Ontario Hansard — 24 November 2025 (44th Parliament, 1st Session)
2025-11-24
Ontario — Debates (Hansard)
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November 24, 2025
44th Parliament, 1st Session
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Votes and Proceedings
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Hansard Transcript 2025-Nov-24 (PDF)
L040 - Mon 24 Nov 2025 / Lun 24 nov 2025
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO
ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO
Monday 24 November 2025 Lundi 24 novembre 2025
Members’ Statements
Second Tracks
Community donation drives
Tenant protection
Tirage du Kin Club of Russell / Kin Club of Russell raffle
Education funding
Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists
Fire safety
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week
Ontario Veterans Award for Community Service Excellence
House sittings
Introduction of Visitors
Question Period
Government accountability
Government accountability
Government accountability
Academic testing
Tenant protection
Seniors
Housing
Consumer protection
Highway improvement
Tenant protection
Immigrants’ skills
Energy policies
Housing
Government accountability
Deferred Votes
Time allocation
Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 visant à lutter contre les retards et à construire plus rapidement
Ontario Artificial Intelligence, Talent and Innovation Strategy Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 sur la stratégie ontarienne pour favoriser le talent et l’innovation dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle
Notice of dissatisfaction
Introduction of Visitors
Reports by Committees
Standing Committee on the Interior
Petitions
Social assistance
Life lease housing
Gender-based violence
Land use planning
Health care
Government accountability
Post-secondary education
Tenant protection
Health care
Social assistance
Government accountability
Environmental protection
Nuclear waste
Tenant protection
House sittings
Opposition Day
Tenant protection / Protection des locataires
Orders of the Day
Protect Ontario by Cutting Red Tape Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 pour protéger l’Ontario en réduisant les formalités administratives
Resource Management and Safety Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 sur la gestion des ressources et la sécurité
Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2025 (No. 2) / Loi de 2025 sur le plan pour protéger l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires) (no 2)
Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2025 (No. 2) / Loi de 2025 sur le plan pour protéger l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires) (no 2)
Request to the Integrity Commissioner
The House met at 1015.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Good morning, everyone. Let us pray.
Prayers.
Members’ Statements
Second Tracks
Mr. Brian Saunderson: My riding of Simcoe–Grey is home to some of the best downhill skiing in Ontario and is the breeding ground of many of our skiing greats like Steve Podborski, Todd Brooker and, most recently, Jack Crawford.
As another ski season approaches, we look forward to welcoming people from across the province and beyond to Collingwood and the Town of the Blue Mountains to enjoy the slopes.
Unfortunately, many local youth in Collingwood and the surrounding area never experience the thrill of skiing. While they can see the hills, the fact of the matter is that many families can’t afford the associated costs with the sport.
That reality is the raison d’être for a local program called Second Tracks, the brainchild of local businessman John Mealey, a former national ski team member. The program, established last year, introduces local children who might otherwise never get the opportunity to try the sport of skiing. Through the local YMCA, kids register for the program that consists of five weekly sessions, with all costs for transportation, lift passes, equipment rentals and food paid for each participant.
In its inaugural season last year, Second Tracks introduced 160 local kids to the sport of skiing and all the excitement that goes with it. As the new season approaches, more than 300 youth have already signed up and are looking forward to learning how to ski.
Speaker, I want to congratulate, recognize and thank John Mealey and the incredible Second Tracks team of volunteers and sponsors who make this program a reality.
Community donation drives
MPP Jamie West: Speaker, Sudbury is a community that cares. I’m going to tell you about two examples.
The first one is the Pure Country diaper drive. This was started in 2018. Pure Country is a local radio station. The morning hosts, Josh and Coop, broadcast from the parking lot of the New Sudbury shopping centre, and they collect diapers and wipes from the community. When I mentioned that Sudbury is a community that cares—in their first year, they collected 60 cases; their second year, 200 cases; their third year, 400; and now, it’s more than 1,000.
The second one I want to tell you about is the Edgar Burton food drive. This is the 38th anniversary of the Edgar Burton food drive, in support of the Sudbury Food Bank.
Edgar Burton was a steelworker. He worked at Inco’s divisional shops—now Vale. One day, Edgar’s daughter asked him why some people didn’t have enough to eat. So Edgar brought a box to work so people could put cans into it. He wasn’t trying to change the world; he was just trying to make a difference. His motto was always, “One More Can.”
Remember I said that Sudbury is a community that cares? Last year, the Edgar Burton Christmas Food Drive collected more than 236,000 pounds of food and $145,000 in cash donations.
Speaker, those are just two examples of how Sudbury is a community that cares.
Tenant protection
MPP Stephanie Smyth: I rise today deeply concerned for the seniors of Toronto–St. Paul’s, where 61% of the residents are renters and where Bill 60 is creating real fear and instability. These are people who built this province. They expected dignity and security in their later years. Instead, many now tell us they are losing sleep, afraid of eviction, and terrified that the homes they’ve lived in for decades could be taken from them. This is unacceptable.
Bill 60’s changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will worsen housing insecurity and push more seniors toward homelessness. This isn’t hypothetical. This is happening right now.
But even in this uncertainty, seniors in my riding are organizing, and they are refusing to be silenced. I want to recognize the tenants at 400 Walmer Road, a naturally occurring retirement community where neighbours have aged in place together. They are gathering petitions, they are meeting, and they are showing remarkable determination.
I want to thank AdvantAge Ontario and CARP for their continued advocacy for older adults across the province.
I also want to thank all who stand with us and the seniors in Toronto–St. Paul’s and with advocates across Ontario.
I will continue to fight to stop Bill 60, because every senior in this province deserves the security of a stable home.
Tirage du Kin Club of Russell / Kin Club of Russell raffle
M. Stéphane Sarrazin: Je souhaite aujourd’hui souligner le succès exceptionnel du tirage « Catch the Ace » organisé par le Kin Club of Russell dans ma circonscription, dont le tirage de dimanche il y a une semaine a permis à une gagnante de remporter un gros lot de 2,2 millions de dollars, en plus d’un gain hebdomadaire de 172 000 $, pour un total de 2,4 millions de dollars.
This seventh edition of Catch the Ace raised over $3.3 million for the community. It benefited numerous local organizations in Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, including food banks, youth programs, care homes, organizations supporting vulnerable populations, shelters, cultural and educational organizations, and several others. These funds support essential initiatives that improve the lives of our residents in the region.
Je tiens à remercier chaleureusement les bénévoles, les commanditaires et tous les participants. Grâce à votre générosité et votre engagement, non seulement un grand prix a été remporté, mais notre communauté en sort plus forte, plus unie et plus solidaire.
Congratulations to the winner—and well done to the Kin Club of Russell, Doug and Cindy Anthony, and the whole team for your leadership and ongoing commitment. You truly demonstrate that local action can produce outstanding results and change lives.
Education funding
Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Speaker, I rise today to share real-world consequences of Ontario’s chronic underfunding of public education.
A grade 11 student, Caleb Cherian, wrote to my office after learning that transportation for the St. Mary choir school, the Catholic Central High School choir, and the International Baccalaureate program are being cut at his school. Music and IB programs like these have been found to foster leadership roles, creativity, and strengthen social connections. Without transportation, many students can’t simply access them. Some are as young as 12 years old or travelling long distances; suggesting they rely on a city bus is neither safe nor realistic.
Equally alarming, at the Thames Valley District School Board, many bus monitors for special-needs routes have been eliminated, forcing children with seizure disorders, mobility challenges and communication disabilities to ride without supervision. Bus drivers can’t navigate traffic and simultaneously monitor medically fragile children. Some families have pulled their children off the bus routes altogether.
The government has passed Bill 33, requiring boards under supervision to pay supervisors a salary of up to $350,000 a year. That salary takes away from student bus transportation services.
Ontario’s students deserve safety, and this government needs to invest in school bus transportation that students can rely on.
Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists
MPP Mohamed Firin: Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists, which is Ontario’s independent certifying body and professional association for engineering technicians and technologists, representing over 21,000 members. These are individuals who take engineering at the college level or equivalent.
Certified technicians and certified engineering technologists play vital roles in building Ontario’s infrastructure and working in every corner of this province to support sectors like energy, transportation, housing, manufacturing and mining, while ensuring that our infrastructure and industries run safely and efficiently.
Canada is celebrating National Engineering and Applied Science Technology Week from November 24 to 28, a national initiative OACETT helped launch to raise awareness of this vital profession.
I particularly want to recognize OACETT’s leadership in welcoming internationally trained professionals into Ontario’s workforce by reducing barriers to credential recognition, allowing newcomers to earn certification and put their talents to work. One in five OACETT-certified technicians and technologists received their training outside of Canada—a testament to how this organization opens doors for global talent and helps address Ontario’s skills shortage. These professionals often work behind the scenes, but the results of their expertise are all around us—in our homes, on our roads, and throughout our communities.
This week, I encourage everyone to thank these dedicated professionals for helping build a stronger and innovative Ontario.
Fire safety
MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I rise today to call on the government to act now and protect Ontarians from devastating fires caused by the dangers of exploding e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
Earlier this year, 275 Bleecker Street, a 22-storey high-rise building in my riding with over 300 units, in St. James Town, had a very serious fire, with an e-bike, that forced the evacuation of the building in the middle of winter. I was on-site, checking in on those residents, and they told me that this fire was preventable if more was only done to address the unknown dangers of e-bikes and their batteries. Since then, I’ve been in conversations with Toronto Fire Services to understand how this happened and how we can prevent these fires.
Toronto Fire Services has reported a 1,200% increase in e-bike fires since 2020. The Toronto fire chief warns that e-bike fires can engulf a room within 90 seconds and can burn at extreme temperatures capable of melting firefighter equipment.
Just in this month of November, the first few days when the temperature dipped below zero, another fire was started by an e-bike—this time on a balcony—that endangered residents in a building at 140 Carlton Street, just steps from my constituency office.
This is a real and burning issue. Again, this government needs an urgent, multi-pronged response to these fire hazards by changing the Ontario building code and fire code.
If you don’t act now, there will be more fires. My constituents can’t wait, and neither can yours.
Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week
Hon. Ernie Hardeman: Carbon monoxide remains the leading cause of accidental poisoning in North America. We have a duty to ensure every Ontario family is protected.
The first week of this month marked Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, established through my private member’s bill, the Hawkins Gignac Act. It honours OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins; her husband, Richard; and their children, Cassandra and Jordan. Their lives were tragically cut short when a blocked vent allowed this silent, lethal gas to fill their Woodstock home.
Constable Hawkins was a community leader, visiting classrooms, seniors’ homes and summer camps, always working to keep others safe.
In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, Ontarians responded. Detectors sold out. And this Legislature acted.
Today, in memory of the Hawkins family, every Ontario home with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage must have a working detector.
Designating the calendar week beginning on November 1 as Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week aligns the need to check carbon monoxide detectors with the end of daylight saving time.
As winter approaches, I urge every Ontarian to take a moment that could save a lifetime. Test your detectors. Awareness and vigilance are our strongest tools. With a few simple steps, we can prevent tragedy and carry forward the Hawkins family’s legacy of service.
Ontario Veterans Award for Community Service Excellence
Mr. Ric Bresee: I’m proud to rise today to recognize two outstanding veterans from Hastings–Lennox and Addington who have received the Ontario Veterans Award for Community Service Excellence in 2025.
From Legion Branch 137, William “Jack” Magilton has been honoured for more than 33 years of remarkable service to the Royal Canadian Legion. At age 85, he continues to support veterans and families as Sergeant-at-Arms and service officer, and his leadership through programs like Buddy Check Coffee has strengthened the entire community.
Also, from Legion Branch 80 in Marmora, Stephen Jordan has been recognized. Stephen’s generosity, steady commitment and constant willingness to help others have made a meaningful difference in his community.
