role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

May 9, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

< Previous sitting day

Next sitting day >

Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-May-09 (PDF)

L074 - Tue 9 May 2023 / Mar 9 mai 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 9 May 2023 Mardi 9 mai 2023

House sittings

Orders of the Day

Building More Mines Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant l’aménagement de davantage de mines

Members’ Statements

Supportive housing

Portuguese Canadian community

Volunteers

Don Smith

Public transit

Cost of living

Tamil genocide

Children’s aid societies

Provincial Day of Action on Litter

Introduction of Visitors

Wearing of hockey jersey

Question Period

Nurses

Health care

Landlord and tenant board

Public transit

Health care

Energy rates

Nurses

Disaster relief

Skilled trades

Road safety

Northern Ontario development

Social assistance

Skilled trades

Skilled trades

Reception

Visitors

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Introduction of Bills

Better Enforcement of the Tobacco Tax Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 pour une meilleure application de la taxe sur le tabac

Motions

Committee sittings

Petitions

Health care workers

Health care

Social assistance

Health care workers

Health care workers

Health care workers

OPP detachment

Subventions pour les arts et la culture

Organ donation

Anti-vaping initiatives for youth

Labour legislation

Multiple sclerosis

Orders of the Day

Building More Mines Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant l’aménagement de davantage de mines

Private Members’ Public Business

Garrett’s Legacy Act (Requirements for Movable Soccer Goals), 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur le legs de Garrett (exigences relatives aux buts de soccer mobiles)

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

House sittings

Hon. Paul Calandra: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Pursuant to standing order 7(e), I wish to inform the House that tonight’s evening meeting is cancelled.

Orders of the Day

Building More Mines Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant l’aménagement de davantage de mines

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 8, 2023, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 71,

An Act to amend the Mining Act / Projet de loi 71, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les mines.

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

Mr. Michael Mantha: It’s always an honour to stand in this House on behalf of the good people of Algoma–Manitoulin. I’m looking forward to the summer months that we’re going to be having. I’m looking forward to engaging with the 37 municipalities across Algoma–Manitoulin.

I’m also an avid dancer. I dance a lot at the community powwows that are going on through my riding. The 22 First Nations that are contained within the area of Algoma–Manitoulin—it’s always a joy to go into those communities, sit, feast. We often discuss. We at times cry. We at times talk about difficult times.

That’s where my comments are going to go this morning.

I have a question for this government. I will start with the question, and I will end with the question: What is this government’s definition and process of free and informed prior consent? What does that mean, and what does that look like for this government?

I want to focus my comments today on the growing calls of First Nations and Indigenous people across this province against this legislation and the unilateral decision-making by Ontario in developing mine projects. Imposing the Ring of Fire or any mining project on a First Nation within their territory does not work. Going down that road is what the previous government tried to do to develop the Ring of Fire, and it failed miserably. Keeping on the same path will also fail this government. You’d think it would have learned the lesson by looking at how the Liberals failed in doing so.

In fact, since this legislation was introduced, there has been nothing but opposition from First Nations across northern Ontario. That shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone who was watching or listening to the nations in this area. Back in October of last year, the Missanabie Cree, Chapleau Cree First Nation and Brunswick House First Nation began pursuing legal action against Ontario for its approach to authorizing industrial development on their territory.

Going back further, in December 2020, Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg wrote to the Minister of Indigenous Affairs about mining claims being staked on their traditional territory without their consent or being priorly informed.

On the same issue, the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising passed a resolution calling on the government to pause electronic staking of mineral claims and work with them to ensure the system upholds their treaty rights.

Just recently, the Matawa Chiefs Council and Atikameksheng Anishnawbek have come out in opposition of Bill 71 and the changes it makes to the Mining Act.

Since this bill was tabled, 10 Treaty 9 First Nations have filed a lawsuit against Ontario for failing to uphold the terms outlined in the treaty that they were signatories to as well.

Engaging with and listening, often, is something that I’m told that I do, when I sit with First Nations’ leadership is—you listen, you sit, you absorb, you try to understand the historical significance of what they’re bringing forward.

Chief Shining Turtle from Whitefish River First Nation was one of those leaders. The Ogimaa often sat me down and explained to me the frustration, because their questions to this government have gone on for several years with no answer. A letter that he sent to the government said, “Still waiting for the honour of the crown.

“As a First Nation, we hear a lot about the honour of the crown” but remain unchanged. “Yes, we hear a lot about the honour of the crown ... but we never see practical examples of such honour and respect for the First Nations.”

I touched a little bit on the resolution that the United Chiefs and Councils of Mnidoo Mnising put forward. In their resolution file, it said, “Mining claims, activities and projects infringing on First Nation rights and access to resources.” This was back from July 25, 2022.

“The UCCMM First Nations has a deep spiritual connection with Mother Earth and her gifts. The Creator gave the Anishinaabe the stewardship role in looking after Mother Earth and her gifts. The UCCMM First Nations never relinquished, gave up, surrendered or yield title, ownership or stewardship to the natural resources ‘the gifts from Mother Earth,’ including land. The UCCMM First Nations assert jurisdiction over the lands, waters, resources and their citizens.”

Another heading: “3 Northern First Nations Take Ontario to Court Over Environmental Protection, Treaty Rights.”

“Missanabie Cree Nation, Chapleau Cree First Nation and Brunswick House First Nation are pursuing legal action against the Ontario government ... and allege it has failed to uphold treaty obligations.”

Another heading: “Atikameksheng Anishnawbek Issues a Formal Response to Ontario’s Government’s Proposed Bill 71, Building More Mines Act.”

“We do not support Bill 71....”

Another heading: “‘We Never Surrendered Our Rights’: Treaty 9 Nations Launching $95B Claim Lawsuit Against Canada, Ontario.”

The point that I’m making here is that free, informed and prior consent is not just a piece of paper or an afterthought that you send for an opinion to First Nations about changes this government is doing. Whether it’s related or not, there are definitely impacts that happen to that relationship that they have with this government, and this government is ignoring that role, that responsibility they have.

I started with a question, and I’m going to put the question to this government again: What is your definition of free, informed and prior consent?

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It is now time for questions.

