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February 22, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Feb-22 (PDF)

L224 - Mon 22 Feb 2021 / Lun 22 fév 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 22 February 2021 Lundi 22 février 2021

Private Members’ Public Business

Road safety

Members’ Statements

Health care

Rural Ottawa South Support Services

Aslam Mahida Mohammad

Paramedic services

Tenant protection

Logement abordable / Affordable housing

COVID-19 response

Automobile insurance

Marilyn Crabtree

Hospitality industry

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 immunization

Health care

Northern economy

Small business

Land use planning

Human trafficking

Land use planning

Small business

Long-term care

Land use planning

Employment standards

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Introduction of Bills

Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la lutte contre la traite des personnes

Housing is a Human Right Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le logement en tant que droit de la personne

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Human trafficking

Petitions

Consumer protection

Property taxation

Life insurance

Environmental protection

Consumer protection

Northern Health Travel Grant

Small business

Front-line workers

Consumer protection

Addiction services

Opposition Day

Long-term care

Orders of the Day

Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à accélérer l’accès à la justice

The House met at 0900.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Good morning, everyone.

Prayers.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): I wish to acknowledge this territory as a traditional gathering place for many Indigenous peoples and nations, most recently the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

This being the first sitting Monday of the month, I ask everyone to join in the singing of the Canadian national anthem, followed by the royal anthem.

Playing of the national anthem / Écoute de l’hymne national.

Playing of the royal anthem / Écoute de l’hymne royal.

Private Members’ Public Business

Road safety

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I move that, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should take action to keep our roads and communities safe by increasing penalties for stunt driving and other dangerous offences under the Highway Traffic Act.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Mrs. Tangri has moved private member’s notice of motion number 138. Pursuant to standing order 101, the member has 12 minutes for her presentation.

I turn to the member from Mississauga–Streetsville.

Mrs. Nina Tangri: It is my honour to rise in the Legislature for the first time in 2021 and lead off the debate of my second private member’s motion of my parliamentary calendar. While responding to the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 has always been, and will continue to be, the government’s top priority throughout this pandemic and recovery to come, it is very important that all aspects of legislative business continue, especially private members’ business.

Before I begin, I would like to thank the government House leader for bringing forward the standing order changes in the fall that allowed us to be here this morning and consider an extra piece of private members’ business each week to catch up from the impacts that COVID-19 had on our last spring session. As we all know, we normally would not be here at this time talking about PMBs.

While the pandemic has brought direct impacts to each and every one of us here in Ontario and around the world, there are other, more indirect impacts the pandemic has had as well. One of those indirect impacts has been on our roads and highways. The people of Ontario have been doing their part throughout the pandemic by staying home and limiting their travels to essential trips only. The businesses of Ontario have adapted their practices and allowed employees to work from home, which has led to a drastic decrease in the number of people who commute to and from work.

Naturally, this has led to a marked decrease in road users and traffic volumes. Traffic is lighter, which is something I’m sure most road users appreciate, but there are people taking advantage of this change by acting irresponsibly and downright dangerously.

Last May, we were all shocked to hear of an 18-year-old charged with travelling 308 kilometres per hour on the Queen Elizabeth Way west of Toronto. As Sergeant Kerry Schmidt of the Ontario Provincial Police explained at the time, that’s 191 miles an hour, or 280 feet per second. Any driver up ahead would not even be able to see this person coming up behind them. A driver could check their mirror and begin to change lanes and, without notice, this vehicle could be racing past them or into them.

Words cannot begin to describe how utterly reckless, dangerous and callous this behaviour is, and members of the public agree. This particular incident has started a conversation about the dangerous behaviour people were exhibiting on the roads, but this driver isn’t the only one we have seen acting this way. While not all charges are as egregious, we are seeing an extremely concerning increasing trend as bad actors have been treating empty roads and highways as their personal racetracks, driving at ludicrous speeds without care and regard for others.

It was pure luck that, in this case, nobody was injured or killed, but this is not always the reality. Speeding and aggressive driving are the number one cause of driving-related fatalities. These deaths are preventable.

Last year, Peel Regional Police, responsible for my community of Mississauga, laid 827 stunt driving charges in 2020, versus 366 charges in 2019 and 375 the year before. The change between 2019 and 2020 is a 125% increase.

In Toronto, as of mid-September, 714 stunt-related driving charges were laid, up from 332 in the same period a year before—a 215% increase. In Waterloo, 285 drivers were charged with stunt driving last year, compared to 143 the year before. This is a 98% increase.

The numbers across the province paint a clear picture that this is a growing problem. As of October, high-speed collisions across the province rose by 186%, compared to the previous year. These collisions are tragic and have real impacts on real people. Innocent people are at risk of serious injury or losing their lives as a result of this reckless, callous and irresponsible behaviour.

Enforcement is not the issue here, Speaker. Many members know I have a great deal of respect for our police and I have an especially good relationship with my local chief of police, Chief Nish Duraiappah. The increase in charges means the officers are keeping up. We’re also seeing operations spanning multiple jurisdictions, targeting rallies, gatherings and other events that promote unlawful and dangerous behaviour. Project Drift, a collaboration between the OPP, York Regional Police and Peel police, is a prime example and has yielded good results.

Section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act prohibits racing and stunting. The actions that define these terms are currently outlined in regulation. A few of these, as they relate specifically to stunt driving, are brake-checking; driving without being in the driver’s seat; going 50 kilometres per hour or greater over the speed limit; or travelling at or above 150 kilometres per hour, which was a

section our government introduced in 2019.

The majority of charges laid are for speeds 50 kilometres and over. It is these types of actions that cause the greatest risk and devastation.

While excessive speeds we should never be travelling certainly grab our attention—160, 228, 250 or 308 kilometres per hour, for example—stunt driving is not limited to freeways or expressways. Just this month, three drivers in Oakville were charged, travelling at 129 kilometres per hour in a 60-kilometre zone. Last June, police in Burlington charged a driver with travelling 156 kilometres in a 60-kilometre zone, nearly 100 kilometres per hour over the posted limit.

In 2018, around the time I moved into my constituency office in Streetsville, a driver up the street from us on Britannia Road was caught at 142 kilometres per hour in a 50-kilometre zone, nearly three times the speed limit. And, last August, a stunt-driving charge was laid against a driver travelling 119 kilometres in a 60-kilometre zone, nearly twice the limit, also on Britannia Road. This was not the driver’s first stunt-driving charge, nor was it his second; it was his third in five months.

These individuals are acting with no regard for the people and communities around them. These actions are taking place on our local streets, near homes, libraries, parks and schools. Every time the police stop a driver acting this dangerously, they are saving people’s lives. And every time a driver acts this dangerously, they are putting other people’s lives at risk. When collisions don’t occur, it is out of sheer luck, nothing else.

There are two factors, I believe, that need to be addressed. First, the current penalties for stunt driving, at least at the roadside, are not a strong enough deterrent. The current roadside penalty for stunt driving is a seven-day licence suspension and a seven-day vehicle impoundment, which is, of course, at the owner’s expense. The current roadside penalty for impaired driving is a 90-day licence suspension and a seven-day vehicle impoundment.

To be clear, driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol is absolutely unacceptable and poses a great danger to other road users and members of communities right across the province, but so is stunting and racing. There is no valid reason for anybody to be stunting, and the act of doing so, while a mistake in retrospect for most, is deliberate. We need to prevent this behaviour from happening in the first place and keep our road users safe.

While the courts should—and must—have to convict individuals before the full penalties allowed under statute, such as fines or imprisonment, can be applied, administrative or roadside penalties immediately reduce the risks these drivers pose on our highways and further deter individuals from committing the offence.

The government should consult with stakeholders and others across the province to determine what an appropriate roadside penalty, both in terms of licence suspensions and vehicle impoundments, should look like. Additionally, escalating penalties, increasing each time the offence is committed, should be taken into consideration to prevent repeat offences from occurring.

The other factor that needs to be addressed specifically relates to younger drivers. Like many other things, the habits we develop when we are young stick with us throughout the rest of our lives. We must make sure that our youth develop good driving habits that keep them safe and all road users safe. We have zero tolerance for novice drivers with a G1 or a G2 licence in our graduated licensing program or anyone 21 years of age or younger driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, because we know the lack of driving experience poses additional risk.

It is reflected in many of the reports of charges we see in the media. It is reflected in the fatalities and injuries that are a result of these preventable collisions and, coming from the insurance world, it is definitely reflected in the insurance premiums in that age group.

As the Honourable Minister and Associate Minister of Transportation stated during National Teen Driver Safety Week in October, “Road crashes are the second leading cause of death among young people in Canada. It’s a tragedy when someone loses a life on our roads, and these deaths are completely avoidable.”

We need to educate our young drivers and make them aware of the responsibilities they have as operators of motor vehicles. We also need to make them aware of the serious risks they pose to themselves and others when they behave irresponsibly and ensure they are aware of the penalties they face for doing so. This charge, and the reckless behaviour associated with it, is not something to be proud of; it is something you should deeply, deeply regret.

While it is true that Ontario has some of the toughest penalties in North America when it comes to street racing and stunt driving, the dangerous trend we have seen means that we have more work to do. This is not an easy issue, and the correct response and the correct policies won’t be immediate. The government needs to work with stakeholders and find the right policies to implement. They are willing to offer solutions and they are willing to work with the government to get them in place. We need to get this right.

Throughout my consultations on this motion, both in my community and with organizations and other groups, everybody agreed that this issue is of growing concern and everybody agreed that we need to take action. I hope that this motion is the start of an ongoing conversation on how we can best protect the individuals and families that use Ontario’s highways. I look forward to hearing from my colleagues and the opposition members.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: I am very pleased to be able to speak today on this motion, because certainly anything that we can do as a Legislature to make our roadways safer, the workers and families who travel on our roads safer, is something that not only we should be talking about but we should look forward to seeing government action on. Wanting our roadways to be safer is something that I think we are unified on. So I am pleased to offer my comments today and offer some additional suggestions to flesh out this motion in front of us.

The motion reads, “That ... the government of Ontario should take action to keep our roads and communities safe by increasing penalties for stunt driving and other dangerous offences under the Highway Traffic Act.”

Just so that everyone is reminded, there are two pieces of legislation before this House that, at any time—if the government is serious about making changes when it comes to safety, they can pick up these two pieces of legislation. They are not insignificant in terms of their impact, but they are fairly uncomplicated. They could incorporate them into government legislation at any time—one being my own bill, Bill 122, Fairness for Road Users Act (Contraventions Causing Death or Serious Bodily Harm).

There are thousands and thousands of stakeholders, the bikers’ rights organizations, folks from across the province who have requested—not just my bill. Mine is a newer version of a bill that has been tabled a few times, to give judges the opportunity to have stiffer penalties should someone be significantly harmed or killed through something that is—like an improper left turn. Right now, it’s a slap on the wrist, and the families who are left struggling and suffering have no closure whatsoever.