Speaker, Jack and Stephen remind us all that our veterans continue to serve long after their time in uniform.
I encourage all Legion branches across Ontario to nominate a deserving veteran next year so we can continue honouring these extraordinary contributions.
Please join me in congratulating this year’s recipients and thanking all veterans for their ongoing service to this province.
House sittings
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the government House leader on a point of order.
Hon. Steve Clark: I just want to advise the House that the night sitting scheduled for this evening has been cancelled.
Mr. John Fraser: Another fundraiser?
Interjections.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Are we starting already?
Introduction of visitors.
Introduction of Visitors
Ms. Laura Smith: It is my very great honour to welcome to the House Lisa Levin and her team from AdvantAge Ontario. For 100 years, AdvantAge has been the voice of the not-for-profit sector in Ontario.
And I want to give a big shout-out to Eric Frydman and the young Jewish lawyers’ group, who are going to be having a meeting with me later on today.
Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to welcome the members of the Ontario Dairy Council here today and invite everyone for some great food in 228.
Also, I’d like to welcome Paul Chatelain to the House today. He’s the CEO of the MICs Group.
Mr. John Fraser: Today I would like to welcome the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. Here today are the president, Kathleen Woodcock; the executive director, Stephanie Donaldson; and members of their executive council. I’ll be looking forward to meeting with them later this afternoon to talk about local matters in education.
Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: I want to welcome to the House today an undergraduate student in civil engineering at TMU, Konrad Sahaydakivsky, and his mother, Diane Kowalski, and his brother, Markus Sahaydakivsky.
He braved the cold in our winter campaign this year. Thank you, Konrad.
Hon. Laurie Scott: Great news from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock: Kawartha Dairy is in the building, in room 228.
Welcome, Mike Crowe—the third-generation owners of Kawartha Dairy.
Ms. Sandy Shaw: I want to welcome in the House members from ACORN Toronto and Hamilton ACORN.
Thank you for all the work that you do helping to people keep housed and remain in their housing.
MPP Catherine McKenney: I would like to welcome Ted Cohen from Ottawa Centre to Queen’s Park today. Ted is the CEO of Bess and Moe Greenberg Family Hillel Lodge and is here today with AdvantAge Ontario, the association representing not-for-profit and municipal long-term-care homes. Welcome.
Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I’d like to introduce amazing Alison McMurray today. She’s a great city builder and community leader, running two successful restaurants in downtown Toronto and doing so many things in the east end that we had to name a laneway after her.
Also, I’d like to welcome the Retired Teachers of Ontario.
Welcome to your House.
Ms. Aislinn Clancy: A shout-out to ACORN, who’s here today—and to my constituent and the president of OPSBA, Kathleen Woodcock, thank you for coming and advocating for education.
Hon. Zee Hamid: I’d like to recognize a special guest, Bob Izumi, who’s receiving a King’s coronation medal today. He’s joined by his family: Sandy, Lynn, Jocelyn, and Allan.
Independently, I also have a Halton school board trustee from Milton, Donna Danielli.
Everyone, welcome to your House.
Hon. Jill Dunlop: Today I’m pleased to welcome AdvantAge Ontario; specifically, my constituent Jane Sinclair. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Ms. Chandra Pasma: I’d like to join in welcoming the members of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, including the president, Kathleen Woodcock, and the executive director, Stephanie Donaldson.
Together, these trustees serve nearly 1.4 million public elementary and secondary students.
Thank you for your work. Members of the official opposition are looking forward to our meetings with you this afternoon.
MPP Mohamed Firin: I’d like to recognize Cheryl Farrow, CEO of OACETT, Stephanie Nuttall-Pesheau and Dave Terlizzi, all from the same organization.
I’d also like to recognize Dylan Attack from the Hamilton area.
Mr. Billy Pang: I would like to welcome my special guests from Markham–Unionville today.
From Unionville Home Society, we have the president and CEO, Abby Katz Star.
I’m also welcoming family members of Adelaide Lim, today’s page captain: her parent, Brian, and special grandparents, Edward and Glenna and José and Ruby, and her younger sister Scarlett.
Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Mr. Aris Babikian: Here with us today for the Lebanese flag-raising is Mr. Grégoire Bostajian, honorary consul general of Lebanon, alongside Abraham Elias and other members from the Lebanese community.
After the flag-raising, I will be hosting a small reception in room 247, and everyone is invited to attend the event.
Ms. Marit Stiles: This morning we are joined by the York South-Weston Tenant Union, ACORN, CUPE, and so many other housing advocates, as well as, of course, the education advocates we’ve already mentioned.
I want to thank you for your ongoing, tireless work and for being here today in defence of our democracy. Welcome to your House.
Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: We have Ada DiFlavio, who is here from Deer Park Villa in Grimsby. Welcome to Queen’s Park.
Question Period
Government accountability
Ms. Marit Stiles: CTV News has reported that executive pay jumped at many of the companies that received Skills Development Fund grants.
My question is to the Premier. What kind of due diligence was done to ensure that funds were used to train and pay workers—not C-suite bonuses?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Minister of Labour.
Hon. David Piccini: Important safeguards are in place to ensure that dollars go to train workers—and that’s what it goes towards. As I said, before, we have monthly visits, monthly reporting. We’ve now implemented financial audits—among a number of other measures to train workers. That’s what, at its core, this is about.
We’re making historic investments in supporting union-led training in every corner of Ontario to deliver on this Premier’s ambitious plan to build. It’s breaking down barriers, getting more people into apprenticeships, and leading to rewarding careers that get people a better job at the end of the day—all to support this historic build agenda. We have got to make sure we have the talent pipelines, and we’re supporting and working with labour partners to get the job done.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the Leader of the Opposition.
Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, the answer is none, I guess.
One numbered company received $9.8 million, which resulted in a 25% increase in their executive director’s salary. Just think of that for a minute: a 25% increase. I am meeting people every day in line at food banks who are having to make a choice between food and rent in this province. Hotel workers in Windsor were fighting just to get up to $18 an hour after they have been working for a hotel for 40 years. And this government is giving money out that’s going to executive bonuses like that? Just think about it.
I’m sure the companies are going to say they used other revenues to raise those salaries, but I’ve got to tell you, Speaker, people are not buying it.
The government does not know how those funds were spent.
I’m going to give the Premier an opportunity to fix things. Will he conduct a full investigation into whether or not that fund’s money went toward pay bumps for corporate executives?
Hon. David Piccini: The member answered her own question.
As I said, every agreement includes strict controls, financial monitoring, monthly reporting. We’ve put in place audits for every program. I think that’s a direct answer—audits for every program.
We’re going to keep supporting training in every corner of this province, to support mines in the north. They don’t support the mining sector, so it’s not surprising they’re not supporting the training that it supports.
Let’s talk about our build agenda. You’ve got to actually build houses, hospitals, highways—highways they ran against.
What happened when we took it to the people—Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass? They voted in every single member of the Peel region to the PC caucus, because they want to build too and leave behind a stronger Ontario for our next generation—a stronger Ontario that we can be proud of.
We’re supporting the talent pipeline to make sure we have the next generation to work in these critical fields.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Final supplementary.
Ms. Marit Stiles: So nothing to see here, eh, Speaker? Just a coincidence—proving once again they’re the party of bosses and C-suites, not workers in the province of Ontario.
The Premier is not willing to investigate where the money is going because he is just fine with it going to the CEOs.
He has made it very clear who has his ear, and it is not the unions and it is not the workers this minister is hiding behind. We know who it is: It’s the CEOs, it’s the lobbyists, it’s the big donors.
Back to the Premier: Why is it always an endless slush fund for Conservative insiders and CEOs, but cuts for everyone else?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Premier.
Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Madam Speaker: The so-called CEOs are the front-line labour folks, the men and women we’re training, the 750,000 people—and I don’t know if you missed the announcement at Vianode, investing $3.2 billion in St. Thomas, along with Volkswagen, along with hundreds and hundreds of other companies investing in Ontario, because we created the climate.
I don’t know if you heard the news, Madam Speaker, because they sure never heard the news: 350 million people in the US created 119,000 jobs; 16.3 million people in Ontario created 55,000 jobs—55,000 jobs with 16 million, compared to 350 million. That says it all.
If you were in charge, you couldn’t run a lemonade stand. You’d bankrupt the lemonade stand in about 10 seconds—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Question?
Government accountability
Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I’ll say again—at least my lemonade stand was legal. He’s talking tough over there. The Premier is talking tough right now.
But I’ll tell you one thing: I’ve worked hard my whole life, and I didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. So you can keep it coming—keep it coming.
It is good to see the Premier finally get up and answer a question in this House. We only sit in this House for a few weeks, and, despite that, last week the Premier decided to adjourn the House so that he could get his MPPs and himself to his fundraiser faster.
While people are lining up at food banks in the province of Ontario, what is this government’s priority? It is increasing limits for individual donations to political parties. Why—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Response?
Hon. Doug Ford: Do you know something, Madam Speaker? I wish my dad was here, who started from nothing in our basement—in the basement, on a Ping-Pong table—and grew a company. When I came into it, it was a small printing company—like 98% of companies around Canada. We worked 18 hours a day building that company. We grew that company to employ hundreds and hundreds of people—not just here; we expanded in the US.
You don’t have a clue how it is to start a business, to meet a payroll, to come up with a marketing plan, to create thousands of jobs. That’s your problem. That’s why you’ll never be Premier.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Supplementary—a reminder to ask your questions and give your responses through the Speaker.
Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Speaker.
Well, the government and the Premier can talk all they want like that, but their actions speak louder than words. They are bringing American-style politics into the province of Ontario.
At a time when people are so scared of losing their jobs, their homes, in the middle of a jobs disaster of this Premier’s own making, the Premier is only concerned about himself—all you have to do is listen to him right there.
I meet people every day who are terrified of losing their jobs, who are choosing between rent and food and having to line up at food banks because of skyrocketing rent.
Instead of doing things to solve these issues, why is it this Premier’s priority to see how much more money he can make off this grift?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the government House leader.
Hon. Steve Clark: Thank you, Speaker. Through you to the honourable member: We were sent to this place earlier this year with a historic third mandate, under the leadership of Premier Ford. As he said this morning, we’ve had tremendous success in creating jobs and providing economic prosperity.
Just in our own fall economic statement that the Minister of Finance tabled—over and over again, we’ve been able to put in a plan that’s going to go after Donald Trump and his tariffs and bring economic opportunity to our province.
Whether it’s the Ring of Fire, whether it’s small business support—each and every minister and each and every member, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is going to continue to stand up for Ontarians.
Again with the negativism—again with the partisanship over partnership.
We’re looking for partners, but we’re also looking to make sure that Ontario continues to be the best place in the G7 to invest.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Final supplementary?
Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, Ontarians will remember that last year this government, at this time of year, had to cancel their big fundraisers because of the greenbelt scandal. I think it’s pretty bold of them to bring it back while this new, latest scandal unfolds, while they still have a Minister of Labour over there who refuses to resign even though he is mired in a pay-to-play scandal.
They are still under criminal investigation by the RCMP.
The point is that people are losing confidence in this government because of these ongoing scandals.
Ontarians want a government they can trust, a government that cares whether they can make ends meet—not just about themselves and their donors and their insiders.
How is the Premier ever going to regain trust in the government if he’s only going to be focused again on his own donations?
Hon. Doug Ford: I feel bad responding all the time, Madam Speaker.
She says people are losing confidence.
The last Abacus poll showed us up 51%. You dropped down to single digits—single digits.
Her own caucus doesn’t even support her. They’re waiting for her to leave the Legislature any day, that’s pretty clear.
But do you know something, Madam Speaker? We’re going to create that opportunity. We’re going to fight Donald Trump every single day, to fight against the tariffs. We will never apologize to Donald Trump.