Mr. Will Bouma: It’s good to engage with my brother in the House. I completely agree, and I think the Minister of Mines would agree also, how important it is that we do proper Indigenous consultation—I don’t have that exact definition here in front of me.

I was wondering if the member could comment for a moment on how important it is that we share the wealth of the land with Indigenous peoples and how important it is that we work together for the long-term prosperity—not just for Ontario; indeed, for the entire world—with the resource extraction that we can do up north and what that could potentially do for the Indigenous territories in his riding.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to thank the member for the question.

Development in First Nations territory—all of them are not opposed to development. They want to see prosperous opportunities for their community members, as well.

However, there is a process to engage with First Nations and their leadership. It takes time. It takes trust. It takes a respectful relationship that must be built. When you try to move legislation and you send that legislation as, “Hey, we’re doing this,” you’re really being disrespectful to that process, toward the leadership of First Nations communities, because there is an extensive engagement process that they have to follow through as well with their elders, with their community members, with their knowledge keepers, with their medicine people.

These discussions cannot happen as an afterthought. It must happen before the legislation and even while the legislation is being developed. That’s what informed negotiations, discussions look like, and it develops a real, respectful relationship with First Nations.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further questions?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Thank you for your talk.

I know that with the current approach, where you only talk to certain First Nations, not all First Nations—do you think the Ring of Fire will proceed with the divide-and-conquer approach?

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to thank the member, who is very knowledgeable about this process, and I highly respect his views. He speaks from experience.

I don’t see it moving forward. We’ve seen it from the previous government—doing the divide and conquer because they couldn’t move some of their priorities forward. We’re seeing it with this government as well. It really sets communities back. It really puts them on the defensive.

I just highlighted many of those court cases that are now going forward and the lawsuits that have been launched against both Canadian and Ontario governments. This should be a red flag for this government. This should be a sign to tell them, “We need to take a step back. We are not properly engaging. We are not doing the processes. And we are not respecting the requests from First Nations communities to have meaningful consultation.”

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further questions?

Mr. Will Bouma: Again, I really appreciate the importance of proper consultation through this.

It has been interesting listening to debate. I haven’t heard a lot of negatives from the opposition—other than the need for good consultation. I know we have a strong commitment from our minister in order to make sure that happens, and I understand those concerns completely.

When this came, we saw the opposition supporting this on a voice vote on second reading. Of course, it went to a full vote. I believe this legislation will be coming up for a vote, if not today, in the next couple of days.

I was wondering if I could ask the member from Algoma–Manitoulin, knowing the importance of the benefits that this can have for Indigenous peoples across the province of Ontario, if he will be voting in favour of the legislation when it comes for a vote.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I think what’s going to be important is to provide the opportunity for First Nations leadership to provide their comments—which the government has not taken the opportunity, as far as consultation with this process. Although this government stands in the House and responds to many of the questions that are coming from the independent members and the opposition that there is nothing in this legislation that is going to be impacting the inherent rights of people within the First Nations communities—but it absolutely does, and that’s the issue at hand here. The government had a process for having respectful conversation and—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It is now time for further debate.

Mr. Rob Flack: I’m pleased to rise in this Legislature today in support of the Building More Mines Act, Bill 71. The Minister of Mines and his parliamentary assistant have done, in my opinion, an outstanding job driving this much-needed legislation forward.

Ontario’s mineral exploration and mining sector generates almost $13 billion in annual GDP—no small number—and significant opportunities for this province, especially for northern and Indigenous communities. Our mining sector has world-class environmental, health and safety and Indigenous consultation standards, and they are being followed.

Our government’s mining mandate includes executing the Critical Minerals Strategy, developing the Ring of Fire and making Ontario the best jurisdiction for mining. These objectives will help us build an integrated supply chain from critical minerals production in the north to battery and EV manufacturing in the south—and it’s that that I want to speak a little bit about this morning.

Speaker, with the recent Volkswagen announcement to invest in Ontario, and specifically St. Thomas and Elgin county, it is absolutely crucial that our critical minerals located in northern Ontario are part of the future electric vehicle battery production in Ontario. This downstream integration complements both Stellantis and Volkswagen’s production facilities in southwestern Ontario. This is Canada’s proven region of automobile manufacturing excellence, with decades of notable achievements.

Instead of exporting our critical minerals abroad, Ontario will be adding value to these natural resources while creating new, better and sustainable jobs for all Ontarians. Indigenous communities, skilled trade workers and new Canadians will have the opportunity to be pioneers in the EV revolution sweeping the entire world. Greener energy and renewable energy—yes, these critical minerals are renewable, recyclable and were key factors in Volkswagen’s consideration before choosing Ontario for their mega manufacturing facility.

From Ontario’s north to Ontario’s southwest, this government is boldly building new frontiers to develop our province’s economy. This is why we need to develop future mining industry opportunities. And the Building More Mines Act is doing just that. It cannot take 15 years to permit a mine if we’re going to accomplish our government’s objectives in the mining sector and, indeed, our economy. Unclear processes, inflexible, burdensome requirements and ambiguous discretionary decision-making processes have been and are holding us back. This will change with this bill.

This has resulted in project delays and cost overruns, costing Ontario massive opportunities—and competition from other provinces in this country. The economic impacts of the mining industry are immense, and we cannot afford to lose this vast source of revenue that can help us fund much-needed provincial services throughout Ontario. We must take action now to address these challenges and attract more strategic investments in this province.

Speaker, ever since I moved to southwestern Ontario, a long time ago, in 1986—even the member from Sarnia would remember those days—I’ve witnessed year after year, decade after decade, the loss of key jobs in the automotive sector. It was truly painful to witness and experience. As time marched on, it was widely considered that our best days were behind us with regard to building automobiles and the components that make them up. Head offices left London. Key companies like Ford closed and abandoned the St. Thomas and Elgin county site. Good people and good families lost their livelihoods. We became a high-cost province that simply lost its competitive edge on the North American stage.

It was said by previous Liberal governments that the time had come in Ontario to focus on the service sector, not the manufacturing sector, because we could not compete—or, plainly spoken, we would not be able to employ key workers at the wages they’d learned to live with and had earned honestly. When a pall of negativity shrouds the thinking of entrepreneurs and investors in our communities, little investment will occur. Nobody will invest in a climate of negativity. With negativity, capital expansion is curtailed and people get laid off. It was a painful few decades as the erosion of investment, jobs and productivity left London and surrounding communities.