So it is something that I’d ask the government to take a look at. I’ve asked the government, and they say, “Oh, we’re looking forward to debate.” Well, Speaker, you and I both know that there are many good ideas on this side of the House or on that side of the House that could very easily be incorporated into government legislation. That’s one. Please consider that, especially as we’re seeing, if you are sincerely honest—sorry, I know you’re always honest; otherwise, it would be unparliamentary. But if you’re sincere in wanting to make these changes, that’s another one.

Additionally, Bill 62, as put forward by my colleague from University–Rosedale, to protect vulnerable road users—we don’t want people damaged, hurt, killed or endangered on the roadways.

So there are a few suggestions. I may revisit that in a moment, but I’m going to stick to this conversation because I’m very, very appreciative to have it.

This is about stunt driving—and first of all, I hate that it’s called that. I take the member’s point; the member from Mississauga–Streetsville said that people who are charged with stunt driving should be very regretful, that this shouldn’t be a badge of honour. The term “stunt driving”—I think of Hollywood. I think that has to change. Whether we call it jerk driving or idiot driving or dangerous driving or reckless driving—I don’t have an appropriate name for it, but it is purposefully getting behind the wheel to act like an idiot and to endanger people. They don’t care who they are. They don’t seem to care about the repercussions.

If you told someone that you were pulled over or that you were charged with drunk driving, impaired driving, drugged driving, there’s quite a stigma there. I think that’s because there has been so much education—not just the harm that comes with that, but also the stigma, the education campaigns. We have our work cut out for us when it comes to this type of driving, whether we call it aggressive driving or something like that—I don’t know. Calling it stunt driving makes it seem kind of fun and I hate that.

Another thing I would encourage the government to stop doing or to stop course right now—this government is going ahead, pedal to the metal, full speed ahead, on their speed pilot. Right now, during a pandemic, when we see changing traffic patterns, we know that the numbers are going to be skewed. You have fewer people on the roads. So as you’re doing your measures with the speed pilots, I worry about what that will yield and why. Who on earth is driving this speed pilot to increase the speed limit?

If we’re going to stand in this House and talk about how speed kills, and thank our police officers who are doing their best to keep on top of this, if we’re going to thank our first responders who are first on the scene with the havoc and the trauma that results from high-speed impact collisions, ask the folks at the hospitals, ask the folks in the trauma departments who know that just an incremental increase in speed yields terrible results in their space. Catastrophic injury, Speaker, is a lifelong journey, if someone survives, for the family. It destroys lives, that of the family, not to mention the health care and home care required.

So as this government, on one hand, is saying, “We want to reduce speeds; we want to target those who would be reckless on our roads,” on the other hand, you’ve got someone in a backroom somewhere saying, “Let’s increase the speeds. That seems like a good idea.” Let’s figure that out, because now is not the time for that, nor, would I argue, is it ever.

Speaker, if we’re going to bring forward meaningful legislation—and I’m not diminishing this motion, but this is a motion. The member has talked about this, calling on the government to take action. If a government is going to bring forward legislation, I think that the at-the-roadside repercussions, the administrative things at the roadside, a seven-day impoundment or a seven-day licence suspension—fine, whatever. Why aren’t we making that longer? Let’s make this a deterrent. I don’t want to hear about second- and third-time offenders. Let’s have that graduated penalty where it gets worse each time they do it.

My understanding is that 90% of the charges—the government can correct me if I’m wrong, but what I have understood from stakeholders is 90% of those get pled out. There’s a plea bargain. Well, that doesn’t happen with impaired. Why on earth does it happen with this stunt driving? Let’s look at administrative penalties rather than a judicial review. It’s worth a conversation.

Also, people act like idiots in parking lots too, and interestingly, the legislation only has to do with public roadways. There’s an interesting conversation. Let’s talk to the police about where on earth people are putting others in danger, and let’s get them.

Vision Zero: Our partners at the Ontario Good Roads Association, they talk about Vision Zero. We all need that kind of strategy. In Durham, we’re one of the regions that has a strategic road action safety plan specific to aggressive driving. Let’s talk about having those kinds of plans across the province.

Again, I’ve already mentioned effective education. Let’s do that. Stunt driving shouldn’t be hot. It shouldn’t be fun. You think of stunt driving, you think of neon. You think of—I can’t even imagine how much money The Fast and The Furious franchise is worth. But let’s make it something that is not what young people want to do.

Ontario has some of the lowest fines for speeding in Canada. Why? They should be higher. This government has the pedal to the metal to get their speed increases rammed through; however, this is the chance for us to do the right thing.

Speaker, I have not left that much time for my colleagues, so I am going to sit down, though there is lots more to say. I’m very glad that we’re having this conversation. Our roadways need to be safer.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Dave Smith: I really appreciate that this motion has come forward, because it does provide us with an opportunity to do a lot of things, more than just change the legislation. There is an education that needs to be made on this.

I’ve said it a number of times in the House here: I’m 50. I grew up in a small town, Wellington, south of Belleville. About 750 people lived in the community when I lived there. I remember one street in particular, Niles Street. For those of you who don’t know Prince Edward county very well, it heads out to the dump. Just as you pass the dump, there’s a 90-degree left turn. As a kid, we used to go out to the dump a fair bit and ride our bikes out there, because it was a great place for us to play. You can’t do that anymore. But we would build forts and so on.

What sticks out in my mind is there was a

section of the road, because it was fairly long and straight, where someone had painted a drag strip. You could do the quarter mile right there, just two minutes outside of town. What I remember most about it, very interestingly, is that—my father had talked about it a couple of times—the paint that was used was actually provided by MTO to put the drag strip on. That is what things were like 40 years ago. That was kind of the attitude.

The reason I bring it up is because there has been an attitude change on a number of different things. Stunt-driving is seen as something sexy that we should do; everyone should engage in it. I recall as a kid growing up, drunk driving was considered the norm. I recall distinctly that after winning the squirt all-Ontario baseball championships at home in Wellington at about eight years old, there was a big party on the field afterwards, and so many people were drinking. The joke the next day was they had to drive home because they were too drunk to walk. That was the attitude that we had. That attitude changed.

That attitude changed through legislation. That attitude changed through education. It’s something we need to do right now as well.

If you go on YouTube and do a search for “stunt-driving Ontario,” you’re going to find thousands of videos. It’s cool for some of these idiots to pull out their cellphone and record them doing idiot stunts with a whole group of people around. In a lot of these videos, you see someone smash into the group of people, because the spectators are there.

One of the problems with smart phone technology is that we’ve made people really stupid by doing it, and we do stupid things. In my riding, two incidents in particular: On November 19, an 18-year-old was driving up to Peterborough to the driver test centre with his G2 to go for his G licence and got pulled over doing 155 kilometres on the 115, and then about three weeks later, another idiot with their G2 licence driving up to get their complete licence clocked at 158. They don’t get it.

I do blame a lot of things on mainstream media. I’m going to hit one in particular, and that’s Pepsi. A number of years ago, they put out a commercial with Jeff Gordon test-driving a Camaro and what he put that salesman through. Jeff Gordon is a race car driver—absolutely a fabulous handler behind the wheel of a car. But he made it look cool to do something like that with a Camaro. We need to change that narrative. This motion is a great step forward in changing that narrative so that we are protecting people.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Jamie West: I also want to thank the member from Mississauga–Streetsville for her motion on driving. Before I do that, I made a promise to a constituent in my riding, Catherine Charron. She is the great-niece of Arnold Hawkins. Arnold turned 110 years old on January 30, his past birthday. It makes him the oldest Canadian-born man in Canada. He has received over 2,000 birthday cards from people all across Canada and scrolls from all levels of government, including my office.

As I said, Catherine lives in Sudbury. She’s actually a friend of my wife and I. Because of COVID-19, she couldn’t celebrate in person, so I promised her that I’d wish her great-uncle a happy birthday at Queen’s Park. So on behalf of everyone at Queen’s Park, happy birthday, Mr. Hawkins. I hope you had an amazing 110th birthday.

In review of the motion that, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Ontario should take action to keep our roads and communities safe by increasing penalties for stunt driving and other dangerous offences under the Highway Traffic Act, we have limited time, so I want the member to know that I think it’s a good idea.

Our role, as you know, Speaker, is to find ways to improve good ideas, and we do have some suggestions on how to improve this idea. As the member from Oshawa said earlier, I think Bill 122, the Fairness for Road Users Act, would be worth debating to help improve road safety. The member from University–Rosedale’s Bill 62, the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users Act, would be worth debating as well to improve road safety.

There currently are some really tough penalties for stunt driving. When you have a conversation about increasing penalties and is it going to be a stronger deterrent, the knee-jerk reaction is yes, but perhaps maybe no. It seems like, as more and more fines are coming forward, maybe they’re not deterrents at all right now.

When I looked up stunt driving on Google—the member opposite talked about videos online—the first half-dozen hits on Google are law firms who defend you against charges for stunt driving. One of the quotes they had—I clicked on one randomly—said, “Over the years, our law firm has successfully defended many individuals charged with ‘stunt driving.’”

These are people who are exceeding 50 kilometres an hour, people driving with people in the trunk, people doing doughnuts, people doing wheelies on motorcycles. As the member from Oshawa said earlier, maybe the phrase “stunt driving” is the wrong term, because a stuntman is a professional and stunt driving is something that’s cool. It’s The Fast and the Furious. She suggested “jerk driving.” I agree there has to be a stigma to this. The phrase has to be re-evaluated. You weren’t caught filming The Fast and the Furious; you were caught endangering people, endangering your passengers, endangering people on the road, people nearby. So I would recommend we change that.

I also recommend, Speaker, that it forces some automatic training. When I talk to people caught speeding, the thing they complain about the most is how long it took to get the ticket—not the cost of the ticket; how long they were stuck on the side of the road, because they were speeding and it ate up the time they made up while speeding. The mandatory training would be a way not only to educate them on why it’s dangerous and on the outcomes, but also to act as a penalty.

I think as well about being impaired: If you’re caught impaired and you have children in the car, it’s an automatic licence suspension, automatic child endangerment. It should be similar for stunt driving.

I have many notes, Speaker, but I’ve simply run out of time, so thank you to the member opposite and good luck on the motion.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: It’s a pleasure to speak today in favour of this motion put forward by my colleague from Mississauga–Streetsville. This motion deserves unanimous support. Stunt driving is incredibly dangerous. It’s not only an issue on 400-series highways and in urban areas. In my riding of Perth–Wellington in rural Ontario, excessive speeding is a persistent problem.

