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March 3, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Mar-03 vol. Array (PDF)

L150 - Tue 3 Mar 2020 / Mar 3 mar 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 3 March 2020 Mardi 3 mars 2020

Orders of the Day

Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la construction plus rapide de transport en commun

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

Members’ Statements

Homelessness

Indigenous affairs

Legal aid

Events in Carleton

Indigenous affairs

Climate change

Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team

Northern economy

Automotive industry

Ring of Fire

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Education funding

Employment standards

Licence plates

Ring of Fire

Mental health and addiction services

Mental health services

Equal opportunity

Anti-racism activities

Provincial deficit

Mental health in agriculture

Public transit

Transportation infrastructure

Ring of Fire

Mental health and addiction services

Food safety

Notices of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la construction plus rapide de transport en commun

Notice of dissatisfaction

Notices of dissatisfaction

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Introduction of Bills

Assessment Amendment Act (Protecting Neighbourhood Businesses), 2020 / Loi de 2020 modifiant la

Loi sur l’évaluation foncière (protection des entreprises de quartier)

Motions

Consideration of Bill 162

Petitions

Telecommunications in correctional facilities

Ontario economy

Long-term care

Agri-food industry

Education funding

Nuclear energy

Mental health services

Home care

Municipal development

Nuclear energy

Emergency services

Orders of the Day

Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour un système judiciaire plus efficace et plus solide

Adjournment Debate

Mental health services

Anti-racism activities

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la construction plus rapide de transport en commun

Resuming the debate adjourned on February 26, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 171,

An Act to enact the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 and make related amendments to other Acts / Projet de loi 171, Loi édictant la Loi de 2020 sur la construction plus rapide de transport en commun et apportant des modifications connexes à d’autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the opportunity to speak very briefly on the bill. As you know, Mr. Speaker, it was a bill that we brought forward in order to speed up the delivery of four priority transit projects throughout Toronto, projects that have been sorely delayed for many, many, many years. It’s something that the Premier and this government have made a priority of. This proposed bill, if passed by this Legislature, will ensure that these projects are put in place quickly. It is, of course, another step on our agenda of progress, growth and prosperity.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move that question be now put.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Mr. Calandra has moved that the question be now put. I believe we’ve had something like 22 speakers and nine hours and 23 minutes, so it is within order to put the question. I’m satisfied that there has been sufficient debate to allow this question to be put to the House.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

All those in favour of the motion that the question be now put, please say “aye.”

All those opposed to the motion that the question be now put, please say “nay.

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, this vote will be deferred until after question period today.

Vote deferred.

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

Resuming the debate adjourned on March 2, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 175,

An Act to amend and repeal various Acts respecting home care and community services / Projet de loi 175, Loi modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Further debate? I recognize the member for Richmond Hill.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I will be sharing my time with the member from Mississauga West.

It gives me great pleasure to rise in the House today to speak about Bill 175, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act. I know that my constituents in Richmond Hill agree that this is a very important issue.

Today, patients receive home and community care based on outdated models first developed in the 1990s. We are breaking down long-standing barriers that have separated home care from primary care and, in doing so, allowing for the seamless coordination of services for patients, while maintaining and strengthening oversight and accountability measures.

As part of the province’s comprehensive plan to build healthier communities and end hallway health care, Ontario is modernizing the delivery of home and community care services by bringing an outdated system designed in the 1990s into the 21st century.

Ontario is announcing the government’s plan to enable integrated and innovative models of home and community care through the introduction of the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act and new regulations under the Connecting Care Act, 2019.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to illustrate this exciting act through my personal experience. I served on the Mackenzie Health board for six years. The hospital could only take care of the patients while they were in the hospital. Once they are discharged, the patients are out of their hands. They probably would see them again returning to emergency because the patients had not followed through with the medical instructions given to them when they were discharged. The services from the CCAC were good, but they were not coordinated with the hospital, which resulted in a lot of duplication and missed treatments.

There were other cases when patients were ready to be discharged, but family members were not ready to take care of the discharged patient; or the patient was not willing to move into palliative care or a long-term-care home. They ended up continuing to stay in the hospital and taking up beds. This takes up much more beds and they are staying there for a much longer time. This is why we are experiencing hallway health care

I was frustrated with what I saw, and then I moved on to serving on the board of the CCAC. I thought I could put my focus on serving community health care instead of just in the hospital. Unfortunately, I only served there for over a year because I experienced the merger of the LHIN and the CCAC. I witnessed the layoffs of front-line nurses and social workers while I saw that management personnel increased. It really broke my heart when I saw that patients were not properly served. I resigned from the board and was invited to join the board of the Markham Stouffville Hospital.

Even though the board and the hospital were running efficiently, they experienced the same problem that their service had to stop after the patients were discharged. The CEO at that time was working very hard, pitching to take over the work of the CCAC so that they could coordinate better and provide continued services.

It was under these frustrations that I decided to run as an MPP, so that I could share my voice at Queen’s Park and make the necessary changes. I am so thankful for the transformation of the health care system brought forward by the Minister of Health.

Minister Elliott has a lot of experience in health care, and she understands exactly what is needed to rebuild the broken health care system. The Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act is part of the transformation to deliver these much-needed results.

Speaker, our government started the launch of Ontario health teams in several communities across the province, and we hope to announce many more next year. If this proposed legislation should pass, those Ontario health teams would, over time, be able to deliver home and community care that better meets the needs of Ontarians. Ontario health teams will be responsible for understanding a patient’s full health care history, directly connecting them to all of the different types of care they need and helping patients navigate the health care system 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Patients are the centre of our service. The government is redirecting money to front-line services, where it belongs, providing faster, better and connected health care. Their health care needs are connected right from the hospital.

We recognize that a one-size-fits-all approach cannot meet individual needs, but rather, when primary care, hospitals, home care service providers and long-term-care organizations collaborate directly, patients will benefit from the more flexible, responsive care.

It would also provide the support that patients need every day, around the clock, not just during office hours. The proposed legislative changes would allow these key care coordination functions to be provided at different points of care within the health care system. This means that care decisions can be made closer to the patient. This would reduce duplication and inefficiency and remove the middleman. As a result, patients will receive the home and community care needed as quickly and conveniently as possible, without having to tell their story over and over again.

It is important to note that during this transition, patients and caregivers will continue to access home and community care services in the same way and use the same contact. Care coordinators will continue to play an important role in ensuring continuity of home and community care services. Nothing has changed, but we’re just giving better services.

Now, patients and their family caregivers can have access to virtual care and more electronic communication with providers, making it easier to stay in touch. This also allows nurses, therapists and personal support workers to access the information they need to provide the appropriate service. They can now work as a team and provide better care. Nurses and therapists can use video conferencing to work with a personal support worker to provide more information and specialized care. Virtual care could support monitoring patients with chronic conditions, with the nurse checking in as needed, while the patient and their family members can enjoy each other in the comfort of their own home.

Our government believes that everyone in Ontario should have access to the services they need at home, in the community or at the hospital. We are implementing a long-term transformational strategy that modernizes the system and redirects money to front-line services, where it belongs, and provides better, faster and connected public health care.

The home and community care sector has been neglected for too long, leaving gaps between client needs and services too wide as demand continues to grow. Overall, we are investing an additional $155 million this year to expand home and community care across Ontario. By investing in targeted partnerships between hospitals, home care and community providers, we can ensure that patients are receiving the high-quality care they expect and deserve.

I’m going to be sharing the time with Mississauga–Malton, not Mississauga West; I’m sorry.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member did say that she would be sharing her time. She has now indicated that it will be the member from Mississauga–Malton, and that’s who I recognize now.

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to talk about teamwork. I know that the member from Richmond Hill is very passionate about this bill. Various times we’ve spoken in the past, and she always looks after the residents of her riding.

I’m also very passionate about this bill. When the time came and I didn’t have the opportunity to speak and I reached out to the member, the member right away said, “Yes. This is the reason we are here, because we are passionate about the things that we do,” and she agreed to share her time. So I want to say thank you to the member from Richmond Hill for doing this. I really appreciated your teamwork.

I’m very pleased and honoured to be able to rise today and support the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020. Social work is a noble profession that helps individuals, groups and communities. Social workers are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of people they work with. It is indeed a rewarding profession.

There’s one such organization from Mississauga, the Malayali Association of Social Workers, an association of a dedicated group of social work professionals serving and supporting our communities. I want to give a big shout-out to them for what they’re doing in our community of Mississauga–Malton.

I want to share my own personal experience. On October 27, my father-in-law, Mr. C.K. Mittal, was diagnosed with cancer. On October 30, he was shifted to the hospital. On the 3rd of November, he had an operation where he lost his voice. He was in the hospital and deteriorating. His only one ask was that he wanted to go back home. Thanks to the doctors and thanks to the health professionals, there was a small improvement, and after that when they felt it was safe for him to go back, they agreed to send him back home. To our surprise, we saw that at home, his health improved much more. We figured out why that was.

I think it is because it’s like a vicious cycle. When you give up, the body gives up. Systems give up. When you want to improve yourself, when you want to fight and you become a fighter, the body fights with you.

Another thing I want to talk about: When he was sick, when he was hospitalized, it’s not just he who was in pain; the whole family was in pain. My brother-in-law, Ashish Mittal, did not go to the office—and he’s a human being too. Day by day, he was getting burned out. As a caregiver, it was difficult for him as well. That’s when I called an angel. Somebody came and helped him, and that was a personal support worker. Her name was Kiran. Kiran, in Hindi, means “light.” And she was a light to our family.

When she arrived, she could give some time to my brother-in-law, and he could—I would say, he couldn’t live well, but he could live enough to take care of my father-in-law. It is sad that, eventually, my father-in-law passed away. He lost the battle with cancer on January 7.

But what I want to talk about is that his stay in the home was probably the best time during his pain. That’s why I believe home care is extremely important, and I thank each and every PSW, and not just in my home—there are many, many million homes that they’re helping, they’re serving. They’re taking care of the burnout of those caregivers so that those caregivers can take care of the family. That’s why I believe home care is important, and that’s why I believe in our province our government is doing the right thing by making sure to invest, and continuously investing, into home care.

Home care is rooted in the principle that older adults should be free to age in their own home with the appropriate level of care that is required for their safety, health and happiness. Home care providers are at the front line of this fight to keep seniors well, and work very hard to ensure that Ontario’s seniors are able to live as independently as possible while receiving the care they need to maintain a high quality of life. Our population in Ontario is aging rapidly. With an aging population comes an increased need for a different type of care.