Speaker, part of the reason I chose to seek a seat in this Legislature was to make a difference by using the skills I had developed in a career of business and commerce.

Leadership, experience and common sense matter, and, in a very small way, I am thrilled to have been part of the historic announcement by Volkswagen to locate in my riding of Elgin–Middlesex–London. Our government and collective stakeholders decided negativity could no longer win. Together, we took a bias for action, and, with a sense of urgency, we faced adversity head-on; we changed the playing field to the environment of “can do” and “we shall prevail.” This historic investment will have a generational impact in Elgin–Middlesex–London and, indeed, southwestern Ontario. The same generational impact was created when the Ford Motor Co. moved to Talbotville in 1967.

However, to attract key companies like Volkswagen and others, Ontario needed to create and has created an environment for business to invest and workers to earn great wages. Part of the environment of success we needed to create was cost reduction. Company after company told this province again and again, “If you want us here, lower the cost of doing business.” Premier Ford and this government listened, and to date, since 2018, we have eliminated $8 billion of waste and bureaucratic red tape, paving the way for innovation and success.

As Ontario competed against 90 jurisdictions globally and 40 US states for the Volkswagen investment, Premier Ford and Minister Fedeli sharpened their pencils and went to work. With tremendous collaborations from the municipalities of St. Thomas, Elgin county and London, along with the federal government, thankfully, we won the day. Key factors in Volkswagen’s decision were access to proven labour, skilled trades and clean energy. But first and foremost, we needed a cost-competitive playing field, which was our ante into the global competition.

Another factor, if not the deciding factor, in the Volkswagen announcement was Ontario’s abundant natural resource of critical minerals in northern Ontario. The magic and the wonder of this deal really begins in northern Ontario. Having the critical resources and being able to mine them competitively and transport them to southwestern Ontario is really the mortar that helped cement the Volkswagen deal.

Working with all stakeholders, including First Nations communities, mining companies and the Ontario Mining Association, has been fruitful.

As part of the Legislature’s Standing Committee on the Interior, I was happy to attend our recent trip to the north to listen and learn from recent submissions.

Bill 71, once again, helps create the environment for downstream integration to occur. Turning critical minerals into added-value EV battery components makes my heart sing. It is exactly what this country has dreamed of since Confederation. No longer are we just a nation gifted with only natural resources; we are a nation and a province that can once again compete globally in the automotive manufacturing sector.

It’s not an easy task to find veins of minerals that will be applicable to our long-term vision of EV production in Ontario. For example, the Ontario Mining Association stated:

“Although the addition of even one mine can bring substantial benefits to society, the wins do not come quickly or easily. It takes a great deal of will, effort and time to discover a viable ore deposit and bring it into production.

“There is no way of predicting where profitable ore deposits will be found. Each prospector and investor may fervently hope for the next ‘big find’, but only one in 10 mineral exploration projects are taken to the drill stage, and one in 1,000 drill programs unearth viable mineral deposits; ultimately, less than one in 10,000 projects become mines.”

It’s a daunting task indeed.

Instead of exporting our natural resources, we are transforming them into jobs for the people of Ontario—once again, good-paying, sustainable jobs with benefits, pensions and security.

The changes this bill will help bring about include improving closure planning, which will provide companies with more operational flexibility, allow site development to happen much faster, rely on the certifications of qualified professionals as technical experts, phase financial assurance to save companies money, and reduce the amounts of amendments—important.

The changes to this Mining Act will also improve decision-making by reducing discretionary decisions and ambiguity, provide more opportunities for political oversight for projects that are a priority for the government, clarify the decision-making process for mining companies, allow for alternative rehabilitation measures and operational flexibility—which I learned a great deal about when we were up north.

The changes will also enhance critical minerals by allowing the recovery of minerals from tailings and mine waste—again, talked about extensively when we were in the north—and promote the redevelopment of legacy mine sites to reduce financial liability for this province.

There is a tremendous urgency for us to permit and build mines more efficiently in this province. This will maximize the effectiveness of our Critical Minerals Strategy and support the end-to-end supply chain from mines to manufacturing. It will also build on the success of Ontario’s mining sector and create economic opportunities throughout the province.

Speaker, it must be made abundantly clear: These changes will not compromise our world-class environmental, labour or Indigenous consultation standards. This mining legislation is about improving ministry processes and saving companies time and money.

This can be seen in our government’s strong partnerships with the Webequie First Nation and Marten Falls First Nation that have led to real results. The two communities are already working on environmental assessments for their community road projects and have submitted the terms of reference for the Northern Road Link environmental assessment to Ontario for review.

Our government is investing $1 billion in these road projects and other infrastructure needs including broadband and community supports. These three projects would connect the two First Nations to the highway network and to the Ring of Fire. These roads would improve food security, housing conditions and access to health and education services for these communities, as well as unlock the nationally significant critical mineral deposits in the Ring of Fire.

The Ring of Fire has the critical minerals we need for the EV manufacturing revolution to take place in Ontario, and it is taking place. That is why our government, again, is investing $1 billion to make these road projects a reality.

The Ring of Fire isn’t just about mining. It’s about infrastructure corridors, it’s about energy corridors, it’s about broadband and other projects that will bring prosperity to this entire region.

There are 33 minerals in Ontario’s critical minerals list including nickel, cobalt and lithium. Ontario produces approximately two fifths of Canada’s gold production, one third of Canada’s nickel production, one quarter of Canada’s copper production and two thirds of Canada’s platinum group metals production.

There are currently 36 active mining operations in Ontario, the majority of which are in northern Ontario. Again, we learned details of this while we were travelling the north. There are more new mine construction projects and mine expansions under way as we speak.

This legislation will, if passed, attract more investment and secure critical minerals that support the made-in-Ontario supply chain for new technologies like batteries and electric vehicles.

I think it has been said throughout this debate, and I agree totally: It should not take 15 years to issue a mining permit. The process to open and close a mine is too time-consuming and costly, leading to project delays, lost opportunities for Ontario mineral exploration and the entire mining sector.