Here are a couple of examples from last November: A 24-year-old was pulled over going 133 kilometres per hour in an 80-kilometre zone, a 55-year-old was clocked going 147 kilometres per hour in an 80-kilometre zone and a 19-year-old was pulled over for driving 169 kilometres in an 80-kilometre zone. The police investigation later revealed the driver had consumed alcohol and was driving with a novice licence.

No one should be okay with this, not when our friends, families, colleagues and neighbours use these roads every day. I commend the member from Mississauga–Streetsville for raising this serious matter in public and in this House.

Like many of us, I have family members and friends who are first responders. Like most MPPs, I have met with law enforcement officials, health care workers, doctors, paramedics and firefighters throughout my time in elected office. First responders too often witness the worst-case scenarios that result from stunt driving and excessive speeding. They tell me they are sick of the carnage.

Last year, the Ontario Provincial Police raised the alarm over excessive speeding. With fewer drivers on the road due to COVID-19, some feel it is okay to stunt-drive or speed. I know that the government is aware of this issue, and it is encouraging to know that the Ministry of Transportation is working on legislation to address it.

In an

article marking National Teen Driver Safety Week last year, the Minister of Transportation and Associate Minister of Transportation highlighted this matter. The title, “Keep Our Young Drivers and Roads Safe from Aggressive Driving,” speaks for itself. I would like to quote from this article: “Making bad decisions behind the wheel can have devastating consequences, not just for you, but for other drivers and passengers sharing the road with you.”

I want to thank the Minister of Transportation and Associate Minister of Transportation for their ongoing commitment to fighting excessive speeding and stunt driving. By supporting this motion, each of us takes a step closer towards protecting drivers, families and everyone else using Ontario roads.

Speaker, when I come in on Sunday nights is when I see, most of the time, stunt driving. The roads are quiet. In fact, last night was the perfect example of two people racing on the 401. It happened just before the split in the 401, out by the airport. I am accustomed now to staying in one lane, usually one lane from the outside. I just stay there. I set my cruise control and watched the performance. These two people were doing excessive speeds and doing this weaving in and out of traffic. I guess they felt good because they were missing everybody. It happens usually on a Sunday night when I come to this Legislature because the roads are quiet and they feel they have the room to do this.

We need to control this. We need to get a handle on this. It is not fun seeing an accident where people are hurt or killed. I’ve seen some of these. I know that all of us in the House are tired of this aggressive driving. It needs to stop.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Stephen Blais: I’d like to thank the member from Mississauga–Streetsville for bringing the motion today. Going back to my time as a school trustee and through a decade on Ottawa city council and now here at the Legislature, road safety, in particular safety near where our children are walking to school and playing in parks in our neighbourhoods, has been a top priority of mine. In fact, just before getting elected to the Legislature, I had the privilege of launching the updated road safety action plan for the city of Ottawa.

I have no problem supporting this motion today. Higher fines can certainly act as a deterrent. But we have very high fines already for a number of serious traffic violations, and people continue to break the law. As an example, fines for distracted driving range from up to $3,000 and six demerit points, and yet we continue to see people using their cellphones, people Zooming into meetings from their cars during the pandemic. Those high fines and a risk of demerit points are not having the effect we would like on that particular type of behaviour.

All that is to say that fines alone will not, I think, achieve the result that the honourable member is looking for. What we need is a modern road safety plan for 21st-century Ontario. Ontario needs a road safety action plan that is data-driven, has measurable outcomes and encompasses the principles of a systems approach that prioritizes human life and health, a plan that understands that safety is a shared responsibility between road providers, road regulators and, of course, road users.

Ontario needs a goal of reducing unnecessary traffic fatalities to zero. When I was elected last year, Madam Speaker, I was shocked that Ontario still does not have such a plan. The province can play a leadership role in developing a Vision Zero plan and requiring municipalities across the province to bring this systems approach to road design right across Ontario.

Human life and health are the number one priority, and so when we design and build roads, we must ensure that small human errors that we all do all the time don’t result in death. Road traffic systems should be designed so that human error on the roadways cannot lead to death or serious injury. Ontario can lead the way, ensuring that municipalities have the tools needed to design, build and modify infrastructure to meet this objective.

We must continue to supplement police enforcement efforts with automated tools—and yes, in some cases, coupled with higher fines. But we also need to change the habits of high-risk users to make our roads safer.

I was proud to help lead the way with automated enforcement in Ottawa, Madam Speaker, with the introduction of the I Stop, You Stop campaign, which placed enforcement cameras on Ottawa school buses to stop, catch and fine those who choose to pass stopped school buses in our neighbourhoods, every morning unfortunately.

Road safety requires a change in the culture to achieve the long-term vision and goals of reducing fatalities to zero. Everyone shares responsibility for safety on our roads. The province or city as the roadway provider, the police who enforce the rules of the road and the road users all have a role to play in that.

I encourage the government to bring forward a road safety action plan that recognizes this systems approach to reduce fatalities to zero. We will always support measures to make our roads safer and help change road culture, that lead to a reduction in dangerous behaviours. We encourage the government to show some ambition and bring forward a Vision Zero plan for Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: It’s an honour to rise today for the first time in 2021 to speak to this matter. I wanted to thank the member for Mississauga–Streetsville for bringing forward this important motion. When she asked me to speak to it today, I was proud to do so, because stunt driving is not just a big issue in the member’s riding; it’s a huge issue in Carleton. In fact, in rural areas, Madam Speaker, it is one of the top concerns that I get from constituents.

I just wanted to share a few recent news articles about stunt driving in Ottawa. This is from February 9, and this is a reminder from Ottawa’s police traffic

section that they’re rolling out on rural roads: “Assignments for” street “enforcement include Osgoode Main Street, Snake Island Road, Manotick Station Road and River Road—’among others.’” These roads are all in my riding of Carleton, Madam Speaker.

One new driver was nabbed for speeding on Highway 416 because they “didn’t get the memo.” This G1 driver “netted a stunt driver charge after being stopped—unaccompanied on a 400-series highway—going 154 kilometres per hour in afternoon traffic.”

Not only that, Madam Speaker, just on December 31, two G2 drivers were “stopped for racing on Limebank Road 60 kilometres per hour over the speed limit.” Limebank Road is known as “Limebank raceway” in my area because it is notorious for speed driving and stunt driving.

Another news article, Madam Speaker, reads: “Motorist Clocked at 121 Km/h on Hunt Club Road in Ottawa’s South End.”

Another article: “Teenage Driver Caught Going 213 Km/h on Woodroffe Avenue.” Woodroffe Avenue has a speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour, so the fact that a teen driver is going 213 kilometres per hour on this road signifies that there is a problem.

That’s why, Madam Speaker, it is so important that we come together to support this motion, because this is what the people of Ontario are asking for. This is what the people of Carleton are asking for.

In Richmond, where my constituency office is, the main road is Perth Street. That’s also notorious for speed driving and stunt driving. One of the biggest concerns I get from people in Richmond is the concern that they have with the speed driving there, because right on that road, there are also people who live there: a lot of senior citizens, people walking their dogs, families walking with their children on those sidewalks. To have cars speeding by at over 100 kilometres per hour, that’s a big problem.

Oftentimes, especially in rural areas, there might not be enough police presence. But I am so proud and so thankful that, because of the good relationship I have not just with the chief of police in Ottawa, Chief Sloly, but also with the local staff sergeants at the police stations that are in my riding, I have communicated the concerns with them. I am so pleased now that, more often than not, when I am driving in rural areas in my riding, there are police cars there. They’re driving around or they’re stopped, monitoring traffic, and I’m so thankful, because that’s how we save lives.

It’s so important that everyone is responsible and that everyone drives responsibly, but sometimes you can’t control what people do. I think with this motion, imposing stricter penalties will send a strong message to these people that what they’re doing is not appropriate. It’s unsafe. You cannot bring back a life.

Again, I am proud to support this motion and I want to thank the member for bringing it.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): We’ll go back to the member for Mississauga–Streetsville for her two-minute reply.

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I really do want to thank each of the members from Peterborough–Kawartha, Perth–Wellington, Carleton, Orléans, Oshawa and Sudbury for speaking to this motion.

We heard loud and clear, talking to many, many stakeholders about the term “stunt driving,” how it is perhaps something that many strive to obtain, which doesn’t serve the purpose at all. We need to make sure we find some kind of a terminology—perhaps not what we’ve heard today, but I’d like to work with a lot of the others to find some specific terminology that would work in being more of a deterrent.

I certainly do look forward to working with all the stakeholders, the Ministry of Transportation and the Attorney General to work with them in changing the Highway Traffic Act to make sure that penalties are increased, because a seven-day licence suspension or a seven-day vehicle impoundment is not, by any means, a deterrent at all.

Just last week, I held a safety town hall with Mississauga fire, with a staff sergeant from the Peel police, the chief of paramedics and the Peel public health chief, Dr. Loh, on safety, and stunt driving came up quite often. All agree that further action needs to be taken to deter; it’s not always after the fact. We need to make people understand, especially our young drivers, that stunt driving does kill. And, unfortunately, many of them themselves have been killed whilst stunt driving, or the spectators around them. So we really want to make strides and make more efforts.

I do want to thank everyone for speaking to this bill and for their support. I look forward to working with everyone to make sure we have a positive resolution. Thank you very much, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): The time provided for private members’ public business has expired.

Mrs. Tangri has moved private members’ notice of motion number 138. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? That’s carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Orders of the day?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: No further business.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): There being no further business, this House stands recessed until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0951 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Health care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Earlier this month, I received an email from Maura, a constituent. She writes:

“I am a 63-year-old female, in relatively good health, living in London.

“I moved here almost two years ago, and I still have not found a doctor.

“I am writing to you as I don’t know what else to do or who else to contact.

“I have registered with HealthCare Connect, and I am still waiting for a connection.

“Having a virtual doctor is okay for minor ailments, but I don’t believe this is a viable option long-term, especially as I get older.

“I hear all the time about how lucky we are to have such a fabulous health care system and I get quite angry and think to myself, ‘Wow, and I can’t find a doctor.’

“It leaves me very scared. I’m not looking for any special treatment, but I would just like my voice to be heard.

“I know quite a few people in my situation, so I am not alone.”

She is right: She is not alone. I have heard from many constituents facing the same struggle. According to the Ministry of Labour’s own website, the total projected number of job openings for family physicians in this province for the last five years is 7,000 to 8,000.

I am imploring this government, on behalf of Maura and all my struggling constituents, to work quickly to recruit and train more doctors. We cannot wait any longer.

Rural Ottawa South Support Services

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Mr. Speaker, as we move into February, it is of critical importance that seniors and adults with disabilities care for their mental health. This is especially true for those who live in rural areas, such as in the riding of Carleton, which I am proud to represent here at the Legislature.