We live in the greatest jurisdiction in the world. We have the greatest people. We’re putting them to work.
We’re cutting the red tape. We’re cutting the regulations. My Minister of Energy is building the largest nuclear fleet—large-scale SMRs—in the entire world right now, which will create 20,000 jobs. We’re making sure that we’re on-shoring manufacturing. We’re passing a bill that municipalities and the province have to buy Ontario-made or Canadian-made.
That’s what we’re doing. You fight—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Question?
Government accountability
Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. I’m glad to hear he’s answering questions today.
So, another day, more skills development, Premier—something to look forward to.
Our responsibility here, Premier, though, is to make the right choices.
I was in Cobourg yesterday, and I was talking to some folks there. They were upset about Loyalist and George Brown shutting down their culinary programs, leaving students and families stranded. Their teachers were among the 10,000 who were fired by this Premier. It’s interesting that his minister talks about hospitality workers all the time and he has done this.
Does the Premier really believe that $27 million to bars and nightclubs, including $10 million to a strip club owner, is a better choice than investing in our colleges?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Minister of Colleges and Universities.
Hon. Nolan Quinn: I appreciate the opportunity to share the investments that we’re making into our colleges, those investments that the member opposite voted down, in budget 2025, including the billion dollars in new investments into our post secondary system—$750 million for 20,000 new STEM seats, $75 million for 7,800 new construction-related seats, as well as $56 million for new nursing seats and $55 million for new teaching seats.
That’s on top of the record-setting investment of $1.3 billion we invested into the sector last year to stabilize the sector, because of the unilateral decisions the federal Liberals did to the sector right across all of Canada.
We’ll continue to be there for the sector time and time again, when their federal counterparts continue to create chaos right across all of Canada.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the leader of the third party.
Mr. John Fraser: « Langue au chat », Premier?
Our choices define us.
Last week, nurses were here at Queen’s Park. We were all talking to them. What they were telling us was that people don’t have enough access to primary care.
There are hospitals that have been starved by this government. They need $1 billion.
Imagine what that $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund would have done for our hospitals, would have done for health care.
Does the Premier think giving tens of millions of dollars to a company that was under a forensic audit and is now under an audit by the OPP is more important than investing in the health care that people need?
Hon. Nolan Quinn: I will repeat: $56 million—to invest into 2,200 new nursing seats right across the whole province, including in Ottawa, at Carleton University, which I know that member attends quite frequently, because he’s from Ottawa.
Our operating grants have gone up to $5.8 billion. That’s a record high for our operating grants. That’s up 12% since 2023-24.
We’re going to continue making those strategic investments, which the Liberals will keep voting down. They say they care about the economy, but their vote speaks otherwise.
We’ll continue making the record investments that we’re doing, whether it’s the $750 million into 20,000 new STEM seats right across the whole province—that’s on top of the 70,000 STEM grads who are graduating on an annual basis from our post-secondary institutions.
We’ll continue to be there for the sector, while they continue to vote against every single dollar we invest into the sector.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Final supplementary.
Mr. John Fraser: It is all about choices.
The Premier knows we have one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the country—it’s the highest it has been in decades, and the Premier has no plan. What he says to the youth is, “Just try harder.” Perhaps he could take his own advice.
Last week, the government and the Premier voted down a plan for young people—a plan to support small business and to get young people started on their career. Again, that’s a juxtaposition.
Does the Premier believe that shovelling millions and millions and millions of dollars out the door, with no strings attached, to insiders and lobbyists and donors, endorsers—does he think that’s a better choice than investing in our young people?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Labour.
Hon. David Piccini: I’ll tell you about our plan—our plan to support incredible training in every corner of this province, union-led training. We know, according to the Ontario Construction Secretariat—higher completion rates, better job placements. And the stats don’t lie. We’ve seen record numbers of youth entering apprenticeships between the ages of 15 and 24, under this Premier’s leadership.
You’ve got to have a plan to build. You’ve got to have a plan to lower taxes, to attract investments into Ontario, and then have a talent pipeline to support it. That’s what this Premier is doing in every corner of the province.
Let’s look at some stories—Dylan, IBEW Local 120. “The Indigenous training program at IBEW gave me the skills to be safe and productive on-site. With” Skills Development Fund “funding from the Ontario government, I had access to high-quality training that prepared me for my apprenticeship.” Do you know where he’s going to be working? In one of our world-class energy facilities, a new nuclear plant, an SMR plant—all under this Premier, to build a stronger Ontario.
Academic testing
Mr. John Fraser: The Skills Development Fund is just something that’s really an analogy for this government in terms of what they want to hide and what they won’t disclose and how they try to manipulate information.
They won’t release the results of the skills development test scores because they don’t want us to see what’s really going on. We’ve got to dig and dig and dig.
And now students and teachers and parents aren’t getting the EQAO results—because the government is hiding it for another reason. It’s all under a shroud of secrecy.
So I guess the simple question is: Why won’t you just release the scores?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Minister of Education.
Hon. Paul Calandra: Last week, I explained that I was not releasing the scores. I delayed the release of the scores because I wanted to do a very thorough and deep dive, board by board, to see what’s working and what’s not working and come forward.
Do you know who hasn’t cared at all about EQAO in September, in October and in November, and only found out or was even concerned—was the opposition. As soon as they heard it on the news—then, “It’s a big, huge problem. There must be a conspiracy to try and hide it.”
This is the problem with the opposition in the province of Ontario. They’ve become nothing but a joke—one that hasn’t got a clue what they stand for, the other one—you can’t pull the arrogance out of the Liberal Party; it is ingrained in them. They think that making fun of a time when we’re facing tariffs brought on by our American friends—is a time for jokes and poems.
What we’ll do is focus on bringing the province out of a challenge brought on by the Americans, making sure our students, parents and teachers are supported.
We will not listen to the nonsense and arrogance of the Liberal and NDP parties, who are—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The leader of the third party.
Mr. John Fraser: Nice try, Minister.
I was speaking to a supervisory officer in September, and he told me about this.
I think the Premier needs to get a minister who can walk and chew gum.
There was nothing preventing him from sending those to the people who needed them: the kids, the educators, their parents. So much effort goes into that.
And you’re willy-nilly—like, “Oh, I’m just holding on to them because I want to look good.”
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Through the Speaker.
Mr. John Fraser: Can you not walk and chew gum?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Through the Speaker.
Mr. John Fraser: Do you not know that they need them? Do you not know that parents and educators need those for the kids, and you can use them at the same time?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Through the Speaker.
Mr. John Fraser: Why can’t the Premier get a minister who can walk and chew gum?
Hon. Paul Calandra: The last time they were released later than this, it was under the Liberal Party. So I suggest he might look back.
The problem that we have in the province of Ontario today is 15 years of Liberal mismanagement of the economy. They didn’t build hospitals. They didn’t build roads. They didn’t build transit and transportation. They left us with the highest energy rates in the entire country. Our manufacturing sector was decimated. Our education system was on its heels. Our students weren’t learning. It has taken us seven years to put things back on track.
We have fought a global health and economic pandemic.
Now we’re fighting a global trade war brought on by the Americans. And do you know what we’re doing? We’re winning. And do you know why we’re winning? Because we aren’t listening to the arrogance of the Liberals and the stupidity of the NDP.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Final supplementary.
Mr. John Fraser: You’ve had seven and a half years, and you made quite a mess.
That’s why you’re withholding the EQAO results, right, Minister?
That’s why the minister is withholding them. He’s hiding them.
Is he hiding them because our class sizes have grown too large and that’s affecting our kids in school? Or is it because this government has withheld about $850 million a year from boards, that they have to find somewhere else for special education? Or is it because there’s a mental health crisis in our schools that this government is not looking after? Or is it just simply because we know we don’t have enough adults in schools?
What is the minister—or the Premier—hiding?
Why won’t they release the scores of the Skills Development Fund and the EQAO results?
Hon. Paul Calandra: This is a member who, while in government, closed 600 schools and with who, while in government, students had to suffer through strikes.
It is the former minister who was able to conduct and get deals with our teachers so that the kids can stay in school, learning.
Under the Liberals, our students were suffering; under Conservatives, we are making progress on those scores. We’re not releasing them. Do you know why? Because we want to do something with the data—to make sure that they can do even better.
Do you know why we can do work and chew gum and walk at the same time? Because we’re Progressive Conservatives who do one thing: focus on the economy, focus on making Ontario better for future generations.
While they worked for 15 long, hard, arduous years for the people of the province of Ontario, destroying everything, with nothing to show for accomplishment, we in just seven years have got subways built. We got long-term-care homes built. We got hospitals being built. We put a million people back to work. Do you know why? Because we’re focused on what matters to the people of Ontario. And the Liberals are focused on their own internal arrogance and fighting.
Tenant protection
MPP Jamie West: My question is for the Premier.
Tenants need rent control in order to stay housed.
Concerned citizens have been calling my office non-stop about Bill 60’s attack on renters.
There have been parents—like Kristiina Raisanan. Apparently, Kristiina and her three children have such a good deal that her landlord has tried to evict her several times.
There are also seniors—like Lori S. Lori is scared she won’t be able to remain in the home that she has been renting for 14 years. She’s so scared that she asked me not to use her last name. Lori said, “Without rent protection, I’d be homeless.”
My question is, will the Premier stop his vendetta against good renters like Lori and Kristiina, revoke Bill 60, and bring in real rent control?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Hon. Rob Flack: Let’s stick to the facts. Rental costs are coming down. I think we all know that. Let’s stop stoking fear, and let’s stick to what the truth is:
—40-month lows in Toronto, the lowest rents now in 40 months;
—51,000 new rental starts in the last three years, a record in this province;
—nine months over nine months, year over year, 17,000 new starts in this province, up 38%.
Another key fact, thanks to the Minister of Finance—HST off purpose-built rentals.
We’ve eliminated red tape, and we’ve increased fines for bad landlords.
Not one protection is being altered in this bill. Supply creates competition. Competition creates lower rents. Lower rents create affordability. The plan is working. Bill 60 makes sense. We’ve saved and protected every protection in this legislation.
Speaker, we’re going to stick to the plan.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member from Sudbury.
MPP Jamie West: I don’t know what magical world the minister is living in, but rent is not coming down anywhere in Ontario.
Question back to the Premier—I want to tell you about Mikayla Clancy. She’s a mother in my riding, and she’s currently on maternity leave. She and her family have been renting for 10 years. Mikayla’s family got a new landlord a little while ago. They’ve already made numerous attempts to bring in over-rent-control increases on her family.
Mikayla said, “Doug Ford’s new legislation is terrifying for a mother on maternity leave.
“It would give my landlord the power to put my little family out on the street.
“They could price us out of the home that we’ve lived in, longer than they’ve owned it.”
My question: Will the Premier protect families like Mikayla’s by revoking Bill 60 and bringing in real rent control?
Hon. Rob Flack: Bill 60 protects everyone—landlords and tenants. It brings balance back to the system.
Let’s talk about what the Landlord and Tenant Board has been doing under the Attorney General. We have doubled adjudicators, from 40 to 80. With $26 million invested in back office administration, to ensure that the backlogs get fixed, we have reduced backlogs—the bottom line—by 80%.
We are protecting tenants—all protections in place remain in place after this legislation.
We are also open for more small landlords to have the confidence to rent out their buildings.
A small percentage of this entire landlord-tenant situation are with bad actors—the vast majority respect the rents, respect their agreements.
We are creating balance in the system.
Think about the small operator, the small provider, that now has confidence to rent out more property.
And guess what? The bottom line is: We’re creating capacity; rents are coming down.