At a time when Ontario is securing game-changing investments in its growing automotive manufacturing sector, these changes would benefit the entire minerals sector and advance Ontario’s plan to build an integrated supply chain by connecting mineral producers in the north along with those in the Ring of Fire with the manufacturing sector in the south—again, the north and the south coming together to create wonderful synergies and wonderful opportunities for all Ontario.

Our government knows that the world wants Ontario’s critical minerals. We are the first government to pave the way for this exciting sector by investing in exploration and innovation through our Critical Minerals Strategy and cutting unnecessary government red tape so that companies can build more mines. We talked about that earlier—$8 billion to reduce the cost of business—and that includes opportunities in the north.

The modifications to the Mining Act would increase certainty for business planning and generate investment in northern Ontario to provide significant economic development opportunities for northern and Indigenous communities. We are engaging with industry, Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations on the proposed changes to the Mining Act and consulting on future regulatory changes. Those discussions are taking place now.

There are no proposed changes to our world-class environmental protections. This is about improving how the Ministry of Mines operates and finding efficiencies. Modernizing the Mining Act is crucial to support our transition to a green economy.

Moving back to southwestern Ontario for a minute: The Volkswagen site in St. Thomas will create 3,000 new jobs once the multiple facilities are up and operating by 2027—fantastic news that I think many of us share in this House. However, an impressive 30,000 tertiary or spinoff jobs will also be created, not only in southwestern Ontario but throughout the entire province, including northern Ontario. This includes thousands of jobs in the mining sector and in the Ring of Fire. I am very pleased that northern Ontario has a seat at the table, enjoying part of the downstream integration and the benefits from this historic EV announcement that was made.

Allow me to share a quote from my esteemed colleague the member for Essex and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Mines that I believe captures the essence of how this bill supports Ontario’s vision of economic prosperity:

“And that’s also what this legislation is about. It’s about getting the critical minerals we need to make a greener Ontario. The minerals that we mine in the north are going to stay right here in Ontario. The day of ‘dig it and ship it’ is over. We are not going to ‘dig it and ship it’ anymore!

“We are going to mine these critical minerals right here in Ontario. Then we are going to process them right here in Ontario. And then we are going to build electric batteries right here in Ontario. And then those batteries are going to go into vehicles that we build right here in Ontario.

“It will be a perfect domestic supply chain from start to finish, Speaker. Mine it, process it, and build it right here in Ontario, it will mean more jobs for people in Ontario. Good jobs. Meaningful jobs. Jobs with good pay, and a pension, and benefits.”

Speaker, the member from Essex captures the significance of this bill, I think, wonderfully.

Again, moving back to southwestern Ontario, I want to emphasize that I think it’s key, it’s paramount that we explore every opportunity to bring cost reduction in how we do business, because without being competitive we don’t get to advance. I think the Minister of Mines would agree—in his business career—that if you’re not competitive, you don’t get a chance to have an ante in the game. It starts there.

I think when we take a look at the opportunity in northern Ontario, with consultations, duty to consult, working with all communities, we’re doing that, and I think this leads to one of the most historic announcements and opportunities that this government has ever seen, this province has ever seen, and this country has ever seen. That is why our government, under the leadership of the Minister of Mines as well as the Premier, is proposing changes to this Mining Act.

I want to come back to my years in London and southwestern Ontario. All those years—I think members opposite who live in London and community would agree—we saw a lot of good jobs being gone, and it was sad. It was almost like you felt helpless—“What can we do to prevent this?”

Now, respectfully, we’ve been bringing industry back. The agri-food sector has been doing a great job, and they will continue to do a great job. This is historic. We’re back in the automotive business—and again, I want to come back to, thanks to the north, thanks to that opportunity. It’s downstream integration, and it works magically. It’s the real Canadian dream, the real Canadian opportunity.

To wrap up, Speaker: Bill 71 sets the stage for transformative, innovative and exciting economic development, not only in Canada, but in Ontario. Canada wins, Ontario wins, and northern Ontario communities win. Finally, and most importantly, the Ontario workers of this great province will win the day.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It is time for questions.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I’d like to thank the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London for his comments. I have a great deal of respect for the member and absolutely agree with many of the member’s comments.

Here on the side of the official opposition, we want to see more projects which result in good-paying union jobs with benefits and pensions. The official opposition is also very respectful of the principles of free, prior and informed and consent of all affected First Nations, as well as environmental sustainability.

My concern, however, with this legislation, Bill 71, is

section 7(1)—applications with closure plans that don’t meet the requirements.

So my question for the member is, what is the point of having standards, what is the point of having rules, what is the point of having requirements if the minister can ignore them and undermine them altogether?

Mr. Rob Flack: Thank you to the member from London North Centre for his question.

We can differ, with a lot of reasons, on this legislation, and obviously that’s our job—to debate and have healthy discussion, which I think we’ve been doing.

I always come back to the reality, and the reality is, this is a game-changer. We’re going to create 33,000-plus jobs.

The Minister of Economic Development has been travelling, talking to numerous other companies that are interested in coming to our region to set up shop, and that is going to, again, add to the opportunity.

I can tell you other communities within our ridings are also looking at strategic investments, changing how they can do business, attracting these investments.

I can say my answer is going to consistently be “33,000-plus jobs.”

We’re going to do it right. The duty to consult—making sure we speed up this process and do it right as we speed it up is the commitment I know the minister has, the parliamentary assistant has and the Premier has. We will continue to communicate, to collaborate, to listen and learn—but again, 33,000 jobs.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Sarnia–Lambton.

Mr. Robert Bailey: Thank you to the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London for that dissertation.

I also am long enough in the tooth that I remember the heady days of Talbotville, when Ford first came there. Of course, in Chemical Valley—I come from Sarnia–Lambton—we lost thousands of jobs in the 1980s and 1990s as we transitioned to a different economy.

So I’m very interested in the 30,000 to 33,000 jobs that are going to come back to southwestern Ontario and, of course, the north. I subscribe to the fact that if we want to have—and we deserve—the social benefits that brings, we needed taxation, we need an economy that will support those benefits. Could you elaborate on that, please?

Mr. Rob Flack: Thank you to the member from Sarnia, whom I’ve known for many years. We’ve shared these concerns for decades.

From my world, this being my first year in public service—doing a lot of business in southwestern Ontario, I might add—it was pretty easy to hire people in the late 1980s and 1990s and through the beginning of the century, because there were a lot of unemployed workers. At our feed plants, at our offices, it was easy to find workers. It’s not so easy today.

