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November 18, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Nov-18 (PDF)

L209 - Wed 18 Nov 2020 / Mer 18 nov 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 18 November 2020 Mercredi 18 novembre 2020

Annual report, Auditor General

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

Small business

Events in Niagara West

Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Front-line workers

Crime prevention

Dominic Dacosta

Remembrance Day

COVID-19 response

Scleroderma

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Education funding

Energy rates

Environmental protection

Flu immunization

Forestry industry

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Government services

College standards and accreditation

Provincial election

Flu immunization

Conservation authorities

Sports and recreation funding

Sign-language

interpretation

Deferred Votes

Freeing Highways 412 and 418 Act (Toll Highway Amendments), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur l’utilisation sans frais des autoroutes 412 et 418 (modifications concernant les voies publiques à péage)

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Petitions

Pension plans

Community planning

Education funding

Documents gouvernementaux

Conservation authorities

Front-line workers

Optometry services

Broadband infrastructure

Northern Health Travel Grant

Equal opportunity

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Private Members’ Public Business

Protecting Ontarians by Enhancing Gas Station Safety to Prevent Gas and Dash Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à protéger les Ontariens et Ontariennes en renforçant la sécurité dans les stations-service pour empêcher le vol d’essence à la pompe

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Annual report, Auditor General

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that I have laid upon the table the 2020 Annual Report of Environmental Value-for-Money Audits and the Operation of the Environmental Bill of Rights from the Office of the Auditor General.

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 17, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 229,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes / Projet de loi 229, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter, à modifier ou à abroger diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll ask for questions to the member for Scarborough–Guildwood. The member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Thank you, Speaker, and good morning.

Last night, I found out that COVID-19 has exploded in our city, one where the numbers have been very low. The news that we got from the public health officer and the hospital were quite dire. The hospital in Thunder Bay is the one that services an area the size of Paris and is the only lifeline that we have.

What I would like to know is, what kinds of supports for hospitals did you want to see in the budget?

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I want to say thank you to the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for the question. As I said in my comments yesterday, it was very disappointing that the budget did not have funding in place for public health units across this province, especially because the government is expecting public health units to act faster than the government itself. So if that’s the expectation, then there should have been funding in numbers that can deal with the rate of the spread of the virus.

The fact that it’s multiplying quickly in Thunder Bay, in a community where previously it was not, is really very concerning. We know that the positivity rate in Ontario is approaching five, so that does mean that it’s putting more and more communities at risk. So I wanted to see more funding for health, and public health specifically, in this budget.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: Mr. Speaker, through you to the member from Scarborough–Guildwood: If I’m not mistaken, as outlined in Ontario’s 2020 budget, our government is taking steps to protect people from this deadly virus by increasing our health investments to $15.2 billion. Will the member opposite be supporting this unprecedented investment in public health?

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: The member is not accurate; the government has only invested $100 million in public health dollars specifically, and that was a previous announcement. In the current budget, there is no new spending for public health, and I believe that that’s a missed opportunity. Also, the health spending that you might be identifying does not keep up even with the rate of just normal costs, inflation-type costs. It’s below 2.5%, and that’s for acute care and hospital care.

I believe that the budget falls well short when it comes to investments in public health and in overall health. When you consider the fact that we are in a health crisis that is threatening the lives of people in our communities—I spoke about my community of Scarborough–Guildwood. There are neighbourhoods where the positivity rate is 11%. What are we doing to invest more in those hot spots and provide relief for places like Thunder Bay that are now experiencing outbreaks?

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

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: I’m wondering if the member could comment on the fact that food bank use has gone up over 50% during the pandemic, and that is even including the fact that there are all these additional food resources that have come online, like Sandwich Sisters from Beaches–East York, who are providing enormous amounts. But still, traditional food bank use has gone up over 50%, yet there’s nothing in the budget to deal with poverty.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I want to thank the member from Beaches–East York. It’s such a critical question in terms of what we’re doing for people who are in poverty. I’ve certainly been asking, and I know other members of the House have been asking, about the emergency benefit that was part of wave 1. Why is that not part of wave 2 for people who are on OW and ODSP in this province? They’re crying out for more supports and more resources.

I believe that it is cruel of this government to not be providing additional supports for people on disability and on income supports in this province, because we know that the cost of the pandemic has increased for everybody else, including them. So why are they now frozen and not receiving those emergency benefits? It’s really a travesty that people have to go and rely on food banks, like in my community of Scarborough where the increase is even higher.

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think part of a budget is also preparing for the future. The member served a long time in government, and I wonder if she would help me understand some of the rationale or the thinking during her time in government. As you know, Mr. Speaker, we inherited a massive debt and deficit, one of the largest in the world. But moreover, there had been no planning done by the previous government with respect to centralization of procurement. There had been no planning done to improve PSW wages. There had been no planning done to increase the supply of PSWs.

There had been no planning done to increase home care in the province of Ontario. There had been no planning done to reform health care in the province of Ontario in the previous government.

I was part of a federal government that was transferring 6% a year for health care to the provinces. At no time over that 10-year span did the previous Liberal government ever get close to investing the 6% transfer.

So I’m wondering if the member opposite could give us a bit of an understanding why her previous government that she was a part of didn’t make those decisions that would have helped us during this pandemic.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Speaker, there isn’t enough time to address the government House leader’s question in a substantive way, but what I can say is that your government is responsible for the current response to the pandemic. You promised an average of four hours of care for long-term care. That was supposed to be the hope. It was not in the budget. You didn’t put it in the budget. There are no dollars associated with those words, and that’s a disgrace. You have $13.4 billion sitting in reserves and in unallocated funds. You could have done it, and you missed the opportunity.

What we did as a former Liberal government was that in 2018 we handed you an economy that was growing—the lowest unemployment rate in decades and the highest GDP of the OECD countries. Don’t squander it.

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

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: My other question is related, but it’s about homelessness. We are about to vault into a degree of homelessness in this province that is absolutely unprecedented. There are already a thousand people on the street in Toronto more than there are beds or spaces in shelters, respite centres, drop-ins, emergency areas, and evictions are about to vault that into the stratosphere. And yet there is a piddling, token amount in the budget towards dealing with this homelessness crisis. What does the member have to say about that?

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member from Beaches–East York that this government is really just ignoring the affordable housing crisis in this province. And it’s not just in big urban centres in the GTA that we’re seeing this problem; we’re seeing it in many communities where housing affordability is just not there. There’s no strategy, no funding, no investments.

To be honest, I think that this government is sitting on its hands and waiting for the federal government to do all of the work, as has been done in the COVID response, where the federal government has footed the bill for 97% of what has been funded so far in the COVID response and the provincial government has paid for 3%.

When it comes to housing and homelessness, this government is absent.

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

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Good morning, Mr. Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to ask a question.

Time and time again, we have heard from employers considering Ontario as a place to locate or expand their business who decided to go somewhere else because our province’s electricity costs were just too high. Will the member opposite be supporting our government’s comprehensive plan to reduce job-killing electricity prices?

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I thank the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville. I spent the first part of my career in economic development, and really, the number one reason that companies locate in Ontario is because of the skills and talents of our people. That is the number one reason.

This government has cut almost a billion dollars from OSAP, has cut education funding. And actually, to go back to the previous question, it is not investing in the future of this province by investing in education. I think that’s the number one reason companies locate here. When you inherited government from the former Liberal government, we were number one in foreign direct investments.

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: It’s a pleasure to rise this morning to speak to Bill 229, the Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act, 2020, and specifically to speak about how this is going to help people across the province of Ontario and my constituents in Durham.

This budget, as presented by our Minister of Finance, outlines our government’s investments to protect people’s health and support their economic well-being through the second wave and any future waves of COVID-19. This budget builds on the rapid investment in health capacity and broad emergency financial relief, which began back in March and continued through the first wave of the pandemic in Ontario.

This budget also begins to build the foundation for a strong economic recovery, which we know will not be a short-term project. This budget sets out a total of $45 billion in support over three years as our government makes available every necessary resource to protect Ontarians from COVID-19, to support families, workers and employers, and to remove barriers to our economic recovery to make sure we can protect and create jobs in our community, now and into the future.

We understand that this level of government spending is neither sustainable nor desirable over the long term. But as our Minister of Finance has stated, it’s necessary, as we find ourselves in the middle of a second wave and continue to battle this global pandemic.

This budget will increase our investments in health care, with $15.2 billion in new funding. This continues our government’s series of significant investments in the health care sector over the last many months, which we’ve all heard about on a daily basis. These are investments to increase our hospital capacity, both acute and critical care capacity, to increase our public health capacity, to increase testing and contact tracing, and to invest in PPE.

Since it seems the opposition and the independents have trouble reading the budget, I’ll read directly from it, on page 31. They seem to have just not found this

part in the budget, Speaker, since it comes up in almost every question. This is page 31. I’ll give you all a chance to turn to it. It says, “Highlights of the $7.5 billion in new funding include:

“Increasing average daily direct care from a nurse or personal support worker ... per long-term care resident to four hours a day over a four-year period, making Ontario the leader among Canadian provinces in protecting our seniors.” I’m proud of that commitment and I’m proud of the investments our government is making.

With my time today, I want to highlight a few things in this budget that my constituents in Durham will be pleased to see. The first specific new measure in this budget I want to highlight is the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit. In my riding of Durham, there’s a growing community of seniors, and this is a tangible measure to help keep them safe as they age.

For many seniors I’ve met in Durham and people planning for their retirement, it is their preference to stay in their homes as they age. However, the expenses associated with adapting and renovating their homes to meet their needs as they age can be a significant expense.

Starting in the 2021 taxation year, the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit will help with those expenses. This will be a 25% tax credit available on eligible renovations of up to $10,000 to help seniors stay safe in their homes longer by making their homes safer. This is great news for seniors in Durham. It means a senior in Courtice or a family in Port Perry with a grandparent living in their home would receive $2,500 back for a $10,000 renovation to make their home safer. They can use this tax credit on their current home or use the tax credit for a new home they intend to live in, or a new apartment or condo.

If they choose to live with other seniors, perhaps to make their living arrangement more affordable, they could also use it on that new living arrangement.

I think anything that increases housing options for seniors is a good thing. There is no one silver bullet. Everyone’s needs are different. Some seniors prefer to live in a retirement community like Wilmot Creek in Clarington. Others prefer to live in a community that has a long-term-care home co-located with a retirement home, like Port Perry Place and Port Perry Villa. Others choose to be innovative, like the Golden Girls of Port Perry, and renovate a home in a co-living arrangement with other seniors.

