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May 29, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-May-29 vol. A (PDF)

L081A - Mon 29 May 2023 / Lun 29 mai 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 29 May 2023 Lundi 29 mai 2023

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Former Clerks of the Assembly

Orders of the Day

Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à réduire les formalités administratives pour une économie plus forte

Members’ Statements

Events in Oxford

Barrick Gold Corp.

Events in Etobicoke–Lakeshore

Summer safety / Sécurité estivale

Decoration Day

Employment practices

Government policies

Climate change / Health care

Niagara Week

Skills Ontario Competition

Wearing of hockey jerseys

Introduction of Visitors

Armenian Heritage Month reception

Member’s birthday

Member’s birthday

Question Period

Health care

Government accountability

Government accountability

Automotive industry

Amateur hockey

Energy rates

Ontario farmers

Temporary nursing agencies

Affordable housing / Homelessness

Tobacco control

Small business

Education funding

Long-term care

Indigenous mental health and addiction services

Notice of dissatisfaction

Superior Corporate Services Limited Act, 2023

Reception

Krystle Caputo

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy

Introduction of Bills

Mount Pleasant Public Cemeteries Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la société Cimetières publics Mount Pleasant

Motions

Committee sittings

Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs / Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Petitions

Domestic violence

Education funding

Taxation

Hospital services

Health care

Taxation

Social assistance

Taxation

Land use planning

Taxation

Orders of the Day

Hazel McCallion Act (Peel Dissolution), 2023 / Loi Hazel McCallion de 2023 sur la dissolution de Peel

Superior Corporate Services Limited Act, 2023

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that in the name of His Majesty the King, the Administrator has been pleased to assent to certain bills in Her Honour’s office.

The Deputy Clerk (Mr. Trevor Day): The following are the titles of the bills to which His Honour did assent:

An Act to amend and enact various Acts with respect to the health system / Loi visant à modifier et à édicter diverses lois en ce qui concerne le système de santé.

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to infrastructure / Loi modifiant diverses lois sur les infrastructures.

An Act to amend the Mining Act / Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les mines.

An Act to enact the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat Act, 2023, and to make certain amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur le Secrétariat de la restauration de Queen’s Park et apportant certaines modifications à la

Loi sur l’Assemblée législative et à la

Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée.

An Act to implement Budget measures and to amend various statutes / Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à modifier diverses lois.

An Act to revive Artgem Granite and Marble Inc.

An Act to revive 1753461 Ontario Ltd.

An Act to revive 816537 Ontario Inc.

An Act to revive Flight Level Canada Inc.

An Act to revive J2M Collingwood Holdings Inc.

An Act to revive 414087 Ontario Limited.

Former Clerks of the Assembly

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the government House leader on a point of order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to move a motion without notice arranging the ceremony for honorifics for former Clerks of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Calandra is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion without notice arranging the ceremony for honorifics for former Clerks of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Agreed? Agreed.

I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, I move that, following the proceeding “introduction of visitors” during the morning routine on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, the Speaker shall interrupt proceedings and the House shall observe a ceremony, in the following form, in recognition of former Clerks Mr. Claude DesRosiers and Ms. Deborah Deller:

That at that time, Mr. Claude DesRosiers and Ms. Deborah Deller be permitted to attend the floor of the chamber while it is in session; and

That the government House leader be permitted to present orders in council to be laid upon the table; and

That the Speaker shall read the orders in council to the House; and

That the Speaker be authorized to make statements in recognition of Mr. DesRosiers and Ms. Deller; and

That following such statements, Mr. DesRosiers and Ms. Deller be invited to take honorary seats at the table; and

That the remainder of the morning routine shall continue following the ceremony; and

That the standing orders of the assembly be amended as follows:

The following new order is added:

“148. Former Clerks of the Assembly, while entitled by the order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council made pursuant to

section 77.4 of the Legislative Assembly Act, 1990, to use the honorific title ‘The Honourable’ and after such order is laid upon the table, are permitted to attend the floor of the chamber while it is in session and take an honorary seat at the table at their pleasure.”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Calandra has moved that following the proceeding introduction of visitors during the morning routine on Wednesday, June 7, 2023—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Dispense? Dispensed.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Orders of the Day

Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à réduire les formalités administratives pour une économie plus forte

Mr. Gill moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 91,

An Act to enact two Acts, amend various Acts and revoke various regulations / Projet de loi 91, Loi visant à édicter deux lois, à modifier diverses lois et à abroger divers règlements.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister care to lead off the debate? I recognize the Minister of Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Parm Gill: I’m pleased to have the opportunity to lead off third reading of Bill 91, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023. Once again I’ll be sharing my time with my parliamentary assistant, the member from Niagara West.

Our government has made it a priority to continuously track down and remove unnecessary, redundant and outdated regulations that hold Ontario’s economy back. Since 2018, we have eliminated more than 16,000 individual compliance requirements for businesses, reducing our total regulatory burden by 6.5%. These changes have helped save businesses, not-for-profit organizations and the broader public sector nearly $700 million in annual regulatory compliance costs. That’s $700 million that can now be reinvested in Ontario’s economy.

This ongoing work is necessary because red tape causes frustration, expenses, needless delays and complications for everyone: individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and for the broader public sector. We are proud of our progress but continue to look for ways to do more on a daily basis, because regulatory burdens are barriers to our productivity, to innovation and to our economic competitiveness and development. And they result, of course, in real cost.

Just look at Ontario’s track record during the last 15 years of the previous Liberal government, of course supported by the official opposition. Our province had the highest regulatory burden in the country. Companies were tangled in endless regulations. Debt, deficits and taxes went up. Hydro rates spiralled out of control. More than 300,000 manufacturing jobs packed up and left our great province.

When we formed government in 2018, we knew that there had to be a change, and we worked hard to make that happen. Under the leadership of our Premier and this government, we have brought forward 11 different red tape reduction and regulatory modernization packages that have helped get our province back on the right track. We are committed to continuing this important work while maintaining those important rules and regulations that are necessary to keep people safe and protect the environment.

But make no mistake, Speaker, reducing red tape is not just about counting the number of regulations and trying to reduce them; it is about the impact those changes are having on real people and businesses across our great province—changes like accelerating timelines for municipal approvals for broadband projects to support our goal of bringing high-speed Internet to every community in Ontario by 2025; changes like helping businesses embrace new technologies so they can improve safety standards for their workers and reduce their carbon emissions; and changes like saving people time and frustration when they access government programs, by offering more services online so people don’t have to wait in line.

This package is the result of continued collaboration across government with other partner ministries and extensive consultations with a range of stakeholders and people across the province to develop an unparalleled inventory of red tape reduction ideas. I’m proud to say that the proposed Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is our government’s 10th burden-reduction bill and our largest one to date, with 37 different schedules. It sets out mea-sures to build a stronger economy, improve services and save Ontarians their most valuable resource, which is time.

It’s an important part of our larger spring 2023 red tape reduction package, which contains additional regulatory amendments and policy changes that contribute to a common goal of reducing red tape. If passed, Bill 91 will streamline processes and modernize outdated practices across multiple areas of government and several sectors of Ontario’s economy.

Speaker, we find ourselves in uncertain economic times, and while Ontario has remained resilient, we cannot take anything for granted. That’s why it’s so important we continue our effort to streamline Ontario’s regulatory climate so we can make it easier to invest and do business in our province. How we work together to address regulatory burdens will affect us now and for generations to come.

A wide-reaching red tape reduction bill like this one simply isn’t possible without the assistance of our partner ministries across government, who best understand the issues that their sectors are facing and how we can implement solutions to solve them. Our goal with the burden-reduction initiative in our proposed bill is not to get rid of rules and regulations for the sake of doing so, but rather to ensure that we no longer rely on ones that are burdensome, inefficient, inflexible or outdated, and that the ones we do rely on are current, and enforced properly, predictably and consistently.

With those principles in mind, Speaker, I would like to take another opportunity to speak to some of the items with the spring 2023 red tape reduction package and how they will make life better for people right across our great province.

I’d like to start with a change from the Ministry of Infrastructure, which is playing a leading role in our government’s plan to build Ontario, with transit, highways, hospitals, universities and broadband. As a government, we have committed to connecting every community across the province to high-speed Internet by the end of 2025, because high-speed Internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. Speaker, this is a goal we are getting closer and closer to meeting each day.

Yet some Internet providers are still facing unnecessary delays in receiving required municipal permits and approvals when they go to build the broadband that our residents so desperately need. That’s why our bill is proposing amendments to the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, that would enable more efficient collection of utility infrastructure data to optimize routing for projects, to plan networks and to prevent delays in the permitting process between municipalities and Internet service providers.

This will ensure that ISPs can plan, design and build a high-speed Internet project as quickly as possible, connecting more communities across Ontario to high-speed Internet faster.

But it’s not just broadband that our government is building. In the last two and a half years, the government has attracted billions of dollars in new manufacturing investments, including from global automakers and suppliers of batteries for electric vehicles. These are top-tier companies and employers who are looking for new opportunities for industrial facilities and mineral extraction in Ontario. It’s huge news for our economy, but these projects are going to require access to many critical minerals. We have a responsibility to ensure the miners who do the difficult work of supplying those critical minerals or other raw materials our province needs are kept as safe as possible.

That’s why, working with our colleagues at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, we have amended various provisions in the mines and mining plants regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to improve ventilation requirements in underground mines and lower exposure to harmful diesel exhaust to the most protective levels in North America. Amendments were also made to requirements for ventilation systems and equipment, management-of-change procedures, ground control, hoisting and explosives.

These include allowing for new technologies, like track-mounted robots, to identify loose rocks, misfired explosives and other safety hazards, while keeping workers out of danger. It’s a great example of enhancing safety protections for workers while providing employers with more flexibility to meet these requirements—an ideal example of what reducing red tape can accomplish.

Speaker, working with the Ministry of Transportation, we’ve also brought forward new initiatives to help move people and goods safely and efficiently across the province. We’re proposing an amendment to the Highway Traffic Act that would prohibit drivers from overtaking snowplows working in a staggered formation across highway lanes. This is intended to help reduce motor vehicle collisions with snowplows on higher-speed, multi-lane highways, making the public safer and reducing the burden on emergency responders, health care services and the insurance sector, including our legal system.

We are also proposing to remove duplicative requirements for the towing and vehicle storage sector. To improve safety for people needing a tow and those working in the towing industry, the province is taking steps to implement a certification program that would require tow operators, tow truck drivers and vehicle storage operators to meet certain requirements to operate in Ontario.

But as we roll this out province-wide, the ministry is also proposing amendments to the Municipal Act and City of Toronto Act that would ensure operators and drivers in the towing and vehicle storage industry are not required to pay multiple licensing and certification fees or adhere to different municipal requirements when the provincial certification program is in effect.