Seniors
While this government continues to shovel $2.5 billion of taxpayer money to friends and insiders through the Skills Development Fund scandal, seniors across this province are living in fear—fear of hunger, fear of eviction, and fear of ending up on the streets.
I hear from seniors in my riding every single day who are struggling to afford groceries, to pay their rent, and to keep the heat on. These are people who built this province, who worked their entire lives, who deserve dignity and security in their twilight years.
So my question to the minister is simple: Does he believe that funnelling millions to well-connected insiders is the best use of taxpayer money? Does he believe this is how Ontario’s seniors deserve to be treated?
Minister—through the Speaker—will you stand up for the seniors you’re supposed to represent and demand that this Premier stop the gravy train to his friends?
Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: Thank you for raising that important question.
The Premier believes that protecting Ontario is protecting seniors in Ontario.
The Liberals want to tax-hike everywhere.
Our government has not increased a single tax since we came into power. Instead, we are putting more money into seniors’ pockets. We introduced free dental care for low-income seniors before the federal government did. We are the only government that doubled the GAINS payment to seniors during tough times.
By making life affordable for seniors, we are protecting Ontario.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Toronto–St. Paul’s.
Minister, you’ve heard clearly what seniors in this province are facing: declining quality of life, rising costs, and a government that keeps turning its back on them.
Seniors are asking for stability, dignity and support, but this government seems more interested in circling the wagons around the labour minister.
So I’ll ask you again, Minister: How can you justify prioritizing the reputation of a cabinet colleague over improving the quality of life for Ontario seniors? Who comes first—your fellow minister or the people of this province who built this province and deserve better?
Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: We stood against the Liberal-NDP carbon tax and their increase to the gas tax.
Our seniors’ public transit tax credit can save a senior up to $450.
The seniors care at home tax credit can save up to $1,500—for seniors to stay at home.
This means more money in the pockets of our seniors.
We are protecting seniors and protecting Ontario.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Next question? I recognize the member for Mississauga East–Cooksville.
MPP Silvia Gualtieri: My question is for the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation.
Every day, thousands of drivers travel between Mississauga and downtown Toronto for work, school or medical appointments—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I apologize to the member, but you cannot ask a question to the parliamentary assistant. You can direct it to the minister.
MPP Silvia Gualtieri: Thank you. Should I start again, Speaker?
My question is for PA Bresee—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Unfortunately, we’ll have to move on.
Next question?
Housing
Ms. Catherine Fife: This question is for the Premier.
Bill 60 will further compromise the fragile housing that so many Ontarians are desperately holding on to.
When this government callously removed rent control, this drove people to food banks; so many renters experienced a serious decline in healthy food and quality of life.
When you under-resourced the Landlord and Tenant Board, you failed both tenants and small landlords.
With a failing economy, when will you realize that housing instability in this province is actually causing economic instability as well?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Attorney General.
Hon. Doug Downey: We are, in fact, creating capacity within the system to provide more rental spaces for tenants who need them and for people who are coming to our province.
Madam Speaker, it’s interesting that the member opposite says that we’re under-resourcing.
When we doubled the number of adjudicators from 40 full-time plus all of the part-time to 86 full-time plus all of the part-time, that member voted against it.
When we put $26 million on the table to rebuild a back office system that the Liberals had left derelict, that member voted against that.
When we brought forward change to create capacity, to make sure that the system is working well—and bringing down the backlog by over 80% to date—that member voted against it.
So I don’t know what that member is talking about, in terms of creating capacity and in terms of investing. This is the only government that has done that in the last 20 years.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Waterloo.
Ms. Catherine Fife: When this government broke the Landlord and Tenant Board—they’re now using the dysfunction that it created to justify weakening tenant rights. That’s what’s going on and, as a minister of the crown, you should damn well know that—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I will ask the member to withdraw.
Ms. Catherine Fife: Withdraw.
Bill 60 actively works to displace people, all while claiming it will create housing. Ontario does not need more encampments.
News flash for this government: We are talking about people’s homes. When rents rise unexpectedly, renters, seniors, families with small children have few choices.
Choice is only for the very privileged, apparently, in Ontario.
How much do they need to donate before you pay attention to the housing mess?
And will you discard Bill 60 and start at a place of dignity for all Ontarians on the housing file, which—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Attorney General.
Hon. Doug Downey: It’s a real disservice to the constituents—both their constituents and everybody else—to fearmonger and to say that things are a way that they are not.
It is simply not true that Bill 60 takes away any rights. Quite frankly, it creates rights for both landlords and tenants by making the system function more effectively.
We are investing in people; we are investing dollars. We are investing in changes of systems to make sure that tenants get a chance to have their matters heard at the tribunal faster than they currently were.
She talks about “broke the board”—she would “woke” the board, and who knows where that would go?
Consumer protection
Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier.
Madam Speaker, this fall, instead of helping families with the cost of living, the government has slipped changes into its latest red tape bill that open the door to loyalty reward points expiring with the passage of time.
Let’s be clear: When families save up their points for flights, for groceries, for Christmas presents and the government changes the rules so that those points can quietly expire, that’s not cutting red tape; that’s a sneaky tax increase on middle-class families.
Madam Speaker, why is this Premier using a so-called red tape bill to quietly pick families’ pockets by raiding their loyalty points, and will he admit that letting points expire with the passage of time is just another backdoor tax grab on middle-class families, who are already stretched?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Minister of Finance.
Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Madam Speaker, I didn’t think that was a rookie MPP, because he was around the last time—he has seen what we did to cut the gas tax, to make life more affordable for people. And in the May budget, we made it permanent.
Madam Speaker, where was he when we cut $11.7 billion of taxes and fees—almost $12 billion—for all families across Ontario? Where was he when he had the opportunity to vote for that tax relief and the fee relief for families and workers across Ontario? He voted no. So he obviously doesn’t support families and workers in Ontario.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Member for Orléans.
Mr. Stephen Blais: No family in Ontario was asking for weaker protection on their reward points. There were no mussitations during the election campaign—nobody campaigned on it. Nobody raised it at the door—no kitchen table conversations, no town hall meetings. There was not a hint, not a murmur, not a whisper that loyalty reward points would be on the table.
This is a secret tax grab that is not about protecting Ontario.
This change didn’t appear in this bill by accident.
The only people who benefit when points suddenly expire are big companies and the well-connected lobbyists who represent them.
So if the Premier didn’t campaign on it, if Ontarians aren’t asking for it, if it doesn’t protect Ontario, why is the Premier stripping these protections away?
Will the Premier admit that letting reward points expire with the passage of time is a backdoor tax grab on middle-class—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Minister of Finance.
Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: I know the member would know a little bit about Liberal history. Let’s go back to when they were in power for 15 years.
They raised the employer health tax, making it tougher for small business and medium-sized businesses.
They raised driver’s licence fees, sticker fees.
They raised taxes on alcohol—wine tax, beer tax.
They taxed everything they could tax. And do you know what they got? They got a higher cost of living for everyone in Ontario.
And by the way, they had deficit after deficit—into a downgrade.
This province has reversed that, putting more money back into businesses and into consumers, and getting credit rating upgrades—at the time to build this economy.
Highway improvement
MPP Silvia Gualtieri: My question is for the Minister of Transportation.
Every day, thousands of drivers travel between Mississauga and downtown Toronto for work, school and medical appointments. For them, the Gardiner Expressway is not optional; it is a critical connection that keeps our regional economy moving. So when construction on the Gardiner was set to last three years, communities in my riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville were worried about longer commute times.
For years, the previous Liberal government talked about fixing congestion, but the results were always the same—they left commuters in Mississauga sitting in gridlock.
Speaker, under the Premier’s leadership, our government is delivering results.
Can the minister outline how our government stepped in to finish construction ahead of
schedule so that drivers travelling between Mississauga and Toronto can finally see relief on their daily commute?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington.
Mr. Ric Bresee: I want to thank the member for her question.
Speaker, there’s a reason why the Liberals and the NDP lost every single seat in Mississauga. There’s a reason why the current Liberal leader, who was the mayor of Mississauga, lost her own riding. Where was that? That was Mississauga East–Cooksville. Why? It’s because the Liberals and the NDP just don’t get it. They’ve even suggested tearing down the Gardiner entirely or slapping tolls on it.
Speaker, there are over 140,000 drivers who rely on the Gardiner every single day. The Liberals and the NDP wanted to make life harder for 140,000 people. That’s simply unacceptable.
Unlike the opposition, we have a plan to tackle gridlock and to build faster.
That’s why our government stepped in and invested $73 million to accelerate construction on the Gardiner. And it worked. We completed it in a year and a half, 50% of the time—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The member for Mississauga East–Cooksville.
MPP Silvia Gualtieri: Thanks to this investment, thousands of Mississauga drivers now save up to 22 minutes per trip when travelling to and from Toronto.
Speaker, there’s a clear difference between our PC government and the previous Liberal government.
They sat by as Mississauga’s population grew. Instead of building for the future, they stuck with the status quo as gridlock got worse.
When I was door-knocking in the last election, people in my riding told me how out of touch Bonnie Crombie and her Liberals are. I heard how Bonnie Crombie questioned if we should even be building roads.
Clearly, voters rejected the Liberal and NDP policies that would have made life worse.
Under the Premier’s leadership, we are getting it done and improving life for commuters in Mississauga and across Ontario.
Speaker, can the minister please explain the impact of the Liberals’ 15-year—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington.
Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the wonderful member from Mississauga East–Cooksville.
For 15 years, under the Liberals, nothing got built—and the impact of that? Drivers sat in traffic, families lost time, and businesses paid the price, as gridlock—we know that gridlock now costs our economy $56 billion each year.
For this government, under this Premier, doing nothing is not an option.
That’s why we worked with the city of Toronto to cut the Gardiner construction time in half. By delivering the project a year and a half sooner, we’ve saved $273 million in gridlock impacts.
The previous government let the Gardiner crumble. They ignored the requests of the city of Toronto.
Unlike the Liberals and the NDP, we worked in partnership with the city of Toronto. We invested the $73 million to speed up construction, with 24-hour construction.
The Liberals and the NDP may—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Question?
Tenant protection
Ms. Chandra Pasma: Seniors and families at 2400 Carling Avenue in my riding are fighting an above-guideline rent increase for building renovations that weren’t even necessary. They’ve waited months for a hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board. They were denied an in-person hearing even though many of the tenants don’t have access to the Internet. Tight budgets mean they’re going up against a corporate landlord without legal representation.
Instead of helping tenants like them, the government is stripping away their rights and making it easier for landlords to evict them.
Will the Premier stand with seniors and families and vote no on Bill 60?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Attorney General.
Hon. Doug Downey: In fact, I would like to inform the other member that what is happening is that we’re making the board more efficient so the tenants can have their hearings, so the tenants can have the protections of the increased penalties to bad landlords. We are creating efficiencies within the system so that everybody can have their day in front of the tribunal.
This fearmongering—that somehow there is a new tool to evict somebody—is simply not fair; it is simply not true.
The reality is, those who don’t pay their rent will be subject to hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board. It’s as simple as that.
And for those spreading disinformation that you don’t need to pay your rent, that is categorically false—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I’ll caution the member on using questionable language.
Back to the member for Ottawa West–Nepean.
Ms. Chandra Pasma: I don’t think evicting seniors more quickly is a record to be proud of.
In Parkwood Hills, Minto is making tenants pay an above-guideline rent increase to demolish a pool that was only condemned because Minto didn’t maintain it.
In Accora Village, Ferguslea is imposing an above-guideline rent increase for repairs due to chronic neglect. One tenant living on a disability pension will see her rent increase $88 a month.
Bill 60 will do nothing to make housing more affordable for these tenants or crack down on abusive AGIs, but it will make it easier for corporate landlords to evict them.