Our Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has put out a guide for seniors that want to pursue this mode of housing. Still, others prefer to live in their home that they raised their children in and have so many memories in as long as they possibly can live there with the support of home care.

Housing for seniors is not a one-size-fits-all proposal, nor should it be. No matter which living arrangement a senior prefers, this tax credit will help make their home more comfortable, accessible and safe as they age. This could help to make, for example, a washroom accessible in their home, or even to enable first-floor occupancy or a secondary suite for a senior. Again, our Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has put out a guide on how to build a secondary suite in your home, and he’s made it a lot easier.

Eligible expenses for this tax credit will include things like grab bars and related reinforcements around a toilet, tub or shower in a washroom. They also include wheelchair ramps, stairlifts and elevators.

This investment, which operates like a refund, will help tens of thousands of seniors stay in their homes they love longer and is available to every senior, whether they pay taxes or not.

If this bill passes, this new tax credit would provide an estimated $30 million in support that would benefit about 27,000 seniors—pardon me, people, because that can include seniors and people who live with senior relatives. Bottom line, this tax credit will enable more seniors to continue to live at home and age in place.

Other measures in this budget to support our seniors—I’ll just quickly highlight, in the interest of time—include providing $75 million in relief by doubling the guaranteed annual income support payment. That will benefit 194,000 of our lowest-income seniors in Ontario. We’re also allocating $16 million to the Ontario Community Support Program to help deliver 230,000 meals and other essentials to low-income seniors and persons with disabilities.

We’re also increasing funding to the Seniors Active Living Centres Program by 22%. That’s significant, Speaker. Both the Bowmanville Older Adult Association and the Oshawa Senior Community Centres have benefited from this funding in previous years, and so I’m so pleased to learn of how this increased funding will benefit seniors’ centres across the province in tangible ways.

These are all measures to support the generation that has gone before us and built up our communities. These measures in budget 2020 will support our seniors now and into the future. As the member for Oakville North–Burlington said yesterday, our seniors “deserve our recognition, our respect and our thanks.”

Another investment I want to highlight in budget 2020 is one that supports our youngsters, and that is our Support for Learners initiative. We all have friends with young children who are adapting to this learning-from-home environment, just like all of us are adapting to working from home more than we were used to before—I think we all now have Zoom backgrounds set up in our houses. With this initiative, we’re supporting families with young children with another round of support payments that will add up to $200 per child under 12 and $250 per child or youth with special needs under the age of 21.

This initiative assists with added costs associated with COVID-19, such as technology for online learning.

This means, to just provide an example, a family with three young children in north Oshawa, one of whom has special needs, would receive $1,300 in 2020 to support costs related to educational supplies and technology. Examples of how this could be spent might include the cost of an accessible workspace or a new device to facilitate online learning. These kinds of supports will go a long way to help families in Durham.

This builds on the extensive investments our government has made in education and supports for families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of our commitment to keep students safe, we made available $1.3 billion to support the safe reopening of schools—the most robust and comprehensive plan in the entire country. Investments are also being made in new programs to help kids learn online and in a digital learning portal, so that parents and students can easily access the curriculum.

Our government also continues to invest heavily in our brick-and-mortar schools, with $13 billion committed over 10 years, including $1.4 billion this year and $1.9 billion next year. That’s to build new schools and improve existing schools in Durham and all across Ontario. As part of this plan, we recently announced a new Catholic high school, the new Paul Dwyer, as well as a new public elementary school in north Oshawa, a growing part of my community.

Speaker, the Support for Learners initiative is a $380-million investment our government is making, and that is $380 million that will go directly to families. This is also part two of this initiative. During the first wave of the pandemic, you will remember that we invested $378 million in Ontario families—direct support—with a first round of payments.

This budget is also going a long way to support businesses in my constituency through this very challenging time and into the future. As I’m sure all of us in this chamber can attest to, it has been very difficult to witness the very real effects of this pandemic on our small businesses. In my own area in Clarington, according to the last Clarington Board of Trade business development update, since the pandemic began, approximately 15 local businesses have permanently closed, and with them nearly 60 jobs lost.

The continued state of economic uncertainty is a challenge for businesses struggling to stay open. However, the silver lining is that because of the many supports our government has put in place in partnership with other levels of government, and with the enthusiastic and loyal support of Ontarians who have heeded the call to buy local, most businesses have so far been able to keep their doors open. Incredibly, according to the same report from the Clarington Board of Trade business development update, during the same period, 13 new businesses opened in Clarington, creating approximately 42 new jobs.

I want to repeat a statistic that the Premier mentioned yesterday in the House, and that’s that Ontario has actually increased manufacturing jobs to a level that exceeds pre-pandemic levels. This is thanks to the continued leadership of our Premier, our cabinet and our world-class workers and businesses in Ontario. The recent announcement that GM is returning more than 1,400 jobs to Oshawa in Durham and bringing back truck production at the Oshawa assembly plant has been a huge encouragement to our region at this difficult time.

Speaker, local businesses have contributed in an incredible way to support our community during this pandemic, and in this budget we’re continuing to support them. I’m grateful for businesses such as Canada Rubber Group in my riding and All or Nothing Brewhouse in Oshawa, two businesses that rose to the challenge and adapted to the impacts of COVID-19 by pivoting their operations to produce, in the case of Canada Rubber, PPE, and in the case of All or Nothing Brewhouse, they pivoted from beer to hand sanitizer and distributed the supplies to local hospitals, front-line emergency workers and utility companies.

Local businesses have supported our community, and we, as members of the community and members of government, need to continue to support them. One local business I want to highlight that our government has recently supported, Speaker, and been able to help during the pandemic, is 3Beez.buzz. It’s a small bee farm that sells local natural wild honey and beeswax candles from the Enniskillen Valley. Thanks to a recent grant from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, they’ve been able to invest further in their e-commerce to increase sales on their website—something that is top of mind for business now.

We all continue to read, I think every day, how the e-commerce market is continuing to grow and we need to help businesses tap into that.

Along with the Ministry of Agriculture grants, we also have the Digital Main Street program that’s been introduced, a joint effort between the federal and provincial government to support other main street businesses in that way. Speaker, the additional supports and investments within this budget will certainly help many businesses keep their doors open and continue to reach their clients into the future.

We understand, as a government, that we need to attract economic and corporate investment back to Ontario, and that means bringing competitive electricity costs back to Ontario. That’s what we’re doing for our industrial and commercial employers. We know that Ontario’s high cost of electricity has been a competitive disadvantage when businesses consider where to expand, invest or set up shop. This budget has a plan to reduce that unnecessarily high electricity burden which, let us not forget, Speaker, was put on their backs by the previous Liberal administration, who signed unaffordable contracts with non-hydro renewable energy producers.

I want to emphasize that while our government is seeking to address that problem with this budget, we would not need to do it at all if it were not for the flawed and foolish energy policies of the previous administration. Our government continues to clean up the financial mess of the previous government and dig our province out of the grave of their bad, ideologically driven energy policies.

Just as a contextual reminder for everyone, in 2009, the Liberal government introduced the Green Energy Act, which led to high-priced contracts for electricity derived from wind, solar and bioenergy. Speaker, they signed thousands of these bad deals: 20-year contracts locking us in to paying above-market electricity rates. This has been painful for the people of Ontario, and we’re working to remove that pain.

If Bill 229 passes, starting on January 1, 2021, a portion of the costs of these contracts will now be funded by the province for commercial and industrial job creators. Obviously, the savings for businesses would be significant, depending on the size of the enterprise. Medium-size and large industrial and commercial employers would save about 14% and 16% respectively, on average, on their bills, starting in 2021. And I think the main thing I want to highlight from this, in the interests of time, is this will bring us back into alignment with our competing jurisdictions.

We’ll finally be able to compete with some of the states to the south of us for jobs in the electricity space, and we know that this is one of the major factors—fixed costs—that they look to when deciding where to locate.

There are lots of other supports for businesses in this budget, but I’ll just end with a quote from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, just one stakeholder among many that are supportive of this budget, Speaker. They endorse this measure that I just highlighted, saying, “CFIB welcomes the news that the government will cut energy costs for businesses with the global adjustment on their bills by an average of 14% to 16%. This will bring much-needed relief to many medium-sized manufacturers and high energy users who have fallen between existing program cracks and have been struggling with uncompetitive energy costs for ... years.”

Speaker, we’re finally bringing a competitiveness lens to our energy policy and planning in the province of Ontario. You’ll see that in this budget and you’ll see that into the future from our government.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I just want to do a comparison. The Ontario Liberals had a Healthy Homes Renovation Tax Credit. When they introduced it, they had an amount of $70 million. And back in 2016, because the fund was unused most of that fiscal year, they actually cancelled the plan. This government’s plan for making it safer for seniors to stay home has a $30-million amount in it. So I would like to ask the member what kind of research was done, compared to $70 million—there was no uptake—and the $30 million that’s in here now? How are they going to educate people? Did they find that there were people coming forward asking for this? Will it be used this time around?

Ms. Lindsey Park: Well, I’ve certainly heard of the need over and over. I got to know many of the stakeholders in this space from my work on my Golden Girls Act and the needs of seniors, and creative ways renovating homes can really make a difference.

At this point, you never do know until you see who applies what the exact final amount is. I think it’s clear in the budget when you read it that this is an estimate. That’s what you do when you start out these programs: You estimate about how many people are going to apply, and you provide for that in the budget. That’s what a budget document does. It sets out an envelope and a best estimate at the time that it’s printed. I think that’s reasonable.

I know I’ll be doing my

part in my community to promote this tax credit. I hope everyone in this House will, because it will really be a tangible benefit to the people of Ontario and to our seniors.

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

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: Ontario’s action plan, based on three pillars—protect, support and recover—is the next phase of the most comprehensive action plan in Canada to respond to the serious health and economic impacts of COVID-19. My question to the member from Durham is, can the member please share what our government is doing to protect the health and well-being of Ontarians during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Ms. Lindsey Park: I want to thank the member for that question and take the opportunity, the small amount of time I have here, to just highlight the $15.2 billion available in support for our front-line health care heroes and to protect people from COVID-19 that we’ve invested. This included supporting 141 hospitals and health care facilities and 626 long-term-care homes since the start of the pandemic.