Nine out of 10 older adults already express a desire to age in place, or, to stay in their own homes. Everyone wants to feel comfortable and stay home. The best way to achieve this is through home care. In the simplest terms, home care means assistance with activities of daily living and household tasks. Ideally, home care also provides meaningful companionship for older adults and peace of mind for their families.

As the Deputy Premier stated, the hospital is not always the best place for a patient to receive care once their essential needs have been taken care of. As a matter of fact, a study in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation concluded that after certain hospital-based operations, such as joint replacement, discharge to home is a more effective strategy than discharge to a rehab facility, for the vast majority of patients.

Statistics from the Ministry of Finance show that the number of seniors is projected to grow by 132%. With this large increase in the number of seniors, our health system must be ready to deal with the pressure. One of the biggest problems is hallway health care. If we want to solve hallway health care, we need to invest in alternatives. The government has already stated that $27 billion over 10 years is being invested in hospital infrastructure. We cannot have a one-size-fits-all policy. We need a flexible approach.

Along with building infrastructure, the government must continue to work to ensure that hospitals, home care and long-term care become the front line for our fight to keep Ontarians healthy, comfortable and happy.

If passed, and with royal assent, there will be a change in definition. The definition for home and community care services will include how services are delivered, enabling both in-person and virtually delivered care. Mr. Speaker, we live in the 21st century. We live in a place where technology has changed life in the last 25 years. We need to change. We need to take the benefit of that change in technology. I believe that with the use of technologies to aid humanity and not destroy it is the best way. I believe with this, everyone will win.

Mr. Speaker, the Mississauga Halton LHIN, which covers the great riding of Mississauga–Malton, has served 43,000 patients, which includes 34,000 face-to-face home visits. You can see how much there is a need. Personally, I have heard from home care assistance workers about how excited they are about this bill and the amount of positive change it will bring to Ontarians.

I want to thank the Deputy Premier and I want to thank the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health for the hard work they have done on this bill. I’m very pleased to support this bill. I think it is a good-news story, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important for all of us to get this bill passed. I look forward to the passage of this bill, along with the rest of my caucus and the rest of my members.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): To the member from Mississauga–Malton: I’m sure I speak for all of us in the House this morning who were unaware of the passing of your father-in-law in early January. We pass along our condolences. He was a very lucky man to have such a compassionate son-in-law such as yourself.

It is now time for questions and responses.

Mr. Joel Harden: I want to thank MPP Anand and MPP Wai for what they’ve said about the importance of community care and home care. I very much agree.

I have questions, though, Speaker. That’s because, when I look at the PSW sector in my city, in Ottawa, there is a 60% turnover rate in that profession. There’s a 60% turnover rate in that profession in the city of Ottawa—and, I understand, across the province—because we do not pay these workers well, and we do not guarantee them consistent access to work throughout an entire week. It is not uncommon in the city of Ottawa to have a PSW travel an hour on transit for a 15-minute shift with someone in an apartment, to help them live safely in their home. That is the legacy of decades of underfunding.

In the last election, I talked to a PSW at her door, and she told me, “Joel, I was given 15 minutes to open a door—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Response.

Mr. Joel Harden: —and give the senior living with dementia a bath. I told the LHIN that I couldn’t safely do that”—

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

Mr. Joel Harden: —“and the LHIN said, ‘Do what you can in 15 minutes’”—

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

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you to the member for Ottawa Centre. This is exactly why we’re introducing this bill. We understand that we need to have PSWs working together with the rest of the health team. That’s why we’re introducing the new system, where they are all connected.

We’re in the 21st century. With digital being so accessible to us, we can

schedule the PSW’s program so that—I agree with what the member is saying. They have to run from one place to another. But with this better coordination, they can really work together—schedule them so that their hours a day are full—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Response?

Mrs. Daisy Wai: —and not only that, they can have information directly with the health teams—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Thank you. As a reminder to all members, we have a new system, and the deputy Speakers are trying to police it as well as we can. We try to give you a 10-second warning when you’re done, to wrap up. After that 10 seconds, you’re supposed to sit down. If you don’t, you risk raising the ire of the Speaker, which we don’t want to do.

Further questions? I recognize the Associate Minister of Energy.

Hon. Bill Walker: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I think you’re doing a splendid job, as always.

I just want to speak a little bit to the member from Ottawa Centre and remind him that if his party hadn’t supported the Liberals for the last eight years and wasted billions of dollars on gas plants, eHealth and the Green Energy Act, we would have a lot more funds for PSWs and care at home and in our hospitals and across our great province. This bill is going to allow that community care be provided by not-for-profit organizations. I would think he would want to support that. Our new models of home care remove service maximums and ensure that patients are the focus.

Our new program will give future governments the flexibility to update the framework as needed—and that care coordination decisions are made close to the patients. I hope he will support it.

I want to turn back to the honourable member to give us a little bit more detail on how great this bill is and how it’s going to impact the health care of the people of our great province of Ontario.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you, Minister, for your great insights, as well.

Yes, we understand that PSWs—we are working on that and making sure that they will do their jobs even more efficiently. They are the ones at the forefront, caring for the patients. We are giving them all of the encouragement, giving them all of the ammunition, so that they can do their jobs better.

Thank you very much to the member from Ottawa Centre for bringing this to our attention. This is why we have this bill, and we seek your support when we present this bill.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Ottawa Centre.

Mr. Joel Harden: Thank you, Speaker. I’ll try to do better this time.

We have a report on the conditions of personal support workers in the province called Caring in Crisis from the Ottawa Health Coalition that I’ll bring to my friend’s attention. What the report basically says is that if we can’t mandate a table where employers negotiate collectively across the province of Ontario with the working conditions of personal support workers, it will continue to be a race to the bottom.

I’m happy that non-profit organizations are being encouraged here, but the fact of the matter is, the industry is dominated by for-profit corporations, and that’s a legacy of the Liberal and Conservative governments that we never agreed to here on this side of the House.

I want to point out the case of Maria Konopeskas. This is someone who, as of January 2020, had been living at the Ottawa Hospital for three years, is perfectly healthy, wants to be released to her home but can’t, safely, because there are not enough personal support workers in the city of Ottawa. There are 18 other people just like Maria.

I met with Maria recently. I went to her hospital and I asked her, “What can we do for you?” She said, “Joel, tell my story again.”

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you to the member from Ottawa Centre again. Yes, we have been working very hard, and this is why we see the need of having this bill.

We are just working with the not-for-profit agencies. This has nothing to do with making any changes. Our patients will receive the same care as they need. It is just the administration side of things: We’re making sure things are more connected. People will have better service. That’s what we say: better service; faster service. They don’t have to repeat their story again and again to different people.

I would want to encourage the member from Ottawa Centre to really see what we are doing and support our bill.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Flamborough–Glanbrook.

Ms. Donna Skelly: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to echo the sentiments raised by the Associate Minister of Energy when he referenced the absolute destruction left behind from 15 years of Liberal waste and mismanagement; in particular, the bill he referenced, and that was the Green Energy Act. It was bills like that, supported by, of course, the opposition, that created the mess, the fiscal hole, the problems and challenges that we as a government are currently facing.

The other challenge that we’re facing—and, of course, money could always help solve a lot of these issues—is the challenge of attracting people to the health care sector, in particular PSWs. I would like to ask the member from Richmond Hill if she could address how we are going to be encouraging more people to enter the field of PSWs.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you very much, member. Yes, we are working very hard to make sure that we have increased PSWs. We have started with our long-term-care homes, and they’re working hard to increase the numbers for the PSWs. We are doing different kinds of training as well.

More so, as I explained earlier, with this system, the PSWs already understand that they are not working alone. They are part of the health team, and they can work together with doctors, nurses and therapists. They build that relationship with the clients on the front line and then get the support at the back. I’m sure the PSWs will enjoy what they’re doing a lot more and find it very meaningful.

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

Mr. Joel Harden: I just would point out to my friends in government: You have a tangible example before you about how you could improve this bill. Today is Super Tuesday in the United States, and one of the candidates running to be the Democratic nominee is Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders has proposed central tables in the United States for personal support workers down there who work in supportive housing, who work with people with disabilities and who work with seniors who need care.

What those centralized bargaining tables would do is ensure that employers level up. Don’t level down. We can’t do home care on the cheap. We can’t ask, particularly, women and newcomer women in our country who are doing this work to be doing it to their detriment, to be burning themselves out. That is not how we treat people in the personal support worker industry.

I want to see your bill improved to look after those people in the caring professions, if you do, in fact, care about them as you say you do.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you, member from Ottawa Centre. Please see that today we’re discussing the bill the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act. The PSWs are part of the group of the whole health care system that we work with. We are going to make sure that we connect them all together so that we give the best service to our patient care. Thank you.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: I want to begin by just being very clear with everybody in the chamber today: I believe that our intentions are good. But when it comes to creating legislation, drafting legislation, our intentions aren’t actually what matters. What matters is how we use our power and what we put into the pieces of legislation. So, with that as a framing for what I’m going to do next, I want to introduce folks in the chamber to one of my constituents. His name is Nolan.

Nolan Caskanette is three. He’ll be three in May. His parents, Mike and Kerri, have been in touch with me, and they’ve also been in touch with the MPP for Waterloo. They were at one point the MPP for Waterloo’s constituents; there was a change of boundaries in this last election and they’ve reached out to me.

Over the course of their time working with the MPP for Waterloo, she worked really, really hard to ensure that Nolan had access to medication that he needed. Nolan has spinal muscular atrophy type 1, which is severe, and Nolan and his family are actually watching this debate from McMaster Hospital today.

The Caskanettes got in touch with us when they weren’t able to access the medication they needed. They received the medication and they wrote us a letter: “It’s really amazing to see him progress. He’s now able to roll onto his stomach, then his back by himself. He’s quite proud of it. He’s made so many advances. We are so proud of him.”

Nolan, I want you to know that the members in this chamber are extremely proud of you. That is why we are fighting to make sure that the information that is needed gets inserted into the bill. What I was thinking about last night was this: Imagine ourselves as Mike and Kerri, Nolan’s parents. In this bill, would we get the care that we need for our son? Would we be able to turn to this bill and be sure, certain, that every piece of advocacy that we needed to do to make sure that Nolan was okay could actually be attained? And unfortunately, though I combed through the bill, I have to say we wouldn’t.