We are also proposing additional measures in our red tape reduction package to encourage and reinforce the need for pre-consultation with the Ministry of Transportation for any Planning Act submissions, such as official plans, development proposals or housing proposals that include work adjacent to provincial highways. Pre-consultation with MTO would help streamline and ensure timely comments, approvals and permits by ensuring proponents and municipalities are aware of MTO requirements before starting significant work.

This could translate into tangible cost savings of thousands of dollars by avoiding project implementation delays and reduce the potential for frustration and dissatisfaction for proponents and municipalities.

Next, I’d like to share three modernization measures coming from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. First, Bill 91 is proposing enhanced administrative monetary penalty collection for long-standing non-compliant private career colleges. Under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005, administrative monetary penalties are levied against career colleges and other institutions that contravene the legislation. These rules, of course, help to address bad actors who prey on students, protect compliant institutions and uphold the integrity of the private career college sector.

That’s why we’re proposing to strengthen collection of outstanding administrative monetary penalties for non-compliant career colleges by leveraging enhanced collection tools. This will ensure the accountability of training providers, protect students and promote a healthy and vibrant private training sector.

The Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is also proposing to require legislative reviews of the Private Career Colleges Act every five years. When originally passed, the Private Career Colleges Act included a requirement for review seven years after its coming into force. This requirement was completed in 2013, and now there is no requirement in the legislation for any further review.

By introducing regular reviews of the Private Career Colleges Act, Ontario is supporting career colleges in staying responsive to the needs of the economy and employers in preparing students for great careers and keeping Ontario open for business. Finally, we’re also proposing to update the name, to the Ontario career colleges act, to signal the importance of career colleges in preparing students for high-demand professions.

In our bill, we have also proposed amendments to the legislative framework for financial protection programs administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Financial protection programs, or FPPs, help protect farmers from financial risks, like a dealer defaulting on a payment of a farmer’s grain or livestock, or an elevator operator who doesn’t return grain to a farmer upon demand. They are currently governed under three separate acts: the Grains Act, the Livestock and Livestock Products Act and the Farm Products Payments Act.

The legislative framework of having three separate acts has made it burdensome to administer. That’s why we’re proposing to replace them with one consolidated, updated and streamlined act, which would, if passed, support the current and future needs of the sector.

While we’re talking about farmers, Speaker, I’d also like to highlight a proposed regulatory amendment under the Milk Act, one that has come directly from ongoing conversations with the Ontario Dairy Council. As with other industries, Ontario’s dairy industry has changed over the last several decades and regulations have not kept pace with new technologies, practices and products. Some legacy requirements remain in regulation, resulting in unnecessary costs for dairy producers and processors.

By modernizing the regulations under the Milk Act, we would help the burden and costs for dairy processors, while maintaining the high food safety standards that people have come to expect from Ontario’s agri-food sector.

Next, I would like to speak to a very important proposed amendment from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. As part of a phased approach in creating a framework to regulate carbon storage in Ontario, the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is proposing amendments to the Oil, Gas and Salt Resources Act to accommodate innovative technologies. This regulatory framework would give Ontario the ability to establish protective checks and balances for testing and demonstration projects on private land, including for carbon storage.

We’re talking about piloting technology that has the potential to store 30 years’ worth of carbon emissions. Carbon storage plays an important role in Ontario’s low-carbon hydrogen strategy, which sets out a vision for a low-carbon hydro economy in our province, one where we can develop a self-sustaining sector in the province, evolve our energy system, create local jobs and attract investments, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a win-win for Ontario.

We are also proposing amendments to the Courts of Justice Act. Each year, the Office of the Children’s Lawyer’s financial position and records are reported in public accounts. We are proposing changes to the act that would remove the requirements that the Auditor General also audit the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, saving them both time and resources. In addition to this, we are looking to amend the Substitute Decisions Act to clarify that an attorney has the power to access personal information about an incapable person. These amendments would provide clarity, simplify processes and make it easier for substitute decision-makers to do their job.

Building on this, we are also proposing an update to the Creditors’ Relief Act to modernize the delivery of court services and make communications quicker and easier by allowing the sheriff’s office to send enforcement documents by email.

We’re also looking to fix legislation under the Execution Act for collection of judgment awards, including seizure of debtors’ property, to clarify when the principal residence exemption in forced sales can apply.

The bill also includes proposed changes to the Trustee Act that would make it clear that investment managers of trust properties may invest in mutual funds, pooled funds or segregated funds on behalf of a trustee.

And we have proposed amendments to the Cannabis Licence Act which would reduce costs and red tape for retailers who wish to transfer their operating licence, retail authorization and cannabis inventory to a new cannabis retail licence holder.

We also have some exciting amendments to the Ontario Energy Board Act, which would allow the Ontario Energy Board to facilitate innovative pilot and demonstration projects, such as exploring the idea of peer-to-peer energy trading. There is a vast potential for energy innovation that could modernize the way we produce, distribute or consume energy, and eliminating red tape associated with pilot and demonstration projects has the potential to reveal real value for the sector and for customers.

The bill also proposes changes to keep energy rates affordable for Ontarians by amending the Ontario Energy Board Act to prohibit any administrative monetary penalties, fines or fees imposed by energy utilities from being recovered from customers through energy rates.

In addition to this, we’re also looking to allow mutual insurers incorporated under the Corporations Act to decide the size of their board of directors to give companies greater flexibility, and to amend the Pension Benefits Act to remove requirements for plan administrators to provide additional notices to members who have already opted to receive communications in electronic format when they retire.

In addition to these measures, we are also proposing to save time and reduce burdens by amending Ontario’s business law statutes and regulations to permanently enable businesses, not-for-profits and condominium corporations to hold virtual or hybrid meetings, facilitate virtual or hybrid voting, and enable certain notices or documents to be sent electronically.

And we’re making updates to the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act to authorize the fund to make statutory payments from a designated purpose account, consistent with the recommendations by the Auditor General.

We’re also looking to strengthen board governance for Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies by reducing unnecessary red tape and delays in appointment processes, supporting business operations, increasing flexibility in appointments to support strengthened agency oversight, and clarifying board governance rules to reduce confusion and support business success.

Building on this, we are also proposing to modernize legislation for eight public agencies and a publicly funded organization to follow the best practices of their provincial agencies by incorporating a “protection from personal liability” provision for board members. The proposed changes would clarify rules for public appointees and align these agencies with governance best practices, modernizing the governance framework for these organizations and making it easier and more attractive to serve on their boards.

The Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023, also proposes changes to the Niagara Parks Act which would make it easier and faster for routine land easements to be granted on the Niagara Parks Commission’s properties. This change would allow for routine utility work to take place quicker, giving residents of Niagara much-needed access to utilities such as cable, natural gas and water systems.

With that, Speaker, I’d like to turn it over to my parliamentary assistant, the great member from Niagara West.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): The member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the minister for his inspiring words this morning. I know, on a Monday morning, it’s exciting for all the new pages who are here in the House. This is some of the first debate that they’ve had the opportunity to enjoy and I can tell you, the way it started off this morning, they’re going to be getting a lot more of this sort of interesting discussion of the affairs of state that we have here to discuss in the Ontario Legislature.

I just wanted to begin by thanking the minister for his leadership, for his vision and for his steadfast tenacity in fighting job-killing red tape and in fighting unnecessary regulations that waste time, that waste money and that don’t serve a practical purpose. When it comes to good regulations that protect health, that protect safety, that protect our environment, I know that the minister is one of the first to say we need to keep those important regulations in place.

Yet, at the same time, when it comes to cutting unnecessary, onerous and duplicative processes that do nothing to add value, that do nothing to protect health and safety and the environment, this is a minister who listens and then acts, who doesn’t just speak but gets the job done. I would say he’s an example of some of the best that this government has to offer in serving the people of the province of Ontario. My thanks to the minister for his participation in debate this morning. I’m honoured to be able to build on the work that the minister has spoken about and worked closely with my team on.

I also want to begin this morning just briefly by acknowledging that my beautiful wife, Keri, and my son, Sullivan, are at home right now watching this. Hi, Sullivan. I hope you understand some of what dad’s talking about this morning. I know for them too it’s a good Monday morning when we can discuss red tape reduction and what we’re doing to keep a strong future for my son and for so many others here in the province of Ontario.

Before I dig into some of the details of the legislation that the minister didn’t have the opportunity to get into yet this morning, I do want to take a few moments and remind everyone about why what we’re doing to reduce burdens is so important.

Last year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimated that red tape costs small businesses in Canada approximately $11 billion each year—$11 billion, Speaker. And that’s just small businesses. Ontario used to be known as the most heavily regulated province in the country. When we formed government in 2018, we knew that had to change urgently. We set out to make that happen, to remove the unnecessary and outdated regulations that cost Ontarians time and money. And we did. Since July 1 of 2018, our government has reduced the number of regulatory compliance requirements affecting businesses by 6.5%.

Why does this matter? Because these changes ensure that we’re able to increase jobs and investment in Ontario, making it less expensive, faster and easier to do business, to set out one of the best regulatory service standards in North America.

It’s not just what we’re doing, Speaker, it’s why we’re doing it: to ensure that future generations continue to see an Ontario that is the economic driver and innovator of this country. We’re delivering on that commitment. Our government has taken more than 450 burden-reducing actions to date, reducing 16,000 individual compliance requirements while continuing to look for ways to improve.

We’ve continued the practice of introducing two high-impact red tape reduction bills every year, one each fall and one in the spring. In fact, this government has delivered some nine high-impact pieces of red tape reduction legislation in the last five years. And here we are today, at the third reading of our 10th and largest red tape burden reduction bill to date.

We have made a commitment to save Ontario businesses, including not-for-profit organizations in the broader public sector, at least $400 million in annual compliance costs by March of 2022, not to mention the numerous hours that have been saved as well. I’m pleased to state that for the record, we have not only met but actually exceeded this goal. Our red tape reduction measures have so far saved businesses, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, school boards, colleges and universities, and hospitals nearly $700 million in annual compliance costs.

That’s $700 million each year that Ontario businesses and public-serving organizations can put to better use. Our newest red tape reduction bill, the proposed Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, will save Ontario businesses even more when fully implemented.

Speaker, we’ve come a long way. We continue to be grateful for the ideas that we’ve received from stakeholders, from people across the province and from our ministry partners, who have worked diligently to streamline processes and modernize outdated practices across multiple areas of government. It’s what has allowed us to continue delivering on our commitment to support economic competitiveness and create high-quality, well-paying jobs and an attractive investment climate.