Will the Premier stand with students, young families, seniors and newcomers and vote no on Bill 60?
Hon. Doug Downey: We are creating housing stock. Rental stock is a very important piece of the puzzle—
Interjection.
Hon. Doug Downey: When small landlords—like the member who’s heckling me is a landlord—come forward and they can’t afford the input costs because the city of Toronto increases property taxes, because the cost of everything goes up, there is a process for that. The landlords don’t have free rein to increase rent. They have to go through a process.
Madam Speaker, we know the small landlords, individuals who are opening up their homes for housing stock—we want to encourage more of that. That’s what brings down rent.
The opposition just wants to fearmonger and tell people that things are happening that simply are not.
We will continue on this path to make sure that the housing stock is available and expanded.
Immigrants’ skills
Mr. Rob Cerjanec: Speaker, there have been hundreds of cancelled Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program applicants protesting outside the Legislature the past few weeks. These are skilled workers who left everything behind and are looking for a fair shot. The processing time for these applications was supposed to be around 150 days, but many were left waiting for more than two years and lost their work permits in the process. Instead of dealing with the individual cases, fixing the program and rooting out fraud, it appears the government may have thrown out legitimate applicants. Does this sound familiar?
Speaker, why are hard-working and skilled immigrants being punished while the government continues to benefit those closest to it?
Will the Premier commit to reviewing each individual application and providing fairness and certainty for those who have waited far too long?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Labour.
Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, I would encourage that member to pick up the phone and speak with his federal counterpart.
Ontario operates an immigration nominee program that was cut in half this past year, meaning we have fewer spots to nominate.
This Premier will continue to take steps to nominate workers who will contribute to our economic engine, like the thousands of health care workers we have already nominated to join the front lines of our health care service.
We’ve worked with the federal government to expand allocation, expand our nomination selection, which I look forward to doing in 2026.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Ajax.
Mr. Rob Cerjanec: There seems to be a theme with this government: If you’re on the friends-and-family plan, you move to the front of the line, regardless of how well you scored.
But people like Ruhan, who came here in 2018, completed IT and aerospace manufacturing engineering technology programs at public colleges here in Ontario and spent the last three years manufacturing high-precision aerospace, defence and nuclear components—Ruhan was failed by this government. He followed the rules. He waited for more than a year. And because his work permit expired, he had to leave his job mid-shift, after contributing to Ontario for years.
The government says we need more people working in the skilled trades, but then it turns its back on those very same people.
Speaker, will the Premier commit to fairness for rule-following skilled trades applicants and the employers who need them by reviewing all applications, so that any legitimate cases are not punished?
Hon. Doug Ford: Madam Speaker, I understand he’s a new MPP, so I’ll give him a little leeway here.
Does he understand that immigration comes through the federal government? Does he understand that myself and four colleagues last night, Sunday, while he was watching the football games, were out talking to those same people who were outside Friday? They realize it’s the federal government.
I’ll be talking to the Prime Minister about this, along with all the other Premiers. We’re sending a letter to the Prime Minister, to fix the problem on immigration.
These people came over. They’ve been trained. I’ve talked to owners of companies. They’re hard-working people. And all of a sudden, two years later, the federal government pulls the plug on them.
Is there a reason why colleagues like Wab Kinew, Premier Eby and other Premiers across the country are all uniting to write a letter, to talk to the Prime Minister, to stop the nonsense?
We need these hard-working people. That’s the difference. I’m out there talking to them—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Question?
Energy policies
Ms. Natalie Pierre: My question is for the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries.
Speaker, people across Ontario are worried about our economy. They see rising global tensions. They see threats from Donald Trump that could hit our steel plants, our factories and our supply chains. They know our jobs depend on strong, stable and affordable power. When companies face pressure, families are put at risk. When energy costs go up, plants slow down. And when the grid is weak, investment moves elsewhere.
That’s why our government must act now. We need a plan that keeps power reliable. We need to protect jobs, protect industries, and keep Ontario strong.
Speaker, can the associate minister explain how our government is protecting Ontario from global economic threats by securing and strengthening our energy grid?
Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: I want to thank the member for Burlington for her tireless advocacy for workers and businesses in her communities and across the province.
She is absolutely right; there are very real cost pressures. But we are taking action to protect those jobs, protect those industries, and address those pressures.
Two weeks ago, I was at the Max Aicher steel plant in Hamilton. It’s an energy-intensive company that supports hundreds of workers and jobs in that area and is looking to expand. They reinforced how crucial affordable, reliable, secure power is for their ongoing operations and also their future plans.
That is why we have taken action to re-contract at a 30% discount the bad sweetheart deals that we saw the former Liberal government sign.
It’s why we’ve taken action to bring forward the largest competitive energy procurement in Canadian history—and expanding that up to 7,500 megawatts—to keep costs down, to focus on driving reductions in energy prices for the people of this province, as well as introducing efficiency programs to put real money back into the pockets of these entrepreneurs who are able to invest in the people and in products—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Burlington.
Ms. Natalie Pierre: Thank you to the associate minister for his response.
Speaker, people remember the dangerous state the previous Liberal government left our energy system in—sky-high bills, a weakened grid, and industries warned that they could not keep their doors open. Those choices hurt workers. They pushed jobs out of our province. And they left families paying the price.
Today, our government is doing the opposite. We’re keeping power stable. We’re keeping costs down. And we’re giving companies the confidence they need to grow right here in Ontario.
Speaker, can the associate minister explain how strengthening Ontario’s energy system is helping to protect jobs and keep our province competitive in the face of global threats?
Hon. Sam Oosterhoff: The member is absolutely right; we saw skyrocketing energy prices in this province, under the Liberals. We saw massive increases in electricity costs, and that drove hundreds of thousands of jobs out of the province.
You can see the success of our approach last month alone—creating 55,000 jobs, building on to the over one million new jobs that have been created since we came to office.
How is this possible? Well, one of the ways that we’ve been able to do that is by realizing cost savings in our energy system, by re-contracting, by focusing on a competitive tension in our system that keeps costs down for ratepayers. As a result of that, we saved $23.1 billion in system costs that would otherwise, under the Liberal plan, have been carried by ratepayers—saving ratepayers $12.2 billion in electricity system costs, avoiding the build-out of some of that otherwise very expensive new generation, and keeping rates more affordable.
We saw the failed Liberal approach. We can’t go back to that.
We’re going to be focused on continually protecting jobs, protecting industry, and protecting the pocketbooks of the hard-working people of this province.
Housing
MPP Robin Lennox: My question is for the Premier.
Ontario is already in the midst of a jobs disaster, with record unemployment rates and people all across Ontario struggling to make ends meet.
And now we see you leading us further into a housing disaster.
Ontario already has the lowest housing starts on record, the highest number of people on the wait-list for social housing of any province in Canada, and 80,000 people experiencing homelessness.
With Bill 60, you are now targeting tenants and making it easier for people to be evicted. There is nowhere for people to go.
Will you withdraw Bill 60 or will you double down on Ontario’s failed housing policy and lead us further into a housing disaster?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Hon. Rob Flack: No, we will not.
The rental market is one of the bright lights in the housing continuum today in this province. As I said earlier, we’re seeing increased supply, which is creating competition, which is lowering rents, making it more affordable for people to live in their homes.
Speaker, as the Attorney General said today, it is about balance. We’ve increased fines to the bad actors, the bad landlords. It’s about bringing balance and speeding up the process of adjudication.
This bill is good; it’s solid. It brings stability to the rental market in this province.
Think about the small landlord who needs to have that income, that rent, to pay their mortgage, to make their car payment, to take their kids to soccer, to put food on the table.
The bottom line: This is what this is doing—it’s bringing balance for everybody in the rental market. The plan is working. We are committed to continuing on this path.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member from Hamilton Centre.
MPP Robin Lennox: I quite literally gave birth this month, and it still wasn’t as painful as hearing this housing minister say that this bill is going to bring stability to our housing market.
In my riding, people who rent their homes are paying 50%, sometimes 80% of their monthly income on rent. They cannot afford any more failed housing policy from this government.
By every metric, you are failing Ontarians, with rental rates soaring, social housing wait-lists growing, and rates of unsheltered homelessness going up each and every year. Your policies have led us into a housing disaster.
Will you take this opportunity to reverse course, withdraw Bill 60, and actually work with us so that we can help you deliver housing policy that will be effective in ensuring safe, dignified and affordable housing for all?
Hon. Rob Flack: Madam Speaker, again, it takes too long and it costs too much to get homes built in this province. But in the rental sector, we’ve seen success because of the conditions we’ve put in place to see positive results.
That being said, I want to emphasize again: 17,000 new starts over nine months—nine months versus nine months of last year, up 38%—51,000 new starts.
Why can the opposition not understand that supply creates competition, creates lower rents? In 40 months, it’s the lowest ever in this province—record rental starts.
What don’t you understand about the program?
We don’t build the houses; we create the supply.
Competition is there. Affordability is in place. We’re going to continue on this path. Why? Because it’s the right path to follow.
Government accountability
Ms. Stephanie Bowman: The Treasury Board supposedly has a role in ensuring our tax dollars are properly spent. In their own words—they provide leadership that supports prudent financial and risk management, transparency, accountability and helps to ensure value for money in government spending.
And yet, with the Skills Development Fund, we have hundreds of millions of dollars going out the door to applicants with failing scores. And we have a Treasury Board audit that found issues with a recipient, but they still kept getting money.
So, through you, Speaker, to the President of the Treasury Board: Do you have responsibility for ensuring value for money in the Skills Development Fund—and if not, will you admit that you’re failing on your mandate?
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Labour.
Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, I’ll tell you where we get—
Interjections.
Hon. David Piccini: I’m sorry, Speaker.
I’ll tell you where we get value for money. We get value for money when we fund union training halls in every corner of this province—carpenters, LIUNA, pipefitters, steam fitters.
They don’t care about that, because they don’t want to build. They don’t want to build new nuclear. They don’t want to build the new hospitals.
We recognize that to get the next generation—to get value for money, we invest in that training. The Ontario Construction Secretariat said it leads to higher apprenticeship, higher completion rates, better job placement for its employers.
It’s not surprising that that member doesn’t support it; I’ve never seen her on a single union training site anywhere in Ontario. I’d invite her out.
Join me, visit those sites, visit those places, and see the world-class training to ensure we have the next generation of apprentices—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Don Valley West.
Ms. Stephanie Bowman: Speaker, we have the President of the Treasury Board, who won’t stand up and talk about her mandate, who won’t take accountability for a $2-billion program that’s being ineffectively administered. The taxpayers are not getting good value nor good results.
So that raises a question, not just for the failed Skills Development Fund program, but for all government programs: If the Treasury Board has no oversight over how the Ministry of Labour spends money, does it have any oversight over how any other taxpayer dollars are spent?
Through you, Speaker: Will the President of the Treasury Board demand the resignation of the labour minister and a serious revamp of the broken program?
Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, what failed was 15 years of Liberal mismanagement that led to the highest taxes, a debt, a stranglehold, on everyday Ontarians; a record of no building—no building public transit. They wanted to close nuclear plants. They wanted to shut down manufacturing plants. We saw 300,000 jobs flee this province.
Now, under the leadership of this Premier, we’re investing in training in every corner, like the iron workers at Local 759, whom I visited up in Thunder Bay—they’re excited, thanks to the investments of this Premier, expanding training opportunities—or, of course, in any other local in every corner, like 506, who are investing in the next generation of training, breaking down barriers for young men and women to enter meaningful apprenticeships. What’s the result? A record high in a decade—a decade high of success for young apprentices—
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): If I could have the attention of the House before we move on to deferred votes, I just want to congratulate the member from Hamilton Centre; I had no idea the baby was born.
Congratulations on your new baby.