We’ve also been providing an additional $527 million to ensure Ontario hospitals have the necessary resources to continue to provide care for those who need it. That means, in total, hospitals will receive $2.5 billion more this year than they did last year. Those significant investments will go a long way to helping fight the battle against COVID-19.

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

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Thank you very much to the member across the way. You talked about the stability of hydro as a need for industry, and I agree with you. It’s the same for you and me in our very homes.

I guess my question is a very simple one. Your government ran last election on reducing hydro rates by 12%. You’re almost three years into your mandate this spring, and hydro has actually gone up since you came to office. What does that do for stability when the price is going up, when you promised it was going to go down?

Ms. Lindsey Park: As I highlighted right in my speech, we’re reducing rates by 14% and 16% respectively for commercial and industrial employers through this budget. That’s a reduction. That’s going to make us competitive with our neighbours to the south once again.

This is one of the top things we heard of why businesses were thinking of closing up shop and leaving. This will help GM when they open up in Oshawa again to stay competitive and keep those jobs here now and into the future.

I’m proud of this work we’re doing to clean up the Liberal mess they left to the province of Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Brantford–Brant.

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, our government truly understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on the finances of our seniors. I thought it was very nice of the member to delve deeply into that in her speech this morning. But I was wondering if she could share with the House and expand a little bit more on what our government has done to support seniors through this crisis.

Ms. Lindsey Park: It’s not only our government that’s been helping seniors; it’s the whole community and every level of government that has come together to support our seniors during this difficult time.

Examples: They were called the Care Mongers in Durham, which was just a community-based volunteer initiative that came together to drop off essential needs—groceries, health care products, things like that—to our seniors living at home.

I highlighted the investments we’ve made in our long-term-care sector that we’re continuing to make again. We have committed to increasing the average daily direct care from a nurse or personal support worker per long-term-care resident to four hours a day, over a four-year period. The average right now, by most estimates, is about 2.5 hours a day, so that’s going to make a significant difference for our seniors in long-term care, going forward.

I know the opposition is supportive of that. This will make Ontario the leader among Canadian provinces in protecting our seniors.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I love the way you say that. Thank you, Speaker.

Thank you to the member from Durham. I always enjoy her remarks, and listening to the initiatives for seniors, that was interesting and exciting on what’s happening in your area.

The timing of this budget is very important. We are in the second wave. We are in a crisis in this province. You can’t have a conversation without COVID being talked about. We know that there are workers who have no choice but to work. They don’t have the option of Zooming and working at home and not—they’re the delivery people, they’re the PSWs, they are the nurses, they are the grocery clerks. All those folks—the truck drivers—they keep us comfortable, actually, and keep society going.

I want to ask the member to really consider why paid sick leave was not part of this budget. We know that to stop the spread and to actually ensure that we have a prosperous future, we need to stop this virus. So can the member comment and answer that question: Does she agree that we need paid sick leave to keep people safe?

Ms. Lindsey Park: There are many measures in this budget to keep people safe. Every day, our Ministers of Health and Long-Term Care highlight that, as does our Minister of Labour. Every workplace is a bit different in the province of Ontario in what their arrangement is. That’s been one of the biggest challenges, I think, as government, is helping everyone in all these unique situations across the province of Ontario to adapt.

I know the Minister of Labour has put out clear guidelines on how to keep workplaces safe. We’ve made extensive investments to make sure that when people get sick, the health care system is there to support them, because we know people are going to get sick and people are going to continue to get sick. It’s a reality. But we want to be there for them, to get them back to health as quickly as possible.

Investment in contact tracing and management is critical—those continued investments—as well as, we know, public health measures when they’re needed and that’s our only option.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: In the closing seconds here, I’d like to thank the member from Durham again for informing us more about what the budget hopes to do.

One of the things that we have so struggled with, and we’ve all seen that in the restaurants and small businesses, is that the necessary expenses of COVID for PPE and everything have been so devastating to our small businesses. I was wondering if she could expand a little bit further on what our government is doing to support Ontario’s small business community.

Ms. Lindsey Park: It’s perfect, because it’s the part of my remarks I was about to get to if I had had more time.

I do want to highlight: We’re making significant property tax reductions for small businesses. How much of a reduction is going to depend on what decisions each local municipality makes, but we’ve also put this offer out to municipalities to say if they reduce property taxes, we will match that in certain circumstances. This is one of the things I have heard over and over at the small business round tables that I’ve done over the last eight months, is property taxes are one of those fixed costs that government can help with reducing, and that’s what we’re doing in this budget.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Good morning. It’s a pleasure to rise here today and contribute to the debate.

I’ve been intently listening to the member from Durham, and I think she raises some interesting points about how the budget will help people in Ontario. But, Mr. Speaker, I think we need to be honest that this budget simply, especially during a pandemic, does not go far enough to help the people of Ontario who are struggling to make ends meet, small businesses that have had to close their doors, people facing homelessness or people in our education sector.

I’d like to use some of my time today to highlight how we could have actually, through this budget and through this budget bill, alleviated some of the pressures that Ontarians are facing at this very moment.

I’ll start with maybe discussing our health care system, Mr. Speaker. As is no surprise to you or anyone in this House, I am definitely a health care champion in our city of Brampton, as we only have one hospital. I’ll tell you a little story, Mr. Speaker. I was born in 1985—not to age myself here. Back then, we had one hospital in Brampton, Peel Memorial Hospital. It’s 2020, we are on the cusp of 2021, and unfortunately, that reality is still the same for most. The world has changed in 35 years, but Brampton still only has one hospital. That is our Brampton Civic Hospital, and we have an urgent care centre that unfortunately closes at 8, so it’s not even a full-service facility for folks.

But for decades now—decades—we’ve asked the Liberal government to help fund an additional hospital and health care resources in our community, and we got nothing. The Conservative government, PC members in those ridings, assured us that we would get another hospital and that they were committed to ensuring that, every budget that came out, they were going to advocate for the city of Brampton and ensure that we got health care dollars. But, yet again, nothing in this budget specifically helps the city of Brampton or helps deal with the surge in caseloads that we’re experiencing right now.

I shared a couple of days ago the reality in Peel region, where we have essential workers who are working in our manufacturing, logistics, warehouses—many of these are racialized people—who have no choice but to go to work to ensure that people across this province continue to receive goods, continue to have food to eat. They receive whatever it is that they need because of the work that those essential workers are doing.

And yet when this government has an opportunity to ensure that those essential workers are being taken care of, perhaps looking at measures that might assist them directly, by funding our hospital, let’s say for example, so that they have a bed when they need one, or so that they could take a day off through paid sick days—because one of the issues that is really prevalent in our community is that many of those essential workers simply cannot take a day off. So even if they are sick, they are still going into work.

I spoke with our medical officer, Dr. Loh, a few days ago, and he stressed the importance of paid sick leave, because he understood how important that was to combatting the virus in our community. Those essential workers who are not able to take days off are going into work sick. They’re waiting in lines to get tests. It just doesn’t make sense. If we can give them paid sick days, where they can go home, they can rest, they aren’t spreading the virus—you had the opportunity to do something like this in this budget. It really concerns me that this government failed to do that.

It’s not just the medical officer in Peel and Peel regional health table that is advocating for paid sick days; others are as well.

So I want to encourage this government to think about, if not in this bill, how they are going to implement those types of measures to help us curb the spread in this province, because right now the clock is ticking. You have the opportunity to do that and you don’t do it, and that concerns many of us on this side of the House.

Back to talking about investments in health care, Peel region, again, is a hot spot, and while we have received some investments, it simply isn’t enough for a community that has been underfunded for decades and has never received its fair share in mental health services, in health services, in long-term-care supports. And yet, again, when you have an opportunity to help communities out that are struggling, that have been neglected, that are facing a pandemic in a way that other communities aren’t, this government chose not to do that.

They chose not to fund Peel public health the way that we need to, chose not to provide us the additional health care capacity that we needed. I just really wonder why—why cities like ours continue to be neglected by this government.

When we think about our education system, this bill does very little to help us address some of the real concerns that are happening right now in Peel, in Toronto, in other school boards across the province. We have 30-plus kids crammed into classrooms in some instances. Unfortunately, those schools don’t have the capacity to manage those outbreaks.

But with this budget, this government has not allocated the resources needed to the school boards to help them stop the spread of COVID-19. In Peel region, again, you see a hot spot. We know that there are outbreaks happening at elementary schools and high schools across the region. Teachers and education workers are also being impacted by this.

Speaker, why wouldn’t we invest in our education system and ensure that we can have smaller classrooms, that we cap those class sizes at 15 to ensure that we can limit the spread? Why not do that right now? I understand that this isn’t the Conservative way, but we’re managing a pandemic right now, and so those investments are absolutely critical—critical—at this point in time. Yet when the government should be making those investments, it is choosing not to. I think many of us find that very concerning. I think parents find that concerning. Education workers find that concerning. I have students who call me and tell me how concerning this is to them.

There is the crisis in the classroom, but then we’ve moved to, as the member from Durham alluded to, this whole digital world right now. Many of these students are forced into online learning, and they simply do not have access to Internet. They don’t have access to computers. They don’t have access to the resources they need to actually learn online. Some are waiting two, three, four weeks to get a laptop from their school board in order to access the class.

While this budget provides $200 per student or child and $250 for a child with special needs, that simply isn’t enough to help those struggling families out. So why not increase the amount of support that you’re providing so that all of those children can have access to what they need in order to continue learning from home, if they aren’t physically able to be in a crammed classroom at this point in time? But this budget simply doesn’t do that.

I hear every day from families with children with special needs, all types of disabilities, ranging from autism to Down syndrome and folks that are medically fragile. Speaker, these parents are struggling with how they are going to continue to provide some sense of normal for their children—it is a whole other world to have them access these online learning modules without support from their parents or a caregiver—or perhaps by purchasing additional technology that their child may need in order to continue to gain some sense of a regular curriculum.

Those teachers are also struggling with how to reach out to those students, and yet nothing in this budget specifically helps those children with special needs and exceptionalities in our classrooms who are struggling. Nothing in this budget helps address those inequities in our social systems that prevent students from having access to all the things that children have who come from families who can afford to provide those pieces of technology, access to the Internet. Nothing in this budget does that. It really, really concerns us that that’s the case.

Speaker, I’m just going to take a sip of water here. You can do the same. Glad we’re on the same page.