I’m going to tell you a little bit more about how we do the work that we do. Every time the Ministry of Red Tape Reduction gathers together and considers a new idea, a new bill or change to the regulatory structure or the legislative structure, we draw on seven guiding principles, which consistently direct our efforts to reduce red tape. These principles are enshrined in the Modernizing Ontario for People and Businesses Act.

The first principle is that recognized national and international standards should be adopted when possible. This is because we know that harmonizing requirements across jurisdictions reduces costs, reduces the time that it takes for compliance and makes it easier to do business across borders. On this note, I think of last week’s announcement from the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development with the news that engineers are now going to be able to practise here in Ontario as soon as they arrive in this great province.

The second pillar is that small businesses should have less onerous requirements when it comes to compliance when compared to larger businesses. It recognizes that smaller businesses, the mom-and-pop shops, don’t have the same resources as their larger counterparts to focus on compliance. I’m sure this is something we’ve all seen when we visit job creators in our communities. Small businesses don’t have large legal divisions. They don’t have the resources to be able to dig through mountains of paperwork and they’re not able to meet some of the same requirements in some heavily regulated areas that a larger business would.

The third is that any entity subject to regulations should be provided accessible digital services whenever possible, because in 2023, we shouldn’t be asking people or businesses to have to fill out long paper forms anymore.

The fourth principle we operate under is that regulated entities, such as businesses, services and broader public sector organizations, which demonstrate excellent compliance should be recognized. Businesses which have been known to break the rules should be penalized, while those which are known to follow the rules should be given a break.

The fifth pillar is that unnecessary reporting should be reduced and steps should be taken to avoid requiring regulated entities to provide the same information to the government again and again and again, for little to no reason. Nothing is more frustrating than filling out the same form over and over and over, or having to repeat the same story to multiple ministries or different levels of government. The Premier sometimes has called this the merry-go-round. You go around the circle, around the circle, and every time, you fill out all the requirements; one person makes one change at one point, and you’ve got to go back around the merry-go-round and make changes all over again.

The sixth pillar is that instruments should prioritize the user by using clear communication, setting reasonable response times and establishing a centralized point of contact. This is a straightforward requirement. People and businesses should be able to understand the requirements imposed on them by government. You shouldn’t need a legal background. You shouldn’t need to speak bureaucratese or governmentese, as I know so many in this building do, in order to be able to access the services that you rely upon.

The seventh principle is that an instrument should specify the desired result that regulated entities must meet, rather than the specific methods used to attain that result. Good outcomes are really, at the end of the day, what we’re concerned about, and we recognize that there can be many different ways to get to that same result. We want to encourage innovation, not discourage it.

As the minister mentioned in his remarks earlier this year, this year’s spring red tape reduction package focuses on three key themes: (1) paving the way for better services; (2) helping Ontario businesses grow; and (3), saving Ontarians time. I’m going to spend a few minutes this morning speaking to a few more initiatives from our spring package which help us realize these three commitments.

First, when it comes to paving the way for better services, I’d like to highlight an initiative that’s coming from the Ministry of Transportation which looks to modernize agency governance at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission. The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission is an agency which has an important role to play in our government’s plan to build a stronger Ontario. We’ve committed to restoring passenger rail service from Toronto to northern Ontario, and we’re well on our way to delivering on that promise, with planning under way and three new state-of-the-art trainsets on order from Siemens Mobility.

Another way we’re proposing to improve access to services is by proposing amendments to the Ontario Energy Board to better protect ratepayers. Speaker, I was elected in the fall of 2016 on a theme of hydro and hard work. Those who weren’t perhaps here in the bad old days under the former Liberal government don’t remember the havoc that skyrocketing hydro rates played in Ontario’s economy. It led to manufacturing jetting out of this province as fast as they could go. It led to residents in my community speaking about having to make the choice between heating and eating.

And, I would argue, it led to my by-election victory in the fall of 2016. But since that time, Speaker, our government has been able to move forward on taking actions which protect ratepayers and ensure we have a clean, reliable and affordable source of hydro.

But Speaker, you might be surprised to learn that currently, utilities can pass on costs that they’ve incurred from failing to comply with their statutory obligations to ratepayers through increases to rates. You heard that right: They break the rules, and you pay the tab—absolutely mind-blowing. We’re putting an end to that practice. This amendment will protect ratepayers from paying for the costs incurred because of non-compliant situations and help to keep rates predictable—a step in the right direction, and yet another demonstration of our government’s commitment to keeping hydro rates low.

Speaking of the Ministry of Energy, I would love to share some more information about another way that this red tape reduction package is actually helping some innovative businesses grow here in the province of Ontario. We know that Ontario’s clean energy grid is a competitive advantage in attracting investments and jobs to the province. We’ve heard about this from businesses, and we’ve heard about this also internationally.

Speaking with the Minister of Energy, when he went to eastern Europe, there was a huge amount of interest in our nuclear grid, our amazing combination of clean, reliable nuclear power and our hydro stations, of course, that in the Niagara region are not just part of our history but an integral part of our industry. As we see the energy sources of the future coming online, we know that there’s more that can be done in this space.

That’s why we’re proposing amendments through this legislation to the Ontario Energy Board Act. This would allow the Ontario Energy Board to remove certain regulatory barriers to innovative pilot and demonstration projects. The Ontario Energy Board has put forward a proposal which will expand the Ontario Energy Board’s authority to facilitate innovative pilot and demonstration projects, such as exploring the idea of peer-to-peer energy trading.

There is a vast potential for energy innovation that will revolutionize the way we produce, distribute and consume energy, and eliminating the red tape associated with these pilot and demonstration projects has a real potential to demonstrate value for consumers, ratepayers and the broader economy.

Now, innovative projects which come from this program and are scalable could provide electricity ratepayers benefit, not just through lower rates and a more reliable and resilient system, but also by providing a positive impact to Ontarians by making it easier for businesses that provide stable, well-paying jobs to thrive.

Speaker, we’re also proposing amendments to reduce costs and red tape for retailers though the Cannabis Licence Act for those who wish to transfer their operating licence, retail authorization and inventory to a new retail licence holder. These changes would also apply to licence holders who have changed their ownership structure. It’s important to emphasize these proposed changes would not change any of the existing eligibility rules for a cannabis retail authorization or an operating licence, including limits on the number of stores that can be owned by a single operator or restrictions that exist around the location of stores.

Speaker, something I also care about that this legislation helps move forward on is what we’re doing to save the most valuable resource that any of us have, which is time. At the end of the day, I believe, we have around two billion seconds in our average lifespan, and so if you think about each of those seconds, it’s the most finite resource that any one of us will ever have.

To be able to use that time wisely, to be able to use that time well, is a gift, and not to have to waste that time on endless government bureaucracy, endless government red tape and regulations, especially when they’re unnecessary or outdated, is an important way that we as legislators can help safeguard for our constituents their most important resource: time.

For this example, I would like to highlight an initiative coming from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development—say that three times fast, eh? The ministry is seeking to clarify the concept of “survivor” in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act in relation to terms such as “surviving spouse” and “cohabiting” as well as other related issues. Modernizing the approach that the WSIB takes in relation to survivors will improve operational consistency in decision-making, reduce administrative burdens and enable the WSIB to process claims faster and save Ontarians time.

Now, there are a few other ways we are working to save Ontarians time as well. We have proposed amendments to electronic forms of delivery under the Pension Benefits Act. Currently, pension plan administrators are required under the act to provide reminder notices to members by regular mail, even if they’ve opted in to receive communications in electronic form.

In other words, you get a note saying, “Sign up for a digital copy of this particular notification for your pension plan,” and being someone who wants to not just save time but also perhaps save emissions and reduce your paper output, you go online, you go to the website connected through the paper notification you got and you sign up to receive these email notifications. And you do, which is great. You get your first notification, and perhaps a week later, all of a sudden you get the duplicate of this information in the mail. Okay, perhaps they missed it.

The next notification comes out perhaps a month later and once again, you get it through email—great—and a week later or a few days later, you get it again via mail. That’s because it’s mandated under Ontario law that you have to get those notifications, even if you opt in to the electronic form, by regular mail. But the proposed amendments in this legislation would eliminate that need to send retiring plan members unneeded reminder notices. In other words, they would still be able to get those notices if they wanted them, but they would also be able to not get those notices and have it only online if they want.

This will also in turn reduce costs and duplication for the pension plan administrators, and we all know that if we can cut that management fee just a little bit, that’s savings directly in the pockets of those pension plan holders.

We’ve also proposed changes to allow for virtual board meetings to be made permanent. You might recall the early days of the pandemic, when so much happened so quickly and we were forced to take processes that had always been done on paper or in person and put them online. At that time, temporary legislative amendments were made to several business law statutes and the Condominium Act as well to generally allow corporations, including not-for-profits, to hold virtual meetings regardless of requirements in their governing documents or in the legislation.

It goes without saying that this has been extremely popular and a very successful measure, particularly for smaller organizations who may not have had the physical infrastructure, such as the office space, to host these meetings in person. That’s why the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act is proposing to implement permanent changes to replicate the purpose of the temporary measures with respect to virtual meetings and to enhance additional virtual processes related to notices and records.

We believe that this change will modernize virtual process rules, reduce the burden and make life easier for individuals as well as for businesses and corporations.

Alongside this change, we’re proposing to amend the Corporations Act to modernize the board composition requirements for mutual insurers. Currently, the Corporations Act requires the boards to constitute insurer boards in multiples of three. The ministry proposes to amend the act and remove that requirement by making it consistent, rather, with similar requirements under the Business Corporations Act. The proposed change, if approved, would give these companies flexibility and save money for their insurance policy holders.

These are all measures that impact people directly, but we know that a significant part of red tape reduction is also about reviewing the way we do things here in government to make them more efficient and more effective. A great example of this is the three initiatives in our bill put forward by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. One of the proposed changes is to amend some outdated legislation to strengthen board governance for Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies.

The proposed amendments would reduce unnecessary red tape and delays in the appointment process, and support business continuity as well as increased flexibility in appointments to support strengthened agency oversight and governance. For example, this legislation will standardize board terms of office to be up to three years at pleasure, rather than a fixed term, which will provide for flexibility to meet operational, policy or business needs. These are relatively straightforward amendments that just make sense.

They’re about allowing Ontario’s tourism and culture agencies to run more efficiently and effectively.

The ministry is also seeking to modernize agency governance and clarify rules for Ontario’s public appointees by incorporating “protection from personal liability” provisions in legislation and regulations for their agencies and transfer payment entities. The amendments would strengthen board governance and make it easier to attract the best candidate for board service, allowing the ministry agencies and transfer payment entities to maximize their economic impact.