I always maintain that the best social program we can have is a good job—not just a gig job, but a job that has benefits and has a pension. That’s what this investment is bringing—not only for southwestern Ontario; it’s going to happen in northern Ontario, too.

I would say a rising tide lifts all boats. The rising tide here is strong economic investment, and the boats lifted up are going to be the people working, sailing magnificently throughout this great province.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further questions?

Mr. Jeff Burch: I thank the member for his comments.

We’ve heard from mining companies and Aboriginal communities that the government’s approach to free and informed prior consent is not one that is going to work, and that it’s going to lead to conflict. The member is justifying their entire approach by the number of jobs—but if their approach is one that leads to conflict, won’t that jeopardize the investment itself? If I’m an investor and I see government taking an approach that leads to conflict—that’s going to scare away investment. It’s not going to draw investment.

Mr. Rob Flack: The process in the duty to consult is going on. The changes to the Mining Act through this bill will not affect that one iota. In fact, in speaking with the minister and the parliamentary assistant, the duty to consult is actually taking place as we speak.

Again, I always use the analogy of the proof is in the pudding. People are investing, people are calling, people are knocking on doors. Throughout this, when everyone was wondering what the investment was going to be in Elgin–Middlesex–London or St. Thomas, specifically, I always said, “Just listen. Wait until the proof is in the pudding.” When people invest $7 billion, and you’re going to see a five-year return, and you’re going to see 33,000 jobs, and you’re going to see economic prosperity, I say that’s a pretty good deal—and again, that’s not only southwestern Ontario; it’s throughout this entire province, including northern Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further questions?

Mr. Kevin Holland: The natural resources of northern Ontario have played a key role in the economy of Ontario, and our government recognizes the generational opportunities that exist.

What will this act do for northern and Indigenous communities specifically?

Mr. Rob Flack: I think it does a few things. Number one, it takes advantage of a natural resource that is renewable and recyclable. We can take these critical components and put them into batteries and then again create future batteries after they’ve been recycled. That’s a wonderful opportunity for northern Ontario.

It’s going to create jobs. Again, I’m assuming the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan likes the idea of a lot of jobs in his riding and in his community, having been the mayor for, I think, 30 or 40 years, or 50 or 60 years—whatever it was, it was a long time that he was mayor of Thunder Bay. Economic prosperity is key to northern Ontario. I know that’s why he ran. That’s why I ran. And that’s why we’re proud of this historic announcement. It’s generational in nature, and that generational change and economic prosperity will benefit people in his riding and throughout northern Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further questions?

Mr. Chris Glover: I appreciate the comments from the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London today.

I’ve lived and worked in northern Ontario, and I worked very briefly in the mining sector up there, so I really appreciate the contribution that mining makes to Ontario’s economy.

One of the concerns with this legislation, though, is that in

section 7(1), as my colleague was just pointing out, it says that the cleanup—so when a mine is going to open, it’s going to run for 15 to 20 years on average, and then there’s the cleanup that has to happen. They have to have a fund for that cleanup. But this government’s legislation allows the minister to exempt the company from having an adequate cleanup plan. What this means is that the cost of the cleanup will be downloaded onto taxpayers. Is that a fair burden for future taxpayers—to pay for the cleanup of these mines?

Mr. Rob Flack: To the member opposite: I respectfully disagree. I think the provisions in this act in terms of remediation are clear and precise. I’m in complete disagreement. I take an opposite approach. I think it enhances our ability to move forward.

Let me point out that two million vehicles have been taken off the road with the environmental actions of this province. It is a green economy. We are working hard. We are working strong. This is going to enhance that, and the changes within the provisions of this act, including remediation, enhance that.

I don’t think it’s going to stall any investment. It’s not going to put any tax burden on any Canadian. In fact, it will lower taxes. It will lower the burden. It will create income. It will put money in people’s pockets to enjoy a higher and more prosperous standard of living.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Unfortunately, we do not have time for further questions.

We do have time for further debate.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Remarks in Anishininiimowin .

Good morning. It’s always an honour to be able to rise and speak for the people of Kiiwetinoong—but also to be able to speak on Bill 71, the Building More Mines Act.

I hear talk about jobs. I hear talk about economic prosperity. And I know that to open up mines faster, without talking to all First Nations, contravenes the duty to consult—the free, prior, informed consent. I know this government is taking the same approach that has been done for hundreds of years.

When settlers first arrived, the first thing that they did was take our lands. And the second thing that they did is, they took away our children to Indian residential schools, to kill the Indian in the child.

The colleagues across the way do not understand what the land means for the First Nations in Kiiwetinoong. The land is where we get our language. For me, that’s where I learned my language—growing up on the land. The ways of life that we do come from the land. The identity comes from the land. The ways of being come from the land. The history comes from the land. And the gifts that are on the lands were given to us the by Gitchi Manitou, the Creator, and those are called “inherent rights.” That is something that we have as First Nations people, as Nishnawbe people.

It’s not about jobs. When the Hudson’s Bay Co. arrived in the north, they promised economic prosperity. They promised that if we went trapping—“You will have a livelihood if you bring the furs for us.” They told us everything. That’s what settlers do. Settler governments do that, institutions. Right now, today, you cannot even live off being a trapper in the north.

Again, inherent rights—the right to language, the right to way of life, a way of being, identity, history and the gifts that we have on these lands. And if you’re going to change the ways of life forever without proper consultation—because you’re not talking to all First Nations affected; you’re just talking to certain First Nations that are willing to work with you. When you do that, you’re dividing and conquering First Nations. It has been done for hundreds of years. That type of work, that type of play, is from the colonial playbook. There is a playbook on how you work with First Nations, how to be colonial.

It was written in 1956, by an official from Indigenous affairs. There’s a playbook; it’s about eight pages long. That’s exactly what’s going on here. You make it sound so—“Got to be prosperous.”

Yesterday, I heard multiple members talking about treaty rights in relation to this bill and how the bill doesn’t impact treaty rights. But it’s hard to understand what treaty rights mean if you’re not a treaty person. I have treaty rights. It means to be able to practise my ways of life, fishing and hunting on my traditional territories, on those treaty territories.