When I think of how connected our education system is to an economic recovery—I heard from small business owners who have children. One was struggling with a child who has special needs and had to stay home and the pressures that that put on that small business owner. Nothing in this budget really helps those business owners either. I want to maybe chat a little bit about that, because all of this is very connected. All of these elements of our community—our health care system, our education system, our local economies—need to be working together, and that’s not how this budget was approached.

When I think of small businesses that have had to close their doors, with all due respect, I think property tax reductions are a helpful tool—one tool—but that isn’t going to help a business that has already lost its life savings, for example, because they had to close their door.

The member from Durham spoke a lot about moving folks into this digital e-commerce space, and that’s absolutely wonderful. We absolutely need that and I’m all for it. But I am very concerned about those businesses that have bricks and mortar operations that they need to sustain, yet there isn’t the support that they need to keep those operations afloat.

I spoke to a business owner, Yow Wings. They’re a small, independent business, family-owned and -operated. I know what that feels like. Those are 18-hour days for some of those folks. They’ve poured their entire life savings into that business. So when things go bad, it’s not just a business that’s struggling there, it’s an entire family. That’s their mortgage payment. That is their livelihood. But nothing in this budget helps with those direct impacts. Cash infusions and debt relief is what those businesses are looking like they need. They need that, and the bill simply does not help those businesses.

You could have regulated some of those pressures off those businesses. For example, insurance: You were able to provide energy reductions, but nothing was done in terms of the insurance, the rising costs that those businesses are facing. Why? That’s the question to government members. Not only do I have to try to answer that as an opposition member, when asked by community members, I think the government should be answering that question.

Why wouldn’t you regulate those rates for those businesses when you had the opportunity through this budget and through the budget bill? You were able to regulate other sectors of the economy, but you didn’t do that for the insurance industry—again, why? I suppose that’s an answer I’ll never get, but I’m sure the people of Ontario will await an answer from this Conservative government on why they chose not to do that.

I know that as the housing critic, I hear every single day about the real concerns and the real pressures that people are facing. They could be small business owners or they could be a person on ODSP, Speaker. Housing is something that we’re all struggling with right now, and many people are feeling the pressures very differently. While this government relied on federal supports to help folks stay afloat, they actually didn’t step up to the plate to ensure that there was a rent subsidy top-up for people, that they could continue to stay in their homes and not face eviction.

I think it’s very concerning that we know that right now there is a wave of evictions that are coming forward. There is a homelessness crisis that is impending, not only in the city of Toronto but in every community in this province, whether you’re in the far north or whether you’re down in Windsor. People are facing homelessness. They do not have a place to call home. Yet when this government has an opportunity to invest in housing in our province—nothing.

There are some transfers to municipalities to help with some pressures that they might be facing now, but when you think of a community like Peel region that’s had a backlog for 14 years—imagine waiting 14 years to get into a unit to call home. A lot can happen in 14 years. When this government has the opportunity to provide real investments, to increase the supply, they choose to actually hand the keys over to developers so that they can pave through aspects of our greenbelt. But I’ll circle back, because that’s maybe a topic for another conversation.

Housing: We are facing a crisis in this province, in this country. This is a fundamental human right for people. Rather than figure out how to ensure that people can find safe, affordable spaces to call home, this government throws in a tax credit—which, I’ll be honest, is helpful for some. It might be helpful if you own your own home or if you have a family member who owns their own home. This tax credit might be helpful.

But the majority of seniors aren’t in that situation where they own their own home. Many of them are living in a very precarious state, frankly. With rising rents, they’re being forced into some untenable living situations that may not be safe for many of them. This tax credit isn’t going to actually help someone who is renting a unit to renovate that unit. Maybe the government can clarify whether it will, but to me, on first read, this doesn’t seem as though it’s going to help those low-income seniors. It will certainly help a senior who owns their home, but it will not help a senior who is renting.

While that’s important, it simply doesn’t do enough to actually address the real housing crisis in this province. Rather than invest in our shelter system, rather than invest in affordable housing, rather than provide real rent subsidies to people because the cost of living is going up, this government did none of those, none of the above.

Speaker, I spoke about paving over the greenbelt. I got some serious concerns from our regional council and other members of the public about

schedule 6 and changes to the Conservation Authorities Act. Folks are really worried that this government is using this pandemic as a guise to pave over parts of our greenbelt and to hand over large sums of money to their developer friends. I think that that’s a real concern. It’s a real concern for many because we’ve seen the record of this government. When they’ve had a chance to reward their friends and insiders, they have.

I want to get those concerns on record because I think that for many—we care about environmental protections. We care about our local wetlands, we care about our local communities, and we want to ensure that those ecological sites stay as that. But with the changes that the government is making, those conservation authorities are losing some of the power that they have to ensure that they protect our vital wetlands and the greenbelt. Why would you do that during a pandemic? Why would you make it easier for developers to pave over the greenbelt rather than protect it? I just don’t understand why that would be couched into this budget bill here.

Speaker, as I wrap up here, I think that this budget simply does not go far enough to help everyday Ontarians. The three planks of support, protect and—

Mr. Will Bouma: Recover.

Ms. Sara Singh: Recover; there we go. Thank you. I’m always appreciative of the member from Brantford and his helpfulness. We actually have a good relationship, and I enjoy his comments.

But this budget simply does not help us do that. When we think of recovery in the province of Ontario and the investments that are really needed in our education, health and housing sectors, this budget simply does not help us to chart that path towards an economic recovery here in the province of Ontario.

I’d like to encourage the government to think more creatively about the work that needs to happen right now as we manage this pandemic. And I hope that through committee and through some of the discussions we have, some of the ideas that we also put forward as opposition members will be taken into consideration, because as opposition members, we aren’t just here to oppose and criticize. Sometimes we actually propose some pretty good ideas, Speaker.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: A lot of the time.

Ms. Sara Singh: A lot of the time—thank you to the member from London–Fanshawe.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Time to Care.

Ms. Sara Singh: Time to Care—that’s a really good point. Since I’ve got a minute and something on the clock, why not? The Time to Care Act, actually, was something that the member from London–Fanshawe was a champion of, and we’re grateful to see that the government is now finally supportive of regulating what’s happening in terms of a standard of care. But this budget didn’t actually allocate the resources needed to ensure that that four hours of care was going to be provided.

So again, I want to urge the members across the way to listen to some of the great ideas we have. Implement them, but not in a half-measured way, and actually do the real work and make sure that we’re helping Ontarians every single day.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Questions? I recognize the member from Scarborough Centre.

Miss Christina Maria Mitas: Thank you, Speaker. That radio voice—I love it.

The member opposite talked a lot about public health and Brampton’s hospital in particular, so that allows me to be happy to remind that her our government has announced that we will be adding new beds to the Brampton Civic Hospital and that we will be addressing the second phase of development at Peel Memorial Centre. We absolutely recognize that Brampton’s community is growing, and growing quickly, and we’re here to support the people of Brampton and the people of Ontario more broadly.

I’ll get to my question: As outlined in Ontario’s 2020 budget, our government is taking steps to protect people from COVID-19 by increasing our health expenditures to $15.2 billion. Will the member opposite be supporting this unprecedented investment in public health?

Ms. Sara Singh: I’d like to thank the member from Scarborough Centre for her question. I think that investments in health care are absolutely needed in the province of Ontario.

We appreciate some of the recent re-announcements that we had in the city around beds, but let’s be real, this health care system and the city of Brampton have been so neglected that this investment really just doesn’t even scratch the surface. I want to urge the member—while it might be a historic investment, it simply doesn’t go far enough to keep up with inflation in our health care system. Thank you for the question.

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

Mr. Chris Glover: I want to thank the member from Brampton Centre for her comments and her analysis of the budget. I want to focus my question on the business supports. The Globe and Mail reported three weeks ago that potentially 30% of small businesses in this province are at risk of bankruptcy, of closing, and yet in this budget, the only measures to support businesses are a property tax cut and $1,000 for PPE.

When I was speaking to a business owner yesterday—oh, and they also launched a website. With great fanfare and pride, they launched this website, and the website, in addition to information about those measures, also offers free advice. I was talking with a business owner yesterday, and when I told him about the measures that the government is taking, he said, “We don’t need free advice.” He said, “I’ve been a business owner for decades. I’ve run very successful businesses in this province. What we need is immediate support to make sure that 30% of businesses in this province don’t go under, because that is going to cause an economic collapse.”

My question, through you, Mr. Speaker, to the member for Brampton Centre, is, what would an NDP government do to support small businesses through this pandemic?

Ms. Sara Singh: Thank you to the member for the question. I think it’s a really important one because, as you highlight, 30% of businesses are facing closure and this bill doesn’t address some of the pressures that those businesses are facing.

NDP members, New Democrats, we actually proposed, through our Save Main Street plan, a real rent subsidy to help with those costs, direct cash support for those small businesses, because we understood that they were facing financial pressures and that deferring those costs was simply not going to be enough. So they needed those cash infusions, but they needed real debt relief, as well, and debt forgiveness. Those were some of the measures that we proposed. We also proposed insurance reductions for those businesses, because we understood that those were real costs that they were incurring that were not taken into consideration by this government.

New Democrats would have fought a lot harder. We would have invested more in saving main street and ensured that that 30% of those businesses could keep their doors open.

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

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: I was listening very intently to the member from Brampton Centre, and I disagree with the member that Brampton has been neglected by the current government. However, I do agree that Brampton was neglected by the previous Liberal government. Our government is making some unprecedented investments in health care, which includes the city of Brampton as well.

As my friend from Scarborough Centre mentioned, Brampton William Osler hospital recently received 87 new patient beds to help alleviate the capacity pressures and reduce wait times. The Premier was in Brampton last week and the Premier also announced the second phase of the Peel Memorial hospital, which is great news for the people of Brampton, which never happened in the last 15 years. Also, our government is making a $15.2-billion investment in health care.

My question to the member opposite is, will she be supporting these unprecedented investments in public health?

Ms. Sara Singh: Thank you to the member from Brampton West. I know that he may disagree with our perspective here, but I think that the residents in Brampton would certainly agree that they feel neglected at the moment when it comes to our health care system, as we haven’t received any of the supports that we need. The mayor and council have actually been very clear that we need our fair share in Brampton, because we’ve been so neglected.

The member opposite points to some 87 beds that were provided—and have yet to be seen, frankly—but when you’re looking at a city that still has 0.96 beds per 1,000 residents when the provincial average is well above 2.16 per 1,000 residents, 87 beds isn’t going to even scratch the surface of the needs in our community. So I think that maybe the member may want to review what the reality of Brampton Civic Hospital looks like—in constant gridlock, in constant overcapacity—and understand that those investments simply do not go far enough.