The unfortunate reality is that seniors and adults with disabilities who live in rural areas are oftentimes more isolated, more distant from services and have more difficulty getting around due to lack of proper or reliable public transportation. Thankfully, Carleton is home to a wonderful non-profit charitable organization called Rural Ottawa South Support Services, or ROSSS.

I first had the pleasure of getting introduced to ROSSS when I was seeking the nomination, and I am thankful to have kept in touch with them ever since. Even before COVID, ROSSS, a well-known household name in communities like Manotick, Metcalfe, Osgoode, Greely, Kars, North Gower, Richmond and Vernon, was providing critical services and programs to seniors in rural Ottawa. However, since COVID, ROSSS immediately took action and stepped up to the plate to support seniors and adults with disabilities in rural Ottawa.

In ROSSS’s more recent newsletter, they continue to highlight the services and supports that are available to the residents of rural Ottawa to support their well-being while staying safe at home.

To everyone living in rural south Ottawa, I encourage you to check out ROSSS’s website, rosss.ca, or to call 613-692-4697.

Aslam Mahida Mohammad

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I will dedicate my statement this morning to Aslam Mahida Mohammed, a young man who lost his life a short while ago. Aslam was a generous and humble soul who was an inspiration and role model to many members of his community.

Aslam involved the youth in his community, and his impact on Masjid El Noor’s community programs are felt to this day. Much of his communal work involved people from various groups within society, hence demonstrating the core Canadian values of inclusion and acceptance.

At his Masjid’s Janazah prayer performed after his passing, Aslam’s peers claimed that he always took time out of his own

schedule to help with his community’s projects and that he believed that something had to be done for his community’s youth.

His legacy of inclusion and activism have lived on after his passing. A GoFundMe page launched after his death has raised a remarkable $10,000, which will be donated to build wells, alongside creating food banks and other projects decided by Aslam’s family. This demonstrates the importance of activist figures in society, alongside the power a community has when they come together.

My deepest sympathy and respect goes out to Aslam’s family and friends. We will not forget Aslam.

Paramedic services

Mr. Mike Harris: On Friday, I joined the member of provincial Parliament for Kitchener South–Hespeler, Waterloo Regional Chair Karen Redman and the region’s chief of paramedics services, Stephen Van Valkenburg, over Zoom to announce an expansion to our community paramedic program.

Back in the fall, our Minister of Long-Term Care implemented a 100% provincially funded, long-term-care-focused community paramedicine program. Alongside my regional colleagues, I was pleased to share that we’re expanding this program in Waterloo region. This means that seniors waiting for long-term-care beds will be able to get the care they need from the comfort of their own home from specially trained paramedics.

It is no secret that after 15 years of neglect under the previous government, Ontario’s long-term-care wait-lists have ballooned. The reality is that 38,000 people waited while they only built 611 new beds.

Our plan to modernize long-term care is well under way. In Waterloo region alone, we are already announcing close to 600 new and upgraded beds. And it’s through programs like this one that we’ll ensure those who are waiting will be well taken care of in their own homes.

So again, thank you to the Minister of Long-Term Care, the Minister of Health and, of course, our Premier for their commitment to ensuring our government provides seniors with the high-quality care they deserve. I look forward to seeing the expansion of community paramedicine in my riding getting off the ground and hearing about the benefits it brings to seniors and their loved ones.

Tenant protection

Ms. Peggy Sattler: London was dealing with a housing crisis long before COVID-19, but last week, we learned how much worse the pandemic has made things for London tenants. According to CMHA, in the last year, more than 8,000 London-area families fell behind on rent. London is second only to Toronto in the amount that is collectively owed in rent arrears, a whopping $7.6 million. Many of these 8,000 families were already struggling to make ends meet before COVID turned their lives upside down. They now face the prospect of losing their homes as well.

I am grateful for the work of two local grassroots organizations, the London Tenants’ Association and ACORN London, which have stepped up to support tenants in the wake of this government’s drastic cuts to legal aid. This work is especially important right now, given the government’s decision to allow fast-tracked COVID evictions to go ahead.

London’s shortage of affordable housing and skyrocketing rents means people who are evicted struggle to find a new place to live. As Ontario faces a possible third wave, how are those 8,000 London-area families supposed to follow public health advice if they don’t have a home to stay safe in?

London tenants desperately need solutions. When will this government recognize housing as a human right and start working with us to protect tenants and fix the housing crisis in London and across the province?

Logement abordable / Affordable housing

M me Lucille Collard: En novembre dernier, j’ai lancé un groupe de travail sur le logement abordable avec mes trois collègues municipaux d’Ottawa–Vanier. Devant cette crise de logement qui affaiblit gravement notre économie et le nombre croissant de sans-abris, nous avons décidé d’unir nos efforts afin de trouver des solutions.

La pénurie de logements adéquats, sécuritaires et abordables dans la province est un problème majeur depuis plusieurs années, et la situation ne fait qu’empirer avec la pandémie.

Currently, more than 12,000 people, many families with children, are waiting for housing in Ottawa. This is a 15% increase from 2017. The lack of adequate, affordable housing in Ontario is not an issue that we can put off any longer. It is not a partisan issue; it’s a matter of human rights and human dignity.

This pandemic makes us realize that we need to do better to protect and help the most vulnerable members of our communities. We have all heard and seen in the news and in our ridings the alarming increase and the terrible stories of homeless people. In a country like Canada, in a province as prosperous as Ontario, every citizen should have access to the necessary support to be able to live with dignity.

The days of the old shelter system have come and gone. It is time to invest in supportive housing, and I urge every member of this House to join efforts to ensure that all Ontarians can have a place to call home.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Daryl Kramp: Colleagues, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I say this after having spent the last three days chatting with constituents in my riding, which is composed of two of the first five counties allowed to end the lockdown, fortunately, due to our green numbers.

We have to be clear: Nobody likes the lockdown. The government didn’t do it on a whim, I can assure you. We listened to the top medical minds in this province. We acted based on science, which also included an evaluation of experiences in other jurisdictions like Australia last August—which, of course, would be their winter—and France last fall, when lockdowns stopped an upward death spiral that nothing else had slowed.

But what about that light? Well, let me tell you about a restaurant in one community in Napanee. They had never, ever offered takeout or home delivery, because they always had a very busy sit-down trade with their fantastic food. But during this last year they’ve stayed busy by sending their dishes into homes. They have kept their entire staff employed during all this time. Now that they can serve sit-down meals again, they see more than the light at the end of the tunnel. Their kitchen is at capacity, and they’ve hired additional staff to handle the extra work. That’s the Ontario spirit, Mr. Speaker.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Kevin Yarde: While our province has been in one of the longest lockdowns, there have been less drivers on the road and far fewer accidents. Despite this, billion-dollar auto insurance companies have been allowed to price-gouge in Brampton and the Peel region, charging some of the highest rates in the country. This is discrimination based on their postal codes, and the government must take action. The Ontario NDP caucus has repeatedly tried to end this auto insurance discrimination; however, this government has not been on the people’s side.

On February 17, Brampton city council unanimously voted to take a stand and officially advocate to reduce our auto insurance rates. I support their motion. This was a step in the right direction. We need this government to mandate lower car insurance rates. They cannot ignore Brampton and many more cities in this province while Ontarians struggle with the economic impact of the pandemic. This government has the power to mandate lower auto insurance rates and make the lives of Bramptonians and others across the province more affordable. Yet, time and time again, they refuse to do so.

As the new critic for auto insurance, Mr. Speaker, I ask this government to listen to Ontarians when they say they are being price-gouged by Ontario’s auto insurance companies. We, the official opposition, have asked this government to implement a 50% decrease on auto insurance payments during this pandemic and allow payment deferrals for those who have lost their jobs in these times of economic uncertainty.

I will continue fighting, Mr. Speaker, for my constituents and all Ontarians until they receive more affordable auto insurance. The only question is, will this government do the same?

Marilyn Crabtree

Mr. Jim McDonell: I rise today to give thanks to a recently retired family physician who served the public and cared for her patients for over 30 years in Dundas county.

Dr. Marilyn Crabtree is a great example of the devotion we sometimes take for granted in our health care and medical professionals. She has had a long association with the Winchester District Memorial Hospital, where, by her own account, she delivered more than 1,000 babies. She has administered full life-cycle care, with a special emphasis on palliative care. At the same time, she has cared for countless other patients at the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic, where she has held leadership roles.

Dr. Crabtree told a local paper that she was “very privileged to have been part of so many people’s lives.” I can say, on behalf of the constituents of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, that we have been very privileged to have her amongst our many caring health care practitioners, who provide high-quality care for us, especially during these challenging times.

Dr. Crabtree, I wish you well during your retirement and hope to see you fulfill your stated desire of returning to the medical field in a local leadership role. Thank you, and I want to wish you many happy years in retirement.

Hospitality industry

Ms. Jane McKenna: COVID-19 has devastated our hospitality industry. Across Canada, these businesses were first to close and nearly last to reopen. During these difficult times, our hospitality sector has received significant support from the Ontario public service, especially those who oversee the Ontario building code within municipal affairs and housing.

I want to thank my colleague the member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry and the ministry’s director of building, Mansoor Mahmood, for their tireless efforts.

Thanks to Toronto’s chief building official, William Johnston, and deputy chief Kamal Gogna for issuing patio tent permits in as little as three days. Thanks, Tim Murawsky, chief building official in the Blue Mountains, for supporting the hospitality sector by accepting alternative solutions. Thanks, Frank Bidin, Ottawa’s chief building official, who, even outside of COVID-19, is always solution-driven.

Thanks, Darren Sanger-Smith, Michelle McCulloch and Dave Hine for all you’re doing to support restaurants across the GTHA. And to our restaurants and hospitality operators, thank you for keeping us safe, whether we dine in or take out.

I also want to recognize Burlington operators Barry Glazier and Mike Coles for your strong leadership and patience.

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

I’ve been advised that the member for Brampton Centre has a point of order.

Ms. Sara Singh: Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to immediately pass private member’s motion 139, calling on the Ford government to address inadequate pay for PSWs and other health care sector workers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brampton Centre is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to immediately pass private member’s motion 139, calling on the government to address inadequate pay for PSWs and other health sector workers. Agreed? I heard a no.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: People around the province are very, very concerned that this government is literally marching us into a third wave of COVID-19. You just have to listen to what the experts are saying to get a sense of how worried they are. In fact, as our Premier decides to loosen restrictions, the advice that everybody is giving is quite the opposite. It’s to strengthen the restrictions. We all heard the chief medical officer, federally, Theresa Tam, say this last week: “Current public health measures will not be sufficient to control rapid growth and a resurgence is forecast.” This is exactly the same advice that Dr. Brown gave the Premier about a week and a half ago.