I know that there were some members from the government side that spoke on how this legislation does not change the obligations that exist under the treaties with First Nations or the duty to consult. But if a government has gotten away without ever fulfilling its treaty obligations under a treaty, then the bar to meet treaty obligations is very low. The bar for this government to meet treaty obligations is very low, at best, and at worst, non-existent.

I know that on April 26, leadership from Treaty 9 territory came to Queen’s Park to announce a historic court case against the federal government and also the provincial government. The case says that the actual treaty agreed to by the First Nations in Treaty 9 and the crown was that First Nations would retain the decision-making governance over the lands and resources and that the crown would have some governance rights but not the right to take over. What was agreed to was co-jurisdiction or parallel consent—both First Nations and the crown have to consent to developments and activities on Treaty 9 lands, on Treaty 9 territory.

I’m going to share a quote from Attawapiskat First Nation Chief Sylvia Koostachin-Metatawabin: “Back when Treaty 9 was signed, Canada and Ontario made a written text of Treaty 9 on their own, in their headquarters, before ever talking to us First Nations. They then came to talk to us and made promises and commitments to us orally that we agreed to. This oral agreement is not the written text.

“After they got us to sign”—

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Point of order, Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): I apologize to the member.

I recognize the member from Essex.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Standing order rule 25(g): A member shall not refer to “to any matter that is the subject of a proceeding”—etc. etc.

I’m calling on the Speaker to make a ruling as to whether or not this member should be allowed to proceed in light of rule of 25(g), as he’s making extensive reference to subject matters of a legal proceeding.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It is a valid point of order. However, I will allow the member from Kiiwetinoong to continue.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch. Just for reference, I know it’s not in the courts yet, but they were just making a—I think they had 60 days when they announced that they would put it in the courts.

I think it’s important to understand the impacts on—how the approach this government is doing is very colonial. I’m going to go back. I’m going to speak a little bit about treaties—because it has an impact on the treaties that First Nations signed. I want to go back to this date: July 7, 1977. Grand Chief Andy Rickard of Grand Council Treaty No. 9 stood in front of Premier Bill Davis’s cabinet to announce the declaration of Nishnawbe Aski Nation to Ontario. This is some of what was said:

“We declare ourselves ... a free and sovereign nation. We bring you a declaration of independence.... Your government has failed to live up to the terms, and the spirit of the treaty.

“We agreed to share. We lived up to the terms of our agreement. We kept the peace, paid honour to the European sovereign, allowed the white man to settle and live according to his laws, and permitted his religions and cultures to be introduced to our people.

“You agreed to share. You said our rights would never be lost. You did not live up to the agreement.”

That was in 1977.

The late Grand Chief Rickard said that it was not that the Ojibway and the Cree were opposed to all development, but that “we are opposed to being offered the so-called choice between massive development schemes which will ruin our land and our way of life, or the equally unacceptable choice of welfare dependence.” He goes on to say, “This is like being asked which method of suicide we prefer.”

Speaker, it is 2023. These words were said in 1977. Tell me what has changed.

I was part of the committee process when we went to Timmins, when we went to Sudbury. I had hoped that there would be more First Nations voices represented, but I was glad to be able to hear what was being said. This included Mike Koostachin from Attawapiskat, Chief Craig Nootchtai from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, and Chief Christopher Moonias from Neskantaga.

I want to share a bit of what Chief Moonias told the committee:

“The treaties with the crown, Canada and Ontario have never been honoured. We have never been treated as partners in sharing the land and resources.

“As partners, our nation would have played a role in drafting amendments to the Mining Act which heavily impact our lands, resources and future way of life.

“Instead, I am allowed to comment on Bill 71 and related regulatory amendments as an afterthought. Where is the respect here? Where is the long-term relationship-building which would move us forward together in a good way? Building meaningful nation-to-nation relationships between First Nations, Canada and Ontario is a foundation of free, prior and informed consent. This is the only way mineral development will move forward on our land.

“The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognizes that mining projects and closure plans need to be reviewed by Indigenous people, whose consent is required. The world is moving forward in terms of Indigenous rights, and here in Ontario, you are recklessly jumping backwards.

“This is also the case for the environment. Already, Ontario doesn’t require mining projects to conduct environmental assessments, and the Building More Mines Act will rip away the little protection we had left for the environment and the people of Ontario and Canada.

“It is in the best interests of all parties to strengthen our economy, create good jobs and improve everyone’s quality of life, but we can’t rob our future of clean water and our precious carbon-storing peatlands, which help protect our environment, just for the rich to get richer.”

I think when we talk about the announcement of the legal action that they plan to table, it’s a warning to mining development companies that they need to lobby both the provincial and the federal governments to work with First Nations and make co-jurisdiction happen.

Let me be clear, Speaker: If you do not have the free, prior, informed consent of all First Nations, this will not work. It will lead to conflict. The Ring of Fire will not happen. I know it. You are all speaking from southern Ontario, but I live in the north. I live in those communities. That’s what is going to happen. There is no way the mining is happening without, again, the full consultation.

I think there’s a huge amount of uncertainty for these companies. I do not see how they will be able to go ahead with any mining in Treaty 9 without, again, the full, prior, informed consent of First Nations, because the more oppressed we are, the stronger we became as nations. Oppression, colonialism: Bring it on.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): We’ll move to questions.

Ms. Laura Smith: I want to thank the member opposite for his statement. He talked about good jobs and the environment and the future of our province. I agree; we need good jobs, and the environment is so important, and the world needs what this province has—the critical minerals required for the EV revolution and to support our transition to a green economy.

The opposition has seen the numbers. They know Russia and China have a stronghold on the market—which begs the opposition, why will you not consider approving this act?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: What I don’t like about this bill is the approach that you have, where you divide and conquer, where you do not talk to all First Nations in the affected treaty territories, their traditional territories.

I think Neskantaga has been very clear: If you’re going to build that road up there to the mine, up to the First Nation—it’s through their traditional territory. There is no way it is going through there.

I think with the divide-and-conquer approach, which is very colonial—that will not work. I cannot support colonial legislation.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I want to thank the member from Kiiwetinoong for an excellent speech—one that I hope millions of people will see, because I think they need to understand the issues that are at hand here.