Additionally, the ministry is proposing legislative amendments that, if passed, would streamline approvals for Ontario’s people, businesses and agencies. The proposed changes to the Niagara Parks Act, for example, would make it easier and faster for routine land adjustments to be made on or near Niagara Parks Commission properties. The change would allow for routine utility work to take place faster, giving the residents of Niagara much-needed access to things such as cable, natural gas and water systems. The proposed changes to the Art Gallery of Ontario Act would support the government and the AGO’s commitment to transparency by getting annual reporting information to the public faster.

There are also several modernization measures of this type that originate from the Ministry of the Attorney General. The ministry is proposing to amend the Courts of Justice Act to remove the requirement that the Auditor General examine and report on the accounts and financial transactions of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer. This is a historical and antiquated requirement. It dates back to a time when the Office of the Children’s Lawyer was not embedded within the Ministry of the Attorney General.

But today it operates as a program area of the Ministry of the Attorney General, and it doesn’t have any funds in the bank or trust accounts outside of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. It means that its financial position is already reported in the province’s public accounts and there’s no other set of books maintained for the office to report on its own finances. As a result, to comply with the Auditor General’s audit requirements, the office is required to create a separate set of financial documents which are not used for any other purpose; solely for this audit.

Even with our proposed amendment, the Auditor General will still retain the ability to audit the Office of the Children’s Lawyer as part of the Auditor General office’s normal scope and powers; the only difference is that it will no longer be compulsory to do so on an annual basis.

The ministry is also proposing to update the Creditors’ Relief Act, 2010, which governs the distribution of money among eligible creditors where the sheriff has enforced a court or tribunal order for the payment of money. Currently, the only way a sheriff can deliver this notice is by mail or in person. Speaker, it’s 2023. We know that there are faster, better ways to communicate. This change, if approved, would permit the sheriff to serve documents by email, improving and simplifying communications between sheriffs’ offices and stakeholders. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, and it just makes sense.

We’ve also proposed to make amendments to the Execution Act which, if passed, would clarify when the principal-residence exemption in forced sales can apply. It’s a housekeeping change which would provide clarification as to the original intent of the act.

The Attorney General ministry is also proposing a change to the Trustee Act to make it clear that investment managers of trust property may invest in mutual funds, pooled funds or segregated funds on behalf of a trustee. This would remove the current limitations on investment-manager activities and make the law more consistent with current industry practice.

Speaker, the minister spoke about this, but there’s a lot of work that goes into the consultation and development of these red tape reduction packages. We’ve been working collaboratively with stakeholders from across our ministry partners. We’ve been consulting with a wide range of partners, people and stakeholders from across the province to build an unparalleled inventory of ideas. I want to encourage those who are watching today who may have ideas to go to ontario.ca/redtape, and provide your feedback and solutions and ideas and ways that we could unleash the potential of Ontario through that portal.

I want to take a moment to recognize some of the pieces coming out of this package that directly address ideas and requests such as those that came from stakeholders and people across the province.

Earlier, the minister spoke about an initiative coming from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development which updated mining regulations to reflect current practice and technology, keep the regulations up to date and reduce regulatory burden on the sector. We know that Ontario’s mining sector is a crucial part of our economy, providing jobs, investments and raw materials which are essential for the manufacturing and construction industries.

That’s why I want to thank the labour partners and the management leaders of the mining sector advisory committee for helping our government identify these much-needed amendments. They will help us to strengthen occupational health and safety for miners who support this vital sector by leveraging new technology, such as drones, to better protect them from airborne hazards.

Another example is that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks recently repealed outdated recycling regulations for soft-drink containers. This was supported by the Canadian Beverage Association. Before curbside blue box programs became common, Ontario required a portion of soft-drink containers to be refillable to encourage their diversion from landfill. As you can imagine, a lot has changed with time, and the regulations in place are no longer reflective of current recycling practices or consumer behaviours.

So we’ve revoked out-of-date regulations associated with soft-drink containers because producers already have ambitious targets and collection diversion requirements under Ontario’s new blue box regulations.

One last example is the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’s intention to make regulatory amendments under the Milk Act. Dairy farmers are a vital component of the province’s agricultural sector, and coming from a long-time dairy family, I know how important it is to ensure that they’re supported. While Ontario’s dairy industry has evolved significantly over the last decades, regulations haven’t kept pace with the new technologies, practices and products. This has resulted in unnecessary costs for dairy producers and processors.

So after receiving a request from the Ontario Dairy Council, the ministry set out to find ways to amend the regulations to minimize the regulatory burden, enable innovation and improve consistency with other jurisdictions. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’re ensuring our dairy farmers can focus on what’s important: producing the highest quality milk and dairy products.

Speaker, I’m very proud of the work that’s gone into today’s legislation, and I’m proud of the work that’s happened because of so many coming together to work together to reduce the regulatory burdens on people and business. I’m eager, as I know every member in this House is, to support this great work going forward. The 42 initiatives in the Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act and in the spring red tape reduction budget will pave the way for better services, helping Ontario businesses grow and saving the people of this province time and money.

The items in this, our 10th and largest burden reduction bill to date, build on over five years of progress, moving forward in modernizing legislation, regulations and policies that are burdensome, inefficient and inflexible for the people of Ontario. Simply put, this bill will lead Ontario to more economic certainty, confidence and stability and continue to position Ontario as a key player in the North American and global landscape now and for generations to come.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): Before we move on to questions and answers, I want to welcome back to the House Cheri DiNovo, member for Parkdale–High Park in the 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st Parliaments. Welcome to the House.

Questions?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Only this government could open up almost all of the laws in Ontario and fail to address the challenges that so many Ontarians face. It’s deeply ironic, Speaker, that the minister, the parliamentary assistant and this government have the audacity to speak of modernity and outdated legislation and then go backwards on animal welfare.

In 1997, under the Harris government, this House was united in support of Bill 139, which stopped training and trialing areas from getting new licences or transferring licences. A letter from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, the Animal Alliance of Canada, Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, World Wildlife Fund and the Bear Alliance all supported this Bill 139.

Will this government listen to the people of Ontario, remove

schedule 14 and listen to all stakeholders before moving backwards on animal welfare?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): Response?

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Well, I appreciate the advice from the member opposite, but I do have to say, it always seems passing strange to me when I hear the members of the opposition stand and start talking about listening to stakeholders when it comes to red tape reduction. I don’t think I’ve seen any member of the opposition actually bring forward ideas to reduce red tape. I haven’t been invited to any consultations in the member opposite’s riding with stakeholders to get their ideas about reduced red tape.

We on this side of the House have an open-door policy. We want to sit down with people who have suggestions. We want to get their ideas. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen that same willingness to partner, to be collaborative, to have a meaningful dialogue with partners and with stakeholders on the opposite benches. So I’m hoping that the member opposite, speaking about the importance of consultation with stakeholders, will learn something about our government’s actions and ensure that he does open those doors in his constituency office, get those ideas and bring them to ontario.ca/redtape.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): Questions?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Speaker, good morning. You’ll know that under the Liberals’ watch, we lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs that left the province altogether. Now, the people in my riding expect that our government will implement measures that will pave the way for better services and make it easier for businesses to invest in Ontario and succeed. I’d like the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Red Tape Reduction to expand further on what steps we have in place within this legislation, if passed, to help businesses in Ontario succeed and create new jobs.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the member for Whitby, someone who is a strong advocate for his community and someone who understands the importance of getting it done when we build our economies and the value that that has for families to put food on the table, send their kids to university, have a good life, pay for a home. That really comes down to ensuring that we have a strong economy.

I’m born and raised in the Niagara region. I absolutely love the area that I call home, and I love the people who I have the pleasure and privilege of representing. But I remember for 15 years, when the Liberals were in office, that feeling of hopelessness that often I would encounter when I spoke with young people my age who were worried about being able to get into a good well-paying job, people who said, “I see manufacturing in Niagara leaving. I see high unemployment in the Niagara region,” and they were saying, “Where are we going to go?” Some of them had to perhaps move into the GTA in order to be able to get work.

Speaker, over the past five years, I’ve seen that change. I see people—young people, new Canadians, those who are moving to Niagara because of its opportunity, and that’s directly because of the measures that we’re taking in this legislation and in the nine previous packages.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): Questions?

Ms. Sarah Jama:

Schedule 5 of this bill is focused on regulations around cannabis. It’s interesting that this government is attempting to make business for retail cannabis easier while possession charges continue to affect a disproportionate number of racialized and other marginalized people across Ontario. I think this is a really great example of how this bill is so far removed in its entirety from the everyday experiences of our combined constituencies.

While focused on businesses who continue to make profit off of this industry, will this government also focus on the full decriminalization related to cannabis possession?

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: If I’m understanding the question correctly, the member opposite thinks we should be decriminalizing more drugs; I guess that is where she’s going with this. I’m not sure, frankly, what that has to do with the legislation before us.

This legislation is really about reducing the amount of time and energy that people have to spend in being able to do regular business practices. But if the member opposite is interested in bringing forward legislation to decriminalize more drugs—I don’t know about other members in this House; for myself, I think we’ve seen in BC the impact of those policies that the New Democrats brought forward, and we’ve seen the impact of those policies on the streets of downtown Vancouver and the east side of Vancouver. I’m not sure what that has to do with the legislation today.

Today what we’re talking about is legislation to ensure we’re building good jobs, that people have hope and opportunity, that they’re able to put food on the table for their families. That’s what we’re focused on doing.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): Questions?

Mr. Brian Saunderson: My question to my colleague: In my rural area of Simcoe–Grey, we know that Internet connectivity is a huge issue. For our local farmers that rely on connectivity for monitoring their herds, for the dairy farmers, and their broods, for the chicken farmers, it’s an essential connectivity. We also see it locally through the pandemic with school and education going online. Many families did not have adequate access to Internet.

I’m wondering if the member could speak to the issue of promoting and supporting a drive to get Internet to all Ontarians so that my residents in Simcoe–Grey have an idea of what’s coming forward.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Broadband is one of those issues that I’ve heard a lot about throughout my time here in the Ontario Legislature. It’s one that I know we all care about. In the 21st century, being able to access the Internet to do your work is crucial.

I appreciate the member speaking about the impact that it has on agriculture, because the member is absolutely right. When you don’t have access to good high-speed Internet, it becomes increasingly difficult to do the work of a farmer in the 21st century, especially with the high-tech requirements that farmers today have and especially when it comes to their ability to update crop data, to be able to have their GPS systems in place and build off that work.

We’re taking actions to reduce the time that it takes to get approvals to get those broadband projects moving, and we’re doing that in collaboration with the Minister of Infrastructure—with our rural municipalities as well, who have been fierce advocates for these kinds of investments. And really what we’re saying is we shouldn’t have to wait months and months and months for the approvals in order to be able to drive that broadband through the ground and to be able to expand it to more areas. So we’re cutting the timelines that are required and associated with that, to make it faster, easier and make sure that we’re getting more people connected when and where they need to be.

