to what we heard from our consultation with the businesses and people of Ontario. To the people of Ontario, I say: We hear you. You said that you wanted faster, better services, and this act delivers.

The service guarantee is just that: A guarantee that the long waits are over, with accountability if delays continue. Customers can’t wait for their services, and businesses shouldn’t have to wait to bring forward those services.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Ontario are entrepreneurial. We only need to show them that starting a new career or new service is easy and straightforward, and they will do it. Ontarians want to work and grow their businesses, and we as a government must continue to make it our top priority to build an economy that rewards them for their initiatives and hard work. My team at the Ontario Digital Service is working tirelessly to help make this a reality with best-in-class technology.

When this act is fully realized, Ontario will be open for business in a way that it has never been before, and that is why I am proud to speak in support of this Fewer Fees, Better Services Act. Again, I want to thank Minister Tangri and Minister Fedeli for the incredible work they have done, especially in bringing these red tape reduction bills forward.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): It is now time for a question and response. I look to the member from Waterloo.

Ms. Catherine Fife: It is really interesting to hear the government spin this bill. One thing that they didn’t mention is they have quietly changed the date that the budget has to be tabled. Now remember, Mr. Speaker, it was this government that said they were fully committed to fiscal transparency, fiscal responsibility and making sure that Ontarians have the resources that they needed in a provincial budget by March 31. What did they do in this bill? They changed it to April 30. Why? Because there is an election.

What you are doing to the very people of this province by changing this date arbitrarily in this budget, in this bill is that you are leaving the not-for-profit sector, the public service agencies in the lurch. Once again, this government is showing your true colours. How are you going to support the vulnerable Ontarians who are supported by the not-for-profit sector, ensuring that they have the resources that they need to follow their mandate?

Hon. Nina Tangri: I do want to thank the member opposite for her question, and she’s right. The government needs to be transparent, it needs to be responsible and it needs to be fiscally responsible. Ontario has continued to put transparency and accountability to taxpayers first. Even through the height of the pandemic, our government has provided regular fiscal updates.

The government is proposing to amend the Fiscal Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Act to extend this deadline, yes, to April 30, 2022, because this now allows the government to introduce the budget at a time when we can assess the effects of the reopening of the economy and ensure that our 2022 budget really does best reflect all of the priorities for the people of Ontario, and much more accurately.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: I want to thank everyone for their presentations through this morning. One of the things that I’m really excited about, to the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, is this new one-window approach. One thing that I’ve heard so many times from businesses across the province—I’ll use the commercial fishing sector as a bit of an example just because I know it very well. They fill out six carbon copies—carbon copies, Mr. Speaker—that have to go to all of these different ministries when they unload their catch from the docks. You know, it’s 2022.

I would assume that the government over the years would have been smart enough to upgrade that, but hasn’t until now. So I’d like to hear a little bit about what is being envisioned with this, and how this is actually going to help businesses save time and money to reinvest back into their businesses and their employees.

Hon. Nina Tangri: Once again, I’d like to thank the member from Kitchener–Conestoga. He brings up a very, very good point. Decades of governments past have really just stayed in the past and not looked towards the future on ensuring and making sure that we have a government that’s there to serve the people of Ontario. We are committed to being a leader in North America for how easily and quickly businesses can get up and running; they can access all of the tools they need to run their businesses.

It’s extremely overwhelming. That was a term we heard time and time again from our businesses. When they want to open a business, when they want to find information, it’s just so overwhelming for them to navigate all the different systems and tools, the different ministries, the different permits, the different licences. This is finally coming together to make sure we can make it so much easier for the people of Ontario to get up and running for their business and support our economy.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Question and response?

Mr. Gurratan Singh: We know that businesses and people across Ontario are struggling with the rising unaffordability across our province and across our country, and one of the highest costs for both people and businesses is auto insurance. Whether it’s the worker who needs their car to get to work every day to put food on their table or whether it’s the trucker who goes to work every single day—putting food on our table—car, personal, truck and commercial insurance is devastating people across our province. There are some families who pay more for auto insurance than for their own mortgage.

There are some trucking companies who have to shut down because they can’t afford the rising cost of car insurance.

Why is the Conservative government siding with billionaire insurance companies instead of standing up for the people of Ontario?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I return to the associate minister for small business and red tape.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I do want to thank the member opposite for his question and concerns regarding insurance right across this province. As somebody who comes from the industry, I understand it extremely well, and it is a very, very complicated product. When we understand insurance, it’s where all of us together put money into a pool and pay the claims to those who need it. The unfortunate thing is that auto insurance, over the years—every single part that goes towards making that premium is put together based on the costs associated to pay out claims.

The unfortunate thing is costs of claims have risen significantly. Having said that, there are options that we are looking at, that we’re taking. We’ll have more coming up in the coming months to make sure that we can find ways to make things much more affordable for the people of Ontario in the insurance sector.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I’ll correct my record and add the words “red tape reduction” to make sure that I’m complete and appropriate.

I now turn to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence.

Mrs. Robin Martin: I want to thank everyone for their presentations this morning.

While real estate is one of our government’s greatest resources, we don’t always get the greatest possible value from our properties and, as this government has maintained since the beginning of our mandate, surplus government lands can be better used to serve Ontarians and our communities.

Through you, Speaker, can the minister please explain what steps she is taking—and that the government and consumer services minister, as well, is taking—to leverage Ontario’s real estate portfolio?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I return to the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I do want to thank the member from Eglinton–Lawrence for her question. She’s absolutely right. While there is value that could be unlocked from upcycling surplus public assets, such as long-term care and affordable housing, the process is really mired in red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy.

The bill will require the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to create a centre of realty excellence, what we’re calling CORE. Within MGCS, CORE will create one holistic sightline right across our public sector so that we have prudent management of government property and to determine priority surplus properties that are aligned, so that we can get that affordable housing that Minister Fedeli spoke about earlier, so we can get the long-term-care homes that Minister Calandra has spoken about so many times in this House. We are getting them built, and this will be another tool to do it much faster for the people of Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from York South–Weston.

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I would like to the thank the government presentation here with regard to Bill 84, entitled Fewer Fees, Better Services Act. We know, Mr. Speaker, that this government has been cutting services when it comes to small businesses, and small businesses have been struggling. In my community, many of them are closing down, like Wiff, like Perfect Blend. These are businesses run by women and racialized folks, and they haven’t been receiving any support.

My colleague from Brampton East talked about the impact of auto insurance on families and issues of affordability. I want to ask how this bill is going to help those folks, especially in those communities that are affected because of their postal codes when it comes to auto insurance. Will it be reduced 50% or are you going to ban it altogether?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I return to the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Nina Tangri: Well done, Speaker. Thank you. I’d like to thank the member opposite for his question.