I’m going to continue with the letter. They wrote, “We’re experiencing a real crisis this month with nursing. The LHIN provides us with 250 hours of nursing care a month for Nolan that allows us to have him cared for overnights so we can sleep. The problem is the nursing company, Saint Elizabeth, who is in charge of his care is failing us and others in the community. Up to this point, there have been a few shifts unfilled here and there. This month we have 13 unfilled nursing shifts on our

schedule and 11 of those are overnight shifts. That means that Kerri or I have to be up at night with him. His care is complex and involves a fair level of competence. When you’re sleep deprived, it is very challenging to give him the care he needs. It’s dangerous for him and for us.”

If we don’t make sure that this piece of legislation provides an opportunity, a strategy, to address the crisis that we have been speaking about within nursing, as well as within the PSWs, I can’t go back to my constituents and tell Nolan, Mike and Kerri that this new piece of legislation is going to be the thing that fixes that problem. Part of why that’s not possible is because this bill doesn’t address the root causes of the problem and the crisis.

We can spend as much time as we want in the chamber blaming this person or that party or whatever as the reason that we are where we are, or we can be responsible with the power that we hold and we can demand that the pieces of legislation that pass through this House actually address the needs of the constituents that we have.

I’m going to continue again because the problem was even more clearly outlined: “This coming week we had no nurse last night, and as of now nothing for Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That’s 40 hours of nursing we have to make up for ourselves overnights.”

They looked for respite care. Unfortunately, my riding of Kitchener Centre, along with many other ridings, has wait times of sometimes a year to two years. That is the wait time at Extend-a-Family in my area, in Waterloo region. They don’t have a year or two years to wait to be able to get the sleep and the rest they need to ensure that they can provide Nolan, who is three years old, with the support and the care and the love that he deserves.

I truly believe that our intentions are good. I’m taking my time to explain Nolan’s story because I want the members in government to take Nolan’s story back so that they will make the amendments that need to happen.

I’ll continue: “We’ve been promised the moon by Saint Elizabeth over and over. Just last week when we asked why all these shifts were unfilled we were sold the company line of ‘We hired a bunch of nurses and they’re starting soon!’ I’m sorry but I’ve heard it all before and am still waiting for previously promised nurses to come running onto our front porch.”

When I read that, I thought to myself that that’s what I’ve heard in this debate. I’ve heard a promise of PSWs, a promise of nurses—a promise, a promise, a promise—and yet there’s nothing in this piece of legislation that will fulfill that promise.

We know that there isn’t ample staffing. We know that this piece of legislation will actually take folks who are—I believe that it’s over 4,000 nurses who are employed as LHIN care coordinators, and those roles will be changed. But there’s nothing in this legislation that ensures that those folks are now actively the nurses who we would be getting to support kids like Nolan.

We also know that respite services are one of the most important pieces. In fact, my colleague in government who was speaking about his father-in-law earlier spoke about exactly why respite services are so important. When you are dealing with crisis and trauma, if you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot provide the support to your loved one that they need. If we’re talking about wait-lists that are a year or two long for those services, then what is it that we’re doing for the rest of Ontarians? How is this going to help them?

So there’s no respite. There’s no nursing. There’s no help. There’s no place to escalate the complaints. And the virtual care solution that’s being provided and lauded by the government side doesn’t help Nolan. That doesn’t help his family.

His family isn’t just fighting for Nolan. His family is aware, especially when you have a little person you are ushering through a health care system, with a rare disorder—folks with disabilities—that you become part of a club of folks who understand your experience more than those who don’t ever have that experience. Within that little club, you start to advocate for each other, because that’s all you’ve got.

We have an opportunity to build pieces of legislation and pass pieces of legislation that will give those families bigger hope, that will extend their circle of care. But then I look at this bill and I can’t guarantee that that’s the case.

The bill of rights has been repealed through—when they repeal

schedule 3. The Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994, is repealed. Nothing inside here reinserts the bill of rights. Why are we doing that? Why are we not ensuring that people know how they can advocate for themselves when they are the ones who are undergoing the trauma that everybody claims in this House to be taking seriously.

There’s a complaints process, but if the terms of the complaints are to be crafted by the people you are complaining to, there’s a high likelihood that they—knowing that there are 15 years of complaints, much of them similar. “I’m not getting my shifts covered. I can’t find somebody.” They’re getting phone calls at the last minute saying that the PSW or the nurse or whoever was supposed to come to their home can’t make it, for valid reasons. Sometimes they’re sick. Sometimes they’re burnt out. Sometimes they’re overworked. That’s part of the PSW crisis.

The complaints process is going to be created off the record, in a back room somewhere, under regulations which we can’t debate in this House. How is that supposed to make Nolan and his family trust what is happening in this chamber?

Public enforcement of any of these complaints, the legislation says, “may” be published by the minister—“may,” “maybe,” “might”—depending on how the minister feels on a given day, depending on how big a spotlight gets turned on that appeal process, depending on how much energy families have to fight the government for the health care and the support they need for a child who’s three years old.

We actually can’t stand up in this House and talk about the care that folks need when you have families that are undergoing cancer treatments, people who are in palliative care, people like Nolan with rare diseases, folks with disabilities who are trying desperately to keep their family members at home, who need the care they deserve as Ontarians—we can’t stand and say that we actually care about them and then put through pieces of legislation like this that take away their rights, that take away their ability to complain, that hide from them what the terms of those complaints can be. We can’t do that in good conscience.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: “We” can’t.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: “We” can’t do that in good conscience.

The fact that the minister may publish on a website or otherwise make available to the public the compliance orders, any kinds of issues that have arisen, reminds me of a situation that I personally am in right now. My father has dementia. It’s interesting, actually. A number of people have stood in the House on all sides and talked about their personal experiences and the impact that this piece of legislation will have on them. What I find fascinating, and the reason why I can’t help but chuckle, is that some of us are willing to fix that problem and some of us aren’t.

My father has dementia. He lives in Niagara Falls. He wants to be at home, his partner wants him to be at home as long as possible, of course; but the dementia is moving very quickly. He gets two two-hour sessions a week. Sometimes he’s depressed. He won’t get up. He won’t move. His partner is trying to find additional care for him. It’s one problem, one piece of legislation and one lack of investment that makes everything start to crumble.

He’s on long-term-care wait-lists that are maybe two or three years long. He doesn’t want to go there, but at least she knows that if he is in a home, he might—might—get the care that he needs. If he stays at home, which is where she would prefer to have him, she can’t increase the number of hours, which means that she doesn’t have enough space, time, energy to rest, to be able to rejuvenate herself, to be able to step outside of the trauma of watching your partner unable to remember the history that you had.

If we want to fix this, taking the complaints process out and putting it into a hidden back room doesn’t do it. Not including a strategy to address the PSW shortage doesn’t do it, either. We have to use legislation to address the root causes of the problems that we have before us. I’m going to repeat that for the people in the back: We have to use legislation. That is our power in this place. We have to use the pieces of legislation that we have to address the root causes.

The reason we go into our constituency offices is because we want to know what’s happening on the ground. We hear what’s happening on the ground, and it is wholly unthinkable that we would then come back to this space and pass legislation that will not be able to help the folks on the ground. It’s disrespectful. It’s not why they voted us in. It’s not what they expected of us. It’s not the standard of care that they are asking for.

We see it time and time and time again. I don’t know how there’s a plan to address the PSW shortage if we’re not willing to increase minimum wage, we’re not willing to make sure there’s pay equity. Do we realize, are we ready to talk about the fact that the PSWs and nurses we’re talking about are primarily women and primarily women of colour? Do we know that, through our immigration policies, it’s usually a lot of women of colour who are coming from other places, who have nursing backgrounds, who come here to care for our families?

Then we sit on our phones and we look down and we don’t make eye contact with the member who’s speaking about it, because that would be too much for us to handle? It’s unfortunate.

The only thing that I have to rely on when I think about Nolan and his family, and families like his, is that we have to strengthen the complaints process—which on its own is ironic. Why are we putting through legislation where, literally, the only saving grace is that you can complain about it? How is that a thing? Why is that a thing? But here we are.

What we know is that there will be prescribed requirements that will determine what you can even complain about. What does that mean? I can tell you right now what people are going to complain about. I can tell you, because it turns out that my legislative phone has been confused with the phone number for ParaMed in my riding. That’s a thing. It happens. It has also been confused with the phone number for families who have to call to get the PSWs to their homes.

So I get random phone calls from constituents saying, “My PSW hasn’t arrived.” And I have to say, “Unfortunately, I’m just the MPP for Kitchener Centre, but I’ll be sure to bring your concerns to Queen’s Park.” Then I get phone calls from ParaMed saying, “Oh, my gosh, is there anybody that can fill this shift?”

So I know the problem is real. The crisis is a real thing. And I look through this, and I think if nobody cares, ultimately, about actually helping and supporting the people in our respective ridings, then the only thing is to make sure that we bolster the complaints process, but then also put a caveat that the only people that are going to create the complaints process are those who already know what kinds of complaints there are, so we’re going to make sure that those parameters are real tight. I feel sorry for the patients that have to now navigate a system that is claimed to be better for them but clearly won’t help.

Do you know what I think could give families hope? I think we could give them hope if the patient bill of rights was enshrined in law. I think that we could give them hope if a strategy was laid out in this legislation that would explain how we were going to not only hire but also retain PSWs and nurses—and not just any PSWs and nurses, because there is sometimes this idea that it’s just getting new people in, but those that don’t have experience wouldn’t necessarily be able to help Nolan.

We can do more than two things. We can chew gum and walk. When we’re real skilled, we can pat our head and rub our tummy. There are all sorts of things we can do. And I think that we can include a strategy that would allow us to support the PSWs who are getting pushed out of a system that they actually care about, who have the experience that we need to be able to care for folks with complex needs, and to also get new people in to be able to take over and do some of that work. We can do both.

It would require strategy, and strategy that you are proud of goes into legislation so we can debate and make sure that it’s even better, more fulsome. We could do that. We could totally do things differently. We could turn the world on its head and work in a way that actually centres the care that our constituents deserve. That would be something.