My question is, why is this Premier prepared to move ahead, risking lives, risking another lockdown and ignoring all of the advice of the experts?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker, we always follow the advice of the chief medical officer, Dr. Williams, and we’ll continue to do it. But I find it pretty rich, the flip-flops from the leader of the NDP, and the Liberals. The NDP and the Liberal members criticized the inclusion of Ottawa as part of the Christmas lockdown. They were criticizing us for locking Ottawa down, saying they shouldn’t be locked down. So it’s the flip-flop scenario here. It’s okay for Ottawa—and meanwhile, it was proved wrong; we should have kept them locked down, and thank God for Dr. Etches.

You can’t have it both ways. It’s very simple.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Unfortunately, it’s not just Dr. Tam who is warning this Premier to stop the reopening of Ontario. The association of public health agencies, also last week, got on board and said that the Premier has underestimated the “imminent and considerable threat” of another wave and “public health measures need to be intensified”—not loosened. Likewise, the Ontario Medical Association, the doctors of Ontario, also warned the government that pandemic restrictions need to continue, to avoid a third wave of COVID-19.

Ontario’s doctors, the chief medical officer federally and public health units are all saying the same thing. The Premier’s own experts at the science table are urging this government to back away. Why does the Premier continue to march this province into a third wave and ignore all of the advice and information that experts are providing?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: It’s really important to note—and I hope all Ontarians are listening to this—that we are not reopening the province. We are transitioning back into the COVID framework. We’re doing this in a very careful and cautious way, based on the medical information we’ve received from Dr. Williams and the public health measures table.

It’s also important to note that several of the members of the public health table are also the public health unit region officers, so they are reporting from across the province on their particular state of being. We are very well aware of the variants of concern that are operating in some parts of the province, which is why the emergency brake can be put by the medical officer of health on any particular region, which is why Peel, Toronto and North Bay are still in the stay-at-home-order area and are not moving into the framework as yet.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, the government’s own head of the science table said about this reopening, “I’d really like for him to be right”—referencing the Premier—“but all the data points in the exact opposite direction.” The same thing was said by Dr. Brown about a week and a half ago. In fact, I think people’s jaws dropped when they saw the modelling that Dr. Brown brought to the table. In fact, folks might remember that a particular reporter from TVO, John Michael McGrath, asked, “Is this presentation actually predicting a disaster?” And Dr.

Brown, in response, said, “I don’t think you’re missing anything”; in other words, yes, it’s quite possible that we’re heading into a train wreck.

So what exactly does the Premier have in terms of information that he’s relying on that says it’s actually safe, when everybody else—the chief medical officer of health for Canada, our own science table experts and heads, the OMA, the association of public health agencies, our hospitals are all saying the same thing. Why is the Premier ignoring them?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have been very clear with the people of Ontario every step along the way, with respect to this pandemic, about what’s going on, where we are with things. Dr. Brown appeared with his modelling. It’s very important for the people of Ontario to know what’s happening across the province.

We do have the variants of concern. That is why, for example, the emergency brake was placed on North Bay, which would have been a green area except that a number of the variants—the South African variant has been detected in an apartment building and has been spreading. That is why the emergency brake exists, and that’s why it’s being used in North Bay and Peel and Toronto. Other parts of Ontario are able to move back into the framework.

We are watching this very carefully, and we are dealing every step of the way based on the medical advice given to us by Dr. Williams and by the rest of the public health measures table. We will continue to follow that.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my next question is also for the Premier.

It’s bad enough that the Premier is ignoring the advice of experts and plowing ahead with an ill-advised reopening, but at the same time he’s ignoring the recommendations that these experts are making in order to keep people safe. For example: The Premier refuses to put in place paid sick days. He refuses to put in place a cap on class sizes in schools. He refuses to stop evictions from happening until the end of the pandemic. Yet these are all measures that the experts are saying the government should be putting in place.

Why is it that not only is this Premier reopening the way that he is—against advice—but he’s also not undertaking the measures that are recommended to stop the spread of the variants of concern?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, thanks to our Minister of Labour, myself—for advocating the federal government to change the program. We all know, since September, there’s $1.1 billion sitting there because I advocated for it. They only spent 319—now they’ve switched it. I want to thank the federal government for switching it.

Rather than always looking at doom and gloom, “the world is coming to an end”—we must be doing something right, because per 100,000 active cases, Ontario has the lowest outside the Maritime provinces, with 70 cases, compared to the average of 83 in Canada, 97 in Quebec, 108 in Alberta, 88 in BC, 142 in Saskatchewan, 86 in Manitoba and 83 in Newfoundland. There must be something going in the right direction here, thanks to the people and thanks to the chief medical officer and his team.

Interjection.

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

Leader of the Opposition, supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Perhaps the Premier is not aware, but 60% of Ontario workers do not have access to paid sick days. In fact, 70% of those workers are basically our essential workers. They’re the lowest-income workers in our province.

Here in this chamber, every one of us can take a day off sick if we need to. We have paid sick days. We don’t have to worry about missing money on our paycheque if we’re taking a day off sick.

So my question to the Premier is, if it’s good for everybody here, if it’s okay for MPPs to take a day off sick and not have a pay deduction, why isn’t it okay for our most important essential front-line workers?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, that’s why the NDP is never going to form government, simple as that. They have two programs here: You have the federal program, and then what the leader of the NDP wants is for me to double dip into people’s pockets when there’s a program working—and it’s working well now—and just ask them to pay more in taxes. You can’t have it both ways.

Do you know something? We still have to be prudently fiscally responsible to all the taxpayers in this province, and we aren’t about to duplicate it. They have a great program now. Rather than confusing people and contradicting and double-speaking, why don’t you just tell people the truth? That is—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the Premier to withdraw.

Hon. Doug Ford: I’ll withdraw.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: When there’s little uptake to a program, it’s because the program doesn’t work, and that is the problem that we have. It’s compounded by the fact that this Premier is shirking his responsibilities to provide paid sick days to workers, particularly during a global pandemic, but it’s exactly what we’ve seen from this government all along.

The train wreck is coming with the variants of concern, but this government is failing to listen to the advice of doctors, of public health experts, of chief medical officers at the federal level, of the public health agencies of our province. Vulnerable and essential workers deserve and need sick pay. People need supports to get through this next wave that’s coming.

The question is, why is the government ignoring all of this advice, heading us into another lockdown, more sickness and more spread of COVID-19?

Hon. Doug Ford: I have no problem with the Leader of the Opposition saying it to me. I have skin on me like an alligator. It will roll right off my back. What the Leader of the Opposition is criticizing is Dr. Williams. She says, “Listen to the chief medical officer,” but the same group voted against him when we wanted to renew him until we got through this pandemic. So either you’re with the docs, which I am, or you’re against the docs. You can’t have it both ways.

When the Leader of the Opposition is criticizing any decision, what she’s doing is criticizing Dr. Williams and a couple hundred other doctors, and all the public health medical officers in each region, because we don’t make a decision without getting the buy-in from the medical officers of health—local ones. That’s the reason Toronto is still in lockdown. That’s the reason Peel is still in lockdown, because we listen to the public health units.

Long-term care

Ms. Sara Singh: My question is for the Premier. Speaker, after months of delay and thousands of unnecessary deaths and chaos in our long-term-care homes across the province, the Premier’s ministers and his top medical advisers are finally presenting to the long-term care commission. But as of today, the Premier is not. Despite multiple promises that he would be fully accountable and willing to appear, the Premier is not going to go on record before his own commission.

If the buck truly stops at the top and the Premier is willing to take responsibility for all of the decisions in long-term care, why is the Premier refusing to appear?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, as you can well appreciate, the Premier moved very quickly—as a matter of fact, quicker than almost any other government in the country—to start to learn some of the lessons from COVID-19 as they impacted long-term care.

We’re quite proud of the work that the commission has done to this point, Mr. Speaker. As you know, the opposition, of course, was very critical of the long-term-care commission. They said it didn’t have the independence that it required. It has shown just the opposite. Not only is it independent, it has received hundreds of thousands of documents from the government in order to do its job. It has issued two interim reports.

I’m quite confident that they will continue to do good work and provide us with the recommendations that we need to not only address some of the shortcomings that we inherited, but also to make sure that in any future pandemic, we are better capable of handling the situations that arise.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: The reality is that this government has put up road blocks to their own commission at every turn. The commission still can’t get access to important information and government documents, and the government has refused to offer the extension they need to finish their work. Why is the government preventing their own commission on long-term care from doing its work? It’s a simple question: Why are you preventing them from doing their work?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Nothing could be further from the truth. Remember that this is an opposition, of course, that was very critical of the long-term-care commission when it was announced, Mr. Speaker. Not only did we speed up when the commission was started—it was originally supposed to start in September and we moved that up for it to start in July—we’ve received two interim reports. Thousands of documents have been released to the commission. As I said, they’ve given us two interim reports. We’ve acted on those reports, Mr. Speaker. But every step of the way, it has been the opposition that has been critical of this commission.

We’re very supportive of the work of the independent commission and we hope that they will continue—in fact, we know that they will continue to do good work to help us inform not only how we’ve—

Interjection.

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: —this point, Mr. Speaker, but to also help us better understand how we should react in future pandemics and learn some of the lessons that we saw after a decade and a half of mismanagement by the previous Liberal government of the long-term-care system.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Stan Cho: Speaker, through you to the Premier: Premier, as you’ve said from day one, nothing is more important than the health and safety of the people we serve here in Ontario. That’s why our government has been unwavering when it comes to supporting our local health officials.

These new variants of concern remain a serious risk to community transmission and our health care system capacity, especially in Peel and Toronto. For the transmission period from February 8 to 17, 2021, Toronto has seen a case rate of 67.9 cases per 100,000, above the provincial average.

Speaker, can the Premier please share with the Legislature about the current stay-at-home orders for the regions of North Bay-Parry Sound, Peel and Toronto?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the member from Willowdale for the great question. The member is 100% correct: Nothing is more important than keeping our loved ones safe. That’s why I’ve been unwavering when it comes to supporting our local health officials and municipal partners. It was unwavering when Dr. de Villa came out and said they wanted to stay in lockdown. It was unwavering when Dr. Loh came out from Peel and said he wanted to stay in lockdown. It was unwavering when the mayor, Mayor Tory, came out and said he wanted to stay in lockdown. And it was unwavering when North Bay had a breakout of COVID.

We’ll never waver from the advice of the chief medical officer and the public medical officers. It’s as simple as that, Mr. Speaker. We will always listen to them, as I have from day one.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Back to the Premier: The vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel, and as we’ve all seen, it’s a very long tunnel. Canada has faced some challenges in getting these vaccines, Speaker, and we should be proud of the leadership of our health and long-term-care ministers and General Hillier. Despite the delays in vaccine shipments to date, over 560,000 doses have been administered here in Ontario. We’ve administered more vaccines than any other province in Canada, many of them to the most vulnerable, who have now received protection from this terrible virus.