It is so understandable that across the province, in many communities more so than others, insurance has become extremely expensive. I do want to take a moment to thank the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance, who is sitting here, and the previous parliamentary assistants, who have worked diligently since the day we were elected to make sure that we can find ways to make it more affordable for the people of Ontario.

Just through the pandemic, we were able to change a regulation within the industry to ensure that insurance companies refunded policy holders’ premiums, because they were not driving the way they did in the past. We made sure that they did that, because they were using that as an excuse to not have to refund. But do you know what? They also stepped up. They made sure that they were—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Thank you.

Further debate? For the lead for the official opposition, I recognize the member for Waterloo.

Ms. Catherine Fife: I realize I only have a couple of minutes to set the tone for our critique of this bill. I want to thank the government for giving me so much material to work with in that regard.

I want to say very clearly to the government that the affordability language and the costs that are happening right now for folks in Ontario—those cost pressures are so very real. If you are a strong caseworker MPP, if you’re in touch with the people who are coming into your office on housing, on child care, on energy costs or on transit costs, you will see very clearly that this bill is yet another missed opportunity for this government, particularly on the issue of tolls.

I just want to raise this quickly, because I know I have so little time—I will expand on it this afternoon when I have a full hour. But what the government said yesterday, that they were removing tolls, is ironic, Mr. Speaker, because contained within the legislation, the tolls are only removed until May 2023. Had the government really done your due diligence, done your work in recognition of this collaboration that you sometimes talk about, you would have employed and put into play the member from Oshawa’s bill, which truly removes those tolls.

There’s a little bit of a shell game happening here with the government. You’ve really exposed yourselves, which obviously is going to be a lot of fun for me later on this afternoon, especially with regard to changing the budget date. “Fiscal transparency,” “fiscal responsibility” and all these buzz words that the Premier in particular likes to use really are exposed fully for the people of this province to see your true colours: red tape, blue tape, and for some of us we like to call it yellow tape, around a caution.

I do want to say, particularly for those public agencies that are really counting on the budget, really counting on funding from the government, that, as the FAO has reported, you have underfunded services. You have stockpiled money that was given to this government to use for pandemic purposes. The Financial Accountability Officer’s report that you underspent by $1 billion in a health and economic crisis truly exposes your real priorities. Changing the budget bill and employing pandemic money for an election is probably one of the lowest things that I have ever seen in this House, because at the end of the day, people’s lives were in play.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Seeing the clock is at 10:15, it is now time for members’ statements.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): The member from Waterloo will be able to resume her debate at a later time.

Members’ Statements

Kingston Integrated Care Hub

Mr. Ian Arthur: I wish today to draw attention to the combined tragedy of the housing and opioid crises that are unfolding in Kingston right now, each made more acute by the pandemic. We have few lines of defence against the outcomes of these epidemics, but one of them that is particularly important is the integrated care hub.

This hub, although stretched for resources, provides essential support for our most vulnerable. It is, though, provincially funded, and we are awaiting the announcement from the province of funding that will allow it to continue its essential work—and it is essential work, Speaker. It serves those who have the most complex needs, and its services alleviate our already threadbare emergency services in Kingston.

I would like to share parts of a letter from a harm reduction worker who works at the ICH. They say, “From March to December 2020 the rate of opioid-related deaths in KFL&A ... averaged” 20 “per 100,000, exceeding the” provincial average of 17. These figures are with the ICH open and operating 23 hours a day, seven days a week, for almost two years. Without the ICH, we can expect overdose deaths to explode and overtake the rates reported by every other public health unit in Ontario.

The ICH was never intended to be a permanent solution, but it is underfunded and precarious and we need it supported. We need the province to step up, support the most vulnerable and provide permanent funding for the integrated care hub.

The Mikey Network

Mr. Deepak Anand: Mr. Speaker, every year 35,000 Canadians experience cardiac arrest in public spaces and in their homes. Unfortunately, some do not survive. It is important to note that if they had access to an automated external defibrillator—an AED—or CPR, their survival rate would have been doubled.

In 2002, Mikey Salem, a family man cherished by many, was enjoying golf in beautiful Muskoka when his heart skipped a beat. Far away from help, Mikey passed away. To ensure similar people affected by sudden cardiac arrests have a second chance at life, Heathwood and Herity launched the Mikey Network organization.

Since 2003, the Mikey Network has installed 2,700 AEDs in high-risk locations in Ontario, including schools, police stations and GO trains, and has provided CPR training to over 1,300 people. By using AEDs, or “Mikeys,” survival rates are increased by up to 50% and, as a result, 47 lives have been saved to date.

I want to say thank you to the management of Malton Masjid for informing me about the organization and for your hard work to arrange an AED for the safety and well-being of our community. I’d also like to extend my sincere gratitude and thanks to Hugh Heron, Morty Henkle and the entire Mikey Network team for your determination, compassion and contributions. Your organization exemplifies the true Ontario spirit. Thank you for saving lives.

To learn more, my colleagues can visit www.mikeynetwork.com—because when hearts stop beating, Mikeys save lives.

Government’s record

Mr. Wayne Gates: I rise today with a question for the people of Niagara and all Ontario: Is life more affordable today than it was four years ago?

Four years ago, we heard the newly elected Conservative government make lots of promises regarding affordability. What happened?

Four years ago, the government said that they would lower hydro rates by 12%. They’ve actually gone up 5%.

This government promised to cut gas prices by ten cents a litre. In Niagara Falls this weekend, it was over $1.50 a litre. That’s a 30- to 50-cent increase per litre over four years.

Buying a home in Ontario and Niagara is out of reach for most people. The median price for a home in Niagara has increased by 33% in four years. What cost $381,000 is now $717,000. The rental market has skyrocketed. The average cost of a one-bedroom in Niagara Falls is $1,400 a month, a 17% increase in one year—and this government cut rent control measures.

Child care in Toronto is upwards of $2,000 a month, yet this government won’t sign the deal for $10-a-day child care.

While inflation rose 6% this month alone, the Conservatives refused to repeal Bill 124, which caps the wages of nurses and other workers at 1%.

But you know who the Conservatives made sure were taken care of? Multinational corporations; billionaires who made record profits during the pandemic; companies like Walmart, Amazon, Loblaws. For-profit long-term-care operators were taken care of while 4,000 seniors died from COVID in their facilities.

In 100 days from today we can change this. There’s a provincial election. We can elect a government that will make decisions that make life more affordable for all of us, not just the Conservative government’s wealthy friends.