I also have to say I was very shocked at the attempt to shut you down, because I think people need to have the historic background in order to actually come to grips with this issue.

Having listened to you, my sense is that passage of this bill will further undermine any ability to actually negotiate in an even-handed way between, on the one hand, First Nations and, on the other hand, the government of Ontario, to actually develop minerals in places where environmentally it might be possible do so. Is it fair to say that passage of this bill will make it more difficult to actually come to an agreement in a future on mining?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Thank you to the member for the question.

I think, again, passing this bill, with the colonial way of doing things where you divide and conquer, where you do not speak to all First Nations affected—what that does is, people will start to get together as First Nations, and it will be harder to have these agreements with the mining companies. It will be this government’s fault that they cannot move forward. In passing this bill, the government is shooting themselves in the foot. Meegwetch.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Mr. Rob Flack: I appreciate the member opposite’s thoughts and views. We shared some time together when we were in the north. I took that time to listen and learn about his concerns, and I respect them.

That being said, my question is simple: Should it take 15 years to open a mine in this province? In the meantime, while we’re waiting 15 years, we’re losing jobs, not only in southwestern Ontario but in the north—good-paying jobs, sustainable jobs that could benefit your peoples, the economy of the north, everyone.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I think it’s going to take 50 years or 100 years to open up a mine if you don’t work with First Nations—because that’s what’s going on. You cannot continue to divide and conquer. You cannot continue to just be colonial. Again, it is on you if you pass this bill without talking to all First Nations. You’ve already done it. It has already been done, where you continue to have no informed consent from First Nations. I think it’s going to take longer if you pass this bill.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Next question?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I want to thank my colleague the member for Kiiwetinoong for his very enlightening remarks about the meaning of free, prior and informed consent. He walked us through why this legislation violates those principles of free, prior and informed consent, why it undermines the principles of reconciliation, why it goes against the spirit and intent of Treaty 9.

I wondered if the member could summarize what free, prior and informed consent would have looked like if the government had respected those principles in developing this bill.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Free, prior and informed consent is—that is free. The government comes to the community. That First Nation does not spend any resources on being informed. “Informed” is, we listened to what’s being proposed. We listen in our language and in a language we can understand. Once we’re informed, that’s when the First Nation will say if they consent to it or not.

Because the government is just plowing ahead—plowing ahead with the legislative bulldozer, I should say—it’s starting to sound like it’s a re-election scheme. I keep telling you here in the House. I’ve been very clear—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you. That’s time for the answer.

We’ll move to the next question.

Ms. Laura Smith: I want to thank the member again for his questions, and I want to revisit something that we talked about.

The environment is important. The jobs are important. I talked about Russia and China having a stranglehold on the market. And 15 years is a very long time to wait to get something done for the economy, for the environment, for anyone who wants a job. This is literally going to stop things from moving in our province.

We talked about Russia and China. I really think that the member opposite needs to consider—does he think that they’re viable trading partners for critical minerals? If not, can you explain why you’re continuously creating obstacles? We want to create solutions rather than put up more obstacles. All of the respective consultations—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you for the question.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: First Nations are not red tape. First Nations are not obstacles. We have to be able to understand that this government is the obstacle to clean drinking water for First Nations. This government is the obstacle to be able to have access to good mental health systems in the north. We cannot continue to have young girls at the ages of 10, 11, 12 years old dying by suicide. That’s not prosperity.

The lands that are in those traditional territories—that’s where we are as First Nations people. We’ve been here for thousands of years. You cannot just come over here and then say, “We want to build mines in 15 years.” I don’t know how long you’ve all been here, but we’ve been here for thousands of years. We are the caretakers of these lands. We will continue to look after these lands. We will continue to protect our rights as First Nations people, our Treaty rights, our inherent—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): Thank you. We don’t have time to move to further debates on the bill.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): We’re going to move to members’ statements.

Members’ Statements

Supportive housing

Mr. Lorne Coe: The Ontario government is investing an additional $202 million annually in the province’s Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program. This new funding builds on the government’s investment of nearly $4.4 billion over the past three years to grow and enhance community and supportive housing.

As part of this funding, the region of Durham will be receiving $18.6 million. This is an increase of more than $7.1 million, or about 62% over the last year. Durham Regional Chair John Henry, who participated in a recent announcement made by Durham-based government members, had this to say: “This investment will help fund supportive housing programs, community outreach services and housing-focused shelter programs ... critical supports” that “address the needs of Durham region’s vulnerable residents.”

Once again, Durham-based government MPPs are standing up for residents in the region of Durham.

Portuguese Canadian community

Mr. Chris Glover: The Ontario NDP leader and I share the honour of representing Little Portugal in our ridings.

This year, the Portuguese Canadian community is celebrating the 70th year of immigration to Canada. On May 13, 1953, the first Portuguese pioneers arrived in Canada from the Azores. In the 70 years since that first journey, the dependents of those first pioneers have gone on to achieve greatness, building a strong and diverse Canada that Portuguese Canadians proudly call home.

A volunteer organizing committee of community leaders has been working hard to organize a year-long program to honour Portuguese pioneers.

I would like to thank Matthew Correia for inviting me to the first event, a celebratory luncheon last Sunday benefiting the Magellan Community Foundation.

I’d also like to thank Manuel DaCosta, who is chairing the foundation to build a long-term-care home for Portuguese seniors.

On Saturday, May 13, there is the Portuguese Canadian Walk of Fame induction ceremony, followed shortly afterward by the unveiling of a monument to the Portuguese pioneers.

And this coming Sunday, join the Portuguese Festa at Nathan Phillips Square, with food, music and performances by international recording artists Pedro Abrunhosa and Bárbara Bandeira.

Also coming up: The Do West Fest in Little Portugal, organized by AnaBela Taborda and the board of the Little Portugal BIA.

And the highlight of the year will be this year’s 35th annual—

The Acting Speaker (M me Lucille Collard): That’s 90 seconds. Thank you very much.

Next members’ statement.

Volunteers

Ms. Donna Skelly: I want to take the opportunity this morning to recognize the work and the value volunteers bring to our communities. They make our communities stronger, more vibrant and more caring. The fact that volunteers offer their time and skills to support others is a testament to their kindness and their compassion. They give of themselves and don’t expect anything in return.