Applause.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Baby Remy? I can’t wait to see the baby in the House. Congratulations.
Deferred Votes
Time allocation
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): We have a deferred vote on government notice of motion number 11 relating to allocation of time on the following bills: Bill 68,
An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes; Bill 27,
An Act to enact the Geologic Carbon Storage Act, 2025 and to amend various Acts with respect to wildfires, resource safety and surveyors; and Bill 46,
An Act to amend various Acts.
Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.
The division bells rang from 1138 to 1143.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Members, please take your seats.
On November 20, 2025, Mr. Clark moved government notice of motion number 11 relating to allocation of time on Bills 68, 27 and 46.
All those in favour of Mr. Clark’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Ayes
Allsopp, Tyler
Anand, Deepak
Babikian, Aris
Bailey, Robert
Bethlenfalvy, Peter
Bouma, Will
Bresee, Ric
Calandra, Paul
Cho, Raymond Sung Joon
Ciriello, Monica
Clark, Steve
Coe, Lorne
Cooper, Michelle
Crawford, Stephen
Cuzzetto, Rudy
Darouze, George
Denault, Billy
Dixon, Jess
Dowie, Andrew
Downey, Doug
Dunlop, Jill
Firin, Mohamed
Flack, Rob
Ford, Doug
Gallagher Murphy, Dawn
Gualtieri, Silvia
Hamid, Zee
Hardeman, Ernie
Holland, Kevin
Jones, Sylvia
Jones, Trevor
Jordan, John
Kanapathi, Logan
Kerzner, Michael S.
Khanjin, Andrea
Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia
Leardi, Anthony
Lecce, Stephen
McCarthy, Todd J.
Mulroney, Caroline
Oosterhoff, Sam
Pang, Billy
Parsa, Michael
Piccini, David
Pierre, Natalie
Pinsonneault, Steve
Pirie, George
Quinn, Nolan
Racinsky, Joseph
Rae, Matthew
Rickford, Greg
Riddell, Brian
Rosenberg, Bill
Sabawy, Sheref
Sandhu, Amarjot
Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh
Sarrazin, Stéphane
Saunderson, Brian
Scott, Laurie
Smith, Dave
Smith, David
Smith, Graydon
Smith, Laura
Tangri, Nina
Thanigasalam, Vijay
Thompson, Lisa M.
Tibollo, Michael A.
Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.
Vickers, Paul
Wai, Daisy
Williams, Charmaine A.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): All those opposed to Mr. Clark’s motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Nays
Armstrong, Teresa J.
Begum, Doly
Bell, Jessica
Blais, Stephen
Bourgouin, Guy
Bowman, Stephanie
Brady, Bobbi Ann
Burch, Jeff
Cerjanec, Rob
Clancy, Aislinn
Collard, Lucille
Fairclough, Lee
Fife, Catherine
Fraser, John
French, Jennifer K.
Gates, Wayne
Gélinas, France
Gilmour, Alexa
Glover, Chris
Gretzky, Lisa
Hazell, Andrea
Hsu, Ted
Kernaghan, Terence
Lennox, Robin
McCrimmon, Karen
McKenney, Catherine
McMahon, Mary-Margaret
Pasma, Chandra
Rakocevic, Tom
Sattler, Peggy
Schreiner, Mike
Shamji, Adil
Shaw, Sandy
Smyth, Stephanie
Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)
Stiles, Marit
Tabuns, Peter
Tsao, Jonathan
Vanthof, John
Vaugeois, Lise
Watt, Tyler
West, Jamie
Wong-Tam, Kristyn
The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 71; the nays are 43.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I declare the motion carried.
Motion agreed to.
Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 visant à lutter contre les retards et à construire plus rapidement
Deferred vote on the motion for third reading of the following bill:
Bill 60,
An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025 / Projet de loi 60, Loi modifiant diverses lois et édictant la Loi de 2025 sur les sociétés publiques de gestion de l’eau et des eaux usées.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.
The division bells rang from 1147 to 1152.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Members, please take your seats.
On November 20, 2025, MPP Hamid moved third reading of Bill 60,
An Act to amend various Acts and to enact the Water and Wastewater Public Corporations Act, 2025.
All those in favour of the motion, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Ayes
Allsopp, Tyler
Anand, Deepak
Babikian, Aris
Bailey, Robert
Bethlenfalvy, Peter
Bouma, Will
Bresee, Ric
Calandra, Paul
Cho, Raymond Sung Joon
Ciriello, Monica
Clark, Steve
Coe, Lorne
Cooper, Michelle
Crawford, Stephen
Cuzzetto, Rudy
Darouze, George
Denault, Billy
Dixon, Jess
Dowie, Andrew
Downey, Doug
Dunlop, Jill
Firin, Mohamed
Flack, Rob
Ford, Doug
Gallagher Murphy, Dawn
Gualtieri, Silvia
Hamid, Zee
Hardeman, Ernie
Holland, Kevin
Jones, Sylvia
Jones, Trevor
Jordan, John
Kanapathi, Logan
Kerzner, Michael S.
Khanjin, Andrea
Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia
Leardi, Anthony
Lecce, Stephen
McCarthy, Todd J.
Mulroney, Caroline
Oosterhoff, Sam
Pang, Billy
Parsa, Michael
Piccini, David
Pierre, Natalie
Pinsonneault, Steve
Pirie, George
Quinn, Nolan
Racinsky, Joseph
Rae, Matthew
Rickford, Greg
Riddell, Brian
Rosenberg, Bill
Sabawy, Sheref
Sandhu, Amarjot
Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh
Sarrazin, Stéphane
Saunderson, Brian
Scott, Laurie
Smith, Dave
Smith, David
Smith, Graydon
Smith, Laura
Tangri, Nina
Thanigasalam, Vijay
Thompson, Lisa M.
Tibollo, Michael A.
Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.
Vickers, Paul
Wai, Daisy
Williams, Charmaine A.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): All those opposed to the motion, please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.
Nays
Armstrong, Teresa J.
Begum, Doly
Bell, Jessica
Blais, Stephen
Bourgouin, Guy
Bowman, Stephanie
Brady, Bobbi Ann
Burch, Jeff
Cerjanec, Rob
Clancy, Aislinn
Collard, Lucille
Fairclough, Lee
Fife, Catherine
Fraser, John
French, Jennifer K.
Gates, Wayne
Gélinas, France
Gilmour, Alexa
Glover, Chris
Gretzky, Lisa
Hazell, Andrea
Hsu, Ted
Kernaghan, Terence
Lennox, Robin
McCrimmon, Karen
McKenney, Catherine
McMahon, Mary-Margaret
Pasma, Chandra
Rakocevic, Tom
Sattler, Peggy
Schreiner, Mike
Shamji, Adil
Shaw, Sandy
Smyth, Stephanie
Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)
Stiles, Marit
Tabuns, Peter
Tsao, Jonathan
Vanthof, John
Vaugeois, Lise
Watt, Tyler
West, Jamie
Wong-Tam, Kristyn
The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 71; the nays are 43.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I declare the motion carried.
Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.
Third reading agreed to.
Interruption.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): We will take a short recess until the gallery is completely cleared.
The House recessed from 1156 to 1202.
Ontario Artificial Intelligence, Talent and Innovation Strategy Act, 2025 / Loi de 2025 sur la stratégie ontarienne pour favoriser le talent et l’innovation dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle
Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:
Bill 61,
An Act to establish an artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy for Ontario / Projet de loi 61, Loi visant à créer une stratégie ontarienne pour favoriser le talent et l’innovation dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.
The division bells rang from 1202 to 1203.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): On November 20, 2025, Mr. Cerjanec moved second reading of Bill 61,
An Act to establish an artificial intelligence, talent and innovation strategy for Ontario.
All those in favour, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.
Ayes
Armstrong, Teresa J.
Begum, Doly
Bell, Jessica
Blais, Stephen
Bourgouin, Guy
Bowman, Stephanie
Brady, Bobbi Ann
Burch, Jeff
Cerjanec, Rob
Clancy, Aislinn
Collard, Lucille
Fairclough, Lee
Fife, Catherine
Fraser, John
French, Jennifer K.
Gates, Wayne
Gélinas, France
Gilmour, Alexa
Glover, Chris
Gretzky, Lisa
Hazell, Andrea
Hsu, Ted
Kernaghan, Terence
Lennox, Robin
McCrimmon, Karen
McKenney, Catherine
McMahon, Mary-Margaret
Pasma, Chandra
Rakocevic, Tom
Sattler, Peggy
Schreiner, Mike
Shamji, Adil
Shaw, Sandy
Smyth, Stephanie
Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)
Stiles, Marit
Tabuns, Peter
Tsao, Jonathan
Vanthof, John
Vaugeois, Lise
Watt, Tyler
West, Jamie
Wong-Tam, Kristyn
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): All those opposed, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.
Nays
Allsopp, Tyler
Anand, Deepak
Babikian, Aris
Bailey, Robert
Bethlenfalvy, Peter
Bouma, Will
Bresee, Ric
Calandra, Paul
Cho, Raymond Sung Joon
Ciriello, Monica
Clark, Steve
Coe, Lorne
Cooper, Michelle
Crawford, Stephen
Cuzzetto, Rudy
Darouze, George
Denault, Billy
Dixon, Jess
Dowie, Andrew
Downey, Doug
Dunlop, Jill
Firin, Mohamed
Flack, Rob
Ford, Doug
Gallagher Murphy, Dawn
Gualtieri, Silvia
Hamid, Zee
Hardeman, Ernie
Holland, Kevin
Jones, Sylvia
Jones, Trevor
Jordan, John
Kanapathi, Logan
Kerzner, Michael S.
Khanjin, Andrea
Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia
Leardi, Anthony
Lecce, Stephen
McCarthy, Todd J.
Mulroney, Caroline
Oosterhoff, Sam
Pang, Billy
Parsa, Michael
Piccini, David
Pierre, Natalie
Pinsonneault, Steve
Pirie, George
Quinn, Nolan
Racinsky, Joseph
Rae, Matthew
Rickford, Greg
Riddell, Brian
Rosenberg, Bill
Sabawy, Sheref
Sandhu, Amarjot
Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh
Sarrazin, Stéphane
Saunderson, Brian
Scott, Laurie
Smith, Dave
Smith, David
Smith, Graydon
Smith, Laura
Tangri, Nina
Thanigasalam, Vijay
Thompson, Lisa M.
Tibollo, Michael A.
Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.
Vickers, Paul
Wai, Daisy
Williams, Charmaine A.
The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 43; the nays are 71.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I declare the motion lost.
Second reading negatived.
Notice of dissatisfaction
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Pursuant to standing order 36(a), the member for Ottawa South has given notice of dissatisfaction with the answer to the question given by the Minister of Education regarding EQAO. This matter will be debated tomorrow, following private members’ public business.
There being no further business, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.
The House recessed from 1206 to 1300.
Introduction of Visitors
Mr. Ric Bresee: I’m very happy today to introduce Angela Malcolm, the director of long-term-care services at the John M. Parrott Centre in Napanee. This is a wonderful person and a great director for that facility I’ve worked with for many years.
Hon. Raymond Sung Joon Cho: I’d like to extend a warm welcome to our guests from Retired Teachers of Ontario, a non-profit representing retired educators.
I’d also like to make a special mention of Jim Grieve, Retired Teachers of Ontario’s CEO, who will be retiring after 10 years of dedicated leadership. He also served as a former assistant deputy minister of early years. As a constituent of mine, I want to wish him a very happy retirement.
Retired Teachers of Ontario’s contribution to the community and their work supporting seniors across Ontario are deeply valued. Welcome and thank you for being with us.
Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It gives me great pleasure to welcome Tanya Pol, the executive director of Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I hope you enjoy your day.