School extracurricular activities

Mr. Aris Babikian: On November 30, 2021, I joined Ms. Lee Soda, Agincourt Community Services Association’s—ACSA for short—executive director and the staff to make a $369,600 funding announcement to Scarborough–Agincourt students for the after-school programs to support safe and supervised activities for students during the school year in priority neighborhoods across our community.

The program helps kids stay active and engaged, improves academic performance and encourages leadership skills through activities such as sports, recreation and physical activities, personal wellness, anti-bullying, nutrition education and Internet safety. Students in 10 Scarborough–Agincourt schools will benefit from this timely funding.

This funding announcement for Scarborough–Agincourt schools is part of our government investment of $13.5 million through Ontario’s After-School Program to support 110 organizations that provide activities for children living in high-priority neighbourhoods across the province.

ACSA is the worthy recipient of this funding, which helps 45 families in each school to fulfill their potential and live a healthy life. ACSA has been a pioneer in serving our community, especially during these challenging times. Their staff have been at the forefront of reaching out to our most needy families, residents and seniors. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated organization and team to make our community a better place to live, work and raise a family.

Injured workers

Mr. Jamie West: Speaker, today I want to talk about Jim Hobbs. Jim was a steelworker and a hard-rock miner. Mining helped Jim provide for his family. It helped him to ensure that his four kids could finish post-secondary.

Unfortunately for Jim, like 25,000 Ontario mine workers, he was forced to breathe finely ground aluminum dust known as McIntyre Powder. It wasn’t optional; this was a condition of Jim’s employment. It was, “Breathe it or get fired.”

Before each shift, they would seal the doors of the dry room, the change room, closed. They would turn off the ventilation and they would pump a grey mist of fine aluminum into the air and encourage the miners: “Breathe deep, boys. This will coat your lungs. This will protect you from harm.”

McIntyre Powder was an unproven medical treatment. As early as 1946, international medical and scientific communities warned of potential harm to miners’ health. Despite those warnings, it was forced on Ontario miners until 1990. It was used with the full knowledge and sanctioning of the government of Ontario. It was supported by the Ontario Department of Health and the Workers’ Compensation Board. The only Ontario study completed on these miners found statistically significant cognitive decline in McIntyre Powder-exposed miners.

In 2001, Jim was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. He died May 24, 2017.

But Jim wasn’t the only miner forced to walk into a cloud of aluminum dust. Jim wasn’t the only miner told to breathe deeply. Jim was one of 25,000 Ontario mine workers forced to breathe aluminum dust, and no one has ever officially acknowledged or apologized for locking miners in rooms and forcing them to inhale metal or lose their jobs.

The remaining miners are elderly and they’re health-compromised. Many are dying. Many, like Jim, are already deceased. But all of them deserve an apology for what happened to them.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Roman Baber: Speaker, I first saw the charter, a few months after we immigrated to Canada, on a wall, hanging by the elevator in the North York Central Library. I loved it from day one, which is why I’m blessed to guest-lecture on it and defend it in this House.

Canada’s charter is magnificent—because it doesn’t just enshrine our rights subject to reasonable limits. The charter is all-Canadian because it protects Canada’s pluralism, Canada’s diversity and Canada’s freedom of choice.

That’s why I and many Canadians condemn the blatant assault on our charter by Justin Trudeau’s declaration of emergency. One may disagree with the protesters’ opinions, but the charter says they have the right to assemble. The alleged infractions may be dealt with by municipal, traffic or criminal laws.

Canadians are frightened that they may be doxxed or financially ruined. Canada is the talk of the world. Our country is not recognizable. The declaration of the emergency is not rooted in fact, since the situation is resolved. It’s not supported in law, since there is no danger to lives and safety, since it could be resolved by the province and may be dealt with by other laws of Canada. This is about Justin Trudeau’s ego in politics, because the science does not support him on the mandates. And no one even talks about the virus anymore.

This is all a distraction: a distraction from the failure of lockdowns, passports and mandates; a distraction from the mental health pandemic; a distraction from the last two years at the expense of our democracy. It must be condemned, and it must be opposed.

Long-term care

Mr. Will Bouma: I am absolutely thrilled to announce that recently, in my riding of Brantford–Brant, Minister Calandra and I were able to announce that our government is adding 59 new and 69 upgraded long-term-care beds to modernize and expand Hardy Terrace in Mount Pleasant, and adding 83 new and 45 upgraded long-term-care beds to a new building for Telfer Place in Paris. This is part of the government’s $6.4-billion commitment to build more than 30,000 net new long-term-care beds by 2028 and 28,000 upgraded long-term-care beds across the province.

The project at Hardy Terrace in Mount Pleasant adds new and upgraded long-term-care beds through a renovation to the existing home. The home will have a total of 160 long-term-care beds after the renovation is complete. Hardy Terrace will continue to offer specialized services, be part of a campus of care, and has proposed to provide cultural services to the Sikh community.

The project at Telfer Place in Paris involves a brand new building for the existing home. Telford Place will have a total of 128 long-term-care beds once the new building is complete. The home has proposed to continue current volunteer-based partnerships and collaborations with social, emotional, spiritual and physical service groups to continue supporting resident needs.

Construction of both homes is expected to start by spring 2024. There are now 266 new and 318 long-term-care beds in development, under construction, or completed in Brantford–Brant. Speaker, this is welcome news for my residents.

Black History Month

Mr. Kevin Yarde: It’s an honour to rise here on behalf of the great people of Brampton North—as a matter of fact, of the great people of all of Ontario—as we continue to celebrate Black History Month.

I was honoured to be a guest speaker at one of the events in Brampton, the 21st annual Black History Month Concert. I want to thank the United Achievers’ Club and the Congress of Black Women, Brampton chapter. In particular, I want to thank Marjorie Taylor, who organized the event. While we missed the opportunity to be together in person because of COVID, we still had a great time enjoying and learning all about the great achievements of Black people, not just in Brampton but right across Ontario and Canada.

Our province, as we all know, is home to many vibrant Black people in Ontario and many communities that are vibrant in Ontario. Ontario could not be the province it is today without the strong, dynamic Black leadership at the provincial and municipal levels. To our Black communities across the province, I want you to know that the Black caucus and the official opposition, we see you, we hear you and we’ll continue to fight for justice for you. From education to health care to justice, we will be looking at every aspect of political life through the Black lens.

This year’s theme for Black History Month is “February and Forever.” What does that mean? It means that we’re going to celebrate Black history not just today, not tomorrow, but every single day of the year.

And of course, Mr. Speaker, I have to talk quickly about the elephant in the room: We still have anti-Black racism. We’ll continue to fight anti-Black racism in all its forms, and I ask everyone to join me, regardless of what colour we are.