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

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Events in Oxford

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: This past week has been a busy one in my riding of Oxford. I had the pleasure of attending several events on Victoria Day and throughout the week. First, I participated in the Victoria Day parade in Woodstock Monday morning. I had a great time connecting with my constituents and seeing familiar faces. The parade featured marching bands, horses, floats from local organizations and businesses, vintage cars, entertainers and more. Later that day, I made my way to the Thamesford Calithumpian parade. The antique cars, tractors, stilt walkers, clowns, dancers, jugglers and other entertainers did a phenomenal job of getting the crowd excited.

On Friday I joined the Minister of Long-Term Care for peopleCare Tavistock’s construction-start ceremony for their all-new building. For years, peopleCare has been working with the municipality, the county and the province to build more beds, and I’m delighted to see that our government has approved 100 upgraded and 28 new long-term-care spaces in Oxford with this new facility.

Sheena Campbell, the vice-president of communications and engagement at peopleCare, said that the ministry has a strong commitment to get these beds built and I saw that on Friday. PeopleCare is also proposing to offer specialized dementia care services when their new, fully air-conditioned building is built.

It was great to have spent an exciting long weekend with my constituents and to witness our government’s efforts to fix long-term care in Oxford.

Barrick Gold Corp.

Ms. Jessica Bell: In May, a resident of University–Rosedale, Lateef Baloch, attended the annual general meeting of Barrick Gold. Mr. Baloch attended the AGM because Barrick Gold has just signed an agreement to mine in the province of Baluchistan, his former home, without informing or consulting local residents. Instead of answering questions, the CEO undermined and discredited Mr. Baloch, using his refugee status to distract the shareholders from the company’s actions. He told Mr. Baloch to go back to Baluchistan.

Mr. Baloch is a law-abiding resident of Canada and has every right to be here. If he did go back to Baluchistan, he would face persecution for his work as a human rights advocate standing up against oppression and the forced disappearance and killing of people.

Canadian companies have a responsibility to not escalate conflict in regions around the globe and Canadian companies have a responsibility to secure free, prior and informed consent from impacted people and governments before beginning a mining project in Canada and around the world. That is what I am calling on Barrick Gold to do.

Events in Etobicoke–Lakeshore

Ms. Christine Hogarth: The month of May has been eventful as I made my way around Etobicoke–Lakeshore. I was honoured to attend and be a judge and hand out awards at the Fusion of Arts and Hearts Competition, hosted by our Catholic district school board trustee, Teresa Lubinski. The event was a celebration of artistic expression from students in over 18 schools in the community.

I also joined constituents at the Franklin Horner Community Centre for the Ridley’s Mother’s Day high tea, where many seniors got all dressed up to enjoy a day together.

I was proud to bring greetings to the Rotary Club of Toronto Tibetan for their new District 7070 club charter celebration.

With the parliamentary assistant of agriculture, food and rural affairs, we held a local consultation on upgrading the Veterinarians Act.

Last week, I participated in a town hall on affordable housing at LAMP community centre, an issue for many in our community. I want to thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for removing development fees for not-for-profit and affordable housing. This will make did difference.

Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, I was at the Dorothy Ley Hospice with my colleague MPP Cuzzetto for their annual charity event hike. I want to thank them for their support, and I want to thank them extremely for their support during my mother’s illness over the last couple of months.

Next week I’ll be debating Clare’s Law. Behind it is a story of tragedy but also of hope, and I’ll speak on that in more detail on that day. I hope all members will be present and lend their support.

Summer safety / Sécurité estivale

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: Ontario is warming up. Lakes and rivers up north are unfrozen, and tourism will reach its peak in northern communities. As the seasons change, the north comes to life and is ready to welcome Ontarians to celebrate nature and wildlife through various activities like camping, fishing and hiking.

Je veux prendre le temps de rappeler des mesures de précaution pour plusieurs activités estivales afin d’assurer la sécurité des résidents, des visiteurs et, surtout, celle des enfants.

Le nord de l’Ontario est connu à travers le monde comme regorgeant de lacs, rivières, baies et ruisseaux qui n’ont rien à envier aux autres pays. Pour des activités nautiques comme la pêche, le kayak et le bateau, les vestes de sauvetage—les « personal flotation devices »—sont fortement encouragées en tout temps lorsque vous êtes sur l’eau. Assurez-vous que vos enfants portent les vestes de sauvetage adéquates. Vous devez aussi être équipés d’une trousse de secours dans vos bateaux en cas d’urgence.

Our region is also known for breathtaking hikes and outdoor activities like camping. To ensure your safety, always let someone know of your location and itinerary. Also, be informed of fire restrictions in your area and take precautions when attending your fires, as well as properly extinguishing it when leaving the grounds.

Finalement, n’oubliez pas de laisser les lieux que vous avez visités dans leur état d’origine et de profiter de tout ce que la nature a à vous offrir. N’empruntez que les routes formelles et n’endommagez pas la flore.

Most of all, enjoy every bit of what the north has to offer.

Decoration Day

Mr. Trevor Jones: In 1905, Spanish American philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I was thinking of this quote when I stood at a solemn ceremony yesterday at Legion Memorial Field, Maple Leaf Cemetery, in Chatham-Kent.

Yesterday, our Royal Canadian Legion Branch 642 celebrated Decoration Day, a tradition dating well back before Remembrance Day was proclaimed as our nationally designated day to celebrate the lives of the brave men and women who gave their lives in military service so that we could be free. As I stood along veteran soldiers and their families under a cloudless, sunny sky, at the graves of men and women from my community who wore our country’s uniform, I was humbled to think so many volunteered to defend our nation at its most perilous times.

Yesterday, people of all ages came out to pause and reflect on our precious democracy, on a world that remains mired in conflict and on the sacrifices of those who gave their today so we could have our tomorrow. The gravesites of our fallen were tidied, some attendees read aloud the names of the fallen and the small, humble tombstones were decorated, as is tradition, with new Canadian flags, a small gesture of remembrance and gratitude. Lest we forget.

Employment practices

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: A question everyone has asked themselves is, “How much should I tip?” It’s a question that often sparks heated debate. There are differing guidelines and social norms, adding to the confusion and anxiety around tipping.

But how about no tip? There are two restaurants in Parkdale–High Park, Barque Smokehouse and Then and Now, who are challenging the concept of tipping by getting rid of it completely. They have implemented the no-tipping strategy to ensure that the dining experience is free from guesswork, while providing workers with predictable income.

As a diner, what you see is what you pay; no more mental math or awkward calculations at the end of a meal. And for the hard-working staff, they know exactly how much they will earn, giving them the ability to plan their lives.

Speaker, I feel this is a trend worth pursuing and would encourage other establishments to have a conversation with their employees on the matter. The no-tipping model creates a more relaxed and enjoyable dining environment for all. It’s time to simplify the experience of dining and provide workers with the stability they deserve.

Government policies

Mr. Graham McGregor: We’re now nearing the end of our spring session, and June is right around the corner. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the House for their service to the province, as well as take a minute to highlight the great work that our government has accomplished in the past months.

Speaker, our government, led by Premier Ford, has made significant strides as we combat the housing crisis, improve Ontario’s health care, enhance our children’s education, make Ontario safer and strengthen our economy.

We’re building on our progress to speed up housing starts. From January to April, we saw over 27,000 housing starts, which represents a 16% increase over the same period last year. On rental, that’s almost 7,000 starts, double where we were at this time last year.

We’re also breaking from the status quo on our health care system that has stifled innovation and struggled to respond to growing challenges and changing needs.

On the education side, we’re taking action to boost literacy and math skills and ensure the province’s public education system focuses on what matters most: important, life-long skills.

We’re taking action to crack down on criminals and make Ontario safer, whether that’s on auto theft or ensuring that high-risk and repeat violent offenders comply with their bail conditions or helping address the rise of hate incidents against religious and minority groups.

As we’re continuing to spur job growth and build a strong economy for Ontario families, more than 600,000 people are working today than they were before this government.

Speaker, I promised my riding that I would work my back off on their behalf. This spring was no different. Let’s continue to get it done.

Climate change / Health care

Mr. Adil Shamji: Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to hear Prince Hussain Aga Khan at the Ismaili Centre in Don Valley East, speaking about his seminal work documenting the fragile beauty of our living seas. His remarks and photography were inspiring and humbling—a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our marine ecosystems. In its wake, I am reminded of the critical need to preserve our environment and fight against climate change.

This weekend, Ontarians made their voices heard in one of the largest volunteer-run referendums in our province’s history. The referendum, organized by the Ontario Health Coalition, was on the issue of whether our public surgical and diagnostic services should be handed over to private, for-profit interests. Mr. Speaker, hundreds of thousands of votes have been cast. When so many people take the time out of their busy lives to vote on one of this government’s most controversial and consequential policies, we should all take note.

On Friday, I travelled the province, lending my support to various voting stations across southwestern Ontario. I visited Brampton, Guelph, St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls, and in every one of these locations, people had been impacted by emergency room closures and out of control wait times. Our health care system is headed in the wrong direction, guided by a faulty set of priorities.

On behalf of the hundreds of thousands of Ontarians who came out to vote to save our health care, Mr. Speaker, I ask of the government, please, for all of us, put your priorities back in the public interest.

Niagara Week

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Just a few days ago, the regional municipality of Niagara and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce hosted Niagara Week here at Queen’s Park. We were joined in the chamber by former long-time MPP and chair of the region, Jim Bradley, as well as a number of local mayors and regional councillors, bringing a unified voice of growing better together. My thanks to all members who took the time to sit down with these local leaders from the Niagara region.

We know that they were welcomed with open arms by a number of ministers, parliamentary assistants and policy staff, as well as many other members. A highlight of Niagara Week was a key meeting between the Chair and Premier last Monday, together with Minister Clark.

As well, many of you had the opportunity to attend and engage with representatives of the Niagara at the Niagara Week dinner reception, featuring local wine and food. As a grassroots MPP, I pledged I would be first and foremost Niagara’s voice here at Queen’s Park, not Queen’s Park voice to Niagara, and last week, our government opened the door to Niagara as we heard about a number of key issues and priorities for the region, including municipal infrastructure, economic development, housing, the agricultural sector and increased access to transit.

Speaker, our government delivered at the end of Niagara Week when the Premier, Minister Mulroney, Minister Lumsden and Minister Cho all travelled to Niagara to announce the doubling of GO train services between Union Station and Niagara Falls beginning on May 20.