Oh, we could also collect demographic data; imagine that. We could collect race-based data, disaggregated; geographic data; data around the kinds of calls that are coming through, the kinds of appeals and complaints that are coming through; gender. We could collect that because if we collected that and enshrined the data collection in law, it would demonstrate that we are actually trying to figure out what the root cause is of the situation we are in. Imagine that. Imagine proactive health care. You could even use your whole virtual thing. You could get people to put things on the computer and they could send you their info. They could do that.

I think that there are ways that we can do this, and I think that as we move into the portion of this fancy new routine where questions are going back and forth, I would like to ask my colleagues on the other side that we think about Nolan when we ask our questions. Don’t ask me a question that’s just to try to put me on the spot or make me look foolish, because that would just be silly, and that would not be the integrity that I know everybody in this House has.

Hon. Todd Smith: Because you guys would never do that.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: That was cute.

But we could actually make a choice to do better. Think about Nolan. They’re watching. Nolan is here. His mom and dad are watching. Imagine asking a question about what we could do to make sure that this little three-year-old gets the care that he needs. Imagine that, instead of heckling nonsense. It could be a whole new world. There’s a song like that. I would sing it, but apparently Hansard won’t pick that up.

Thank you for listening. I look forward to the questions.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Questions and responses?

Ms. Donna Skelly: Thank you for your very passionate 20 minutes that you spoke here in the Legislature this morning, on a bill we obviously have different views on, on what is in this proposed legislation and what we can support.

But I would probably surmise that member opposite from Kitchener Centre would agree that we are struggling with an environment that was created by a previous government that had 15 years to fix it and left us with an absolute mess and left us with a limited number—in fact, I’d say a hole—when it comes to the number of beds that we even have in long-term-care facilities, let alone the challenges that we face in trying to have people serve the people who are in those beds.

Would the member at least support some of these initiatives? It’s going to take a long time to turn it—

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you to the member. I believe that, on this side of the House, we are willing to support pieces of legislation that start to get us to a place where we’re addressing the root causes. I think that we’re are at a point, at two years into this mandate, where just saying to each other, “It’s this person’s fault; it’s this person’s fault,” doesn’t actually do anything.

Sure, we all know that 15 years of lack of attention and lack of investment will cause this. But now, we’re in a position where we have to fix it. Fixing it means enshrining into law the tools that we need to make that fix. That’s what worries me about this piece of legislation, that the tools that we need to actually address the root causes are not present here. They’re spoken about, which I know is something. But if it’s not enshrined in law, then what is going to actually ensure, should there be a new government in two years, that the same problem doesn’t happen? That’s why it’s important to put down in law exactly what the tools are and what the plan is.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Question?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I want to thank Nolan and his family for their willingness to have their story shared in this Legislature. I also want to thank, of course, my colleague for Kitchener Centre for centring her remarks around the needs of Nolan and the needs of his family.

I think all of us have experienced these issues with quality of care. When we look at improving accountability and oversight of our home and community care system and ensuring that people get the quality of care they deserve, I wonder if the member could comment on whether this bill that’s before us, Bill 175, does anything to improve accountability and oversight so that Nolan’s family gets what they need.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you very much for the question. I wish that I could say that this piece of legislation does, but unfortunately, it seems to be more focused on the complaints process rather than the proactive oversight.

Sometimes, in this House, when we talk about oversight, it seems to take on—like it’s a dirty word. Nobody wants to be watched or monitored. But the reality is that, when we actually have strong oversight, we do better. When we have strong oversight that is respectful, that understands the expertise that’s based on a strategic approach to addressing the health care crisis that we’re in, it actually helps. It makes things better.

It also does something that’s even more important, which is not about us or about the workers, but it’s about the patients that we are caring for. It gives them confidence that the work that’s being done is being done in a way that does provide them with the dignity, care and respect they deserve.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Questions?

Ms. Donna Skelly: Back to the member from Kitchener Centre: One of the many problems that this government faced when we inherited the mess created by the previous Liberal government was the fact that the home care regime had a cap, meaning that clients were facing service maximums. Our new models of home care remove service maximums and ensure that patients are the focus, which they really should have been from the beginning.

Is the member opposite suggesting that she would defend the status quo, where vulnerable home care clients have their services capped?

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thanks again for the question. I think that there’s a bigger issue that we have forgotten, actually, in the question that was posed. The hours that folks already have are not being filled. Nolan has 250 hours a month dedicated to his care; they can’t even get to 200 on an average month.

You can remove the caps, but if you don’t have a strategy to find people to actually fill the service, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t breed confidence with the families because these families have been fighting for the amount of hours that they have, even though they know that while they’re fighting for that, nobody is filling them.

I understand that there’s a desire to build something, that there’s a vision of what wants to be built from the government side, but if it isn’t connected to the reality that people are experiencing right now, they won’t ever get to their vision.

I do think we have to take seriously a strategy to address the gaps that are happening right this second.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Question?

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I also would like to commend Nolan and his family, and I’d like to say that you’re at McMaster Children’s Hospital, which is in my riding, and you are in good hands. I couldn’t imagine a better place to be to receive the kind of care that Nolan and his family deserve.

My question to the member, whose presentation was so excellent—I would like to say that. I have a bill called the Nancy Rose Act, which is asking the government to come up with a coordinated strategy for pediatric palliative care. A big chunk of that bill is that there needs to be an understanding that respite is an important component of a health care system for kids who are experiencing life-limiting diseases.

You talked about how respite is important for the families, the caregivers, but I also would like to hear you explain how you understand that respite is also good for the children, who need a continuum of care and consistent care.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you again for the question and for the bill. It’s really interesting when you talk about the respite piece. In Nolan’s case, they had contacted and complained to the LHIN about the respite hours they were missing because they couldn’t consistently provide the support to Nolan, and that support was tailored, of course, to Nolan and the needs that he had. The LHIN replied to them, and did so in writing, and said that they couldn’t cover overnight care because of liability, which to me would suggest that they don’t have the staff, the nurses, that understand those needs.

If you don’t have that consistency and if you don’t have somebody who understands you and if you don’t have somebody who has built a relationship with you, then you can’t actually receive that care. When you get to the end of your life and you’re thinking about palliative care, it’s just being present with the person. You want that relationship to be there.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Question?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the member opposite for her submissions today. I just wanted to ask her: Everybody knows that our home care system is broken down. I think you’ve been talking about that as well. In this bill we have quite a lot of suggestions for how we’re going to get to an improvement of that home care situation, including having PSWs have a more active role in integrated teams so that their important perspective, closest to the patients, can be heard more often.

I’d like to ask the member opposite if she supports that kind of an integrated team approach, with better information sharing amongst the whole team, as a way to try to make sure that people are getting the best possible care they need with the team working together.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. It’s very difficult to build a team when there aren’t people to be on the team. That’s what I think about that, to be just straight, blunt and honest.

There’s a bigger issue at stake, and that bigger issue is that there is no strategy to get people to become part of the team. Everybody wants to be part of the team. Everybody would be willing to. PSWs want to do the work, but PSWs are being pushed out of a system that doesn’t pay them well, that doesn’t respect them, that doesn’t even recognize some of the expertise that they have and that overworks them. It makes their living conditions so intolerable that they can’t do the work that they care about.

So no, they don’t become part of a team because they don’t have time to even be on that team, because they’re on subways and buses and in long car drives trying to get from patient A to patient B. So that is my biggest problem, is that we don’t want to address the root cause, and instead just want to do something superficial.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: It’s a pleasure to speak on Bill 175 today. I also want to thank in particular the member from Mississauga–Malton, who was here earlier today giving his personal story about his father-in-law. My sympathies for his family on that, but it’s always good to hear personal stories from members of the chamber. I think it brings in the personal touch to the chamber.

Before starting, I’d also like to acknowledge the dedicated work done by the Minister of Health and by the parliamentary assistant for all their great work in improving our health care system. This bill is sorely needed after 15 years of neglect. The system was left in disastrous shape, with more bureaucrats than front-line health workers for the first time in the history of Ontario, so this bill is going to make some major changes in a positive direction, to put front-line health care back at the forefront for Ontarians.

Our government made a commitment to the people of Ontario that we would end hallway health care. We have a comprehensive, innovative plan to keep that promise. We are breaking down long-standing barriers that have separated home care from primary care and, in doing so, allowing for the seamless coordination of services for patients while maintaining and strengthening oversight and accountability measures.

If passed, the legislation will allow the Ontario health teams to deliver more innovative models of home and community care. Ontario health teams will work together to understand a patient’s full health care history, directly connecting them to the different types of care they need in navigating the system. Patients will benefit from primary care, hospitals, home and community care, and long-term care providers all being able to collaborate to provide care that best meets their individual care needs.

Ontario is modernizing home and community care services to enable the introduction of integrated and innovative models of care. Since its initial introduction, the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994, and the delivery model it supports have not kept pace with a number of changing dynamics which include an aging population, changing client expectations on the different types of care, increasing opportunities for care at home, and innovation in technology and delivery options.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, the act has created long-standing barriers that have restricted innovation in the delivery of home and community care, including:

—rigid care coordination: Decisions about patient care were often made away from the front-line care;

—siloed care: Patients often interact with home care separately from primary and hospital care, which often includes multiple assessments leading to delays in care; and

—restrictive care plans: Patients have care plans with a set number of hours or visits with service maximums that could curtail care.

In response, Ontario is introducing the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, and proposing new regulations under the Connecting Care Act, 2019, to bring an outdated system into the 21st century.

Speaker, there are four pillars to our plan. Our first pillar is one of prevention and health promotion; we want to keep Ontarians healthy and out of hospitals. Second, we are investing $27 billion over 10 years in hospital infrastructure projects. Our plan is building much-needed capacity throughout the system, including in our hospitals and other community-based-care facilities. Third, we are also ensuring that Ontarians are receiving the right care in the right place.

While in many ways the backbone of our health care system, the hospital isn’t always the best place for a patient to receive care, especially at a time when far too many hospitals are operating at or near 100% capacity. And fourth, we are better integrating care to improve patient flow.

Mr. Speaker, for those patients who need to be admitted to a hospital, we want to ensure that they will be in a bed in a proper hospital room, not in a hallway or a meeting room. But some patients are ready to leave the hospital and could do so with the right support and care. We want to ensure they are getting the appropriate care for their needs.