Highway tolls

Mr. Lorne Coe: There’s more good news for region of Durham residents. Last Friday, our government announced that it’s restoring fairness and cutting costs for drivers and businesses in Durham by permanently removing the tolls on Highways 412 and 418, effective April 5, 2022.

We’ve heard the people of Durham loud and clear, and we agree that the tolls imposed on Highways 412 and 418 by the previous government are wrong and unfair. That’s why we’re removing the tolls on these highways, so that people and businesses have more travel options and hard-earned money in their pockets.

Speaker, the previous government unfairly targeted drivers and businesses in Durham region by imposing tolls on Highways 412 and 418, leaving them underutilized while local streets became increasingly gridlocked. When the previous government imposed these unjust road tolls, they placed a financial burden on drivers and families in Durham region, including my riding of Whitby. By delivering on our commitment to remove these tolls, our government is fighting gridlock while supporting, once again, hard-working families in the region of Durham.

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

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following document has been tabled: a report entitled Ontario’s Labour Market in 2021, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I will now ask our legislative pages to assemble.

It is my honour and pleasure to introduce this group of legislative pages: from the riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, Leah Elder; from the riding of Barrie–Innisfil, Pania Ghaneian; from the riding of Kitchener–Conestoga, Maverick Harris; from the riding of Hamilton Mountain, Daunte Hillen; from the riding of Scarborough Southwest, Tanisha Hossain; from the riding of York Centre, Elya Keren-Sagiv; from the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Julia Markson; from the riding of Waterloo, Zane McKinnon; from the riding of Dufferin–Caledon, Morgan Scholz; from the riding of Essex, Benjamin Selmi; from the riding of Willowdale, Owen Shen; from the riding of Etobicoke Centre, Kristian Tanuwidjaja; and from the riding of Richmond Hill, Lucia Wei.

Thank you very much.

Applause.

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before I invite oral questions, I am also pleased to inform the House that page Julia Markson, from the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore, is today’s page captain. We have with us today in the House her parents: her mother, Alicia Markson, and her father, Joseph Markson. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We are delighted to have you here.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

Manufacturing jobs

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is for the Premier. Thunder Bay got some pretty devastating news yesterday. Alstom is laying off the bulk of the 400 remaining workers at that plant, just as the cost of living is skyrocketing and folks are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. At its peak, this manufacturing plant was employing more than 1,200 workers. Those were good, Unifor union jobs, manufacturing jobs, jobs that paid the bills, jobs that supported families and put food on the table.

The Premier was there in August. He was there in Thunder Bay just six months ago and made empty promises to those workers about future jobs. The layoffs mean that this plant is now downsizing to just 75 workers, Speaker. These Unifor members will be out of work for—four months? Six months? A year? Who knows?

My question is, why is this Premier doing nothing—nothing at all—to save these good, Unifor manufacturing jobs in Thunder Bay?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: The Leader of the Opposition is correct. I was there, unlike herself, who hasn’t showed up there. I was there a few times, actually, speaking to the front-line workers, speaking to the CEO of Alstom, making sure that they’re going to secure those jobs.

I’ll tell you what we have done as a province, Mr. Speaker. We have invested in transit. We invested $171 million to refurbish 94 GO Transit bi-level rail cars. On top of that, we invested $180 million to help fund the purchase of 60 new TTC streetcars.

Mr. Speaker, there’s no government in the history of this province that invested more into infrastructure, more into transit than this government has. For the first time ever, we’re putting $29 billion into the largest transit project in North America, making sure that we build subways.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The workers in Thunder Bay need action, not talk, from this Premier. The government knew, this Premier knew that those layoffs were coming. Unifor president Dominic Pasqualino wrote the PCs just last weekend with a plan to save these jobs: “Management and the union have worked together harmoniously through some very challenging times. Some of these challenges are completely out of our hands, such as COVID, but the lack of orders”—that’s orders from this government, Speaker—“is something that the provincial government does have a say in.”

The Unifor workers are asking the province to step up with much-needed passenger rail vehicles to be manufactured here in Ontario, in Thunder Bay. Why won’t this Premier commit to Thunder Bay and save these good manufacturing jobs? Why will he not?

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

Hon. Stan Cho: This pandemic has been very hard on all Ontarians, and this of course includes the great people of Thunder Bay. We understand that these layoffs are temporary in nature and the result of a massive work order being completed at the facility.

We are proud to sustain jobs at the Thunder Bay plant for the next several years—a series of measures that the Premier just outlined. And if it weren’t for Ontario’s order to Alstom in the Thunder Bay facility, those doors would have been shuttered permanently.

This is the tip of the iceberg on what we are going to see in Toronto in terms of growth, however—a population that is booming, unprecedented investments into transportation and transit. We’re going make sure that we keep those work orders flowing as well as the good order work repairs of $5 billion with the city of Toronto. We are positive that we will see days of prosperity in Ontario and Thunder Bay shortly.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: These workers need these jobs to pay their bills now, to feed their families now, to pay their mortgages right now. But they are not going to be able to keep their jobs because this government refuses to step up. And more than that: More than just their jobs, they know that Thunder Bay needs to have solid manufacturing facilities in their community for the future and the well-being of that community writ large. In fact, Unifor Local president Pasqualino said this: “If we lose this Alstom facility it becomes harder to attract new manufacturing industries to the district.”

Now, this is an old story for northern communities like Thunder Bay. This Premier might not know it, but we saw what happened when the forestry industry went for a dive. It really impacted Thunder Bay. We need to save these manufacturing jobs, Speaker. Six months ago the Premier was there, and he said he was going to “make sure anything bought in Ontario should be produced in Ontario.” Why is this Premier so unwilling to make sure that happens in Thunder Bay?

Hon. Stan Cho: I want to remind the people of Ontario that it was the opposition, with the Liberals, that saw hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs leave this province to other jurisdictions. This government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is bringing those jobs back. And how are we doing it? By unprecedented growth, by investments into transit—$5 billion to flow to the existing TTC network in state of good repair. We signed a deal with the city of Toronto in 2019 that set the stage for the city to build more orders in Thunder Bay. Some $29 billion in investments into transit expansion: This is the first time that’s happened in decades, Speaker.

Thunder Bay will be busy. We understand these temporary layoffs of the workers are done for work to be completed at the facility, to retool, to keep up with that unprecedented demand. We are going to get on the path to prosperity in the province of Ontario, and it’s no thanks to the opposition and the leader of the NDP.

Hospital services

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier.