Whether it’s working for Niagara, one of the other 444 municipalities or the rest of the province, our government is working with municipal partners across this province to get the job done.

Skills Ontario Competition

Mr. Matthew Rae: I rise today to recognize a set of great achievements by a group of young people in my riding of Perth–Wellington. Earlier this month, a team of grade 7 and 8 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Listowel and a grade 10 student, Anne Doig, from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford all won gold at the 2023 Skills Ontario Competition.

The student team from St. Mary’s competed in the Lego mechanical engineering category. Their project was to design and build a monorail. They worked tirelessly to perfect their skills in preparation for their competition.

Anne Doig from St. Michael competed in the aesthetics category, securing first place. This is the second consecutive year that Anne has won the gold medal in the Skills Ontario Competition for this category.

Thank you to the educators at both St. Mary’s and St. Michael for encouraging, supporting and advising these bright young students. Thank you to Skills Ontario for organizing this annual competition and for everything you do to prepare Ontario’s youth for the jobs of tomorrow.

The Skills Ontario Competition serves as an exceptional platform for these students to exhibit their skills across a diverse array of trades. Speaker, as the Premier says, a job in the skilled trades is a job for life.

Again, congratulations to the students of St. Mary’s and St. Mike’s on your resounding victories. This splendid achievement reflects not only upon yourselves but also on your schools and indeed our entire community.

Wearing of hockey jerseys

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Peterborough–Kawartha has a point of order.

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, the OHL championships were completed on our constituency week. So I would seek unanimous consent for the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London to wear the maroon and white home jersey and the member for London North Centre to wear the white and maroon Peter-borough Petes’ OHL champion away jersey.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Peterborough–Kawartha, who is gloating today, is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for Elgin–Middlesex–London to wear one of the Peterborough Petes’ jerseys and the member for London North Centre to wear one as well. Agreed? Agreed.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m very pleased to say that we have some special guests in the Speaker’s gallery today: a delegation of Canadian senators representing the province of Ontario. We have with us the Honourable Salma Ataullahjan, the Honourable Rob Black, the Honourable Andrew Cardozo, the Honourable Donna Dasko, the Honourable Victor Oh and the Honourable Kim Pate. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests from the Senate of Canada.

Before moving on, I’ll remind members that all of you are invited to a lunch reception in honour of the senators at room 230 of the Legislative Building. Also, later on in the afternoon, we’re going to be having a round table discussion with members of provincial Parliament in room 340 of the Legislative Building starting at 1:30 so that we can have a dialogue with our guests from the Senate. You’re all warmly welcome to attend those two events.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’d like to welcome guests from Waste to Resource Ontario this morning to the Legislature: board Co-Chairs Paulina Leung and Gary Diamond, board members Denis Goulet and Bob Martin, and team member Ravneet Gill. Please come by their lunch reception in room 228 to learn more about the essential work they are doing for our communities in the waste and recycling sector.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: On behalf of the official opposition, I’d like to welcome our guests from the Ontario Autism Coalition, including Kate Dudley-Logue, vice president; Steve Legault, an Ottawa parent; Sandra Huh; Karen Bojti and Michau van Speyk, along with former MPP Cheri DiNovo and Trustee Curtis Jordan from the Upper Canada District School Board, who is the first autistic individual elected to a school board in Ontario’s history. Welcome.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: It’s my pleasure to wel-come a gentleman who has walked with history in some of our toughest moments. A survivor of the Holocaust, Mr. Nate Leipciger, who is with us together with his wife, has participated in 20 March of the Living trips, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto and numerous medals. He has worked tirelessly for tolerance in the world of freedom for anyone who is oppressed.

Joining Nate today are his wife, Bernice; Cary Green; Kevin Green; Lisa Pinkus; Arla Litwin; and Jennifer Green. And they’re also joined by Michael Levitt, the executive director of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal foun-dation of Canada. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

M me France Gélinas: It’s my pleasure to introduce Hillary Buchan-Terrell—she’s advocacy manager for the Canadian Cancer Society—and, of course, my good friend Cheri DiNovo, MPP from Parkdale–High Park for many, many years. Thank you for being here, ladies.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Glorious morning to everyone. It is my honour and privilege to introduce a tremendously talented woman who has definitely made Toronto a much better place to live. The former deputy city manager, Tracey Cook, is in the House.

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: It is my privilege to introduce Dr. David Jacobs and the members of the Ontario Association of Radiologists, who are visiting for their Queen’s Park day and will be meeting with MPPs over the course of the day. The OAR represents 1,000 radiologists who specialize in medical imaging and strive to ensure timely access to diagnosis and better patient outcomes.

I would also like to welcome Sherry Wilcox, a lawyer and breast cancer patient, who is here with her daughter and will be sharing her story to shed light on the importance of lowering the age of breast cancer screening. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: I’d like to welcome Raed Kadri—he is the head of the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network and also the VP of the Ontario Centre of Innovation—and Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. They’re here with Project Arrow, the Ontario-built EV that’s outside.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I would also like to take a moment to welcome Tracey Cook, former interim city manager and former deputy city manager at the city of Toronto, as well as Dr. David Jacobs and all the radiologists who are visiting today.

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: It is with great pleasure that I welcome to the House today Father Tom Rosica, celebrating 37 years as a priest with the Basilian order, former CEO of Salt and Light television and the national director of World Youth Day 2002. Welcome, Father Rosica.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Unless there are objections, I’d like to continue with introductions.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: I’d like to extend my warm welcome to my friend Senator Victor Oh and the senator’s team as well.

I’d also like to welcome the students from Red Maple Public School. They’re going to come in later on; they’re downstairs studying all the interesting things about our House here. I would also like to welcome the teachers: Ms. Goraya, Ms. Smith, Mr. Ng and Ms. Rosen.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Good morning, Speaker. I’d like to welcome the Canadian Lung Association, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and the Canadian Cancer Society, and in particular Hillary Buchan-Terrell.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to welcome to Queen’s Park four students from the University of Toronto who are studying STEM education. I want to welcome Janis Wong, Momo Uji, Mantoj Grewal and Eva McGuire. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: I would like to welcome my father, Moid Khan, as well as my uncle, Farid Khan, visiting from Dubai. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m delighted to introduce to everyone Dawson Hallahan. He is from Belgrave, Ontario, and he has joined the Huron–Bruce constituency team this summer. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Rob Flack: I’d like to welcome Beth Allison, principal in the London District Catholic School Board. Welcome back to Queen’s Park—a great friend from the London area.

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I would like to introduce and welcome the newest member of my team: Andrew Tadrous. He’s here today for the first time to visit Queen’s Park. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Jess Dixon: Continuing the theme of “you never know who Jess will meet on Instagram,” it is my honour to introduce both a dedicated dad and a serving member of the London Police Service. We have Officer Chris Golder in the House today, a former dedicated school resource officer and very proud father of our page Arisa. He will be here all week monitoring her progress.

Armenian Heritage Month reception

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Scarborough–Agincourt.

Mr. Aris Babikian: Good morning, Speaker. I don’t have anyone to introduce, but I would like to bring to the attention of our colleagues in the House that today we are celebrating the Armenian Heritage Month. This is the inaugural celebration which will take place in rooms 228 and 230 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Many leaders of the Armenian community from St. Catharines, Cambridge, Hamilton, Mississauga, Oakville and Ottawa will join us, but in addition to that, we will have other ethnic groups like the Chinese community, the Greek Cypriots, Tamil and the Jewish community who will join to us celebrate. Everyone is welcome.

Member’s birthday

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

Miss Monique Taylor: Just a quick indulgence: I would like to wish the member from St. Catharines, Jennie Stevens, a very happy birthday today.

Member’s birthday

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I believe that concludes our introduction of visitors.

Do you have a point of order? Point of order: the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Talking about birthdays, it’s our great member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound’s birthday, Rick Byers. Happy birthday. He’s turning 40.

What I would recommend, Mr. Speaker, is the NDP member and the PC member should maybe go out for lunch today and celebrate together.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I’m already taken.

Hon. Doug Ford: She’s my favourite MPP around here.

Interjection: Hey.

Hon. Doug Ford: Sorry, buddy.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our introduction of visitors and birthday greetings. It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

Health care

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. This government didn’t campaign on a plan to sell off our public health care system. At no point during the campaign did they say they were going to bring in two-tier health care. That’s why, on Friday and Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Ontarians voted in the Ontario Health Coalition’s citizen-run referendum to keep our health care system public. People are making their voices heard because of overwhelming evidence from many other provinces that the government’s plan will worsen services for patients and cost so much more.

Speaker, to the Premier: Will his government listen to the people of Ontario and reverse course on their plan to sell off our public health care system?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Thank you for that question. I don’t call it a referendum; it was a political poll, driven one side. But in saying that, Mr. Speaker, because we do our polling too, right now and—I’m going to include the Liberals—through many years, we’ve compiled over 800 community surgical diagnostic centres that are operating right now in the province. What we’re doing is we’re expanding it. And the poll should be very, very simple.

This is the way the poll should be: Do you want to wait in line for a hip replacement for 18 months or would you like to get something done in 60 days from the exact same doctor—the exact same doctor—in a surgical clinic, in a centre, and get out in two or three months?

We had the opportunity, myself and the Minister of Health—we went to Kensington Health. What a phenomenal facility that is. And I’m just wondering if the NDP wants to close Kensington Health doing 12,000 cataract operations a year. That’s the question for the NDP, because it would be a disaster if we ever close Kensington Health and cancel 12,000 cataract operations.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: It’s apples and oranges, and the Premier knows that.

This government’s plans for health care are seeing emergency rooms in smaller and rural communities across the province close for hours, for days or even permanently. Last week, I joined residents in Minden as they rallied desperately to save their local emergency room—it’s set to close permanently this Wednesday. They’re worried, Speaker, as anyone would be if the emergency room they relied on was shut down and they were forced to leave their community in a time of crisis.

Back to the Premier: How many communities will see emergency rooms close this summer because of this government’s failure to act?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: The NDP are satisfied with the status quo. I can tell you that our government is not. We have made many different investments that—to quote Anthony Dale, the president of the Ontario Hospital Association: “We’re rushing to make up for lost time and the government has implemented a wide range of well-designed and very constructive programs to recruit and retain, to incentivize health care workers—and especially nurses—to consider practising in rural and remote communities.”

We’re making that effort. We’re making those investments and we will continue to do that because we understand, as Ontario grows, we need to continue to make the investment in health care—a health care budget that, I might add, is over $80 billion in the province of Ontario. We are investing; we are ensuring the people who want to practise in the province of Ontario have that right through many different programs.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, it’s working so well that the emergency rooms are closing. That’s what’s happening under this government’s watch five years in, and it’s not just Minden: Chesley, Walkerton, Seaforth, Alexandria, Clinton, Perth, Campbellford. The ER in Thessalon announced this morning that it would be closed again today due to staffing shortages. This community has been without a primary care doctor for two years and now they’re going to have to drive 40 minutes to an emergency room.