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

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: Thank you so much to my colleague for your very thoughtful analysis of what’s going on here.

There is something I really would love you to expand on and that’s the fact that eight months in, and many reports that have expanded on how racialized BIPOC communities suffer disproportionately from COVID, from this pandemic—and we know that in this case, in order to lift the economy, we actually have to care for the most vulnerable. I wonder if you could comment on the fact that the budget does absolutely nothing to recognize the plight of racialized communities in Ontario.

Ms. Sara Singh: I would like to thank the member from Beaches–East York for that excellent question, and just thank her for her constant advocacy for racialized communities and understanding the reality and the lived experiences of those people.

It’s very true that this budget really does nothing to help those vulnerable communities, many who are essential workers and who—

Interjection.

Ms. Sara Singh: You know what? The Minister of Natural Resources is saying, “What about the Black Youth Action Plan?” Yes, that’s wonderful. But that actually doesn’t help people who are working right now in warehouses as essential workers, who have to go to work and cannot take paid sick leave because your government failed to implement it. The Black Youth Action Plan doesn’t do anything for that, Minister of Natural Resources.

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Order, please.

Ms. Sara Singh: So I’m going to just get back to the question here that was asked by the member over here from Beaches–East York: No, this government failed to invest in racialized communities when it had the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, while they may think that the Black Youth Action Plan goes far enough, that simply doesn’t help racialized communities across this province.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Brampton-Brant.

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Brantford–Brant.

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Through you, I appreciate that. I feel very close to the member from Brampton Centre, but I don’t represent Brampton.

I find it fascinating that we have such stilted conversations here in the House, when we’ve been able to have dinner together before while travelling a bill and have conversations.

I always appreciate what she brings to the House, and I really appreciate the fact that she comes from a small business family. I was just wondering—because she did have some criticisms for what we’re doing for small business, but when I’m visiting small businesses in my riding, they’re very excited about some of the changes that we’re making to property tax, to energy and those things. I was wondering if I could ask her if she has had the opportunity to talk to her family about that and see if they are supportive of some of those changes that we’re making in this budget.

Ms. Sara Singh: I would like to thank the member for the question. I actually do have very lively discussions with my family about some of the measures that the government is implementing. And while I think that many are supportive of property tax relief, it simply doesn’t go far enough. I think that people need to understand that. It doesn’t help with the real pressures that those businesses are facing.

If I can just point out to the member as well, this property tax relief, and the sort of matching with the municipal property tax relief, that’s going to put a real strain on those municipal budgets when they lose that revenue. So I would be curious to understand how this government is going to help support those municipal budgets, with direct cash investments or fiscal measures, to help them offset the cost of your program as well. But thank you for the question.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): The time for debate is over.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Small business

Ms. Jessica Bell: My riding is home to a huge creative sector of artists, musicians, filmmakers, as well as music venues, theatre and performance venues. This sector, these people, they are going bankrupt, they are moving out and they are giving up.

The beloved Free Times Cafe is unable to make $10,000 a month in rent amid public health restrictions. Sneaky Dee’s, the iconic music venue, is fighting for its life amidst development pressure to build unaffordable condos. The Commons Theatre and Studio was forced to close, unable to cope with the economic impact of COVID-19. Ashley, the owner of the Round in Kensington Market, a queer art and music space, was just evicted. The locks on their door are chained and the equipment has been seized. Just last week, Bruno, the owner of the Mod Club, a music venue, was evicted after 18 years because he was unable to pay.

There are so many reasons why: development pressure, exorbitant rent, evictions, shrinking revenue and, now, the pandemic. Our creative sector, known for its resilience, is being torn apart, and this government has abandoned this community in its time of need. We risk losing what makes our riding and city so unique.

It is why I am fighting for this province to extend the eviction ban to include more businesses, to provide real rent relief, because I stand with the creative community in my riding of University–Rosedale, and they need your help.

Events in Niagara West

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Every year, people gather from across Niagara to watch the beautiful displays and artistic talent at Santa Claus parades in Niagara West.

Whether it’s the big city parade in a small town in Grimsby, where tens of thousands of pounds of food for local food banks are collected by the Grimsby Fire Department, or the Smithville Christmas in the Village, with the biggest little town parade around, or Fenwick’s unique parade with local Shriners and others, these events are celebrated and beloved by all in the community who gather for family-friendly festivities celebrating Christmas and to give a non-perishable food item to help those less fortunate in our communities.

I also always enjoy going to these events, handing out candy canes and bringing good wishes to my constituents at these family-friendly events.

However, this year, due to COVID-19, the parades won’t be moving forward as usual. But whether it is encouraging people to decorate their homes with holiday cheer in Smithville and drop by the local food bank, organizing a drive-through holiday display and party in Fenwick, or a multi-location food drive and festive display called the Holiday of Hope in Grimsby, the people of Niagara West are resilient and creative.

My thanks to all the organizers of these new, innovative ways to celebrate Christmas and support our local food banks in a family-friendly and safe environment. I hope many families get the chance to attend these festive and safe events this holiday season.

Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh

Mr. Paul Miller: While countries across the globe continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, Azerbaijan, along with other groups in the region, launched a full-scale war against the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27. While some blame pipelines as the reason, the Armenian people of my community believe that the purpose of the war was to forcibly remove the Armenian population from the region. Humanitarian ceasefires were constantly violated as Azerbaijan employed banned weaponry, such as cluster bombs, on civilian and military targets.

On November 9, Russia brokered a ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ceding large territories to Azerbaijan and triggering the exodus of tens of thousands of Armenians from their historical homeland. This is a humanitarian crisis. How can the ethnic Armenian population stay alive under the discriminatory and oppressive Azerbaijan regime that has no regard for their human rights, history or dignity?

My Armenian constituents are concerned we are tumbling towards another Armenian genocide. The pieces are set. The board is in play.

We feel the only way to ensure the survival and the rights of our fellow Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is (1) for this House to recognize the right to self-determination of the Armenians of Karabakh and recognize their independence, (2) for Canada to extend much-needed humanitarian aid to the displaced Armenians, and (3) for Canada to watch and react to further human rights abuses by Azerbaijan.

This is a terrible situation, and we have to react.

Front-line workers

Mr. Jim McDonell: I rise today to acknowledge the efforts and commitments of thousands of front-line workers and volunteers across my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry and, indeed, throughout the province of Ontario.

While the pandemic has reached new heights, these dedicated individuals have been instrumental in the province’s ability to maintain the services we depend on so greatly. Let us also not forget the incredible support they have received from employers, organizations and volunteers. This potent partnership is on display in many places, including the Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

I’m happy to share with this Legislature the recipients of the hospital’s annual Commitment Awards: Dr. Maren Hamilton, RN Frida Plourde, pharmacist Ahmed Aly and the volunteers who staff the hospital’s information desk. Their collective devotion to the hospital and their community continue to ensure their friends, families and neighbours receive quality health care.

I congratulate this year’s recipients and thank them for their tireless support and work that demonstrate the Ontario spirit that makes this country the best place to live, work and raise a family. The difference they make continues to shine and deserves to be celebrated.

Crime prevention

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Next week is Victims and Survivors of Crime Week, a time to raise awareness about the issues facing those who are victims and survivors of crime and their families. Those issues are numerous and life-changing. And it is a time to acknowledge the work of the community leaders and service providers who help them, like Reverend Sky Starr and Out of Bounds: Grief Support, too often with little or no support.

But for some neighbourhoods, these issues never seem to end—neighbourhoods where many families fear the simple act of having their children play out of doors. Just over a week ago, in my community, a 12-year-old boy’s life was taken while walking down the street with his mother in the middle of the afternoon. May God embrace his soul. I cannot even grasp the grief his family must be feeling.

All of us must do everything we can to help them. We must do everything we can to stop the cycle of violence that is targeting our communities and loved ones.

Chronic poverty, lack of opportunities, systemic racism: These are just some of the issues that rob our young people of hope and make it so hard to see a better way forward. They must be addressed so youth can actually envision a future for themselves where their efforts are recognized, where they have a good job and financial security, and the barriers they face are broken. We must invest in our communities and invest in our youth and the programs that are helping them.

Together, we can build a future where every child knows and feels that they belong, have value and are safe.

Dominic Dacosta

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: This past weekend, my son, Victor, and I had the great honour and privilege of participating in a Christmas parade featuring 180 decorated cars driving past the home of the great resident of the city of Cambridge, five-year-old Dominic Dacosta.

Dominic is a warrior. He lives with his family—his dad, Rob; his mom, Denise; his brother, Mason; and his sister, Mia—in Hespeler. Since the age of two, Dominic has been bravely battling neuroblastoma that is in stage 4. But Dominic continues to live every day with courage and a beautiful smile that he showed the cars decorated in Christmas style for the impromptu parade that started at the Hespeler Memorial Arena.

When Dominic isn’t busy commanding vehicles on a parade route, he loves basketball, Lego Minecraft, Fortnite, Spider-Man, Pokémon, Transformers and anything to do with puppies.

So today, I salute a warrior named Dominic Dacosta, and we say from Queen’s Park, we love you.

Remembrance Day

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Although Remembrance Day was last week, I believe it’s never too late to pay tribute to those who have served. It’s a day we remember the brave men and women who have and continue to serve our country during times of conflict and peace.

Over the years, we’ve seen servicemen and women play a different yet essential role on the world stage. I’m sure Canadians of all ages were grateful to see military service personnel spring into action this spring when their help was needed to help battle COVID-19.

Last week, I had the honour to attend Remembrance Day services in my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore. I’d like to thank Jeff Ankenmann, president of Branch 101, and Donna Sampson, president of Branch 643, for inviting me to participate in a small, yet important, ceremony. Branch 643 was formed in 2017 when Branch 3 merged with Branch 210, and now finds their home on Jutland street.

Last week, I also had the opportunity to join members of the Royal Canadian Legion as we commemorated a new home for the Legion’s cenotaph in New Toronto. The cenotaph, donated by the community, has stood on Eighth Street since 1983, but given its size, it became apparent the cenotaph needed a new home. The new location at Colonel Samuel Smith Park is an ideal place for the iconic cenotaph, which has been a place of gathering for those looking to remember the brave men and women who gave their ultimate sacrifice in World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

I want to thank our councillor, Mark Grimes, his team and the dedicated city staff for their work to make this happen in our community.