Ontarians know very well that we need to fix our health care system, our hospital system. Surgical backlogs have grown significantly. In fact, the FAO estimated quite some time ago—before the Omicron wave, as a matter of fact—that there was a 400,000-person wait-list for surgeries. Now, the numbers are such that it’s up to a million; up to a million people are waiting for surgeries in our province with stress, with anxiety, with their physical well-being deteriorating day by day. This government has not invested in our hospitals to clear these wait-lists and these substantial backlogs.

The Ontario Hospital Association and others have some solutions. My question is, will this Premier start listening to the solutions that the Ontario Hospital Association and others are bringing to the table and take action on the million backlogged surgeries that people are waiting for in Ontario?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member opposite for the question, because I know this is something that many Ontarians are very concerned about, and I really appreciate the opportunity to reply.

We know that because of directive 2, where we had to postpone surgeries, many Ontarians have been waiting for orthopaedic surgeries, some cancer surgeries, some cardiac surgeries. And we are responding. We have made an investment of over $5.1 billion to create over 3,100 more beds in our system, which was left lacking by the previous government. We have built those beds not just to deal with COVID, but to deal with the surgeries that have been postponed or delayed as a result of directive 2.

We’ve also invested, from our $1.8-billion investment into the hospital sector, $300 million, added to $200 million from last fall—$500 million—to allow for more surgeries to happen both in the evenings and on weekends so that we can catch up.

That is what we’re doing to create the scenario necessary. We’ve also lifted directive 2 so that hospitals can now go up to 90% of their surgeries that went back to 2019. We are working on—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: In fact, the Ontario Hospital Association has some pretty solid recommendations that will fix our hospital system, and New Democrats support those solutions. I’m going to mention a few of them: hiring tens of thousands of nurses, that’s one of the solutions; resources to reduce massive surgery backlogs; turning additional bed capacity that was built up in COVID into permanent spaces for patients in Ontario.

There’s no doubt that this government hasn’t been listening. In fact, the Financial Accountability Officer revealed that Premier Ford is planning to axe thousands of beds that we put in place for the pandemic.

The question I have for this Premier is, will he reverse course? Will he listen to the Ontario Hospital Association and so many others and fix the mess he’s made in our hospital system?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have been speaking with the Ontario Hospital Association, and we are already taking all of the actions that the member opposite has just mentioned. All of those are being done. We also have a multi-phase plan to increase our health human resources in order to deal with these backlogs. We’ve created those 3,100 extra beds to deal with COVID. Now we are dealing with them to deal with the surgeries. They will remain in our system because we know we need them.

As for the number of people who are waiting for these procedures, we are actually calculating that right now, because on a regular basis, there are already 200,000 people on a wait-list. We are at 250,000 right now. What we are looking at is the number of people who have waited outside of the medically accepted guidelines. That is what we need to focus on and that is what we are dealing with.

More difficult than that, though, even, is to get people to come back to their family doctors to get the procedures and examinations done to make sure that they are healthy. That is where we’re going to need our front-line medical practitioners, primary care, to help us bring people back in so that we will be able to deal with their issues easily and straightforwardly early on in their diagnosis so that we can have—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, the fact remains that hospital system capacity is a serious problem in this province, and we all know—all of us know—it didn’t get that way overnight. We know the Liberals spent years in office and neglected our hospital system. The facts are very clear. The OHA points out that the total spaces we have in hospitals right now remained the same for 20 years, including the last four years, and the province grew by nearly three million people. So there was no extra capacity put in place by the Liberals.

The question I have is, will this Premier fix the problem that he has ignored for four years, just like the Liberals did before him, or will he step aside so that New Democrats can fix the hospital system that we need?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Maybe we can just take a look at the facts here. Our government has actually increased health care spending from $59.3 billion in 2019-20 to an expected $64.1 billion in 2021-22. We’ve also invested an additional $5.1 billion in 2020-21 and an expected $5.2 billion in 2021-22 in dedicated COVID-19 health response funding. Our government has increased health care spending more than any other government to date in history.

We have already created 3,100 beds since the beginning of this pandemic and several hundred more intensive care beds, and we’re continuing to grow. We are also investing $22 billion over the next 10 years in hospital capital infrastructure that will lead to $30 billion in capital investments.

If that’s not what growth is, I don’t know what the member opposite expects.

Manufacturing jobs

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: My question is for the Premier.

When the Ford government took office in 2018, there were 1,200 workers at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay. Today there are 400 workers, and it will soon only have 75 unionized workers.

This government has promised a bright future. The Premier and his ministers have repeatedly come to my riding and made promises of jobs and slung some mud. Yet again, though, people are facing unemployment because of this government’s lack of urgency.

Premier, what is this government going to do for the hundreds of workers and their families facing many months without a paycheque? Through you, Speaker, why didn’t the Premier act sooner?

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

Hon. Stan Cho: Thank you to the member opposite for that important question. Of course, it’s a difficult time for the people of this province, especially for the people of Thunder Bay, but I want to remind the member opposite that these layoffs are temporary, that the closure of the facility is to retool.

Why, Speaker? Because there is lots of business on the way to the great people of Thunder Bay, thanks to this government’s investments into transit infrastructure, into actually getting subways built, and into expanding the GO network, to connect with the grid and finally catch up Ontario to other world-class jurisdictions around our planet. These investments are going to continue. We will see those jobs return to Thunder Bay and a day of prosperity unlike any other seen in this great province.

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

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Again, my question is for the Premier.

The Alstom plant needs certainty. Workers have had an excellent track record and can produce 170 vehicles per day. There are long lead-up times when there are new orders and the plant needs certainty from this province about orders.

The people of Ontario need more mass transit; we know that. We can build it here in Ontario. Premier, will you commit to a made-in-Ontario transit strategy? And, Speaker, through you, will the Premier do something to help the Alstom plant workers today?

Hon. Stan Cho: Speaker, the answer is yes. This Premier has committed from the very beginning of our mandate to the transit system, to the great people of Thunder Bay.

Just to highlight a few of those examples: $171 million to refurbish 94 GO Transit rail coaches at the Alstom plant located in Thunder Bay. This is on top of our partnership agreement to purchase 60 new electric streetcars, which will maintain 300 good manufacturing jobs at the facility, Speaker. This is on top of the huge growth that we’ll see—upwards of $180 million to the TTC to support up to 60 new streetcars.

Speaker, this is a long list of investments that our government is making into transit expansion. That means jobs for Thunder Bay not just for today but for many days to come.

Government regulations

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: At the core, all levels of government have one true mandate: that is, to support our hard-working constituents who have elected us as their representatives in this House. During these unprecedented times, we must look to this core reason for guidance and direction.

Ontarians expect clean water, clean air, safe products and safe working conditions. Good rules and regulations are necessary to maintain these high standards.