While you’re busy trying to take more staff out of our system and move them into private, for-profit clinics, the solution is simple: Invest in the staff we need to keep those emergency rooms open.

To the Premier: What will he do today to make sure that this closure in Thessalon is the last ER closure Ontarians will see this summer?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: It’s not what we’re doing today, it’s what we have already started, and that was, for example, a Learn and Stay program that allows three critically important health care pathways—the lab technicians, the nurses, the paramedics who are willing to train in communities that are underserved have their tuition and books covered if they agree to stay on for an additional two years.

We have now in the province of Ontario, the first across Canada, as-of-right rules under Bill 60, which means that an individual clinician, doctor, nurse who wants to practise in the province of Ontario can do so today, instead of waiting months to get that qualification happen through the college.

We directed the College of Nurses of Ontario and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to quickly deal with the backlog of individual, educated, trained people who are waiting for those licences. We now have, and we saw, a historic number of nurses who were able to pack into that program. We’ll continue—

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

We’ll move to the next question.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Minister of Transportation. A 2018 report by the Auditor General revealed serious problems with the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown and the public-private partnership set up to build it. The minister could have acted to fix these problems, but two years later, a follow-up report said “no improvements had occurred.”

In fact, the problems had gotten even worse. The P3 contractor was “building at risk,” which means the safety of these designs had not been confirmed. It suggests that the deficiencies with the Eglinton Crosstown could be much more serious than the public is being told.

Speaker, why did the minister ignore the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. But it is so ironic to hear the leader and members opposite ask about problems that are faced with the Eglinton Crosstown, because we brought forward a bill to this House in 2020 to address a lot of the problems related to a lot of those delays that were created that we saw in the Eglinton Crosstown, Mr. Speaker. It was a bill called the Building Transit Faster Act. It couldn’t have been more clear what the intention of that bill was. And what did the opposition do, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it.

So for the Leader of the Opposition to stand in this House and ask why we’re not building transit faster, I would ask her, why did they vote against that important piece of legislation so that we can avoid a lot of the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown, get shovels in the ground faster and build the transit that the city of Toronto and York region and Hamilton deserve?

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: The minister needs to follow along here. They passed their bill and we are in this situation. It’s done nothing.

Speaker, transit P3s in the United Kingdom experienced repeated lawsuits, insolvencies and bailouts. A £30-billion P3 scheme to upgrade the London Underground fell apart. Costly P3 failures like this are why the UK’s Conservative government abandoned P3 contracts altogether in 2018. Now, Ontario is running into the same costly delays, overruns and deficiencies.

If the Eglinton Crosstown P3 contractor doesn’t get another public bailout, are we going to see the whole thing collapse just like what happened in the UK?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: The Leader of the Opposition is asking me to follow along. With all due respect, Mr. Speaker, I would ask her to follow along. We passed the bill because of the majority that we have, despite their voting against it in 2020.

And what have we seen? In 2019, the Premier introduced the most ambitious public transit expansion plan anywhere in North America. Since then, Mr. Speaker, we’ve seen shovels in the ground on the new Ontario Line, a line they voted against. We have seen significant progress on tunnelling on the Eglinton Crosstown West extension. The tunnel is halfway done. In Scarborough, we’ve seen significant progress on the Scarborough subway extension, and just a few weeks ago, we announced the RFQ for the Yonge North subway extension.

They claim to believe in and stand up for transit riders and for the people of the city of Toronto, York region and Hamilton, but at the end of the day, the Leader of the Opposition and her party always vote against it.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: This is outrageous, Speaker. This minister needs to demonstrate that she is focused on protecting the interests of the public and the transit riders and not the interests of private contractors and political insiders. And, yet, this minister has stacked the Metrolinx board with cronies, including former Conservative politicians and fundraisers. Her latest appointee is Mark McQueen, the private financier who gave the minister her first big job in Canada and has donated thousands of dollars to her and to the Conservative Party.

Confidence in Metrolinx and the minister are at an all-time low. So, Speaker, to the minister, why is she appointing her friends to the Metrolinx board instead of fixing the problems with the Eglinton Crosstown?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: What’s truly outrageous is to hear the Leader of the Opposition stand here and pretend to be standing up for transit riders while, during the height of the pandemic, our government brought forward, with the federal government, the Safe Restart Agreement to provide billions of dollars to keep our essential public transit running throughout the pandemic, to get our essential workers to and from work—Mr. Speaker, $1.5 billion to the TTC alone, $2.1 billion to public transit systems across the province of Ontario. But do you know what the NDP did? They voted against it.

If they had had their way, we would have had to shut down the TTC; we would have had to shut down OC Transpo; we would have had to shut down municipal transit systems across the province. But thanks to the leadership of our Premier and our government, we put forward substantial funding to keep public transit going.

We’re building public transit. We are supporting it—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Stop the clock. I will remind the House that I need to be able to hear the member who has the floor and that interjections are always out of order.

The next question. Start the clock.

Government accountability

Mr. Joel Harden: Back to the transportation minister: 16 months ago, the transportation minister said she would investigate consultant Brian Guest and his firm, Boxfish. Mr. Guest was a key adviser to Ottawa’s LRT, a former vice-president of Metrolinx and the key leader in most of Toronto’s LRT contracts, including the Eglinton Crosstown. Boxfish earned millions for contracts in LRT systems that are failing or don’t work. The minister at the time said she was “extremely concerned about any perceived or potential conflict of interest” with Mr. Guest and pledged to investigate him and Boxfish.

Speaker, we have done our own investigation, and we have confirmed that Mr. Guest has never been investigated; neither has Boxfish.

If the Minister of Transportation was truly extremely concerned, why did she break her promise to this House and the people of Ontario and fail to investigate Mr. Guest or Boxfish for any of these contracts?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: We conducted an internal investigation and determined that the consultancy work that was being provided by Boxfish needed to come to an end—which it did—at Metrolinx.

Mr. Speaker, that member opposite knows full well how important it is to make sure that people who are building a transit system have the time to make sure they do it right. That’s why our government called a public inquiry into what happened at the Ottawa LRT. That’s why, learning the lessons that Justice Hourigan put forth in his report on the problems that plagued the Ottawa LRT, our government is determined to make sure that with respect to the Crosstown we do it right and we make sure that we build this system properly and that it is safe for transit riders, that it’s safe for transit operators, and it will open when it is safe for all.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Joel Harden: Back to the transportation minister: It’s confusing for the opposition when we do our own freedom-of-information search and we ask specifically, “Has an investigation been done into Mr. Guest and Boxfish?” and the minister’s assistants get back to us with a no, and we’re told in this House that somehow an investigation has happened. Is the minister prepared to make that investigation public? This firm, Boxfish, has worked on the Eglinton Crosstown, worked on stage 1 of Ottawa’s struggling LRT, and all we know to date, from publicly available information we have asked for and received, is that nothing has happened.

So, very clearly, to the minister: The investigation that she claims to have done—will you make that internal investigation public? Will accountability be brought to the Eglinton Crosstown, to stage 1 of Ottawa’s LRT, and to every other transit project being done under this government?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats.

To reply, the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: The member opposite talks about what’s confusing. I think what would be confusing for his constituents in Ottawa would be to find out that he voted against the Safe Restart funding that we provided to the Ottawa transit system. Year after year after year, during the pandemic, our government put forward millions and millions of dollars to make sure that the Ottawa transit system could continue to run for his residents, for his constituents, for the essential workers who were taking care of us during the pandemic.

We put that money forward, and when the member opposite had a real chance to support public transit in his riding and in his city that he stands up here and talks about defending, he voted against it. I think that is what is very confusing, and he owes an answer to his constituents for why he did so.

Automotive industry

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last week, the minister was in Germany again to continue meeting with and attracting investments in the automotive and EV sectors. With the recent news of Volkswagen coming to Ontario, there is no question that the province should continue to focus on its manufacturing capabilities and ensure that there are good jobs for families across the province now and into future.

Speaker, can the minister please provide us with an update on his recent trade mission to Germany?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, the mission to Germany was an opportunity to build on the $25 billion in auto and EV investments that we’ve landed in Ontario in the last two and a half years. We were able to thank the Volkswagen team who we worked with day to day to land this historic $7-billion investment here in Ontario.

It was an opportunity to discuss the nature of the main suppliers they now need to begin operations. Cathode, anode, separator, copper foil, electrolyte, lithium hydroxide: Speaker, these aren’t just words. Each of those are main components needed in a battery and each of those represents a $1-billion-to-$3-billion company coming here to Ontario.

Speaker, we’re also talking about a suppliers’ day to help identify opportunities for their new facility in St. Thomas.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Thank you, Minister, for that great response. It sounds like this trade mission comes at a critical time in Ontario’s automotive and EV journey. The future of transportation is shifting towards electrification and with this comes a renewed focus on clean technology. Ontario must continue to promote itself as a great place to do business, but beyond that, it must promote itself as a leading jurisdiction in the EV revolution.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how companies overseas feel about investing in Ontario, and what they see our competitive edge to be?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: In Germany, we also met with Mercedes-Benz and many EV parts companies to promote Ontario as a destination of choice. Of note were ElringKlinger and Eberspächer Group. ElringKlinger currently operates a manufacturing facility here in Leamington, and Eberspächer has facilities in Mississauga and Concord.

We also took a day trip to Poland to meet with similar companies.

What we heard everywhere was consistent: In this turmoil-filled world—post-pandemic, Russian invasion, Chinese-dominated supply chains—they all look at Ontario as a sea of calm and a stable, reliable, trusted partner. They also view Ontario as a safe jurisdiction, safe for their employees, safe for their families, safe for their executives to visit. We showed them that Ontario is all that and more.

Amateur hockey

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: A few weeks ago, the NDP and I presented evidence of a cash-for-access culture in minor hockey that is letting rich parents buy their children spots on teams, shutting out talented, young athletes in the process. Evidence of not-for-profit teams being bought and sold for millions in private profits—the Minister of Sport shrugged his shoulders.

Since then, a whistle-blower provided the minister with new evidence of this widespread corruption—financial documents and communiqué that suggested this is happening at every level. Do you know what they heard back from the minister? Nothing.

My question to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport: How much more evidence of corruption does he need before he takes complete action?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Good morning to everyone. I thank the member opposite for the question.

I’ve been in contact with the members of the GTHL and we have discussed the ongoing investigation that is happening, that if something is exposed with respect to wrongdoing, dollars or whatever, we—as in our ministry—will be brought up to speed.