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Vanthof: A few days ago I got a call from Tom Graham. Tom runs Duncan Lake Fishing and Hunting Camp. Just for a brief description, Duncan Lake is in the Gowganda region. To get to his hunting and fishing camp, you have to go 10 miles up the lake. It is the unique Ontario-Canadian experience that people dream of all over the world. There are many of them across northeastern Ontario. Tom is just one.

His world came crashing down when the border closed, because typically it’s American tourists who want those experiences. After this budget, his world continues to crash, because a tax credit doesn’t help Tom Graham and all those mom-and-pop tourist outfitters out there. Even the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund grant for PPE—it’s welcomed, but it doesn’t help Tom. A bigger dock for social distancing doesn’t help you when you’ve got no income.

This is a unique part of our culture, of our heritage and, actually, of Ontario’s economy, and it’s being totally ignored. These people have fallen through the cracks of federal programs, and quite frankly, the provincial government knew that and has failed to act. We are going to lose the Tom Grahams and the Duncan Lake camps—camps across Gowganda. The whole of Gowganda is basically for sale. We need to act, and this government has failed to.

Scleroderma

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: This week, members of the Scleroderma Society of Ontario will be meeting with MPPs to discuss this autoimmune disease. Many of these advocates are patients, and I applaud them for sharing their stories of living with this disease and fighting for a cure.

Speaker, 2020 has been a tough year for many Ontarians, but those living with this disease and other illnesses have struggled even more. Because scleroderma is a rare disease, it comes with loneliness and isolation. People feel overwhelmed and distressed in the absence of information, support and an understanding peer group. The cost of this rare disease is unknown and currently there is no cure.

As members of this Legislature, we should all take the opportunity to learn more about this disease and what supports are available to our constituents living with this condition. Scleroderma—a hard word, but a harder disease. Let’s do our part to raise awareness, take action and find a cure.

Thank you to the entire team at the Scleroderma Society of Ontario for your work, advocacy and dedication to this cause. You have our support.

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

The member for Timmins has a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I request that we stand down our leads until the Premier arrives.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Once again, I will remind all members not to make reference to the absence of any member in the House. There are good reasons why we observe that rule normally.

I did hear the member for Timmins seeking the unanimous consent of the House to stand down the lead questions for the official opposition. Agreed? I heard a no.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is for the Premier.

Yesterday, another expert adviser from the government’s COVID-19 public health table expressed frustration with the government’s ineffective and incoherent public health measures and expressed concern that he and other experts were forced to sign gag orders, preventing them from sharing their advice and concerns with the public.

Is there any other reason the Premier slapped a gag order on expert advisers, or is it just as it appears, that he doesn’t want the public to know that he was actually ignoring their advice?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, there are no such gag orders. No one is forced to sign anything on the public health measures table. We’ve been very frank with the people of Ontario, very transparent with the information that they’ve been provided. We are there every day for press conferences. Dr. Williams appears twice a week. We present the modelling table. All of the information that we have, the public has, and all of you have as well. There is no question that the people who are at the public health measures table come forward willingly. They provide their advice, and we’re very grateful for that.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I have bad news for the minister and for the Premier. People know very well that this government is not being frank and transparent.

Here’s the problem that that creates for families: The Premier has already been caught claiming that expert advisers backed his plans when those experts actually thought the plan that the Premier put in place was reckless and indefensible. COVID-19 is impacting the lives of everyone in this province. They have a right to the same information that the Premier sees when it comes to their health, their safety, their family’s health and their family’s safety, and they have a right to know when he in fact is ignoring that advice.

Will the Premier end the gag order and make all advice provided to cabinet public today?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, we have been very transparent with the people of Ontario since this pandemic began. The Premier has said on a number of occasions that what we know, we want everyone else to know, so that people will understand why the decisions are being made that are being made.

I think it’s also very important to note that the members of the public health measures table have not signed, as the member calls them, gag orders, or nondisclosure agreements, but there is a code of compliance that when you have a group of people who are making decisions like this, they have one representative who speaks for them. That happens with both public and private companies, in addition to other communities and committees that report. It’s important that one person speaks for the entire group. We hear the advice from the public health measures table and we hear that through Dr. Williams.

That’s the way that the system works and that’s the process that we’ve been following throughout.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Transparency should have been the goal, but it’s painfully obvious that it is not the goal of this government. They are not being transparent. The Premier insists that every decision made by the government is backed by his Chief Medical Officer of Health, but every day it gets harder and harder to believe that assertion.

The Ford government’s cutbacks on public health protections as the second wave was surging, the setting of ridiculously high thresholds for the red zone, long-term-care homes that were left vulnerable yet again and the refusal to cap classroom sizes: My question is, did Dr. Williams tell the Premier that he should be doing these things, or in fact did the Premier decide to do these things and order Dr. Williams to justify them?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Dr. Williams is an independent officer. He has the ability to make his own decisions, which he has done. We have relied on the science and the clinical evidence throughout in every decision that we have made.

Not only have we relied on that with the decisions that we have made, but we’ve put the money behind it. We’ve put billions of dollars into our COVID response; $2.8 billion, most recently. We’re putting over $1 billion into testing, tracing and isolating cases, and we’re continuing to put more money into it because, as the Premier said, the most important issue here is the health and well-being of the people of Ontario. That is our number one priority. It always has been and always will be.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier, but I think the minister and this government have to realize that that certainly is not what it looks like to the families of the 11 people who died in long-term care yesterday.

The Ford government’s failure to act is having a devastating impact on long-term care again. After the pandemic’s first wave, front-line staff and home operators pleaded with this government to aggressively recruit staff to meet the demands of the second wave. Yet, while other provinces, in fact, aggressively recruited staff, engaged in really quite robust campaigns to get more people on staff, the Ford government says that their staffing plan won’t even be ready this year. Honestly, Speaker, it’s tragic, and it’s a tragedy that could have been avoided.

Will the Premier make public today any advice from Dr. Williams or any members of the health table who support the decision not to staff up in long-term care?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: First of all, my concerns and my condolences go out to everyone who has been impacted by this, but your characterization of what has been going on in long-term care in terms of the staffing is fabrication. I’m going to be absolutely clear—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the member to withdraw the unparliamentary comment and ask the member to make her comments through the Chair.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I withdraw.

We have been taking decisive action from the very beginning, using every resource possible, putting our policies in place and putting dollars behind it. Initially, the $243 million to shore up our staffing and our IPAC support for the homes, that was done immediately, swiftly and decisively. The process of staffing planning was ongoing, not only for the crisis that was left behind by the previous government and supported by you—as well as the $540 million that we announced in October to make sure our homes had dollars for IPAC, staffing and the ward rooms that were completely neglected under the previous government. No significant redevelopment was ever done.

We have been at this. We will continue to do everything possible. We are committed to the safety and well-being of residents and staff in long-term care, and we will continue.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, perhaps the minister is unaware, but in today’s Huffington Post, staff at a for-profit facility in Scarborough ravaged by COVID-19 say that they are chronically short-staffed and forced to go back and forth between the COVID-positive and COVID-negative floors because there are so few of these staff in the home.

In July, the government’s own expert panel on staffing urgently—urgently—recommended a minimum standard of four hours of daily hands-on care for every resident in long-term care. Yet, the government refused to act for months and months and months while COVID returned to long-term-care homes.

So will the Premier make public today any advice from Dr. Williams or any members of the health tables that supported that decision?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. The decisions that are being made in long-term care to support our homes have been ongoing in an unprecedented, global situation to understand everything that can be done, not only learning from the previous wave, wave 1, but learning from other countries. It is continuous. It is involving public health, Ontario Health, our integration with our hospitals, making sure that the evidence from our public health tables and our science tables is current and accurate and as best as anyone can bring, to understand what’s happening in long-term care and the measures we can take.

We know that the previous neglect of many, many years in terms of the staffing crisis and in terms of the ward rooms played a role. Our government is committed, and has been since the very beginning, to make sure that we address the long-standing issues so badly neglected.

Every measure is being taken. The dollars are behind those measures. We will continue to support our staff and our residents in long-term care. They are the priority. We will continue.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Families are watching, Speaker, as the second wave of this pandemic once again exposes a broken long-term-care system. This government has known for a couple of years now, as did the previous government, that that system was absolutely broken. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of reports that talk about what needs to be done. They haven’t done it.

The virus exposed the long-term-care system that protects the profits of for-profit, private companies. That’s what it does. But it leaves residents vulnerable, alone and dying in long-term care.

For months, the Premier has promised an iron ring of protection around long-term care, but it’s clear that he’s not only failed to protect seniors in long-term care, he’s ignored experts who warned for months that the second wave of this pandemic was going to be devastating for long-term care. When will the government start being transparent with the people of Ontario and act with urgency that the crisis in long-term care demands?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Premier to reply.

Hon. Doug Ford: I sit back and listen to the Leader of the Opposition and the Liberals criticize about long-term care when, for 15 years, they ignored long-term care. They had an opportunity to increase long-term care to four hours a day of care for patients. They totally, totally ignored it. They watched the long-term-care system, for 15 years, crumble underneath their feet.

As we’re going to lead the way, we’re going to blaze a new trail with four hours of care for long-term-care residents.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Doug Ford: On top of that, we’re going to hire tens of thousands of PSWs, RPNs and RNs—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition, come to order.

Hon. Doug Ford: Yes, the Leader of the Opposition should have done it for 15 years, and totally ignored the people. We’re investing in $1.7 billion in rapid builds to update the long-term-care system that, again, was ignored for 15 years under the previous government and the Leader of the Opposition, as they ended up supporting the Liberals. We’re also investing $540 million in investment to protect—

Interjections.

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

The official opposition will come to order. The member for Timmins, come to order. The Leader of the Opposition, come to order.

The next question.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning. This question is for the Premier.

For months now, students, families and education workers have been on a roller coaster as the government introduced a piecemeal plan that ignored expert advice on class sizes. Schools have been forced to collapse smaller classes into bigger ones, while this government hoards $9.3 billion in unspent COVID relief money that should have been used to keep them safe and keep those class sizes small. Now, just when families might be finally getting into some kind of routine, the Premier and the Minister of Education are causing all this uncertainty once again, musing in the press about an early closure or an extended break.