For many, their needs can be met by home and community care services. Home and community care services are a critical component and part of our plan to end hallway health care. These important services will improve things and are relied on by many Ontarians. Last year, more than 700,000 people received home care and over 600,000 people used community support services such as Meals on Wheels and client transportation. Care at home and in the community is less expensive, frees capacity in our hospitals and, in the end, is where most people want to be. However, our current home care and community care system is unable to keep pace with the needs and preferences in Ontario today.

The Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994, was developed 25 years ago and has not kept pace with changing demographics and care needs, nor does it reflect the plan of the ministry for a connected health care system. We need to bring our home and community care system into the 21st century.

I’d like to quote Sue VanderBent, the CEO of Home Care Ontario. She states: “Home Care Ontario welcomes the government’s move to modernize home and community care.... Today’s changes will allow patients to better access the right care, at the right time, and in the right place. These changes will make the system work more efficiently, and ultimately will allow local health teams to better work together to keep people healthier at home.”

Should this proposed legislation pass, health care providers will be empowered to work together with a full picture of a patient’s needs in order to truly coordinate patient care while still operating under strong oversight and accountability. We can do better, Speaker, and we will do better.

With Bill 175, we want to make the kinds of changes that give patients across Ontario a better health care experience, with smoother transitions between care providers. The Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act would lead to meaningful improvements in patient care. Patients would access home and community care through trusted clinical providers instead of through a siloed LHIN care coordination process.

Speaker, far too many patients fall through the cracks or are left trying to coordinate their care on their own. Currently, those seeking home health care can face multiple assessments and long waits. The legislation would remove restrictions on the model of delivery, including care coordination. This supports flexible home and community care that is connected with both acute hospital care and primary care.

Our government’s approach will help patients get the connected and responsive home care they deserve. We are putting patients first and ending the current one-size-fits-all approach to home care.

To help home and community care services respond to the needs of patients and families in communities around this province, this proposed legislation would remove restrictions on the model of delivery, including care coordination. This would support more flexible home and community care that is connected with hospital care and primary care. This is the type of home and community care Ontario health teams want to provide. More flexible delivery will be supported by the retention of key oversight and accountability provisions.

This will give the ministry, Ontario Health and Ontario health teams a foundation to provide high-quality, financially sustainable care. These changes will translate into less bureaucracy, less process and more front-line care.

This is an opportunity to mark the transition from siloed and administration-heavy LHIN-delivered home and community care to a more patient-friendly model. We are rebranding the existing LHINs and narrowing their mandate to focus on providing home and community care and long-term care, home-replacement services during this transition—

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

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It is now time for members’ statements.

Members’ Statements

Homelessness

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Today, I rise with deep gratitude for the People’s Action Group in Waterloo region. They are a group of concerned people who have lived on the streets and in the shelters of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge, people who have navigated housing systems meant to help them.

They wrote me to let me know that they need us: “It has been said of homeless people that they are not the problem, but that they are the result of a problem. Problems of affordable housing, problems of our treatment of mental health and addiction.”

I want them to know they are absolutely right. They are right to ask us to use our positions of privilege and power to think about the impact of each and every piece of legislation that goes through this House on people who are sleeping rough at night. They are right to ask us if we see shelters as a solution to homelessness or a Band-Aid for the same, and they’re right when they say—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the member. Please stop the clock.

Members who are coming into the chamber, I need you to be quiet.

Restart the clock. Again, I apologize to the member for Kitchener Centre.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. They are right to ask us if we see shelters as a solution to homelessness or a Band-Aid for the same. They are right when they say that homelessness can only be solved by the hard work and compassion of people like me—people like us.

“In your position of power, you have the ability to become a part of the solution, to join in on the hard work and compassion needed to address homelessness.”

I refuse to lose hope because they are right to call on us to do better, and we must do better. The people of Ontario deserve nothing less.

Indigenous affairs

Mr. Toby Barrett: The illegal blockade of Highway 6 at Caledonia must come down. It’s a position I’ve consistently fought for over the past 14 years. Illegal blockades are dangerous and seriously hinder the movement of people, goods and services. Illegal blockades that force tractor-trailers and heavy trucks onto county roads have proven very dangerous. The Caledonia bypass blockade must come down.

The Caledonia blockade is part of an ongoing national insurgence. Protestors have blocked rail lines in several parts of Canada to show solidarity with hereditary Wet’suwet’en chiefs opposed to the construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline in British Columbia. The provincial government continues to call on the federal government to continue to step up and take responsibility with a coordinated plan of action to dismantle illegal blockades.

We respect the right to assemble, but enough is enough. People are being hurt and their livelihoods affected. I’m in my second week at Queen’s Park pushing this position with my colleagues, with members of cabinet and the Premier. I and my staff are on the ground at Caledonia and Hagersville, monitoring and communicating. Caledonia needs some help.

Legal aid

Mr. Paul Miller: There are grave injustices taking place each and every day across this province, including to my constituents. Ontarians have unjustly lost their freedom. Children have been taken from their families. Refugees who were fleeing persecution could face torture and death if deported without fair and proper legal representation. These injustices and the many other violations to people’s freedoms are the direct result of the recent 30% cut to Legal Aid Ontario.

To add insult to injury, these cuts don’t save money. The Canadian Bar Association found that for every $1 spent on legal aid, governments saved $6. Mr. Speaker, this means that the government has added as much as three quarters of a billion dollars to the costs of other parts of our justice system and social services. That includes courts, jails, child protection services and welfare rolls.

Last week, I met with the legal aid lawyers and their union, the Society of United Professionals, about these cuts. I want to thank the front-line staff lawyers for their dedication to our justice system, and I join them in calling on the Premier to reverse his $133-million cut to Legal Aid Ontario.

Events in Carleton

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: On Friday, February 28, I was pleased to host the Honourable Ministers Rickford and Walker at a small round table discussion in Metcalfe to discuss energy, hydro, natural gas and more in Carleton. Constituents and representatives from various parts of my riding of Carleton, including local city of Ottawa Councillor George Darouze, gathered together to share feedback and give ideas on what our government can do to help build Ontario together. It was a very informative discussion, and the ministers were kind enough to stay for almost two hours, answering everyone’s questions and taking notes for follow up.

I want to thank Minister Rickford and Minister Walker for taking the time to visit my riding and to get a first-hand understanding of the challenges faced by rural communities in Carleton, which are still considered “urban” because they fall under the city of Ottawa’s municipal boundaries—communities like Metcalfe, Osgoode, Richmond, North Gower, Ashton, Greely, Kars, Vernon, Becketts Landing and more. I look forward to continuing the conversation and working with both ministers to be a strong voice for the people I’m here to represent and serve.

I also want to take an opportunity to wish everyone a happy International Women’s Day. Last year, I held my first annual International Women’s Day events across the riding, and they were a huge success. Once again I’m hosting two free community events for International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8: breakfast in Richmond and high tea in Metcalfe. I encourage everyone to come out and attend. You can get more information on my website, goldiempp.ca, or call my office at 613-838-4425.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We’re going to continue with members’ statements, and I would ask members to please quieten down.

Members’ statements?

Indigenous affairs

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: This morning I would like to tell a story about where I come from, my community of Kingfisher Lake.

What many people don’t know is that we moved to where we live now in 1966, but before this, our community and others were part of Big Beaver House. Kingfisher Lake received reserve status in 1976. We were placed under the Indian Act and forced under an elected band council system.

Our first government school was built in 1973. The school had the only system for hydro and sewage in the community. In the early 1980s, the community installed its own electrification system. We got a gravel road in 1987, and we got sewage and running water in 1994.

Despite all this, there have been 20-plus deaths by suicide in my community since 1987. Across the Kiiwetinoong riding, since 1986, we’ve had over 400 deaths by suicide. This is what colonialism looks like.

As a community and as First Nations, we will continue to fight for our right to exist, our right to practise who we are and our right to speak our language.

So I ask, how do we fix this? Some say reconciliation, but how does this work when Ontario doesn’t acknowledge that this is a broken relationship and that reconciliation is dead? I hear some say that reconciliation never really existed. Meegwetch.

Climate change

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I rise today to compliment the students in the Community Environmental Leadership Program and Youth Action on Climate Change. They did an amazing job moderating a climate town hall hosted by Guelph’s MP that included Mayor Guthrie and myself. The town hall filled Harcourt Memorial United Church with so many people that they actually had to turn people away.

Speaker, it’s clear people want climate action. People are deeply disappointed that the government has not brought forward a credible climate plan since the Auditor General tore apart their environment plan.

I was especially impressed by how the students connected job creation to climate action. Global investors have invested $2.6 trillion in renewable energy in the last decade and will invest an additional $3.5 billion every single year over the next five years.

Young people want jobs in the clean economy, but it is hard to see how Ontario will attract these investment dollars when the government is ripping up renewable energy contracts and peddling a made-to-fail climate plan. Young people are demanding a livable future, and I urge the government to listen to their call for urgent action on the climate crisis.

Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Last year in December, I was pleased to announce, on behalf of the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, that the Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team was one of the 24 chosen to launch our government’s new model of care to end hallway health care and build a connected and sustainable health care system centred on the needs of patients.

We’ve been working collaboratively in Cambridge and North Dumfries on health care, and on many things, for a while, thanks to organizations such as Langs community health centre—which is a focal point for people to access services and supports that they need—along with Cambridge Memorial Hospital and other organizations that continue to work to innovate, improve and support health care in our community.

Congratulations and thank you to the health care providers, organizations and leaders—people like Dr. Sharon Bal; Patrick Gaskin, Cambridge Memorial Hospital president; Bill Davidson, executive director of Langs—and, of course, other community partners who helped plan the Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team and worked to make it a reality.

Thank you to all of our health care professionals and providers for what they do every day: serving Cambridge and North Dumfries.

Northern economy

M me France Gélinas: Outfitters in my riding are facing a really hard time right now. The government has deemed the northern herds of moose too small to hunt. So what does the government do? Do they look at the dozens of moose who get killed on the same track of railroad every year? No. This government that says that they are open for business is putting all of those small business operators at risk. Outfitters bring in tourism and create wealth in their communities, but now many of them won’t be able to stay open.

Speaker, do we want to protect these majestic—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I have to ask the member for Kitchener–Conestoga to withdraw the unparliamentary remark that I heard him utter.

Mr. Mike Harris: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the member for Nickel Belt. I’ll give you extra time.

M me France Gélinas: Speaker, do we want to protect these majestic animals? For sure. I don’t know one northerner who does not want a healthy moose population.