Ontarians across the province have called for our government to lead the charge in this field by eliminating unnecessary regulatory and financial burdens for the great people of Ontario and to make sure that Ontario is open for business and open for jobs.

Speaker, through you to the Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, my Mississauga colleague: What is our government doing to deliver clear and effective rules that promote public health and safeguard the environment without sacrificing innovation, growth and opportunity?

Hon. Nina Tangri: I really want to thank my colleague from my neighbouring riding of Mississauga Centre for the question.

Yesterday, I rose in this House and tabled our eighth red tape reduction package. This package builds on our incredible effort to make life easier for businesses and the people across Ontario.

Through this piece of legislation, we’ve announced our intent to eliminate the annual licence plate sticker renewal fee and requirements to have a physical licence plate sticker for passenger vehicles, light-duty trucks, motorcycles and mopeds. This change will save each and every vehicle owner $120 per year in southern Ontario and $60 per vehicle in northern Ontario. Further, we will reimburse every eligible owner of vehicles for any licence plate renewal fees since March 2020.

Speaker, this is not a one-time deal for relief. This government will continue to explore ways to lower the cost of living in every corner of this province.

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

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: Thank you to the minister for that answer. I know that the members in my riding of Mississauga Centre were thrilled to learn that this unnecessary, costly requirement is being eliminated.

As our province slowly but surely places the pandemic in its rear-view mirror, we must look to the future and how we plan to rebuild and accelerate the growth of our economy to pre-pandemic heights. The removal of licence plate fees provides the people of Ontario with direct financial relief, keeping more money in their pockets, not the government’s pockets, something that I hope all the members of this House would be in support of. However, there still remains more to be done.

Could the minister tell us what progress the government has made in helping to reduce costs and eliminate burdens for businesses and Ontarians, and what more Ontarians can expect from this package, if passed?

Hon. Nina Tangri: Thank you again to the member for her question.

Our government is proud to support important measures to ensure the prosperity of Ontario. We believe the people of Ontario deserve all the help they can get in these trying times.

When we took office in 2018, Ontario’s regulatory burden was amongst the heaviest in North America. Ontario had the highest cost of regulation compliance right across Canada. Since then, our government has taken over 400 actions to cut red tape.

Now, as we bring forward this new bill, we have achieved $373 million in annual savings for businesses and people by cutting the unnecessary and costly burdens left over by the previous Liberal government.

Our government has remained steadfast in our commitment to support Ontario businesses and people, and with this new package, we’ll bring further relief to ensure Ontario remains the number one place to grow a business and build a family.

Home care

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé.

The Ontario Community Support Association has released their report and it says that 17% of PSW, RN and RPN positions are vacant.

What does this human resources crisis look like, Speaker?

Well, Jutta’s parents in Bracebridge were told that there are no PSWs available—no home care in downtown Bracebridge. So she moved in to help them. She broke her foot trying to care for her parents, and guess what? There was no PSW to help her either.

A woman in Nickel Belt has a severe infection. She lives 40 minutes away from the hospital and does not drive. She must find a ride to the hospital three times a day for the next 14 days because they cannot find a nurse to come to her home.

Why is the government allowing the private for-profit home care companies to keep their lucrative contracts while failing to deliver the home care people so desperately need?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. Our government certainly recognizes the importance of home care in our overall health care system. In fact, it’s been described as a three-legged stool, with home care, long-term care and hospitals. They all have to be in balance for the health system to work properly. That’s why we passed the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, which is going to modernize the delivery of home and community care services by bringing an outdated system designed in the 1990s in to the 21st century.

We do have an active consultation that’s going on right now with our home care partners to understand what we need to do to change the system as we work to bring home and community care into the local Ontario health teams to perform the care that is appropriate and relevant in each of our communities across the province of Ontario.

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

M me France Gélinas: Everyone on this side of the House knows why 17% of home and community care positions are vacant. It is because a private company would rather increase their profits than pay home care workers a living wage.

Dr. Hamilton from London, in his letter to the minister, said, “The home care and community support services’ nursing teams” were “in a crisis five years ago, and has now collapsed.... This has resulted in a record number of emergency visits and admissions of palliative” care “patients to” his “hospital.”

His solution is simple: Get rid of the for-profit agencies. Follow the Maritimes and BC lead for equal pay for all nurses and personal care workers, whether they work in the hospital or home care sector.

Speaker, our home care system is broken. When is the minister going to fix the home and community system so that Mrs. Kiddle, Jutta’s family, patients requiring palliative care get the home care that they need to safely stay home?

Hon. Christine Elliott: First, I would say that we’re currently working on modernizing our home and community care system, but I would disagree with the member opposite as to the reason why she has a concern about home and community care. One is, we have put the money into it. In 2019-20, we invested an additional $155 million in home and community care, and in 2021-22, we made an additional investment of $111 million for high-intensity supports at home.

However, as the member will know, there are health human resource challenges across the province of Ontario that we are actively working on, which include hospitals and long-term care as well as home and community care. We have a number of proposals that we’re working on to increase the number of personal support workers by 8,000 over the next several years and to increase the number of nurses by 5,000 through graduating more nurses, but also with our jobs and credentialing and laddering programs that will allow personal support workers to become registered practical nurses and then from there into registered nurses, if they choose to. We are actively working—

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

Gun violence

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Minister of Health. Today, I sent a letter to you, Minister, which asks for your support for Bill 60, my private member’s bill, the Safe and Healthy Communities Act (Addressing Gun Violence). When I first tabled this bill, your government said that if the bill had merit you would support it.

Right now, there are students in the GTA who are reeling from the trauma invoked by gun violence. My riding of Scarborough–Guildwood has already this year seen 10 shootings, including one fatality. We’re mourning the loss of Jahiem Robinson, an 18-year-old student who was gunned down inside his school. I visited this school. I talked to parents, students, the principal, even the custodial staff. They believe that this bill has merit and that we need to do more. Bill 60 would provide trauma-informed counselling paid for by OHIP, a service that this school and its parents and students agree is needed right now.

Will the minister work with me on Bill 60 so that we can get these much-needed services and help to the people in our community who are suffering as a result of this type of violence that is affecting their community? This bill has merit, and I ask for your support for this—

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

To reply, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you for that question. We all know that in the province of Ontario, especially given the opioid crisis and the pandemic and everything that we’ve been seeing, there is a great need of support, especially for our children and youth. And our government has invested in children and youth mental health.