Will the Premier please tell us and all the anxious families watching if he’s ready to shut down schools instead of capping class sizes at 15?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: According to the Chief Medical Officer of Health and leading medical experts across this country, schools in this province are safe: 99.96% of students don’t have COVID; 99.86% have never had COVID; 99.7% of staff never have had COVID; and 86% do not have a case at all.

Our plan in this province is keeping our kids safe, and we should be proud of our public health officials, our doctors, our teachers and our parents, who have worked so hard to ensure we lead the nation in virtually every way.

We are proud of our work. We’re proud of that plan. Yes, we’re working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, as was asked by the Leader of the Opposition days ago. We are cognizant of community transmission rising. We have a duty to work with the chief medical officer to scale up our plan, to make sure it responds to the risk and to keep our kids safe in 2020 and beyond. That is exactly what we’re doing.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Mr. Speaker, it’s like playing whack-a-mole, trying to keep a direct track of what direction this government is going in.

The minister wants to talk percentages, but I’ll tell you what parents are telling me. They’re saying, “Our kids are not data points.” Parents are interested in the 100 new cases a day that are taking place in our schools, like the families at Begley public school in Windsor, who are the latest to face an outbreak. The local public health unit has closed the school, and parents are now spending the day trying to get their kids tested, as are staff. They’re praying they weren’t exposed.

Families are stuck between a plan that doesn’t do enough to keep their kids safe and the threat of a full closure or a delayed return, and it’s a false choice. It should never have come to this. If the Chief Medical Officer of Health recommends that schools stay open, as the minister has said, why won’t the government cap class sizes so we can keep them that way?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It is quite obvious, according to leading medical experts across this province, that our schools remain safe places for kids. The transmission is not happening within school, but fundamentally entering from the community into our schools. The data points, I think, need to inspire confidence in the population, that 99.96% of students do not have COVID, the fact that of 4,800 schools there are three closed in the province. It only underscores that something special has happened in this province by the leadership of our front-line staff and our public health.

Mr. Speaker, let me add that in Quebec, when you compare our plan to the next largest jurisdiction to this province, 21% of all cases in Quebec come from schools; in Ontario, it’s 7%. They have a million fewer students. We are doing something incredible in this province, not because of the government but because of our teachers, because of our public health leaders, and yes, we will continue, as the Premier has made clear, to build up our plan and make sure that it leads the nation and keeps every student and every staff safe in Ontario.

Energy rates

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Over the years, I have heard countless individuals talking about businesses considering Ontario as a place to invest and create jobs. Unfortunately, for the longest time, they would end up going somewhere else due to the high commercial and industrial electricity prices. The source of the problem was high-cost contracts for electricity from wind, solar and bioenergy entered into by the previous government, for electricity Ontario doesn’t need at a price employers could not afford.

Back in 2017, Jocelyn Bamford of Automatic Coating Ltd. said, “In Toronto, I’m paying 19 cents a kilowatt hour and with electricity being our third-largest expense.... When you look at the bottom line, it’s very difficult to compete.”

According to the Fraser Institute, Ontario’s soaring electricity costs led to nearly 75,000 manufacturing job losses since the end of the 2008 recession. While this was a major issue before COVID-19, it will be an even more significant obstacle as the entire world focuses on recovering from the pandemic.

Premier, what has the government done to help provide much-needed financial relief and stability for businesses. regarding hydro costs?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the outstanding member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore who is doing an incredible job. The member is 100% correct. I heard the same message from businesses considering Ontario as a place to open up.

But under the previous government, under the NDP, prices increased 118% from 2008 to 2019. I know the Leader of the Opposition thinks it’s funny that we increased prices of electricity for businesses, but I’ll tell you, the businesses don’t think it’s funny.

We’re fixing the mess that we inherited from the previous governments. We’re removing the costs which will help industrial and commercial employers save about 14% to 16%, respectively, on average electricity bills. Ontario will go from the least-competitive electricity prices to prices that are more competitive than the US average which we’re competing against day in and day out. We’re finally—finally, after 15 years—fixing the electricity rates in this province—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. There’s a supplementary question.

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My supplemental question is back to the Premier. It’s time to get those jobs back to Ontario. Premier, along with the members of this government, we are proud of the measures that we have taken since coming to office to help address this crisis.

We repealed the Green Energy Act in order to stop the abuses. We wound down unneeded energy contracts, saving ratepayers of this province $790 million. Thanks to our new policy, this will provide even more savings and supports for many of my constituents and constituents from across Ontario. One of the examples is an automotive parts manufacturer in my riding that could save $31,800 per month, or nearly $382,000 annually. That’s a lot of money.

As a result of our comprehensive plan, Ontario will go from being one of the least-competitive jurisdictions for the cost of electricity to the most competitive—better than the US average and most Great Lakes states we compete with for manufacturing and commercial jobs.

Can the Premier please share with us what the reaction has been to our proposed hydro support from businesses and—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. The Premier to reply, again.

Hon. Doug Ford: I remember what the member from Essex had to say back in 2017, stating—this is his quote: “Imagine ... if we thought about using hydro as a strategic investment to incentivize economic development in our communities ... wouldn’t that be ... great...?”

Our member from Oshawa—or “the” member, not our member; it will be our member in 2022—warned in 2015, “Manufacturing and auto sector jobs will disappear with the rising costs of electricity.” Well, haven’t we turned that around. We have all the auto manufacturers here absolutely booming right now.

I want to close by quoting Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturer’s Association. Here is what he had to say: “This would save some of our members half a million dollars a year. But it’s not just the savings for our members. It’s about attracting new businesses here—”

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

Environmental protection

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, my question is to the Premier.

The report this morning from Ontario’s Auditor General on this government’s lack of action on the environment is scathing. The report shows that this government and this Premier are failing to follow their own environmental laws. They’re avoiding transparency, they’re missing their own targets to reduce emissions, and they’re failing to protect the environment. Clean water, clean air for Ontarians are at risk.

The Auditor General doesn’t mince any words. She said, “It is concerning for us to report on the environment ministry’s non-compliance....”

Who does this government believe will benefit from the destruction of the environment?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks to the member opposite for that question.

I read the Auditor General’s report this morning. I thank her very much for her work for all Ontarians as she continues throughout her years of service here to produce these reports.

Maybe the member opposite was skimming through the pages or reading some blogs. But if you actually read the report, the Auditor General does state that there were no non-compliance issues with regard to the EBR. We met the timelines for posting on the EBR.

With respect to water, Ontario has the highest water regulations in the entire country, and of the half a million tests done through residents throughout the entire province, 99.9% of those tests met the standards set by the province of Ontario.

We’re proud of our action on water in this province, and we continue to work through our agencies like OCWA to ensure that municipalities are able to run their water systems appropriately. I want to thank OCWA for getting up into Neskantaga—

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Again to the Premier: No minister who has read that report can be proud of the work they’re doing—none.

The report says there simply aren’t enough staff in the environment ministry to do the work necessary to protect the environment for Ontarians. After the previous government took little to no action, this government has cut so much that work simply isn’t being done. The report is clear: The government doesn’t even know if it’s protecting endangered species. They can’t take care of park planning. And protected lands that are supposed to be in place to preserve our pristine natural beauty are being ripped apart for a quick buck.

It’s no surprise that the government that wavers on climate change, as to whether or not it’s really happening, is not committed to the protection of the environment, but that’s no excuse.

Why is the government failing Ontarians when it needs to be protecting our air, our water and our climate?

Interjections.

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

The Minister of the Environment to reply.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks again for that question. There’s so much to unpack from that statement. Where do we start?

Mr. Speaker, we have an environment plan that we brought forward in 2018 to protect our land, air and water. We have made important initiatives going forward. We’ve moved to emissions testing on heavy-duty vehicles. We have our EPS, emissions performance standards, approved by the federal government. We’ll be moving forward so that Ontario has an Ontario plan to reduce the emissions in our industrial sector while remaining competitive.

The budget that’s proposed in this Legislature—if the member opposite supports it, $20 million will be going to work with organizations like Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect and preserve more land. Not since the days of Premier Mike Harris has land been protected throughout this province—that we will be protecting. In Prince Edward county, we announced a month ago that we’re looking at a new conservation reserve.

The government previous, supported by the NDP, did nothing with regard to protecting land throughout this province. We’re doing it. We’re only two years in. Just watch us go—

Interjections.

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

Flu immunization

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier. Premier, on October 15, about a month ago, after reports of flu vaccine shortages, the minister stood up in this House and did a number of media interviews and said that there were no shortages in pharmacies across Ontario.

At 8:30 this morning, there is not a single Shoppers Drug Mart in Orléans that has flu shot availability. Rexall’s website reads: “Unfortunately, flu appointments have been cancelled due to a province-wide supply issue.” This morning, there is at least a one-week wait for a flu vaccination appointment with Ottawa Public Health.

We’re now six or seven weeks into the flu campaign. Can the Speaker explain why his flu campaign, the centerpiece of the COVID-19 response plan, had no prioritization for seniors, and why people with serious heart disease and diabetes are still waiting to get their flu shot?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Speaker can’t explain, but perhaps the Minister of Health can.

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, this has been the largest flu campaign in Ontario’s history. It was one of the central tenets of our fall preparedness plan, and I thank the people of Ontario for coming forward to protect their own health, the health of their families and their co-workers and friends.

This is really important that we’ve spent over $70 million. We ordered over five million flu doses. Generally speaking, at this time of the year, there have been about 500,000 flu shots administered through pharmacies; this year, over 1.4 million doses.

We are continuing to roll out this plan. We have had conversations with both the federal minister, Minister Hajdu—I’ve spoken with her about obtaining more vaccines from the federal reserve—as well as with private manufacturers. I can advise that, as of yesterday, we have received a shipment of another 132,000 doses from Sanofi.

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: I appreciate that, but the question was about prioritizing people with heart conditions and diabetes.

There hasn’t been much good news coming out of the provincial government lately, but there is finally good news about a COVID-19 vaccine. Thankfully, the federal Liberal government has taken a leadership role in procuring millions and millions of doses of vaccine for Canadians, more than we’ll ever need.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The member for Orléans has the floor. He has every right to ask his question without interruption. The House will come to order.

Restart the clock. Member for Orléans, I apologize for the interruption.

Mr. Stephen Blais: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Throughout the process, the federal Liberal government has been transparent about its strategy to procure the COVID-19 vaccine. On the other hand, here in Ontario, the people of Ontario and this Legislature still don’t know how the province is going to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to Ontarians and what the priority is going to be.