When the federal government shut down the cod fishery, they put in place a compensation system so that people could transition, so that businesses could stay alive. It should be the same for my constituents and those all across the north who invested in their outfitting businesses: Richard Comeau from Horwood Outpost, Paul and Angie Chartrand from Big Bear Camp, Jim Loiselle from J and L Lakeview Retreat, Henri and Annie Roberge from Tata Chika Pika Lake Lodge, Gary Stocking and Kim Chappell from Thunderstock Outfitters—and the list goes on.

All of these small businesses are at risk because of this government’s decision. They deserve government attention. They deserve government compensation.

Automotive industry

Mr. Lorne Coe: This past Friday, on behalf of the Honourable Monte McNaughton, the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, I officially opened a second action centre in Oshawa to provide services and supports to approximately 1,700 workers from independent parts supplier companies impacted by the closure of the General Motors assembly plant. The action centre is in partnership with Unifor. The new centre connects workers with job and training opportunities, counselling services and workshops that help them improve their job search, resumé writing and interview skills.

A job fair is also being organized on April 22, 2020, at Durham College in Oshawa to help connect workers more quickly with local job opportunities.

Speaker, we know this is a challenging time for many workers and families. Our government stands with the people in Durham region, and we will continue to help those affected by the closure to adjust and retrain so that they can quickly rejoin the workforce.

Ring of Fire

Mr. Daryl Kramp: Mr. Speaker, our government, Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation are taking a major step in unlocking jobs and opportunity in northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire region by entering into a historic agreement to advance the planning and development of a proposed northern road link. Yesterday, in downtown Toronto, they held a celebratory signing ceremony.

This government is delivering on a promise to move forward with the development of the Ring of Fire with willing partners, including Indigenous groups and northern communities.

After 15 years of delay by the previous government, we said that we would build a road to the Ring of Fire. We are working with our incredible partners in the Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation to do just that and to make sure that we do it right. Together, we can bring jobs and prosperity to communities across the Far North.

This all-season road project would also improve access to health and social services and put in place proven infrastructure such as high-speed Internet and reliable cellular service for the First Nations and other communities nearby.

Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of Marten Falls First Nation said, “We look forward to working together with” this province of “Ontario to ensure the sustainable development of our ancestral territories.”

Chief Cornelius Wabasse of Webequie First Nation said they’ve been working together with Ontario for many years to reach this point. Finally, road development will help bring prosperity to communities across the entire region and better infrastructure both on and off reserves.

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

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Chris Glover: It’s my honour to introduce Eric Celentano and Russell D’Abreu from the Toronto Lung Transplant Civitan Club. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I’m very glad to welcome the independent pharmacists today. They are hosting a reception in the afternoon. I’m welcoming Billy Cheung, executive director of Pharmasave Ontario; Sherif Guorgui, CEO of OnPharm-United; Calvin LeRoux and Grady Brown, CEOs from PharmaChoice Canada; Jeff May, executive vice-president for Remedy’sRx Specialty Pharmacy; Dean Miller, president of Whole Health Pharmacy Partners; Ben Shenouda, executive director of Allied Pharmacists; and Rita Winn, general manager for Lovell Drugs.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I’d just like to give a warm welcome to my OLIP intern, Clare MacDonald, who is in the galleries today.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: First of all, I’d like to introduce Keith Currie and all the members who are here from the OFA at Queen’s Park.

Interjections.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I’d also like to—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hamilton Mountain.

Miss Monique Taylor: I would like to welcome back Michau van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition, and I see up in the House that we have Sherry Caldwell with us from the Ontario Disability Coalition. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. I cut him off. If he wants to conclude his introduction—I apologize.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: Mr. Speaker, I’d like to introduce and welcome David Crane, John MacKay, Ken Yeoman and Glen Blair from the great riding of Oxford.

Mr. Joel Harden: I also want to welcome Michau and Sherry to this House. Nice to see you here today.

I also want to welcome our friends from Epilepsy Ontario, who hosted a great breakfast this morning to help us be more aware of what we can do to help people living with epilepsy. Thank you.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m pleased to introduce to the House today Jason Ramsay-Brown. He’s page Abbey’s dad.

I’d also like to welcome, from Huron–Bruce, Pat Jilesen, Rachel Anstett; Steve Wright from Howick Mutual Insurance; as well as Erica Murray, who is here with the Ontario Federation of Agriculture as well.

Mr. Mike Harris: I’d like to welcome not only a member of the OFA, but one of my constituents, Mark Reusser, to the House today.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I would like to introduce three members of my constituency from Simcoe North, the Ott family: Andy, Elisabeth and Nicholas. Thank you for being here today and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I’m proud to announce our friends from Skills Ontario who are joining us today: Karen Creditor, Darryl Spector, William Chan, Ian Howcroft and Cathy Sprague. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Yes, welcome to Queen’s Park.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

Education funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This morning my first question goes to the Premier. After weeks of avoiding media questions, the Premier finally took some yesterday, but he seemed unwilling or unable to answer basic questions about his failure to listen to what parents, students, teachers and school boards told him in his government’s own consultations. Instead, he lashed out at teachers, calling them greedy and claiming they were holding us hostage, and went on to make a whole series of wild accusations against the people who educate our kids.

The Premier claims that he wants to reach a deal with teachers. What serious Premier behaves this way when he’s serious about reaching a deal?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I’d just like to correct the Leader of the Opposition. I’ve never called the teachers greedy. I’ve called the head of the unions greedy, but not the teachers, because I appreciate the job that teachers do. They go in and work hard, day in and day out.

When I speak to the teachers, what I’m hearing is that they’re fed up with this. They want to get back in the classroom and do the job that they enjoy doing and they love doing, and that’s teaching the students.

But we also have to have fiscal restraint. The head of the unions, they want the 1%, which is about $920 a year—I’m sorry, we’re proposing $920 a year. The unions want $1,840 a year. That’s unacceptable. We have to make sure that we’re within reason and we have a great deal. The minister has put great deals on the table. We’re going to continue negotiating in good faith.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Leadership means actually working with people, even when you don’t agree with them. The Premier seems to think it means avoiding blame. Yesterday, he blamed the media for asking the wrong questions. He blamed teachers for not caving in to his classroom cuts. He blamed everyone but himself for the crisis that he has created in our education system and in our schools.

Does the Premier think anything at all that he said yesterday will bring Ontario families closer to the deal they want to see between the government and the people who make our schools work?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Again, our minister is working day in and day out to get a deal, a fair deal for the teachers, a fair deal for the students and the taxpayers. We’re going to continue working hard, day in and day out, to get the kids back in the classroom. But we committed to a deal that’s protecting full-day kindergarten, ensuring teachers are hired based on merit, making sure we maintain the smallest class sizes in Canada for the earliest years. On online learning, we went from four down to two. We are negotiating in good faith, our minister is negotiating in good faith and we’re going to continue working hard to get the kids back in the classroom.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Ford government, in fact the Premier himself, keeps claiming that they want to negotiate a deal with teachers in the classroom, but the Premier called them greedy hostage-takers yesterday. He claims that parents and students support his classroom cuts, but he has been hiding a report that shows that they begged him not to make those cuts. He wants to be a leader, but he is showing the worst kind of leadership. Kids deserve better, Speaker.

Will the Premier stop name-calling, stop pointing to imaginary supporters, cancel the cuts and work with teachers to get a deal that actually improves education in our schools?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: We’re all proud on this side—Conservatives on both sides of the House are all proud of the work that this Premier has done to improve the education system in the province of Ontario. The Leader of the Opposition suggested that we can do better. Of course we can do better. That’s what we’re sent here to do each and every day, do better. That’s what we’re trying to do. It’s an agenda of progress, growth and prosperity: progress on math and sciences, growth so that our kids can benefit from those changes that we made, and prosperity that comes when our kids have the best education possible. That’s what we’re trying to do.

We can only do that if our union partners work with us and do what teachers are telling them. Teachers want to get back into the classroom. Parents want their kids back into the classroom. If the opposition won’t help us do it, parents can rest assured that we will ensure that that happens.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. So we’re basically five minutes into question period, and there’s a lot of energy in the House. I’m hearing, on both sides of the House, quite a number of members who are yelling at each other across the floor. They don’t have the floor; they’re just yelling across the floor. I’m going to start calling you out individually if you continue to do that and then of course, if necessary, warning you and then, if necessary, naming you.

We’re going to have a civil question period for the remainder of the next 55 minutes. That’s my hope.

Start the clock. The next question: the Leader of the Opposition.

Employment standards

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier. As concern about the novel coronavirus spreads all over the world, Ontario’s public health officials are doing an extraordinary job keeping people informed and safe. They have a consistent message for people when they fall ill: Stay home.

Unfortunately, in Ontario, government changes to employment standards make it harder than ever for working people to do that when they need to. What is the government’s plan to ensure that people are able to stay home when they need to?

Hon. Doug Ford: We had a great announcement yesterday about having a central command table. The Minister of Health is working hard, getting briefed every day. I just ended up getting briefed again this morning. We have all the confidence in Dr. Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health. They’re communicating right across the province with other chief medical officers of health. We’re going to be doing our due diligence to make sure that people in Ontario are safe.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, just last month, 175 health workers, including physicians, nurses and public health professionals, wrote the Ford government and implored them to reinstate flexible personal emergency leave days and end mandatory sick notes. They’ve warned the current provincial labour laws are “a serious threat to the health and safety of Ontarians.”

Yesterday, the Premier said he was taking the threat posed by the coronavirus seriously. I think he’s just repeated that by pointing to the command centre that has been set up. So my question is, will he listen to the concerns raised by these health professionals and deal with the sick notes and flexible days off, sick days off for workers in Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care, to reply on behalf of the Premier.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite. I want to first thank all the people who are working in health care, providing front-line care, and our public health agencies, who are working so hard every day to be prepared in an instance like this. I want to make sure that we value what they do, and that’s what we’re doing.

Our government is committed to making sure that we support our communities, our population across Ontario and our front-line workers. We’ve added three new types of leave to the Employment Standards Act: sick leave, family responsibility leave, bereavement leave. Medical notes are not automatically required for those leaves of absence. Instead, employers have the option to require reasonable proof of the circumstances that entitle the employee to leave.