We invested over $31 million in new annualized funding this year to improve access to specialized mental health treatment services, to reduce wait-lists and wait times, and support the mental health and well-being of children and youth. This includes an investment of $20 million for an across-the-board 5% funding increase for all government-funded children and youth mental health agencies. In addition to that, there’s $2.7 million for four new youth wellness hubs across the province of Ontario: in Guelph, in Renfrew, in Timmins and Windsor.

In addition to that, through the Addictions Recovery Fund, we’re also making additional investments in children and youth wellness hubs so that we can support our children and youth and build resiliency in them.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: While I certainly support the investment in youth mental health, I asked this government to reinstate the $25 million that was cut from the education “other” budget, which supported after-school programs such as Focus on Youth, which was directed towards vulnerable youth at risk of violence.

These programs need to be reinstated. They need to be reinstated now. There is a 43% increase in shootings in my riding alone, for year-to-date. There are more shootings than there are days in the year. By meeting with young people, with their families, one of the questions that the young people asked is, “Is anyone listening to us?” Are we actually hearing the young people when they say that they need help, and they need that help now? Programs for youth need to be funded, and the cuts that were made early on in this mandate need to be reinstated.

Bill 60 is offering an immediate solution. Back to you, Minister of Health: You did talk about funding, digital counselling services; I’m asking for that to be done now, and so are the families and the young people affected by gun violence.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Once again, I’d like to reiterate our position is to ensure that we provide youth and children the supports they need where and when they need them. We have made significant investments and will continue investing in our children and youth by providing them opportunities to have their mental health looked after—the youth wellness hubs, for instance, the ones that I visited around the province; the investments that we’ve made through SAPACCY to provide specific resources for young people so that they have safe spaces where they can be comfortable and receive culturally appropriate services.

We are looking to ensure that people, that young people have the resources they need so that we can prevent, so that we can build resiliency, so that we can further educate, because we know that children are our future. And this government has taken that very seriously, making investments that now total over $525 million a year in new investments to ensure that we look after advocating for our youth and providing the supports they need and also building treatment capacity to help those that are in greatest need. Our government takes—

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

Automotive industry

Mr. Mike Harris: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. I can tell you that Ontario’s auto industry is one of the most important sectors we have here in the province. It employs thousands of people directly and indirectly. But under the previous Liberal government, hundreds of thousands of automotive and manufacturing jobs—I can tell you first-hand, 12,000 of those alone came from Waterloo region—fled the province for either the States or overseas.

Ontarians deserve to know that their government is working day and night to make sure that these jobs have been regained and that the industry is confident enough—and this is a crucial part of this question—to make significant investments in Ontario once again.

Speaker, through you, can the minister please outline clearly to the House how this government is securing a long-term future for the auto sector and the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians that rely on it?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Our government has been laser-focused on working with the auto sector to make Ontario the electric vehicle manufacturing powerhouse. Our automakers have already announced almost $6 billion in investments. Of that, $4.3 billion are investments that will transition the industry toward electric vehicle manufacturing:

—Ford’s $1.8-billion investment to retool their Oakville plant for EVs;

—Stellantis, a $1.5-billion investment to retool their Windsor plant to build hybrid EVs; and

—GM’s $1-billion investment in Ingersoll will produce the BrightDrop electric vehicle delivery van.

Speaker, under the previous government, workers and industry were abandoned. They left the province. Now we’re committed to working with the auto sector. We will make Ontario the destination for EV manufacturing.

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

Mr. Mike Harris: Thank you to the minister. He’s absolutely right. The previous Liberal government, of course propped up by the NDP time and time again, voted against or were out there trying to force these jobs out of the province. Ontarians deserve better. With the transition to electric vehicle production, entirely new sectors are opening up here in the province, and new jobs become available that never existed before. Ontarians need a government that is willing to support the hard-working men and women in Ontario’s auto sector by focusing on the supply side of building the electric vehicles of the future.

Could the minister tell us how the government plans to support the broader electric vehicle supply chain, while integrating it with components that are already made right here at home in Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Ontario will create an end-to-end supply chain for EV production. That’s outlined very clearly in our Driving Prosperity plan. Building electric vehicles in Ontario is not only critical to the long-term security of the 100,000 workers, but will also provide opportunities in a number of industries, like our mining sector. We have all the minerals for EV production right here in Ontario: nickel in Sudbury, cobalt processing in aptly-named Cobalt, lithium north of Red Lake, graphite in Hearst. The Premier is very hard at work attracting an EV battery manufacturing facility—a true game-changer for Ontario.

We will lead North America in the transition to electric vehicle production, creating new innovations and securing our economic prosperity.

Emergency services

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Premier. I’ve been talking to paramedics and Niagara residents, and, frankly, what’s happening with people who dial 911 is terrifying. We have so few staffed hospital beds in Niagara that ambulances are waiting upwards of five hours to offload patients. Residents are dialing 911 and waiting three hours or more for an ambulance to be available. Some are being told to take a cab; it’s faster. Front-line workers have said, “An answer to all these issues is quite simply more fully staffed hospital beds, paramedics and ambulances. Fix that and all the ambulance issues go away.”

Does the Premier think it’s acceptable that people wait over three hours for an ambulance after dialing 911 in Niagara? Why aren’t paramedics, hospital health care workers and Niagara residents getting the support they need?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: There are a number of issues that have been brought forward by your question. First of all, with respect to paramedics, we recognize that in some areas of Ontario, there are areas where paramedics are waiting for long periods of time in emergency departments when they need to get back out on the road. That’s why we brought in specialized nurse practitioners and other nurses who are able to receive patients and allow those paramedics to be able to go back out onto the road. That has been very successful in the Ottawa area, and in other parts of the province as well.

With respect to the second half of your question about not having enough beds in Niagara, I’m sure the member will know that a new hospital is being built in Niagara, so we are certainly addressing that issue as well.

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

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’m certainly aware of the new hospital being built as we’ve been waiting almost 11 years. But we need to fix this problem. I’m going to ask anybody: If you dial 911, do you expect to wait three hours? Or be told to get a cab, it’s faster?

Again to the Premier: Not only has this Conservative government ignored these issues, they’ve actually gone out of their way to make it worse. Tens of thousands of health care workers have signed a petition saying that Bill 124 pushes down their wages and drives nurses out of their jobs—with inflation at 6%, it’s a wage cut of 5%—the same nurses we need to clear the backlog. Yet when the NDP colleagues and I tried to repeal Bill 124, the Conservatives voted it down.

Paramedics have asked the Premier to commit to funding for more paramedics and dispatchers to handle the volume of 911 calls in Niagara. The government has ignored it.

Can the Premier explain to us how his cuts have done anything other than create chaos in our health care system?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much. First, as I previously indicated, we’ve increased health care spending in Ontario by more than any other government to date. We’re now at $64 billion in health care,

whereas it was $59 billion when we started here. So any suggestion that anything is being cut is not the case.