The number of long-term-care homes in outbreak, the number of active cases among residents and staff—they’re all falling. Speaker, can the Premier please share with the Legislature what’s next as part of the vaccination rollout for regions across Ontario?

Hon. Doug Ford: I thank the member from Willowdale again. I want to echo my thanks and the praise to General Hillier and to the health and long-term-care ministers, both of them.

Ontario is truly a leader, Mr. Speaker. As our member just mentioned, we’re leading the country in vaccinations. We’re leading the country in second doses of vaccinations. We’re leading the country in rapid tests. We’re leading the country in PCR tests. We’re leading the country per capita in every single category, because the great people of Ontario are following the protocols from the chief medical officer and their local medical officer. That’s how we’re going to get through this. Not the naysayers, not “The world is coming to an end”—we’re going to get through it because Ontario is tough. We’ll make it through there and we’ll come out thriving on the other end.

COVID-19 immunization

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. It is about his pattern of making announcements with absolutely no details. Family doctors do not know what role they will play to help Ontarians with the vaccine rollout, but the Premier announced that they would be involved, which was complete news to them.

Once again, important health care partners—we’re talking about Ontario’s doctors here—are scrambling to figure out what is going on. The medical association said on the weekend that they are aware of concerns. They have yet to meet with the Premier’s point person, General Hillier, to figure out what role Ontario’s doctors will play in the vaccine rollout.

Why is the Premier putting the cart before the horse? Why is he announcing the plan for vaccines will involve family physicians without consulting with any of them first?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. In fact, the vaccine rollout team, headed by General Hillier, has been in frequent communication with all 34 of the local medical officers of health, who are providing their own plans with respect to the provision of vaccines for people within their area. The plans vary, as you can imagine, because the rollout in Toronto will be very different from the rollout in North Bay, Thunder Bay and so on. It’s up to the local medical officers of health to fashion a plan, whether it’s going to be mass vaccination clinics, whether it’s going to be through pharmacies or whether it’s going to be through physicians’ offices.

Physicians are going to be important. Primary care is going to be an important partner, whether it’s primary care practitioners providing vaccines in mass vaccination clinics or in their offices, but they are going to be contacted by the local medical officers of health—in fact, many already have—and they’re going to be an important part of providing the vaccine, as with pharmacists, nurses and other people. It’s up to the local medical officers of health to make those relationships work.

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

M me France Gélinas: Speaker, family physicians are essential members of our front-line health care. Discussions with physicians should have happened before the Premier made the announcement, saying that they will be doing this, that or the other thing. The Premier may not believe in consultation, but this is what our province needs. This is how we make sure that everyone in Ontario is vaccinated fairly and equitably.

It is not acceptable that, as one physician puts it, “None of the family physicians in Ontario were told about this before it was announced.” Others believe they are stretched too thin. They feel blindsided by the Premier’s statements.

Why does the Premier not value the input of our front-line health care workers like our family physicians into how best to inform Ontarians about the vaccine rollout?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Of course, we greatly value the work that’s being done by family physicians and other front-line primary care providers. They are an important part of the vaccine rollout and there has been extensive consultation by their local medical officers of health as to the role that they will play in the area within those public health units. They may be doing the vaccinations within their office, as I indicated earlier. They may be doing them at mass vaccination clinics, but they’re going to be particularly helpful when we roll out the vaccines to people over 80 years of age.

Although people can rely on booking an appointment through the online portal or calling into the vaccination help desk, the reality is that many front-line physicians will be calling their own patients who are over 80 and making arrangements for them to either come in or attend a vaccination clinic. They have a very important role to play, and they’re going to be called into service very quickly by their local medical officers of health.

Health care

Mr. Roman Baber: My question is to the Minister of Health. In a report dated April 28, 2020, the Financial Accountability Officer revealed that in the first six weeks of COVID response, our province cancelled more than 50,000 surgeries and treatments, despite empty hospital beds. On the same day, April 28, University Health Network released a study using historical data to estimate the impact of COVID-19 planning measures on cardiac procedures.

In response, the Minister of Health said that “a report had been released today—by UHN with respect to cardiac deaths and it has been estimated that 35 people may have passed away because their surgeries were not performed.” Speaker, almost a year later, with hospital rationing measures still in place, it’s time for the minister to provide Ontarians with an update.

My question to the Minister of Health: How many elective procedures, be it surgeries or treatments, were cancelled by the province of Ontario since the start of the pandemic? What would be the updated estimate of patients passing away because their surgeries and treatments were not performed? And if the minister does not have such numbers, will she undertake to ask ministry staff to perform such analysis and report back the updated numbers to the House next week?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We certainly recognize that many surgical procedures and other tests had to be postponed during wave 1 in order to make sure that we had the adequate hospital capacity to care for the COVID patients who were coming in.

Since then, when the numbers abated during the summer last year in 2020, we activated those surgeries and those procedures and put hundreds of millions of dollars into dealing with that, recognizing that as sad as it is to lose a family member to COVID, it’s equally as sad to lose someone due to cancer or cardiac procedures that weren’t able to be performed.

We did invest up to $283 million to support additional priority surgeries, including cancer, cardiac, cataract and orthopaedic procedures. We also extended diagnostic imaging hours at health care facilities for MRIs, CT scans and other diagnostic procedures. Finally, we’ve invested more than $351 million for more than 2,250 new beds at 57 hospitals in order to create the space for people suffering from COVID, but also being in hospital for non-COVID-related surgeries.

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

Mr. Roman Baber: The minister should be open with Ontarians about the full effect of cancelling hundreds of thousands of elective surgeries and procedures on human lives in Ontario. The minister has more than 500 advisers on the COVID command table; many of them are from UHN. As we approach the one-year anniversary of these hospital measures, I will be following up on my question next week.

Speaker, in my open letter of January 15 to the Premier, I cited the director of Princess Margaret cancer hospital, Dr. Keith Stewart, who said, “What we’re worried about, of course, is that there may be a tsunami of cancer out there that’s going to suddenly show up.” Cancer specialists are worried about the significant drop in the number of cancer screenings, referrals and diagnoses since last March.

My question to the Minister of Health: How many cancer surgeries, procedures and screenings were cancelled by the province of Ontario since last March? What would be the corresponding estimate of patients passing away because their cancer surgeries, procedures and screenings were cancelled? And if the minister does not have such numbers, will she undertake to ask ministry staff to perform such an analysis and report to the House sometime next week?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I think it’s very important to note that while we had to delay some of the procedures for cancer and cardiac during wave 1—and, of course, now, because hospital capacity is being strained. There are some additional surgeries that are having to be postponed now.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Christine Elliott: But in a situation where someone’s life was at stake, where it was an immediate, urgent priority, people did receive those surgeries, notwithstanding COVID patients. They did receive those cardiac surgeries; they did receive those cancer surgeries.

There are some others that we’re still trying to make sure we can deal with in a timely manner, which is why we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in extending capacity so that these procedures and surgeries can be done on the weekends and during the evenings. We have also created new beds. We recently opened a new hospital, the Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital, that is operating as a catch-all for all Ontario hospitals, to make sure that they can continue to perform those surgeries.

This is something that is a priority for the Ministry of Health as much as COVID is. We know that we need to continue with those procedures and surgeries—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for York Centre had an opportunity to place two questions, and then he continued to interject, interrupting the minister who he wanted a response from. He must come to order.

The next question.

Northern economy

Mr. Norman Miller: Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has placed an incredible burden on businesses across Ontario’s north in all sectors.

Operating a business in the north presents a unique set of challenges, with huge distances to market that just don’t exist for businesses in major urban centres. Business owners deal with barriers such as higher shipping costs, which have only been made worse by the rising federal carbon tax.

Back in September, Christy Cafovski, executive director of the Parry Sound chamber of commerce, noted that businesses have been greatly affected by the pandemic. My question: Can the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines explain exactly what supports are available specifically for northerners during these challenging economic times?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Peterborough–Kawartha and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you to the member for Parry Sound–Muskoka. He’s been a fierce advocate for Ontario’s north.

Our government is supporting business owners, entrepreneurs and workers. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed our day-to-day life and how we do business, and that’s why we’ve taken swift action to deliver the Northern Ontario Recovery Program. To date, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. has approved NORP funding for over 1,300 businesses across the north, and this number will continue to rise.

These funds are used to help businesses make upgrades and adjustments to serve the community safely, businesses like Wright Physiotherapy in Fort Frances. Owner Jeff Wright had this to say: “Funding allowed us to renovate two of our treatment rooms to soundproof these rooms, helping ensure confidentiality during virtual visits. Virtual physiotherapy allows us to provide services to anyone with an Internet connection throughout the Rainy River district.”

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

Mr. Norman Miller: It’s great to hear that money is flowing to so many businesses across northern Ontario. David MacLachlan, executive director of Destination Northern Ontario, noted, “The recovery for northern Ontario’s $1.6-billion tourism industry depends on the sector’s successful adoption of new operating protocols to keep visitors, employees and destinations safe.”

Could the parliamentary assistant please tell us what type of businesses are eligible to receive assistance from the Northern Ontario Recovery Program?

Mr. Dave Smith: NORP grants have been delivered to businesses across a variety of sectors, including tourism, food service and retail—businesses like Crawford’s Camp in Sioux Narrows, owned by Matt Rydberg. Matt had this to say: “The Northern Ontario Recovery Program has allowed us the ability and opportunity to safely expand our marina and rental location docks to properly social distance our clients and allow us to safely operate during these trying times.”

Whether business owners chose to use the funds for PPE for their employees or to install Plexiglas dividers in their restaurants to ensure a safe experience for patrons, NORP funds will be put to good use. Mr. Speaker, we know that business owners across the north are resilient and they will get through these tough times. The NORP will continue to help businesses adapt to the new normal as more projects are approved and money gets into the hands of those hard-working small business entrepreneurs.

Small business

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Premier sent out a fundraising email, bragging about his government’s so-called support for small businesses, but the Canadian Federation of Independent Business was quick to reply, saying the lack of support for businesses is “unconscionable” and that Conservatives have renewed their “reputation as the least small business-friendly government in the country.”

Here is the government’s record: Big box stores have received preferential treatment, to date. Information about opening and closing has frequently been unclear and inconsistent. Many of Ontario’s small businesses feel like they’ve been forgotten by this government. They, and we, all deserve so much better.

Speaker, does the Premier regret not acting sooner by voting against our plan to support small businesses and give main streets the hope and the help they need to get through this next wave?

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you for bringing up that very important question. It is a fact that small businesses have been struggling during this pandemic. That’s why this government has been in step with our other partners at different levels of government, providing that blanketed level of support to those who need it most.