Although the risk to Ontarians—and I think this is a really important emphasis—is low, it is important that we take decisive action and take leadership. That’s what this government is doing in this preparedness process. We are supporting our front-line workers. We are committed to making sure our Ontarians have a proper plan to stay safe—

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The government says that they are taking the threat of the coronavirus seriously, and health professionals are saying that Ontario’s current laws encourage people to go to work sick, putting themselves and all of us at risk. There’s no better way to value the professionals that the minister was talking about than taking their advice.

New Democrats are ready to work with the government to ensure expedited passage of legislation to enact flexible personal emergency leave days and an end to mandatory sick notes, even if it’s on a temporary basis. We can pass legislation in this House in one day. Will the government consider this?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Again, thank you for that question. I’m going to reiterate the importance of what our government is doing to show support for our front-line support workers and our communities across Ontario. I’m a little disappointed that the NDP is trying to play politics.

I was a family doctor for almost 30 years, and so I understand the importance of support for our front-line providers, absolutely. Everyone should take comfort in knowing that our skilled health care providers are bringing all their experience. Our government is supporting them and committed to supporting them every day that they provide that front-line service to our communities across Ontario and our people of Ontario, who we are making sure we have support for and are prepared for. Minister Elliott, the Minister of Health is doing an amazing job across Ontario preparing, with her leadership, with this government. I want our front-line support workers—

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

The next question.

Licence plates

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday was the first time in a while that this Premier has made himself available to publicly answer questions about the state of things in Ontario, and it was fascinating to watch his unhappy and unhinged answers about licence plates.

This Premier can frame this fiasco however he wants, but the truth is it took almost two weeks for this government to take meaningful action to correct the glaring safety issue of unreadable licence plates.

If the government’s approach to licence plates is any indication, how on earth can this province have faith in their plans for education, health care, legal aid, clean drinking water, transportation, housing, energy, social services or the environment? It’s just the latest mess. Buck-a-beer isn’t a thing, gas pump stickers didn’t stick, the province has lost money selling weed—and the hits just keep coming.

With such a spectacular track record, we all should have seen this coming, even without fancy scanning technology. How can the people of Ontario have faith in this government?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: It’s an easy answer for the member opposite—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for Essex, come to order. Premier, come to order.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Ontarians can have faith in this government because we’re demonstrating, we’re listening. We’re not only listening; we’re understanding their concerns and we’re taking action.

I can’t stress enough that the narrative that the member opposite and her entire party are trying to create is getting very old. Ontarians know that we’re out there working for them.

In terms of the licence plates, a solution has been implemented, together with our vendor, which is going to see a replacement plan roll out.

I am very proud of the people who have worked around the clock to demonstrate that we’ve taken Ontarians’ concerns very seriously. At the end of the day, we heard concerns, we understood. We’ve taken action, and Ontarians are going to be pleased with the outcome.

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

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is again to the Premier.

Ontarians still want answers about licence plates, whether this government is happy about that or not. First they buried their heads in the sand, then they admitted there was a problem, and now they’re trying to bury the problem again.

This government wants this to go away so badly that now they’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement with 3M. No one will ever know the cost, or what was or wasn’t involved in supposed testing, or any other details of this botched job. I would bet that the deal they made for these plates wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny, and that’s why they want it to disappear—not unlike their branded plates.

The Premier seems angry that people would dare to question him. He says there will be no cost to the taxpayer. Really? I would say, “Prove it”—but you can’t. So my question is, whose brave idea was it to hide behind a non-disclosure agreement, and why won’t you let Ontario see this contract?

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

The minister to reply.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I think what we’ve just seen here in this House today is a very clear misunderstanding of what business is really all about. The NDP do not respect commercially sensitive information.

The fact of the matter is, what really matters to Ontarians is that we’re a government that listens. We’ve taken action and we’re ensuring that the new plates that roll out will be based on the feedback we’ve been receiving from our stakeholders. I’ve been meeting and speaking with stakeholders non-stop. I really appreciate their feedback and their investment in helping us move forward.

That’s exactly what we’re doing, Speaker: We’re moving forward with a plan to implement plates that people will be proud of and confident in.

Ring of Fire

Mr. Daryl Kramp: My question today is to our Premier, a man who is leading the way.

Premier, the Ring of Fire represents an untold opportunity for economic greatness, not only for northern Ontario and First Nations communities, but for all of Ontario.

Unfortunately, under the previous Liberal government, they wasted that potential with continued delays, inaction and actual roadblocks to development. Major industry partners left this province, literally saying that they didn’t have hope for this project because of the impediments for success created by the previous government.

Year after year, announcements and re-announcements, and re-announcements of re-announcements, regarding potential funding by the previous government were made. Yet there was no actual commitment to getting shovels into the ground.

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier share with this Legislature the great news from our government regarding the new partnership agreement that we have secured for the Ring of Fire?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank our great member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington.

What a great announcement yesterday it was, Mr. Speaker, for First Nations of Webequie and Marten Falls. Both chiefs were there. That’s the difference between our government and the previous government, which couldn’t get a deal done for over 15 years. The only deal they ended up getting done was with Bay Street. They spent $20 million on lawyers. The NDP backed that, of course.

This is going to give an opportunity to two First Nations communities, along with many others, and the rest of Ontario—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Official opposition, come to order.

I apologize to the Premier for interrupting. Please continue.

Hon. Doug Ford: —give them an opportunity for better access to health care and social issues; give them opportunities for economic prosperity and growth. That’s what we’re looking forward to, Mr. Speaker.

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

Mr. Daryl Kramp: Back to the Premier once again: Premier, thank you for that. That’s incredible news, and it’s certainly worthy of acknowledgement. I’m proud to be a part of this government, which is finally helping to ensure that our province is once again working and benefiting all Ontarians.

Premier, during your press conference, Chief Cornelius Wabasse from the Webequie First Nation said it best about the potential that this deal represents when he said, “We are looking forward to prosperity for our resource development in our area. And we are looking forward to working with Ontario and industry, as well as to be partners with them. We are looking forward to the prosperity and the benefits that will come from our land resources.”

Mr. Speaker, can the Premier please elaborate to the Legislature about the potential economic impact that Ontario could see from developments in the Ring of Fire region in this province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, I want to thank the member for the question, Mr. Speaker. The First Nations communities from that area deserve to be finally part of the economic success in the province. This is going to create up to 5,500 jobs annually, $9.4 billion in gross domestic product, $6.2 billion for Ontario’s mining industry, and $2 billion in government revenue divided among the federal government, provincial government and the municipal governments, along with First Nations communities.

This is one of the biggest announcements our government has ever made. This is an incredible opportunity, again, for our First Nations communities right across this province because they know they have a government that can work with them.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll ask the members to take their seats.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. You can’t heckle the press gallery.

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And you can’t reply.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Please start the clock. The next question.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Premier. Wait times for mental health and addictions support in Ontario have reached an all-time high. In fact, just last month we found out that the wait times for children and youth have nearly doubled because of years of failed action from Liberal and Conservative governments. The Liberals let families down when it came to delivering mental health services for those in need. But instead of fixing the problem, this government has spent two years making empty promises. When will the Premier finally commit to matching this year’s federal mental health investment of $232 million?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for that question. I look at our Minister of Health—and of mental health and addictions as well—and I say to myself: Look at the good work that they’re doing, the progress that we’re making. And I’m looking at the last 15 years of absolute neglect in this whole sector.

We have an amazing minister, and an amazing Associate Minister of Mental Health, and I’m very pleased to say that that’s $3.8 billion that our government has committed to spending for mental health—we are looking at ways to keep our youth supported across the sector. We made new investments in services and supports designed specifically for youth, including an additional $10 million in annual funding for core child and youth mental health services. We’re making an additional investment of nearly $40 million in targeted mental health for students.

We have provided $6 million in intensive services, another $1 million for new provincial eating disorder prevention, and $3.3 million over four years, so we are making—

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

The supplementary question.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: What the minister has failed to mention is that this government has put exactly zero dollars of provincial funds into mental health and addictions.

Back to the Premier: It seems that this government has forgotten also the deep cuts that the government has made to mental health and addiction services. One of the first things the government did was to cut $330 million from mental health and addictions, of which $69 million was for children and youth in crisis. Now we have ballooning wait-lists for people to receive mental health services.

Our kids deserve so much better than a Premier who cuts programs and services that our kids rely on. Premier, why are your government’s priorities focused on taking away services from Ontarians?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for the question. I can tell you, legitimately, in all my experience in health care for 30 years, this is the first government that has prioritized mental health—the very first one.

As I said, the historic $3.8 billion over 10 years, the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, the additional $10-million annual funding for core services, and $3.5 million for psychosis intervention services—the list goes on and on.

Our government is making real progress, taking real action, putting our most vulnerable people at their most vulnerable time under our focus. Our government is taking swift action to make sure that the mental health and addictions issues across Ontario that were pervasive under the previous government—you watched it build; you watched it happen. Our government is dealing with that reality, and we are making progress every day.

Mental health services

Mr. Randy Hillier: My question is to the Premier, but first I’d like to just congratulate the Premier on signing the deal on the Ring of Fire yesterday—long overdue.

For the last two years, the Lanark county OPP have benefited from a mobile crisis response team. This funded a full-time mental health nurse to be a first responder alongside the OPP. The data is irrefutable: Early intervention works. The Lanark county situation table, which deals with individuals in crisis, has reported a 45% drop in referrals as a result of this pilot.

But now the funding for the program has been cut, and I understand that no evaluation of the program was ever undertaken. This program reduced pressures on our hospitals and our courts by solving problems before they became a crisis.

Will the Premier reconsider this poor decision?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the Solicitor General.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: We’re both very anxious to answer it because it is a government-wide issue that we’re dealing with.

I’m sure the member opposite appreciates and understands that while we do not make operational decisions on how the OPP distributes their assets and resources, there is no doubt that situation tables and mental health workers embedded with the police have been a very effective tool.

I have seen first-hand how situation tables can actually get the individuals who need the services quickly within their communities. But, again, operationally, decisions made on where assets and resources should be deployed within the OPP are left to the commissioner.

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

Mr. Randy Hillier: Speaker, let’s not deflect from the question. It was the Solicitor General who eliminated the program. This was not an OPP decision.

It’s rare that we see success with such a program in such a short period of time. The MCRRT has improved communications and the sharing of resources between our service providers and our agencies. It has eased pressure on the police, who don’t have the specialized training in mental health and ought not to be expected to be mental health professionals.