Hon. Kevin Holland: I’d like to welcome Stephanie Pesheau from TBT Engineering all the way from Thunder Bay to Queen’s Park today.
MPP Paul Vickers: I would like to welcome Jennifer Cornell, chair of AdvantAge Ontario. She also serves as director of long-term care for Grey county. Welcome, Jennifer.
Reports by Committees
Standing Committee on the Interior
Mr. Aris Babikian: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on the Interior and move its adoption.
The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Meghan Stenson): Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:
Bill 26,
An Act to amend the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.
Report adopted.
The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The bill is therefore ordered for third reading.
Petitions
Social assistance
Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It gives me great pleasure and it is an honour to present the following petition on behalf of professor emerita Sally Palmer, who is the director of social work at McMaster University. This petition is to raise social assistance rates.
This government has indexed people living on social assistance below the poverty line. They have actively kept people under water. This petition points out how this does not cover the rising cost of food. This does not cover the rising cost of rent.
It also points out how, during the pandemic, those receiving assistance from the federal government—it was determined that that would be $2,000 a month, and yet this government is actively keeping people in poverty, actively keeping people in a difficult situation.
This petition advocates to double social assistance rates. I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and deliver it with page Ojas to the Clerk.
Life lease housing
Mr. Joseph Racinsky: It gives me great privilege to table this petition I received from residents of my riding talking about the need for the Life Leases Act, 2025. There’s currently no legislative framework for life leases in the province of Ontario, and this leaves seniors vulnerable to uncertainty, disputes, financial exploitation and bad actors. Speaker, this bill and this petition are asking for this House to support the Life Leases Act, 2025.
I support this petition. I will sign it and give it to page Anna.
Gender-based violence
MPP Alexa Gilmour: Today I rise to present a petition calling on the government to implement a plan advanced by the official opposition to end gender-based violence and ensure women’s economic security. This petition is called “Act Now to End Gender-Based Violence.”
This matters, Speaker, because nearly 44% of women in Canada experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. The rate is far higher for Indigenous women at 61%; 2SLGBTQ+ at 67%; and women living in poverty at 57% or with disabilities at 55%. We know that violence is both the consequence and the cause of women’s economic insecurity, things like job instability, suppressed wages, lack of affordable child care or housing. These conditions trap women and their children in harm’s way.
This petition asks for three actions:
(1) invest in the social infrastructure, affordable child care, community services, shelters that support survivors and prevent violence;
(2) bolster women’s economic security by ensuring decent work, fair wages, pathways out of poverty; and
(3) strengthen and fully fund the community public sector and child care services, which overwhelmingly are staffed by women, and have suffered for years from disinvestment.
I want to thank members of the OFL for bringing this petition and members of my riding for collecting petitions. I will gladly affix my name and give this to page Oskar.
Land use planning
Mr. Mike Schreiner: I want to just thank the almost 800 people who sent this petition in.
Folks are concerned that we’re losing 319 acres of farmland every day in Ontario, which threatens our food security, our food sovereignty, our $52-billion agri-food economy and the one-in-nine Ontarians who are employed in the agri-food sector. The petitioners are calling on the Legislature to enact a food bill to permanently protect farmland in Ontario.
I fully support this petition, will sign it and ask page Raj to bring it to the table, Speaker.
Health care
Ms. Peggy Sattler: I want to thank the hundreds of Londoners who signed a petition calling on the Legislature to fix the family doctor shortage in this province.
The petition recognizes that there are two and a half million Ontarians who don’t have access to a family physician, and that includes 140,000 people in the city of London. They are not connected to primary care. They don’t have somewhere to go if they have a chronic condition or if they need medical assistance, other than the emergency room, which is a very expensive way of delivering care and does not respect the needs of the patients.
We know that primary care providers want to provide care to more patients, and they would be able to provide more care if they had support staff to take on some of the administrative paperwork burden that they’re currently dealing with. Therefore, the petition calls on the Legislative Assembly to come up with a strategy that is going to ensure that primary care providers have support doing the paperwork, dealing with the administrative burden so that they can take in more patients and also are more interested in remaining in this very stressful profession.
I want to affix my name to this petition and send it to the table with page Manaswini.
Government accountability
Ms. Jessica Bell: This bill is signed by people who would like Bill 5 to be repealed. Bill 5 gives the provincial government the power to override labour laws, environmental protections and Indigenous consultation in special economic zones, where any municipal and provincial law can be ignored and will no longer apply.
Obviously, I support the petition, as well, and I’ll be giving it to page Olivia.
Post-secondary education
Ms. Chandra Pasma: I’m pleased to rise today on behalf of parents and families in Ottawa to table a petition entitled, “Save the AAADD Program at Algonquin College.”
The Academic Assistance for Adults with Developmental Disabilities program has supported young people with developmental disabilities for nearly 30 years in Ottawa, helping them to further their education after high school to build critical life and employment skills and gain independence in a supportive and inclusive setting. But this program is scheduled to be discontinued after this spring, which means that for these young people, there will be no longer a post-secondary option.
I had the opportunity to meet a number of the students this summer, and I asked them what they liked most about this program. They all spoke about how much they loved being at college like their peers, the job opportunities that they had as a result of this program and the really great friendships that they developed with other students and with their faculty. They really want to continue in the program, and they want to see other young people have that opportunity.
And these parents, of course, are fighting very hard for their children to have the same access to post-secondary that every other child in Ontario has, so they are calling on the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to provide the funding to allow this program to continue.
I wholeheartedly endorse this petition, will sign my name to it and send it to the table with page Emery.
Tenant protection
Mr. Peter Tabuns: I’m presenting petitions signed by my constituents calling to have the provincial government stop their attack on tenants’ rights.
We saw this morning, with Bill 60, the direction this government is going in. But it’s very clear that tenants, in fact, want the government to stand up for them. They want protection in terms of the vacancy decontrol system that’s in place. They need real rent control so that landlords—corporate landlords, let’s be clear—can no longer put them in an impossible position of not being able to afford their rent and knowing that everything else would have to be cut.
I agree with this petition. I’ll sign it and I will give it to page Jasper to take to the table.
Health care
Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s a great honour for me to present the following petition today. As London is a health care hub in southwestern Ontario, this petition is entitled, “Health Care: Not for Sale.”
This government has moved from a Canadian style of health care delivery towards a US style, where it is all about privatization, and it is about “profitization.” But when care and profit compete with one another, profit always wins.
This government has had more care for corporations and less about people. They’ve continued the work that was started by the Liberal government to eat at our treasured public health care system.
This petition indicates that it will bleed nurses, doctors, PSWs out of public hospitals, and it will make our health care crisis worse. We are seeing it in real time in hospitals and in health care facilities across our province.
We also saw that this government’s Bill 124 chased amazing nurses out of our health care system and has forced them to go to the United States. We are not the United States here, Speaker. In Ontario, we are Canadians, and we need to value our Canadian value of publicly delivered health care.
I fully support this petition, will affix my signature and deliver it with page Anna to the Clerks.
Social assistance
Ms. Aislinn Clancy: I have a petition here that is calling for a doubling of OW and ODSP.
Ontario Works is currently $733 a month. That’s for your rent and your food. For folks with disabilities, it’s $1,308. We know this is inadequate, that people can’t survive and thrive with this amount of money. And in order to find work, in order to parent your kids, in order to thrive as a citizen, you need adequate money for a roof and food. We’ll continue to see people pushed into homelessness if we don’t ensure that they have enough to survive.
I fully support this bill, and I will pass it to page Emelin.
Government accountability
MPP Jamie West: This petition is entitled, “Scrap Bill 5 and Do Development Right!”
This talks about Bill 5 and how the special development zones allow the ministry to sort of suspend any existing labour laws, environmental protections, public health rules, even legal liability. They have major concerns about the fact that First Nations leadership was not consulted about this and the duty to consult was overridden and it ignored the requirement of free, prior, informed consent. Bill 5 disrespects treaty rights. It threatens critical land and water by gutting protections for archaeological sites and endangered species in the province.
With Bill 5, last week we were at a project put on by LAND. They showed some of the area and had a video talking about the land that would be affected up north and how important it is to protect it to preserve the environment and the way of life of the First Nations people and treaty holders that are there. I want to give a shout-out to Jeronimo, who isn’t doing very well—I hope he has a quick recovery from his illness—who was featured in that video.
I support this petition. They’re petitioning the government to repeal Bill 5, start over with a full consultation, including with First Nations, to do development right in Ontario. I support this petition. I’ll affix my signature and provide it to page Manaswini for the table.
Environmental protection
Ms. Aislinn Clancy: I have signatures here. In the summer, people were outraged about the special economic zones. These are authoritarian-style measures that aim to remove any protections, whether it be for the environment, the Indigenous peoples of the land and their consent, and labour laws. I don’t think it’s good practice to head down this path.
I support this petition that calls to repeal Bill 5, and I will sign it, and I will pass it to page Raj.
Nuclear waste
Mr. Peter Tabuns: This petition is calling for a pause on the efforts to establish a nuclear waste site in northwestern Ontario. The people of the north have expressed their concerns about the safety of their highways repeatedly in this House. First Nations have made it clear that they do not want to have to deal with the problems that would come with this. I’m asking that the efforts be paused until there’s a full consultation with affected northern and Indigenous communities so that issues of transportation and safety can properly be dealt with.
I support this petition. I sign it, and I give it to page Ojas for the table.
Tenant protection
Mr. Chris Glover: This petition is entitled “Rent Control for All Tenants,” and I think it’s particularly poignant on this day when the government just passed Bill 60, which will further worsen the homelessness crisis. There are 100 agencies who have talked about how Bill 60 will worsen the homelessness crisis because it will allow landlords to evict tenants who are paying their rent. We’ve seen this in the past. This petition talks about how, in 2024, in Mississauga, Chartwell evicted 200 seniors from their homes—
Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Shame.
Mr. Chris Glover: Yes—including a 102-year-old because they were selling the building to another developer, and the developer wanted an empty premises so that they would be able to jack up the rents in those places. So basically, they evicted 200 seniors in order to maximize their profit. It was absolutely shameful, what they did.
This government has threatened to eliminate rent control entirely. They’ve already eliminated it on any building built after 2018, and they’ve also threatened to end ongoing tenancy, so that every year, tenants would have to renegotiate their tenancy with the landlord, and he would be able to charge whatever he wanted—or he/she would be able to charge whatever they wanted. It’s completely unfair to the tenants.
We also need fairness for landlords. We need fairness in the system. This government’s destruction of the Landlord Tenant Board has meant that nobody can get a hearing, and there is no fairness for either tenants or landlords.
Right now, I fully support this petition to bring back rent control for all tenants. I will affix my signature and pass it to page Violet to take to the table.
House sittings
The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 9(g), the Clerk has received written notice from the government House leader indicating that a temporary change in the weekly meeting
schedule of the House is required. Therefore, the afternoon routine on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, shall commence at 1 p.m.
Opposition Day
Tenant protection / Protection des locataires
MPP Catherine McKenney: I move that:
Whereas housing is a human right, and every Ontarian deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to call home; and
Whereas Ontario is losing thousands of affordable rentals every year due to acquisition by corporate landlords that displace tenants in order to raise rents; and
Whereas this unethical business model and other unfair practices that threaten rental affordability and security of tenure for tenants are incentivized by the lack of real rent control in Ontario; and
Whereas chronic delays and understaffing at the Landlord and Tenant Board have allowed bad-faith actors to exploit the system, undermine fairness and deny timely access to justice; and
Whereas the Ontario government refuses to invest in new, permanently affordable, public, non-profit and co-op homes that provide a non-market alternative to private for-profit housing; and
Whereas Bill 60 will increase rent gouging and unethical eviction in Ontario, worsening the housing and homelessness crisis;
Therefore, in the opinion of the House, the government of Ontario must immediately protect rental affordability and security of tenure by reversing Bill 60, restoring real rent control, establishing vacancy control and ending bad-faith evictions.