Most recently, our government announced $1.4 billion for a small business support grant program. I’m glad to announce that just in Waterloo alone, $6 million has reached the hands of small businesses who need that support. That’s a grant, Speaker, not a loan, so they don’t have to pay that back, and they can use that for PPE, improving safety for their patrons.

If they want to go online and see a complete list of those supports that we’ve provided from the beginning in one window, they can go to ontario.ca/covidsupport and see the long list of supports that are available to them. Those supports are going to continue for those small businesses in Waterloo and around the province until COVID-19 is but a distant memory.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Last week, the Premier begged 7-Eleven executives to come to Ontario and set up stores on every corner. Lucky for 7-Eleven, the Premier’s failure to stop businesses from being evicted means that there are, unfortunately, too many storefronts for rent. But unlucky for the rest of us, the Premier’s plan might be the final nail in the coffin for small businesses across the province. In fact, Ontario’s Big City Mayors are opposing 7-Eleven’s applications to sell booze in-store and consume it in the store, saying it would expose already hard-hit restaurants and bars to further competition. You are making it harder for businesses in the province of Ontario.

Speaker, no matter what Conservative insiders and lobbyists are telling the Premier, main streets across the province won’t survive if Walmarts and 7-Elevens keep receiving preferential treatment. When is the Premier going to stop fighting for what’s best for big corporations and those special interests, and start fighting for what matters to small businesses in this province?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members take their seats. I will remind members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor.

The response, the member for Willowdale.

Mr. Stan Cho: I’m going to remind the members opposite that they have voted against every measure this government has introduced from the beginning of this pandemic to support these very small businesses that the member now claims she supports. Whether it was the Digital Main Street program, the PPE grant, the support grants for small businesses, the commercial rent relief program where we were a 40% equity partner, that member and that party have rejected every single support we have laid out for small businesses. When are they going to actually put their actions where their words are and support the hard-working small businesses throughout this province?

Land use planning

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier. The government says that it will only use ministerial zoning orders to expedite essential projects for the greater good. However, we now learn that does not include Ontario’s irreplaceable heritage sites, like the Dominion Foundry, or invaluable wetlands, like Pickering’s and Duffins Creek’s. Perhaps the record number of MZOs this government has doled out has less to do with heritage sites or the environment, and more to do with circumventing and obfuscating planning processes on pet projects of the Premier’s friends—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the member to withdraw the unparliamentary remark.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: I withdraw, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Place your question.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Speaker, through you to the Premier: It’s obvious that your government used the MZOs to push this through under a veil of secrecy, hoping that everyone is too preoccupied by the pandemic to notice. Why did the government make a secret deal to sell—

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

Mr. Michael Coteau: You’re handing out MZOs like business cards.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The member for Don Valley East will come to order.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: We’re leveraging vacant, provincially owned property to build affordable housing and community space. I want to speak specifically—the member opposite bounced all around, but I’m going to address the Dominion Foundry specifically. A heritage impact assessment that was conducted on the abandoned site found that it required demolition so that it could undergo full environmental remediation.

Again, Speaker, I want to be clear: Our government approved a negotiating mandate that would help facilitate the future sale of the site, but, let me be clear, the site has not been sold to anyone.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Then I believe that this minister will have no problem making all transactions public today.

Speaker, at the end of last year’s sitting, the government snuck in an eleventh-hour amendment to the budget bill, in

schedule 6, to gut local conservation authorities and expand ministerial authority on zoning and other sensitive environmental areas. This abuse of power led to the resignation of Ontario’s Greenbelt Council chair, David Crombie, and six other members of the council.

Again, this government seems to be trying to hide their agenda, which amounts to environmental destruction, under the cover of COVID-19. Will the minister commit today to not pave over 400 acres of the greenbelt and the Duffins Creek wetlands with the proposed Highway 413 project? And again, will the minister make all documents pertaining to the Dominion Foundry public today?

Mr. Michael Coteau: We need transparency in this House.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: I find it passing strange that the member opposite’s party, when it was in power, carved up the greenbelt 17 times—17 times, Speaker. Seventeen times they carved it up.

I’m also surprised, Speaker, that this member doesn’t support the use of MZOs for things like hospital expansion at Sunnybrook hospital, for affordable housing, for creating long-term-care beds. There are a number of MZOs that have resulted in outcomes that I’m surprised that this member opposite would not support.

I want to remind her and I want to remind members of this House that all MZOs that were done on non-provincial land all came at the request of the local council. So again, the member opposite can make lots of accusations. The facts are the facts, Speaker.

Human trafficking

Mr. Stan Cho: Every year on February 22, Ontario acknowledges Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It’s unfortunate that we even need to have a day to speak of this, because it shouldn’t be happening at all, Speaker. But I am proud to stand in this House today, and every day, to raise my voice for those who have been affected by this crime. Whether it’s victims and survivors, their family members, their friends or other loved ones, trafficking robs these individuals of their safety, health and peace of mind.

Speaker, we’ve heard all throughout this House that Ontario is a hot spot for human trafficking in Canada, and we’re also well aware that most victims, sadly, are children and youth. It can take away their dreams and shatter their lives. But in conversations I’ve had with my constituents in Willowdale, many seem surprised to learn that human trafficking happens in Ontario and in our riding. I often hear, “Well, it doesn’t happen in our community,” but, sadly, we know that’s not true.

Speaker, can the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues shed more light on the human trafficking issue in Ontario and why it’s so important to raise awareness for this issue?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Willowdale for that question.

Speaker, let me be very clear: Human trafficking is a devastating crime. It’s happening right here in Ontario, in our cities, in our communities and in our backyards. I have similar stories as the member about constituents of mine who did not know trafficking was happening in our communities, which is why raising awareness is so incredibly important. I’ve said it in this House before, but it’s worth repeating: Raising awareness is the first line of defence against human trafficking. Everyone has a role to play in learning about this crime, understanding the signs and knowing where to go for help.

Speaker, the member is also correct: Children and youth are the most targeted. That’s why we need to start having conversations with our kids early, like what our Minister of Education did with the health and physical education curriculum. It is why we need to work with the trucking industry and have signs at ONroutes like the Minister of Transportation is doing. We need to raise awareness everywhere so that we can stop trafficking from occurring in our communities.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Last March, our government unveiled its five-year, $307-million anti-human trafficking strategy. I think that all members will agree that fighting against such horrific crimes is something that we can all applaud. Our government is fighting trafficking in Ontario, and that means raising awareness, as the minister said. While lots of great ideas have been shared and a lot of hope exists that change is going to happen, COVID-19 has changed our world, Speaker.

One thing it didn’t change and one thing it didn’t stop was crime. In fact, trafficking still occurred, right here in our province. That meant we couldn’t stop our fight. We couldn’t slow down or pause our efforts in any way.

Speaker, back to the minister: Can you please tell this House and my constituents what our government has done over the past year throughout this pandemic about the appalling crime of human trafficking?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you again to the member for that question. Speaker, as the member said, this crime did not take any breaks during COVID, and neither did we. Despite our work having to take a different shape than we expected, we were still able to:

—give over $7 million to the Attorney General for specific services to support victims and survivors;

—reinvest $6 million into front-line community safety initiatives to help communities as well as victims and survivors heal;

—create new education tools, including an Indigenous-specific tool to help children and youth understand this crime; and

—invest an additional $46 million in community-based, trauma-informed supports for victims and survivors.

Speaker, these are just some of the many things we were able to accomplish. But we all know that more needs to be done, which is why we are just getting started. In order for us to truly fight this crime, we need to all work together. That means across governments, across sectors and across the aisle.

I encourage all members and their constituents to go to the website Ontario.ca/humantrafficking to learn about the signs and learn where they can go for help.

Land use planning

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier. Earlier this morning, we learned the Premier made a secret backroom deal with a developer in September to sell off the historic and heritage-protected foundry site in my riding of Toronto Centre. This confirms what we’ve known for months. But this government is still refusing to disclose the identity of the prospective buyer, their plans for the site or the sweetheart price that they’re going to pay for it. This deal stinks. It’s time for the government to come clean. Our communities deserve answers.

Speaker, which one of the Premier’s developer buddies is lined up to get this sweetheart deal?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: To reiterate—I want to be clear—the site has not been sold to anyone. There is a negotiating mandate that the city has to facilitate the future sale of the site.

I want to remind the member opposite that we’ve been very clear as a government that we wanted to leverage vacant provincially owned property to build new affordable housing and community space in her riding.

I want to again reiterate that the heritage impact assessment that was conducted on this abandoned site found that it required demolition so that it could undergo full environmental remediation. It’s a shame that she’s against such remediation. It’s regrettable that she’s against our desire to build affordable housing in the city of Toronto. But I want to make it very clear that there is no sale on this property.

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

Ms. Suze Morrison: Back to the Premier: In order to cover up this deal, this government—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would ask the member to withdraw.

Ms. Suze Morrison: I withdraw.

This government skipped a transparent and competitive bidding process, they passed an MZO on the foundry site in October to accelerate their secret plan, and they took a wrecking ball to my community, to heritage-protected buildings, under the cover of a pandemic in direct contravention of the Heritage Act.

Speaker, when my community took the minister to court earlier this month, the justice that issued the injunction halting demolition agreed that this government had broken the law by skipping those steps. Now we know that this was all done as a favour to someone in Ford’s inner circle. Premier, who got the deal? It’s time to come clean.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the member to withdraw.

Ms. Suze Morrison: I withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: As I’ve said, the site, which has been abandoned for the most part for 40 years, requires demolition to allow for significant environmental remediation.

The member notes Justice Corbett. Obviously, I respect the decision. We’ve launched consultations. We’re seeking input from stakeholders, residents’ groups and the public on how—that some of the elements of the existing structure could help inform us for development. We’ll be conducting those consultations this week. We look forward to people participating in this process.

Small business

Mr. Michael Coteau: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Small businesses across the province have been struggling to survive throughout this pandemic. Unfortunately, the government’s lack of action continues to worsen the problem. Most recently, many small businesses and organizations, like the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, have come out in support of paid sick days. It helps keep businesses open; it keeps their employees and their customers safe. Despite that, the Premier and the Minister of Labour continue to deny this simple yet effective solution.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Will the minister make this investment and support businesses to keep our economy growing and employees safe?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to remind the member opposite that the very first measure that this government took when COVID-19 hit the province of Ontario was legislation that was supported by all members of this House to ensure that we have job-protected leave in this province. If any worker is in self-isolation, in quarantine, if you’re a mom or a dad that has to stay home and look after a son or a daughter because of the disruption in the school system, you can’t be fired for that. Furthermore, we also eliminated the need for sick notes during COVID-19.

I am extremely proud of the relationship that the Premier has with the Prime Minister and all provincial and territorial leaders, to deliver $1.1 billion worth of now four weeks of paid sick days for every worker in Ontario.