So can the Premier or the Minister of Health confirm how many doses of COVID-19 we expect here in Ontario, what the plan will be and what the prioritization will be to get those into the arms of Ontarians?

Hon. Christine Elliott: First of all, with respect to the flu vaccine, we did prioritize people in long-term-care homes, people in hospitals, people living in congregate settings, because we know that they are our most vulnerable and they need to be protected. Similarly, we will do the same with respect to the COVID vaccine when it becomes available.

We are expecting that we will receive shipments from both Pfizer and Moderna. There are significant issues with respect to the Pfizer vaccine in particular; it needs to be stored at minus 75 degrees Celsius, and Moderna at minus 20.

The doses for Canada: We expect to receive four million doses between January and March of the Pfizer vaccine and two million for Moderna, of which we anticipate that we will receive 1,600,000 of Pfizer and 800,000 of Moderna. People do have to receive two doses 21 days apart. This is a major logistical challenge, but we have an entire group within the Ministry of Health right now that are planning for that. As soon as we receive those shipments from the federal government—

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

Forestry industry

Mr. Toby Barrett: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. As we know, last week’s budget announced billions of dollars to various industries and businesses. In the early days of COVID-19, the province identified essential workplaces that needed to remain open. Among those were the mills, the processing facilities of Ontario’s forestry industry.

While we stayed home, Ontario’s forestry industry and the men and women who work in that industry kept on working to make sure that we had the materials that we need, like personal protective equipment, for example, to keep us safe.

With that being said, Speaker, many businesses experienced added costs that came with keeping their facilities open. Through you to the minister, Speaker: What is the government doing to ensure that our forestry sector is getting the support it needs to keep workplaces safe throughout this pandemic?

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the member from Haldimand–Norfolk for his great question. This government sees the forest industry as a priority industry. In fact, we were the first to declare it an essential industry when the pandemic hit, so we were helping companies with some of the added costs associated with keeping their places clean and safe.

We worked with the federal government to secure $5.3 million through the forest sector safety measures fund announced in last week’s budget. This fund will ensure funding will go to eligible participants that operate small to medium-sized forestry companies in Ontario that have incurred at least $1,000 in eligible costs like PPE, additional cleaning and other related costs, between April 1, 2020, and February 1, 2021.

Speaker, the health and well-being of Ontarians is the number one priority of this government. That’s why we’re giving support to address these added costs while keeping our forestry workers safe while they remain on the job that provides much needed products for everyone in Ontario.

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

Mr. Toby Barrett: I thank the minister for that response. I think it’s fantastic to see this government supporting Ontario’s forestry sector with these critical funds. Our forestry sector is a key part of Ontario’s economy. It is essential and is keeping our province functioning during this global pandemic.

I see it first-hand in southern Ontario, across my riding in Haldimand–Norfolk. I think of Townsend Lumber, and Arnold Hanson and Sons Logging. Porter Lumber has operated for years just down the road from my farm. Companies like this contribute to our economy. They provide good-paying jobs, certainly, to people in my riding and communities right across the province.

Speaker, can the minister tell this House just how important this sector is to the livelihoods of the people of Ontario and to our economy?

Hon. John Yakabuski: Thanks to the member for that supplemental question. It’s always a pleasure to speak in this House about the importance of the forestry sector here in the province of Ontario. It was one of the foundational bedrock industries in the opening of this province.

The vital role that the forestry sector plays has been especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry has a huge role to play in providing essential forest products for hygiene, medical supplies, food packing and shipping materials. This sector is critical to the provincial economy, especially in Indigenous, northern and rural communities. I come from one of those communities, so I understand, absolutely, just how important it is. It generates over $18 billion in revenue and supports approximately 147,000 direct and indirect jobs across the province, from Toronto to Timmins.

Speaker, this sector is critical to getting through this pandemic. They haven’t stopped working throughout this pandemic. Our government won’t stop working to make sure that they have supports that they need.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Premier. Last week, using his power under

section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, the Niagara chief medical officer implemented a regulation that restricted restaurants to only allowing six guests from the same household to a table. The following Monday, this Conservative government implemented a regulation further reducing that to a maximum of four people.

The Premier knows that Niagara is a tourist destination. We depend on our restaurants and bar industry. In fact, 13% of all jobs in Niagara are tied directly to the sector, which doesn’t include thousands of spin-off jobs. These businesses cannot survive without financial help. The Premier holds the power in his hands.

Will the Premier stand up today and tell the restaurant and bar owners of Niagara that he hears their cries for help, and immediately announce emergency funding to ensure they can weather the storm of these mandatory public health restrictions?

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

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I appreciate the member opposite’s question. Obviously, Canada’s number one tourism destination is Niagara Falls. That’s why this government has invested so much money to the Niagara Parks Commission, a $25-million loan early in the pandemic. I visited his riding. We were able to open up early a Metrolinx round trip. And we’ve just announced that this government is allowing $300 million to businesses in hot zones like Niagara Falls and like my own city of Ottawa.

I’m pleased that the member opposite is actually raising an issue on tourism. He had 30 minutes yesterday in estimates—not one peep did he mention to me about any concerns that he had with respect to Niagara Falls. In fact, I had to call the mayor of Niagara Falls last night to let him know that this government, this party, this Premier stand for the people of Niagara Falls.

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

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question was to the Premier, not the minister, but I’m sure she’ll hear some questions today.

Again to the Premier: Restaurants and bars are reaching out to elected officials for their help. I’m echoing their voices in this House to the Premier directly. When we heard about the regulations from the region, myself and my fellow NDP MPPs in Niagara immediately wrote to the Premier asking for emergency financial help for these businesses. They don’t want to close; they want to be open, serving guests and tourists. But if they’re going to close, then the Premier has an obligation to make sure they don’t close permanently and drown in debt.

I want the minister to hear this, because she’ll hear about it today: We are waiting five days for a response from the Premier—five days too many.

Speaker, will the Premier answer that letter right now, look into the camera and tell the restaurants and bars of Niagara that help is on the way, and tell them that he’ll be using his powers today to help them survive—

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

The minister to reply.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Speaker, yesterday the members opposite had an opportunity for 30 minutes to talk about tourism. They refused to utter the word “tourism.” The member opposite comes from the number one tourism destination in the entire country and, for the first time since this pandemic hit, has now just raised—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The minister of Niagara Falls will come to order. I apologize to the Minister of Heritage.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Okay.

I’ll give you a couple of extra seconds. Minister of Heritage to reply.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thanks very much, Speaker. Now that he’s been appointed minister, maybe I could ask him a couple of questions. Why did it take you so long to finally start raising these issues on the floor of this House—after eight months?

This government is absolutely committed to working with Restaurants Canada and the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association to make sure that we are able to proceed, after COVID-19, with many of these institutions within our province. We will be continuing to engage in hyper-local marketing through the Destination Ontario agency, which is responsible to me, to support this critical infrastructure across the province, including restaurants.

Again, I want to reiterate that the Minister of Finance recently announced $300 million to support businesses just like these.

Thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity.

Long-term care

M lle Amanda Simard: Ma question s’adresse au premier ministre. The Premier says that the buck stops with him. He says that he’s sparing no expenses. He said that he would build an iron ring around long-term-care homes. He says that he’ll follow medical advice. My question is very simple: Why hasn’t he?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: He has. The Premier has indicated since the very beginning that the health and well-being of the people of Ontario have been and will be our most important priority. He has been listening to the science and the clinical evidence. He’s been following the advice that’s been given by Dr. Williams, by the public health measures table, by Public Health Ontario and all of the people in behind that, because there are dozens of physicians who are supplying advice and recommendations through those bodies.

That is what we are making our decisions based on, and that is what we will continue to decide upon, because those are the most important issues and those are the people that are on the ground that know what’s actually happening out there. We always said that we would listen to them, and we always will do that.

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

M lle Amanda Simard: Encore au premier ministre : Daily, the Minister of Health tweets out the new and rising number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario, yet never included in those communications is the number of deaths related to COVID-19. Instead, it is left up to reporters to ensure that information is shared on that important platform.

My question is again very simple: Why is the minister not communicating this vital information in her daily reports?

Hon. Christine Elliott: This information is provided daily on our COVID website, all of the information that people want to know about: the number of cases, the incidence rates and, sadly, the number of deaths. That is not something that I believe is tweetable. I have respect for the people who have passed away and respect for their families. That is information that people can obtain, but I don’t think it’s a matter that we should be tweeting about.

Government services

Mr. Deepak Anand: My question is to the President of the Treasury Board.

In my riding of Mississauga–Malton, the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that Ontario’s programs and front-line services need to be more convenient, reliable and accessible. Recently, the province announced a bold plan, Ontario Onwards: Ontario’s COVID-19 Action Plan for a People-Focused Government, to make government work more effectively for the people of Ontario. This is welcome news. Simpler, better and faster services are always important, more so during this pandemic. I’m very excited to be part of a team that makes government services more digitally accessible, reduces red tape and simplifies policies for all Ontarians.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Could the minister please tell the House and all Ontarians about these exciting and critical advancements in our public services?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: I’d like to thank the member for Mississauga–Malton for that excellent question.

With more and more people accessing digital services, we can’t afford to be an offline government in an online world. The government is listening to Ontarians and exploring how programs and services can be improved. We’ve worked hard to create a better experience for the people of Ontario. While this work preceded the pandemic, COVID-19 meant we had to accelerate and innovate our approach to moving Ontario onwards.

In Ontario’s 2020 budget, our government launched the $500-million Ontario Onwards Acceleration Fund. The fund will reinvest in public services and will accelerate transformation across government. We are modernizing the entire government. We are moving Ontario onwards.

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

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you, Minister. It is great to hear how the government of Ontario is improving the way stakeholders interact with the government. I know the people and the businesses in my riding will be thrilled to hear that the government is privatizing programs and services that will impact their day-to-day life. I’m sure the acceleration fund will encourage and accelerate transformation across government by supporting innovative ideas and providing opportunities to pilot these new technologies. To the thinkers and to the innovators from Mississauga–Malton, I’m here to say that we are looking forward to your calls, we are excited to help and we are excited to serve.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the president of the Treasury Board tell the House how the people of Ontario will get help from this acceleration fund?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Again, I’d like to thank the member for this important question.

The world has changed and the government must change with it. The new Ontario Onwards Acceleration Fund will help the implementation of projects that will make a difference in how people and businesses experience services in Ontario. One of the planned signature projects is a digital identity wallet.