The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos): Ms. McKenney has moved opposition day number 3. I recognize the member to begin debate.
MPP Catherine McKenney: Speaker, I do trust that we can all agree here that housing is a human right and that every Ontarian does deserve a safe, secure and affordable place to call home, but right now, in this government’s Ontario, that right is being systematically destroyed.
Over 80,000 people are homeless today. The Association of Municipalities of Ontario projects that that number will reach 300,000 in a decade without serious intervention. There is not a single city in Ontario where a minimum wage worker can afford a one-bedroom apartment—not one. And what is this government’s response? Bill 60, an attack on renters that will make the crisis worse.
Speaker, today the NDP is putting forward a real plan—a plan that will keep people housed, keep them in their homes and pull people out of homelessness.
Right now, 29% of renters in Ontario are in core housing need—almost 250,000 households paying more than they can afford. They are mostly low income and at risk of homelessness if evicted.
It’s getting worse every day. Corporate landlords are buying up affordable rental buildings, squeezing out existing tenants and raising rents. We’re losing thousands of affordable rentals every year—not to natural disasters, not to aging infrastructure, but to corporate greed enabled by this government’s policies. Why? Because Ontario’s rent control system—vacancy decontrol—creates a powerful incentive for corporate landlords to get rid of tenants.
Thanks to this government’s loophole, rentals built after 2018 are exempt from rent control entirely. Landlords can raise your rent to whatever they want, whenever they want. This government has actually defended rent increases as high as 57%—57%. Tell me, Speaker, whose wages have gone up 57%? Whose ODSP has gone up 57%? Whose pension has gone up 57%? No one’s, but this government thinks that rent increases like this are just fine.
Now, with Bill 60, this government is making it even easier to evict people. They’re cutting notice periods in half. They’re slashing appeal times from 30 to 15 days to challenge an unfair decision at the LTB. The Attorney General has been clear about what comes next: Ending evergreen month-to-month leases, eliminating security of tenure, keeping tenants in constant fear that they’ll lose their home. Speaker, this is not a housing plan. This is a homelessness plan.
But the NDP does have a plan. We don’t have a press release. We don’t have a scapegoating exercise. We have a real plan. We would stop attacks on renters, we would build non-market affordable housing and we would legalize affordable housing options.
Speaker, let me be clear: The choice before this Legislature is clear. This government’s plan: attack renters with Bill 60, make evictions faster and easier, defend 57% rent increases, refuse to build truly affordable housing, meet only 33% of their own housing targets and allow 300,000 people to become homeless by 2035. Our plan would stop Bill 60 and restore real rent control. We would end bad-faith evictions. We would build 300,000 units of permanently affordable housing. We would legalize missing-middle housing, and we would fix the Landlord and Tenant Board.
Speaker, I know what affordable housing looks like. I know what security of tenure means. I know what it’s like to have a home that you don’t have to worry about losing because your landlord wants to squeeze you out. Right now, people are frightened. We held town halls across Ontario, and we heard from dozens and dozens of renters living in fear—fear of renoviction, fear of eviction, fear that one missed paycheque will put them on the street. The NDP has a plan to fix it, a plan that builds homes people can afford.
This motion calls on the government to reverse Bill 60, restore real rent control, establish vacancy control and end bad-faith evictions. These are urgent, necessary steps to protect renters and begin solving Ontario’s housing crisis. I urge all members of this House to support this motion. Support the principle that housing is truly a human right.
The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos): Further debate?
Mr. Adil Shamji: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, for allowing me the opportunity to elaborate on my perspective and our caucus’s perspective on this government’s failures that have contributed to the housing crisis.
I also want to thank the member who introduced this motion for shining a light on, truly, what is a particularly important issue on a day like today, on a day when this government forced through legislation that makes an unprecedented attack on renters and does so by ignoring the basic fundamentals of democracy by time allocating that motion, not allowing it to go through public hearings and limiting the amount of debate.
This is a valuable opportunity for us to continue to elaborate on why we must always strive for balance, fairness, justice and not taking exclusively one side in the crisis that faces our housing sector.
Madam Speaker, after record failures revealing progressive incompetence and lack of political will by this government, it’s time for a government that is willing to protect renters and treat housing the way it deserves to be: as a human right. Housing instability in Ontario is a vicious cycle of progressive failure over the last seven years. We’ve seen this government continue to boast while they have the worst home-building record in the entire country, with increasing cycles of homelessness, encampments, renovictions and demovictions.
And it’s fair to ask, what is the heart of this housing crisis? Is it with the chronic failures and backlogs at the Landlord and Tenant Board, where bad-faith actors exploit the system and deny timely access to justice? Perhaps it’s with the wait-list crisis—and you’d be right to ask, which wait-list crisis am I talking about? I’m not talking about health care today. I’m talking about the wait-list crisis in access to supportive housing where, as of 2024, there were 36,378 people seeking support in supportive housing.
Perhaps, instead, it is with the rise in mental health issues, where concerns about housing have increased Ontarians’ anxiety, depression and psychological distress. Perhaps it’s with all of them.
But the answer is that the cycle will continue to run on and on and on because of this government’s persistent refusal to invest in new, permanently affordable housing to fix the crises that it is dead set on continuing to worsen. And perhaps we can all unite behind a motion that will allow us to fight for an Ontario that is safe, secure, affordable and fair to everyone.
This government has the worst home-building record across the entire country, the only province with a double-digit decline in housing starts this year compared to last year. For all that they say about protecting Ontario, all they’ve managed to do in the housing sector is push people into homelessness and encampments. We are seeing families priced out of the housing sector, rampant renovictions and demovictions, and an unprecedented backlog at the Landlord and Tenant Board.
One would think, in the setting of all of those things, we would have a government that would act with ambition, with audacity—ideally, a little bit of compassion. For those who are watching, we will get none of those things from this government.
They showed their hand just a few weeks ago when, in introducing Bill 60, they had the audacity to try to socialize the idea of eliminating security of tenure. Security of tenure is a principle that allows tenants in good standing to remain in their home until they wish to move on. It protects them against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. In other jurisdictions where security of tenure has been eliminated, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of evictions, particularly bad-faith evictions.
Now, we all know that the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, in a subsequent step to the massive province-wide outcry to this, has come forward and said he’s not going to proceed with that consultation—for now. What we are looking for is an unequivocal statement that eliminating security of tenure will never be an option by any member of that government, ever.
Bill 60, as I mentioned earlier, passed just this morning. It abolishes many of the fundamental rights that renters have. It allows a landlord to take aim at and evict a renter who is a single day late on their rent payment.
Now, in my constituency office, there is no shortage of people who come in, both landlords and tenants, who are being taken advantage of by bad-faith actors on both sides. People who persistently don’t pay their rent, who are taking advantage of the system, do need to be held accountable. But we are in an affordability crisis, and to any member in this House who has, for example, paid a credit card bill even a day late, imagine if the bank could come after you and take away your credit cards, shut down your bank account. Bill 60 allows exactly that. It takes a unilateral, mean-spirited approach to blaming all of the justice issues in our housing sector entirely on renters.
But it isn’t, of course, the only harmful provision in that legislation. I could go on and on, but I have to share my time with other members, so I will leave it at this: Bill 60 was rushed through with inadequate public consultation, and many people have significant concerns. It needs to go back to the table, and it needs to be removed.
If we actually want to be serious about addressing the housing crisis, I would point to the track record of my own caucus, in particular a number of the concrete recommendations that we have put forward. For example, we said that we can get more people into homes, both as owners and as renters, if we took steps such as eliminating the HST for all first-time homebuyers on new residences. You would say, “Okay, but that’s for homebuyers.” Well, when you remove the HST on all homebuyers moving into primary residences, it allows, for example, seniors to downsize. It opens up new housing, two- and three- and four-bedroom homes that can become available to families and available to renters.
We’ve called for the elimination of development charges that would spur massive amounts of home building, including for rental units in particular. We’ve called for the elimination of the land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers, seniors and not-for-profits—the kind of not-for-profits that can build rental homes for us. And we have, of course, called for the implementation of fair rent control. A model that we like is the phase-in rent control that has been introduced in many jurisdictions, including the NDP government in Manitoba.
This strikes a balance between protecting renters and ensuring they have access to affordable housing but also securing interest and investment from the kind of people who can build and make available the rental housing that we so desperately need.
That balance is what distinguishes us in this caucus from those in the rest of the House. The members on that side of the House believe that only friends and family can get ahead. That’s why they are pushing to make it easier to get MZOs. It’s why they are using the Skills Development Fund to divert billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars to donors and people who are in the pockets of the Minister of Labour.
Everyone has a role in solving our housing crisis. And to us, that means growing the not-for-profit sector. It means increasing social housing. It means allowing pension funds to contribute, and the private sector, including builders and developers. And of course, there is a role for government to build some housing too. But it needs to be balanced, and we can’t do it with one hand tied behind our backs.
What we won’t do is support housing that is exclusively going to be built by friends and donors of the Minister of Labour, for example. We also won’t stand for state ownership or dictating the terms of the market as the only way to solve our problems.
So I caution that in some elements of this opposition day motion we must be aware of and prepare for unintended consequences, which is why it is so important to not just have a persistent preoccupation with vacancy control but to think very carefully and consult widely to make sure that we can avoid any of those unintended consequences.
To the members across, I hope that you’ll support this motion. To vote against this motion is to say that Ontarians do not deserve a safe, secure, affordable place to stay. It is to say that eliminating security of tenure is an option, and it shouldn’t be. To vote against this motion is to say that rent control is not a priority. It is to say that bad-faith evictions are not a priority. Which of the government members across will look their constituents in the eyes and agree with those things? I fear, unfortunately, that far too many of them are willing to do that. But we will not.
The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos): Further debate?
Ms. Marit Stiles: Good afternoon, everyone. First of all, I want to thank the member from Ottawa Centre for their leadership in introducing this motion, and all of my caucus colleagues here, who have been out around the province, in their ridings and in other ridings, doing the important work that this government refuses to do, which is actually stopping to listen to the people who will be most impacted by this shameful legislation.
Speaker, this is a shameful day in Ontario. The government’s attack on renters, Bill 60, should never have passed. It should never have passed, but this government rushed it through. They did just that, after shutting down debate, after refusing public hearings, after ignoring the more than 150,000 emails from Ontarians in every corner of this province, begging for them to reconsider—150,000 people, Speaker: renters, students, seniors, working people. Those are only the folks that found out in this rush about what was happening. And they’re all saying the same thing: “Don’t do this.” This government said, “We don’t care. We’re not listening.” They rammed that legislation through anyway.
Speaker, I’ve got to tell you, it’s just another example about how this government’s priorities are all wrong. Time and again, we see the same pattern: more than 800,000 Ontarians out of work, youth unemployment at record highs. The government is an absolute jobs disaster, and the Skills Development Fund, which was meant to help workers, to help working people, has been turned into a pay-to-play scheme that only serves this government’s friends, their lobbyists and their donors. The Auditor General called it not fair, not transparent, not accountable.
And then we get Bill 33, silencing parents, cutting student services, paying Conservative insiders $365,000 a year.
And then today Bill 60 was rammed through, passed by this government—open season on renters. When I called out this government for their, let’s just say, preferential treatment, the Premier shrugged. He said, “Well, whatever.” And 150,000 Ontarians begged him to stop Bill 60. He shrugged. He rammed it through. When people in this very chamber got up and said, “We don’t want this to pass,” what was the Premier saying? He turned around and screamed at them, and he said, “Go get a job.”
He really doesn’t understand what’s going on out there right now. Renters in this province are working people, right? They’re