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

Mr. Michael Coteau: With all due respect, Minister, that’s not the word on the street. You shouldn’t be proud of what organizations like the Canadian Federation of Independent Business are saying. They say that the response is “the worst in Canada” for businesses during the pandemic. Speaker, how can this government, which speaks so highly of its business credentials, have failed small businesses so terribly?

In fact, a recent report of federal and provincial spending shows that of all the COVID business relief funding, barely 5% came from this provincial government. The Premier talks a good game, but when it comes to actual numbers, the government’s support for businesses has been seriously lacking.

Speaker, through you to the minister: Will he try to actually listen to what small businesses are saying here in Ontario, so Ontario’s economic pandemic response doesn’t continue to lag behind the rest of the country?

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

Mr. Stan Cho: I’m glad the member from Don Valley East mentions how important it is to consult with the people of Ontario, because that’s exactly what this government has been doing: 522 consultations in the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs last year alone, not including the thousands of small businesses that we’ve been consulting with leading up to this budget, coming up on or before March 31.

The reality is that these supports have continued throughout the pandemic. Most recently, $770 million has reached the hands of small businesses in the form of a grant program. That is money directly into the small businesses of Don Valley East to give them relief during this very difficult time. Those supports are going to continue until this pandemic is behind us. I encourage the members opposite to join us, to work with us, to see what else businesses need in terms of support, instead of playing politics with this very important issue.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Once again, I’m going to remind members: If you ask a question to a minister, surely you want an answer. You can’t continue to interrupt the minister or the parliamentary assistant who is trying to answer your question.

Long-term care

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Premier. The staffing crisis that plagues long-term-care homes continues to put residents and workers at risk.

A PSW in my riding recently told me that the agency he works for quarantined all regular front-line staff in response to an outbreak and brought in untrained workers to fill the gaps. Residents were neglected and left in bed for hours on end without being checked on. My constituent also reports that some PSWs are having to work in multiple homes, despite the regulations against it. What is the minister doing to address this?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Once again, I’m going to reiterate the importance of our commitment to long-term care, to the safety and well-being of residents and staff in long-term care. We have a program of inspections during COVID. We’re making sure that we’re understanding what’s happening in these homes, and this is part of the solution.

As we go forward, understanding the role of inspections, the training programs and making sure that we’re doing that now in terms of PSWs—our government has put out hundreds of millions of dollars and over a billion dollars, $1.38 billion, to address the issues related to COVID in long-term care since the beginning of this pandemic, just for COVID. We will continue to take every measure possible and look forward to working with our sector to repair, advance and redevelop. We know the importance of long-term care to Ontarians.

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

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Speaker, my constituent also reports that he doesn’t receive the full amount of his pandemic pay increase. He was told that it only applies to time spent directly assisting residents. PSWs often skip breaks because of understaffing, but when they so much as stop for lunch, they are nickel-and-dimed.

They have worked at the front lines of this pandemic for the last year. When will this government give PSWs what they deserve and address the staffing crisis by permanently raising their wages?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Again, thank you for raising the important issue of the PSWs, the crisis that was preceding COVID. We’ve been working diligently, since the beginning of our ministry in the summer of 2019, not only to address over a decade of neglect of this sector, both in capacity and in the staffing crisis—we’ve been working with our partner ministries, the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development and the Ministry of Health, to address the shortcomings for PSWs, not only in long-term care but other sectors as well. This needs to be a coordinated effort, and not only have we addressed the pandemic pay, but also a temporary wage increase following that.

As we redevelop long-term care, our four hours of direct care, on average, per resident per day will be leading in Canada. We have all our commitments to that and the dollars behind that. We have a plan to repair and rebuild long-term care, which the previous government never cared about and did not invest in.

Land use planning

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Premier. The food and farming sector contributes $50 billion to Ontario’s economy. It employs close to 875,000 people. Fifty-two per cent of agri-food jobs are in the GTHA. In York region alone, the agri-food sector generates 57,000 permanent jobs and $2.7 billion in revenue. We need to do everything we can to protect these jobs and the prosperity and food security they provide, especially during a pandemic. So I don’t understand why the Premier is fast-tracking a highway that will pave over 2,000 acres of farmland. That’s 1,500 football fields of farmland.

Speaker, has the government conducted an economic impact study of the effects that Highway 413 and the sprawl it generates will have on the agri-food sector and our food security?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The response? The government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As you know, it was always contemplated that when the greenbelt was formed, important provincial infrastructure would be made available in those areas. Obviously, the local areas, be it Peel, York region or Halton, have all seen and are going to see a tremendous amount of growth. That’s why it’s so important that we have the transit and transportation routes available to those growing communities.

At the same time, the member is quite correct: The farming community is extraordinarily important to all of those areas. That’s why we will be continuing to consult to ensure that whatever route is taken has the least impact. There is, of course, an environmental assessment. That is not due for some time quite yet.

We will continue to work closely with our partners and with the agricultural sector to make sure that not only can the needs of all of these areas be met and we have an important transportation corridor, but also that our agriculture community remains vibrant.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: With all due respect, Highway 413 will save commuters 30 seconds—30 seconds.

The Premier was right when he said we need to be more self-sufficient—that’s one of the lessons of this pandemic—whether it’s procuring PPE or growing local food. But the bottom line is, we need farmland to grow local food. This is especially important in the province of Ontario, where only 5% of our land is suitable for growing food. Some 42% of the best farmland in this province is in the GTHA, yet we’re losing over 60,000 acres of farmland in this province every year. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.

We simply cannot afford to keep paving over our farmland without threatening our economy and our food security, and damaging our food and farming sector. I’m asking the Premier: Will he protect farmland and cancel Highway 413 today?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I wonder how many thousands of acres of farmland were removed from production when windmills were forced on people in the province of Ontario, windmills that they didn’t want and that the people of the province of Ontario didn’t need. I’ll certainly take no lessons from the members opposite when it comes to preserving and protecting farmland.

As a federal member of Parliament, I worked very hard to ensure that farming continued across the Rouge National Urban Park. This was when members of the Green Party were fighting just the opposite. Not only did they want to reforest class 1 farmland across the Oak Ridges moraine—we said no and we preserved that farmland. It was a Conservative government that brought in the Oak Ridges moraine and that protected hundreds of thousands of acres of class 1 farmland.

This government will do all that it can and ensure that we continue to have a vibrant and sustainable agricultural community, because it’s important in communities like mine, where it is the number one business activity. We will make sure that it thrives for a long time to come.

Employment standards

Mr. Kevin Yarde: Public health experts such as Dr. Loh have been clear: Paid sick days won’t just save lives, they will help save small businesses and jobs in our community as well. But despite these calls, not just from Dr. Loh but from all over the province, last week the Premier went on a morning radio show and told Ontarians that he thought investing in their health and safety was a “waste” of taxpayer money.

Investing in Brampton families isn’t a waste. When will this government stop wasting time and finally ensure that people have access to paid sick days that they need so they can stay home if they’re sick?

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

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Our government has been working every single day to protect the health and safety of every worker in this province. That’s why the very first initiative our government took action on was job-protected leave to ensure that every worker can’t be fired in the province because of COVID-19. If you’re in self-isolation or quarantine, if you’re a mom or a dad who has to stay home and look after a son or daughter because of the schools being closed, you can’t be fired. You’re no longer required to present a doctor’s note.

But furthermore, the Premier took charge. He negotiated $1.1 billion worth of paid sick days for workers here in the province and right across the country. There’s still $800 million left in that bank account. Over 110,000 workers have either started receiving benefits or have applied for benefits through the federal program. And thanks to our advocacy on behalf of workers in this province, on Friday, Minister Qualtrough, the federal minister responsible for this program, doubled the amount of sick days to four weeks. We thank them and congratulate them.

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

Mr. Kevin Yarde: Once again, this question is to the Premier. The Premier didn’t just say that investing in Brampton families was a waste; he said it was “irresponsible.” What’s irresponsible is this government opening up the province, all while these new variants and COVID cases are surging, without giving people the supports they need to stay safe.

The Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit is not a replacement for paid sick days. It is not seamless or accessible, nor is it permanent. We need real paid sick days to protect workers.

Will the government finally do the right thing and give people back the paid sick days they took away from them before the pandemic?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: We continue to advocate on behalf of workers to the federal government, to work in partnership with the federal government. Mr. Speaker, that’s why I’m proud to say that because of our advocacy, 80% of paid sick days are now directly deposited into Ontario workers’ bank accounts within three days. Workers in Ontario can now apply more than once, and because of our efforts to improve the program, which your federal NDP leader supports, we’ve been able to double the amount of sick days to one month now.

We’re going to continue to do the opposite of what the provincial NDP are calling for. We’re going to actually work with our federal partners, not to duplicate government programs but actually work on behalf of the working people of this province to improve their lives so all of us can get through COVID-19 together.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes question period for this morning.

There being no further business this morning, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1133 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

M me France Gélinas: I beg leave to present a report on Special Audit of the Tarion Warranty Corporation, 2019 special report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and move the adoption of its recommendations.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Madame Gélinas has presented the committee’s report and moves the adoption of its recommendations. Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

M me France Gélinas: As Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, today I am pleased to table the committee’s report entitled Special Audit of the Tarion Warranty Corporation, 2019 special report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the permanent membership of the committee and substitute members who participated in the public hearings and the report-writing process.

The committee extends its appreciation to officials from Tarion Warranty Corp. and the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

The committee also acknowledges the assistance provided during the hearings in report-writing deliberations by the Office of the Auditor General, the Clerk of the Committee, and legislative research.

I move adjournment of the debate.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Madame Gélinas moves the adjournment of the debate. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Debate adjourned.

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Mr. Daryl Kramp: I beg leave to present the fifth interim report of the Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Kramp presents the committee’s report. Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Mr. Daryl Kramp: As Chair of the Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight, I’m pleased to table the committee’s fifth interim report.

At this time, I would certainly like to take this opportunity to thank the membership of the committee for their good work. They’re phenomenal contributors to this Legislature: Tom Rakocevic, the Vice-Chair; Bob Bailey; Gilles Bisson; John Fraser; Christine Hogarth; Robin Martin; Sam Oosterhoff; Lindsey Park; Sara Singh; and Effie Triantafilopoulos, as well as our substitute member Lorne Coe.

The committee, of course, extends its appreciation to the Deputy Premier and the Minister of Health for appearing before the committee, as well as to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and Dr. Brown. It was a good complement at the committee, obviously, dealing with the COVID-19 report.

The committee also acknowledges the assistance provided during the hearings and the report-writing deliberations by the Clerk of the Committee and the staff in legislative research.

Report presented.

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

M me France Gélinas: I beg leave to present a report on Food Safety Inspection Programs,

section 3.06 of the 2019 Annual Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and move the adoption of its recommendat