We are increasing our investments. We’re increasing our investments in health human resources. We’re also modernizing our ambulance system and making sure that we can respond quickly. We’re also making sure that our paramedics are being put to good use. They’re helping people stay in their own homes. The Ministry of Long-Term Care has paramedics that are helping there to visit people so that they don’t need to go to long-term care or to support them while they’re waiting for long-term care.

We also have paramedics in the Ministry of Health. We’re working to make it a comprehensive service so that when somebody does need health care and they need perhaps both a nurse and a paramedic, we can combine that for a better patient experience.

As for the health human resources issue, we have a strategy to increase paramedics, personal support workers, registered practical nurses, registered nurses and nurse practitioners. We’re working on this all at once to create a better patient experience for everyone in Ontario regardless of where they live.

COVID-19 immunization

Mr. Roman Baber: My question to the Premier: On February 1, the Premier was asked if he supports the mandate on truckers. The Premier said he was in favour of vaccination. That’s what the Minister of Labour told me every time I asked him if he believed it was right to make workers choose between their own health and their ability to put food on the table.

But on February 15, we got a whole new Premier. He said it doesn’t matter if you have one shot or 10 shots, you can still catch COVID. The Premier said that these are hard-working people who don’t believe in it, that it’s their choice and it’s about democracy, freedom and liberties. Now the Premier sounds exactly like the member from York Centre—as if we had amnesia for two years.

My question to the Premier is, what is his position today? Is it the Premier who believes in vaccination when asked about the mandates? Or is it the new Premier who believes it’s a choice and it’s about freedom; and if so, will he help me pass my jobs and jabs bill through third reading on March 3?

Interjections.

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, I’m very happy that we are seeing, really, a progression away from the COVID restrictions that were so important at the onset of the pandemic. The member will know, of course—because he was in the caucus at the time and voted in favour of a number of the measures that were brought in—that we inherited a health care system that was severely, severely understaffed. We inherited a health care system where 800 people in ICU could bring this province to a standstill, and we said no more. That is why the Minister of Health has made such enormous investments in health care.

We’re coming out of that now, Mr. Speaker. The important thing is now that we are coming out of that, we are loosening restrictions and we’re seeing the economy begin to grow again so that we can be in the same position we were before the pandemic, leading the country in terms of job creation and being a jurisdiction where people want to invest in.

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

Mr. Roman Baber: The Premier says he stands for rights of workers, but he had no courage, no sense of moral obligation to defend workers when their employers said, “Inject yourself or lose your job.” The Premier presided over the greatest labour injustice in recent history as tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of working Ontarians were terminated, suspended, or resigned or retired because of ideology, not science.

Now the chief medical officer told all of us that passports no longer make sense because two doses offer limited protection against infection. That means you can no longer say that someone’s risk of transmission is lower because their risk of infection is lower. The same applies to mandates. No one is putting anyone at risk. It is the most disgusting allegation of the 21st century. Shame on everyone here who perpetuated that lie.

Does the Premier stand by—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will withdraw his unparliamentary comment.

Mr. Roman Baber: Withdraw.

Will the Premier stand by allowing businesses to impose mandates or will he protect all workers next Thursday and help pass my jobs and jabs bill—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will take his seat.

And to reply, government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I don’t know which member for York Centre we have. Is this the member for York Centre who, month after month after month, stood on this side of the House and voted in favour of every single measure that he now, today, says he didn’t support at the time? There was a different reason for him, right?

Mr. Roman Baber: There were no vaccines when I was sitting there.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for York Centre will come to order, please.

The government House leader to reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: So I just don’t know which member for York Centre we have in front of us today, Mr. Speaker.

But I do know this: Because of the measures that this government put in place, we are coming out of the pandemic. We are leading the nation in terms of getting vaccines into people’s arms, which is leading us to opening the economy quicker, which is seeing a rebound in the economy every single day. The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade is fielding calls from people around the globe who want to invest in the province of Ontario. That is the future of the province of Ontario. There are great things ahead for us. This is the jurisdiction where people want to live, work, invest and raise a family. It is because of the hard work of this government, in spite of that member.

Highway tolls

Mr. Lorne Coe: Steven Del Duca and the Liberals say they will make life more affordable for Ontarians. The reality is, after 15 years of a Liberal government in Ontario, the cost of living for hard-working families and businesses went sky high. When the Liberals were in power, they imposed tolls against drivers, leaving them to foot the bill. Durham residents and businesses were forced to endure the unfair tolls imposed on Highways 412 and 418 by the Del Duca Liberal government.

Could the Associate Minister of Transportation tell us what his ministry is doing to cut transportation costs for hard-working Ontarians?

Hon. Stan Cho: Thank you to the member from Whitby for that question. He is a tireless, passionate advocate for his constituency, and his hard work is paying off.

Recently, our government announced that we will be removing tolls on Highways 412 and 418. Effective April 5 this year, people and businesses will no longer need to pay to use these highways. This will level the playing field and cut costs for Durham drivers, who were wrongfully disadvantaged by Steven Del Duca and the Liberals. It will also help reduce gridlock on our major highways, getting you home to your families faster after a long day’s work.

Our government made a promise to the people of Durham, and thanks to the hard work of that member, we are keeping that promise.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Thank you to the minister for his response. When the previous Liberal government made the decision to toll these highways, the people of Durham suffered. It’s comforting to know that under this government, they are no longer suffering. Removing the tolls on Highways 412 and 418 is very welcome news for drivers in Durham. Yes, I’ve long advocated for this change, and I’m happy to hear that the voices of my community have been finally heard.

When Steven Del Duca was transportation minister under Kathleen Wynne, he ignored these voices. For over a decade, Ontarians had to deal with a government that said no to Ontarians and yes to their own agenda.

What is the Associate Minister of Transportation doing to expand on the initiative to remove tolling and to show hard-working Ontarians that they’ve been heard once again?

Hon. Stan Cho: I’m glad the member from Whitby brought up the record of Steven Del Duca as transportation minister under the leadership of Kathleen Wynne. Steven Del Duca thought it was acceptable that Durham region drivers were the only drivers in Ontario forced to pay tolls to travel north and south through their own communities. Our government thought that was wrong, and we got rid of those tolls.

Steven Del Duca barely built new transit throughout the GTA, and the few times he did it, there were questions about it. The Auditor General found that he inappropriately influenced Metrolinx to build a GO station in his own riding. Meanwhile, our government is investing a historic $28.5 billion in the largest subway expansion in Canadian history.

Interjections.

The Sp