Early intervention has reduced those pressures on our hospitals and our courts. It was a win-win for everyone, but the Solicitor General did not even evaluate the outcomes before making the decision to cut and eliminate all funding.

I’m calling on the Premier to review the details of this program and its success and then direct the appropriate ministers to reinstate funding.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: To be clear, 40% of front-line police officers’ work today in the province of Ontario, across Ontario, involves individuals who are in crisis with mental health. It is, frankly, why our government has such a government-wide focus on actually getting the services where they need to be.

The operational decisions are made by the commissioner and his team. What we are doing government-wide is making investments that actually impact individual lives. Those investments continue to happen through the Minister of Health, through the Associate Minister of Mental Health and across government.

Equal opportunity

Mrs. Daisy Wai: My question is for the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Speaker, we know that women across Ontario are consistently underrepresented in managerial and executive positions. On the TSX-listed issuers’ broadsheets, women only hold 15%.

Increasing the number of women on boards and in senior management positions is good for the economy, good for business and critical for gender diversity. Can the minister please explain to the House why it is important to support women as they pursue leadership roles and what she’s doing to achieve this?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Richmond Hill for such an important question.

One of my top priorities as the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues is to look at how our government can support the economic empowerment of women. Last week, with the member from Flamborough–Glanbrook, I had the opportunity to visit Susan Gubasta’s auto dealership in Mississauga. Susan is the first female president of the Canadian International AutoShow. She actively looks to hire women at her dealership and mentor them in the auto sector.

Susan is just one of the many examples of women in leadership roles who are mentoring and leading the next generation of women and girls who are looking to start their own businesses or move up into leadership roles.

I’m proud to say that our government is funding projects that provide skills, knowledge and experience to women to increase their economic security. This year alone, our government is investing $4.7 million into the Women’s Economic Security Program and $2.1 million in the Investing in Women’s Futures Program—because when women in our society and economy succeed, we are all stronger.

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

Mrs. Daisy Wai: This is encouraging. Thank you to the minister for that answer. I’m proud that of the business owners I know, there are many other female entrepreneurs in my riding of Richmond Hill. I have met with many small business owners who have told me that they were ignored by the previous government.

One thing I noticed in meeting with these small business owners is that many of them are men. In fact, today, women only make up a fraction of the business owners in Ontario.

Minister, what is your ministry doing to help female entrepreneurs start, grow and run their own businesses?

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

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you to the member for Richmond Hill for that question.

Our government is committed to making Ontario a competitive business environment that helps small businesses achieve their potential and grow jobs. But in order for Ontario to live up to its fullest potential, we need to empower all of the talent and skill that makes Ontario such a great place to live, work and play.

Supporting female entrepreneurs to start and grow their business is a key part to this vision. This is one reason our government launched the Small Business Success Strategy: to help us better support small businesses and understand the unique challenges facing entrepreneurs in this province.

I’m looking forward to joining the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues to ensure female entrepreneurs are key players in moulding the Ontario Small Business Success Strategy. Our government will continue to make Ontario more competitive and build—

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

The next question.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Jill Andrew: My question is to the Premier. On Friday, the minister received the final report from the Peel District School Board Review—a review that was meant to address anti-Black racism across Peel schools.

Though the minister did not immediately make the review public, students, parents, educators, education workers and student support workers across Peel district already had cause for concern.

In December, the reviewers stated, “Community members, particularly in the Black communities, have expressed concern” about the review process, and that the review “may not satisfy the desire within the community for deeper and more thorough consultations.”

Premier, how many of the review’s recommendations deal specifically with anti-Black racism? And how many of your minister’s ministerial recommendations will specifically address anti-Black racism?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The minister, as you know, took a leadership role on this very early on. I know he reached out to the members of this Legislature from Peel region in advance of the review. There’s a lot of good work that has been done, but obviously we’ll review any of the recommendations that come forward and be sure to not only work with the legislation but with members on all sides.

I know that all members on both sides of the House deplore any act of racism, and we will always do our best to make sure that that’s not the case in any one of our schools. I thank the honourable member for her question. We have a lot of work to do and we’ll get it done.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question? The member for Kitchener Centre.

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: This government is failing Black youth. Students have raised concerns about anti-Black racism in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the Toronto District School Board. The review under the Liberals did not address the root causes of anti-Black racism in the York Region District School Board, because I’ve heard from them too.

High school students across Kitchener Centre and Kitchener–Conestoga talk about an “N-word pass” that allows students to use the N-word at their schools liberally and without consequence. Students are desperate to address racism in schools.

What conversations has the Minister of Education had with the Solicitor General, who’s responsible for anti-racism strategies in Ontario, regarding the creation of an anti-racism strategy in education, and when will this strategy be released?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the questions from the members opposite. But as I said, Minister Lecce took a leadership role on this as soon as we were made aware of the situation.

I applaud members on both sides of the House for helping us take action on this. This is something that I’m sure that we all understand is completely unacceptable not only in our schools but across the province. That’s why we will redouble our efforts to make sure that our schools are safe for everybody. As I said, we’ll take a look at the recommendations and we’ll be sure to report back in a very fulsome way to this Legislature on the next steps.

Provincial deficit

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. Yesterday the Premier told the media, “You keep pounding on the little things.” If you can’t get a 12-by-6 piece of metal right, how can anyone have confidence that you’ll get the big things right?

Speaking of big things, in his last response to me, the Premier cited a $15-billion deficit. I think the Premier must have forgotten that the last time he did that here, the Auditor General publicly corrected him on his misuse of that number—a number he is using as a context for making class sizes larger and cutting support for vulnerable learners. Can the Premier explain why he and his caucus continue to use this number?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader to reply on behalf of the government.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the awkward situation the member opposite has been put in, Mr. Speaker. He has been asked to account for 15 years of Liberal failure. I know that this is the last week of him being a leader of the party, and I know he’s probably anxious to hand over that mantle to somebody else.

We use the $15-billion number because that’s the number. You don’t have to ask Ontarians; they understand what happened during the previous Liberal government. They spent money like it was going out of style. They had no accountability on anything. When it comes to education, yes, they spent a lot of money, but our kids didn’t receive the benefits of the money. They had no accountability. And what I said yesterday—a proliferation of private schools, of tutoring, all across the province, and why it’s a legacy of what they have done—they failed parents. They failed our teachers. They failed our education system. We won’t.

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

Mr. John Fraser: That was just a bunch of horsefeathers. Speaker, people in Ontario are genuinely concerned, and each time the Premier uses that number, he loses credibility. I can’t really understand—after the Auditor General schooled him in public, the FAO told him, the public accounts told him—that he continues to do this, why his caucus continues to do this.

And here is why: The Premier is creating a context for cuts, cuts to things that families depend on, making class sizes larger, less support for vulnerable learners, cutting services for the developmentally disabled, making a mess of the Ontario Autism Program. They’ve even been using it as a context to cut public health, at a time when we can least afford to do that.

Speaker, through you, can the Premier explain to Ontario families why he continues to cut those things that families depend on?

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member opposite has absolutely no credibility in anything that he just said there. This government, since day one, has been focused on three areas: progress, growth and prosperity—progress on education, our math scores; progress on transit and transportation; progress on balancing the budget while removing the lowest-income earners from the tax rolls altogether; progress on long-term care. And what does that lead to? It leads to growth, an economy that is growing each and every month that we have been in office, Mr. Speaker. And you know what that leads to?

It leads to prosperity, prosperity that comes when over 300,000 people have the dignity of a job and can pay their bills.

We’ll continue on this agenda of growth, prosperity and progress, Mr. Speaker, and we’ll let them account for the disaster they left this province in. But the people of Ontario need no lessons from them.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. Order. I ask the government side to come to order so that we can hear the next question. I think he might want to get a chance to ask his question, too.

Start the clock.

Mental health in agriculture

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Our government has been clear that we support greater mental health supports for the people in Ontario. We’re listening and we’re taking steps to address the many problems people face. In doing so, we recognize that everyone is unique in the issues they face. And farmers, Speaker, are no different.

I know that the minister has been vocal about the many issues farmers and farm families in Ontario face. Will the minister please tell us about some of those issues?

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I want to thank the member from Whitby for the excellent question. It’s something that we don’t often think about, but it’s always present. Farmers face unique challenges every day, and unfortunately those come with their own struggles with mental health.

Mr. Speaker, mental health is health. If everyone is unique, farmers are no different. They often deal with unpredictable and difficult crop conditions, social isolation, heavy workloads, farm trespassers, fluctuating markets and pricing, burdensome regulations, and are anxious about what may come tomorrow. When we speak about mental health, it’s important that farmers be part of the conversation so that we can all provide support and our assistance.

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

Mr. Lorne Coe: Thank you, Minister, for that response. Speaker, it’s encouraging for all of us here who have farmers in their riding to hear such words. Many of us have heard about farmers struggling with the difficulties of the occupation, and the many uncertainties it brings. It’s important that we take action. Our government has made it clear that we’re taking mental health seriously, and we’ve made it clear that we’re listening to the voice of Ontario’s farmers and rural communities.

Would the minister please tell us more about what our government is doing for farmers’ mental health?

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I thank the member again for that great supplementary question. I want to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank the member.

As I said, I led a series of round tables with the agriculture community to learn more about their challenges.

We’ve committed resources for mental health supports for our agriculture community.

We’re providing funding for a research project to develop mental health literacy and emergency response for Ontario agriculture.

Our government supports Ontario 211, a telephone helpline and website that provides information and mental health supports.

And we have tabled Bill 156, which, if passed, will give farmers peace of mind as we prevent farm trespassing.

Mr. Speaker, we heard rural Ontario, and we are taking action.

Public transit

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is to the Premier. The Hamilton Transportation Task Force that the Premier appointed will soon report on its recommendations, so my question to the Premier is a very simple one: If the task force recommends that the Hamilton LRT project continue, will the Premier in fact come to the table to get that project back on track?

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

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: As the Leader of the Opposition knows, our government has committed $1 billion in new funding to the city of Hamilton.

Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government was not up front about the cost of the Hamilton LRT. Everyone believed that the cost of the Hamilton LRT was going to be $1 billion, which is why our government committed $1 billion to that project.

Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We struck a task force. The task force is comprised of credible individuals led by the Honourabl