Mr. Speaker, the one thing I don’t want to get caught up in is speculation—someone says one thing, and someone says something else. Let’s, like everything else, get the facts of what’s going on. When we get the facts, we will respond. But only until we have the facts and the information—then we can make good decisions.

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

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Last week, the whistle-blower sent information to both our offices. It seems to me that’s quite a bit of fact on those papers. I’m willing to send it back over to the minister if he’d like.

Speaker, I don’t buy it. The minister says an independent investigation is under way, but it is akin to the GTHL investigating itself. The minister says he has “no authority.” Speaker, that is not accurate at all. His ministry regulates provincial sports organizations. The Ontario Hockey Federation is that organization; the GTHL is its member. The ministry requires these organizations to verify annually that they meet the requirements for this special status. Speaker, the puck is supposed to stop with the Minister of Sport.

Back to him: When will the Minister of Sport do his job and take responsibility by launching an actual investigation to stop this corruption?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Thanks again for the question. The ministry does not have a direct relationship with the member organizations of the PSOs and has no authority over their operations.

The GTHL is a member of the Ontario Hockey Federation, and I think she knows that, Mr. Speaker, because the member opposite is well versed in what’s going on.

But, again, when we talk about an independent investigation, I don’t believe I’ve received a phone call back from those that are doing the investigation or the GTHL with their findings.

Once again, I know there are conversations that go around. It is sport, Mr. Speaker, and everyone has an opinion. But I’d rather respond and act on results and specific information before we would get involved with the PSOs and help sort this out.

Energy rates

Mr. Dave Smith: My question is for the Minister of Energy. Individuals and families and even businesses in my community, as well as all across Ontario, are looking for relief on their energy bills. When our government was first elected in 2018, we made a commitment to make life more affordable for the people of Ontario. We have to make every effort to deliver on our commitment, and we need to be providing more ways for Ontarians to take control of their energy bills and encourage energy conservation.

Under the previous Liberal government, Ontario witnessed out-of-control energy costs as a result of their failed policies. The people of Ontario expect our government to do all that we can do to reduce these costs.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is providing support to the people of Ontario in helping them save on their energy bills?

Hon. Todd Smith: Congratulations to the member opposite on his Peterborough Petes winning the OHL Championship last week.

As usual, the member is correct. I know from my time as a critic on that side, Ontarians felt helpless as they watched their hydro bills just skyrocket on a monthly basis.

Then, in 2018, we took office. We began taking steps to reduce the costs and empower customers to lower their costs. We implemented the Ontario Electricity Rebate, the OER, which is lowering the cost of electricity by 12%. We introduced more customer choice. We gave customers the power to take control of their hydro bills with the Green Button standard being implemented right across, possibly saving customers up to 18%. Electricity customers also will soon have the right, and they do in some jurisdictions, to have an ultra-low overnight rate. I’m going to have more to say about the Peak Perks program coming up in my supplementary.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The supplementary question?

Mr. Dave Smith: I know the member from Ottawa South doesn’t want to hear these things, but when I was out canvassing in 2018, in the rural part of my riding frequently I heard about people who had to make the decision between heating and eating. That’s just not acceptable.

It’s encouraging to hear about the many different energy initiatives and supports brought forward by our government to help Ontario’s hard-working families and businesses.

However, affordable energy remains a serious issue for our province. Our government must continue to implement solutions that will bring costs down and provide help to Ontarians, after the previous Liberal government squandered our province’s clean-energy advantage. Our government must continue to show respect for the people of Ontario by implementing programs that offer choice and will help to reduce costs.

Can the minister please share more details about the recently announced Peak Perks energy program and how this will benefit the people of Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: I wouldn’t say it three times fast, but the Peak Perks program is an energy efficiency program that means families will have yet another tool to help them with their energy bills. Families are going to receive a $75 financial incentive this year for lowering their energy use at peak times, and they can receive it in future years, as well, if they remain in the program—a $20 incentive. That’s good for families, and it’s really good for our grid. And this new program—

Interjections.

Hon. Todd Smith: It’s funny hearing the members opposite scoff, because during their time, electricity prices were soaring. These folks are afraid of giving people control of their electricity bills because they can save money. Everybody remembers what the Liberals did to energy costs in this province, and I can’t believe—when Premier Kathleen Wynne said it was the biggest mistake that she made during her time here as the Premier—that they’re still defending it, and they will still defend it.

We’re bringing in an—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock.

Restart the clock. Next question.

Ontario farmers

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Bill 97 will allow three severed residential lots per farm property. This could severely limit livestock expansion because of MDS guidelines. In response to my question a few weeks ago, the minister stated: “We have taken a thoughtful approach, and we are going to be okay.” Since then, Ontario farmers have united to stand in strong opposition to the proposed severances—beef farmers, Ontario Pork, dairy farmers, chicken farmers, OFA, CFFO, NFU and others. These are the people who feed our cities, and they’re telling you this is a mistake.

Will you remove the ag severance provisions from Bill 97?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, I recognize the Associate Minister of Housing.

Hon. Nina Tangri: Speaker, the NDP continues to spread misinformation about our government’s balanced and thoughtful proposal—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Nina Tangri: I withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): —and conclude her answer.

Hon. Nina Tangri: Our government has a balanced and thoughtful proposal that is still open for public consultation. As we’ve previously stated, our goal has always been to support farmers, their families and agricultural workers by increasing the supply of homes near their place of work. That is why we’ve put forward for full consultation a thoughtful draft proposal that would establish specific criteria to allow farmers the voluntary option of adding additional residential lots to their own land.

The government intends to extend the commenting period on the Environmental Registry of Ontario beyond the original closing date of June 5. This will give the public a greater opportunity to comment on these proposals and will give our government more time to consider alternative solutions to support multi-generational farm families while addressing the concerns that have been raised over the—

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

Mr. John Vanthof: I sincerely hope the government does reconsider because the issue that they have missed—there is no problem for a farm putting more residences on the farmstead itself. Everyone is in agreement about that. The problem is, when you sever a lot—and I’ve had to do it on my own farm. I had to buy the neighbour’s house so I could actually expand my farm. That’s going to happen over and over again if we don’t fix it.

So I’m encouraged that you’re willing to reconsider. I hope that the Premier does reconsider and fixes Bill 97 so that livestock operations aren’t restricted when they try to expand.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The members will please take their seats.

Premier?

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you for the question. This is going to be one of the times we all kind of agree, including the farmers. We do. We had a great meeting with all the farmers on Friday and came up with a solution about the severance. But the number one complaint that I get when I go to the farms is, “I want my kids to stay on the farm,” and there are certain jurisdictions that won’t allow you to build an additional residence.

The other number one complaint is—and I heard it this morning from a farmer I spoke to on the way down here: He has 100 migrant workers who work on the farm who are critical to his operation, but he has no place to put them. We’re going to come up with a happy compromise and work with the farmers, because they’re the ones who have to live with this day in and day out. Believe it or not, we’re all kind of on the same page here. We’re going to work with them.

But they did say one thing, Mr. Speaker. They said there’s no government in the history of this province that supported the farmers more than this government and they appreciated it.

Temporary nursing agencies

Mr. Adil Shamji: My question is for the Minister of Health. Just over two months ago, I tabled my private member’s bill to address the most predatory hiring and recruitment practices used by temporary nursing agencies, while also establishing a safe and responsible licensing framework. Mere days after I tabled this legislation, the Minister of Long-Term Care stated that he would form a technical advisory committee to examine the issue of price gouging by nursing agencies.

But since then, it’s been radio silence. Instead, all we’ve heard is a cry for help from hospitals and health care workers in response to legislation like Bill 124 and a worsening lack of government support. This kind of public policy makes the tragic situation in Minden inevitable. Now this government is doing what it does best: It’s looking the other way. It’s washing its hands of the Minden hospital, and it’s washing its hands of our health care system. Why? So that temporary nursing agencies can profit? So that private, for-profit clinics can turn a profit?

This government is an expert in looking the other way. When will the Minister of Health stop looking the other way and look at the mess she’s made of Minden’s and Ontario’s health care?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: While the member opposite continues to defend the status quo, we are not satisfied with the status quo here, which is why we have made so many different investments that are ensuring we have health human resources available across Ontario.

We are experiencing challenges, as are all Canadian jurisdictions, in ensuring that we have sufficient staffing. But we are doing that with investments: two new medical schools in the province of Ontario. We have never seen this kind of investment in training, in retaining, in keeping and giving people the opportunities to practise in medicine that we have in the province of Ontario.

I might remind the member opposite that it was actually Kathleen Wynne, in her major exit interview after she was defeated, who talked about the regret that she had in terms of cutting residency positions for physicians and, in fact, not sufficiently supporting the health care system. We’re making the investments. We’re doing that work. It’s—

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

The supplementary question.

Mr. Adil Shamji: You’ll have to forgive me but it’s the same hollow talking points from the Minister of Health. When I was in Minden last Sunday, I was told about how temporary nursing agencies came to the region and picked hospitals clean of their staff.

Patients rely on local emergency departments in times of crisis. This isn’t about Minden, it’s about the 2.2 million Ontarians who don’t have access to a family doctor, who are forced to rely on emergency rooms as their only source of primary care.

This government claims hospital closures are not their jurisdiction. Well, the greenbelt wasn’t supposed to be their jurisdiction either, but somehow this government finds a way to get what it wants.

If they wanted to keep local hospitals open, they would. Solving emergency room closures would mean paying health care workers a fair wage. It would mean telling private, for-profit interests to rein it in. But they won’t.

I know this government loves saying yes to corporate interests, but just for once, for the sake of patients, not profits, will this government say no to the most predatory practices of temporary nursing agencies?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: As the member opposite talks about the need for investments, he actually voted against Bill 60. What would Bill 60 do? It actually ensures that people have as of right, so clinicians who are practising in other Canadian jurisdictions, for the first time in Canada, are going to be able to start working immediately in Ontario as they get that licence approved through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

It is very challenging for me to listen to this information while we make the investments and they continue to continuously vote against those same investments. I don’t understand how you cannot make the connection as a physician to understand that as of right in the province of Ontario is going to increase the capacity, ensuring the College of Physicians and Surgeons immediately access, approve and ultimately assess and give licences to internationally educated and trained physicians. Those are the changes that we are making that could have been done under the previous Liberal government but—

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

Affordable housing / Homelessness

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: My question is for the Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. First, I would like to thank the associate minister along with the Minister of Housing for visiting Ottawa last week.

Everyone deserves to have a safe place to call home. That’s why it’s so crucial that our government addresses the need for more supportive housing across our province. We made a commitment to