Let me speak for a moment about an amazing volunteer organization in my riding of Flamborough–Glanbrook, and that is the Rotary Club of Flamborough. This organization supports dozens of causes in the Waterdown-Flamborough area—everything from scholarships for students to Christmas baskets for seniors.

This past weekend, I spoke at the Rotary Club’s Family Fun Run, where all the funds raised supported Food4Kids in Flamborough.

The Rotary organization and so many other service clubs are made up of selfless volunteers.

I also want to encourage the many organizations that benefit from the hard work of their volunteers to nominate exceptional individuals in their communities for an Ontario service award to acknowledge those who go above and beyond for the service of others.

I want to offer my sincere gratitude to the tens of thousands of volunteers who every day make Ontario a better place to live.

Don Smith

Mr. Joel Harden: “Who makes politics happen?” That’s a question people often ask. Some folks assume that it’s us in this building, arguing over policy, but people who have earned a seat in this place know differently. Behind us are volunteers and donors, families and friends. We may often get the limelight, but those are the folks who build the stage.

My friend Don Smith, who we lost last week, before his 80th birthday, was a first-class stage builder. But for me, he was a man of mystery, because he rarely talked about himself. Don had been a journalist, a city councillor in the great city of Thunder Bay, and a long-time assistant to a federal member of Parliament. He was a guy focused on making relationships better. He was there for two life partners who died from degenerative diseases. He was loyal to them, and he was loyal to all of us.

He was also fun. Don liked to square dance and waltz. He lived by a policy of eating a piece of chocolate a day.

He was very active in his local housing co-op.

I will never forget Don. They rarely make people like him. But all of us know people like this in our community.

So I want to salute Don Smith today: To a life well-lived, to a community well-served.

New Democrats are going to be remembering Don this Friday at 464 Metcalfe Street, at 6 p.m. If you knew Don and you have a story to share, come break bread with us. Let’s remember this extraordinary man and his extraordinary life.

Rest in power, my friend.

Public transit

Ms. Laura Smith: Recently, I joined Minister Mulroney to announce that we are one step closer to getting shovels in the ground on the Yonge North subway extension. The new subway extension is going to bring some much-needed relief for not only Thornhill but the GTA and York region.

Madam Speaker, did you know that Thornhill was the original transit-oriented community? If we look back, as early as the 19th century, Thornhill served as a critical junction for transportation and was the natural pit stop for travellers moving north. This included American Loyalists who were fleeing American invasion during the War of 1812. And in 1885, Toronto’s first commuter railway, the Metropolitan radial railway York-Simcoe was opened in Thornhill and stopped right there. As a key stopping point for travellers, Thornhill became a hub for social and economic activity.

I’m so delighted that this historic legacy of Thornhill is able to continue through the Yonge North subway extension. This project will undoubtedly bolster the local economy, bring jobs, and eliminate so many of the buses on Yonge Street—helping reduce greenhouse emissions and congestion.

As a resident of the original transit-oriented community, I look forward to the new subway helping the people of Thornhill and Richmond Hill and future generations of those in York region get where they need to go in a faster and more efficient way.

Cost of living

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Constituents in Windsor West and across the province are feeling unbearable financial pressure every single day. The cost of everything has gone up, and this Conservative government does nothing to rein in corporations that are price gouging Ontarians. Families are feeling it at the grocery store, gas pump, and with heating bills, auto insurance, housing costs and more. Parents are juggling multiple jobs and are still struggling to put food on the table. Kids are going to school hungry. Food bank usage across the province is at a record high, and the number of people accessing food banks continues to climb.

Recipients of social assistance can’t keep up with sharp rent increases or the cost of putting food on the table. People with disabilities are living far below the poverty line and are getting pushed into deeper poverty because of government policy. The Conservatives choose to leave people living in legislated poverty. And seniors on fixed incomes can’t keep up with rising costs either. They are also increasingly accessing food banks.

In Windsor, residents are paying some of the highest auto and home insurance rates in the province, yet this government won’t address postal code discrimination in the insurance industry.

Rental housing costs continue skyrocketing because the Conservatives cut rent control.

My constituents deserve a government that works hard to make life easier for them, rather than implementing policies that make life more difficult.

My NDP colleagues and I will continue to fight for Ontarians, to fight for better, because better is possible.

Tamil genocide

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: May is the month of genocide remembrance for the Tamil community. As a young boy who survived the 21st century’s most brutal genocide, it is my honour to rise today to acknowledge Tamil Genocide Education Week, which will take place from May 12 to May 18 in Ontario, Canada, and across the world.

Bill 104, which I introduced in 2019, was passed unanimously in this Legislature in 2021, recognizing and marking the significance of educating about the Tamil genocide. The height of the genocide took place in May 2009, with the Mullivaikkal massacre.

Tragically, the Tamil people have faced systematic structural genocide since Sri Lanka’s independence, and it is still ongoing.

Mr. Speaker, recent events have revealed that the Sri Lankan state’s targeted destruction of places of worship and places of significance to Tamil people accounts to cultural genocide. These temples have been family deity temples for many of my constituents from Scarborough–Rouge Park and across Canada.

Tamil Canadians living in Ontario continue to experience the impacts of intergenerational trauma from the genocide, making the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act more important now than ever.

On May 18, the Tamil community around the world will come together to commemorate Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.

I encourage everyone to learn about the Tamil Genocide, and together, we can say “Never again.”

Children’s aid societies

Mr. Robert Bailey: Children and Youth in Care Day in Ontario is just around the corner, and I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of young people and their stories and experiences. This year’s #ForgetMeNot campaign will highlight the stories of young people and their resilience in overcoming obstacles. Children and youth in Ontario’s child welfare system deserve to be recognized and celebrated.

This campaign is another way to remind local communities and government service providers that young Ontarians deserve to have critical supports in place, which is why our government recently invested $170 million over the next three years for youth leaving care through the new Ready, Set, Go program.

Speaker, children and youth are the future of this great province and this country, and we need to ensure that they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful.

It is also important to recognize the hard work of all the children’s aid societies and their staff—in particular, a special shout-out to my local Children’s Aid Society of Sarnia-Lambton, led by their executive director, Dawn Flegel, who will be with us later today.

As part of the #ForgetMeNot campaign, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies and Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada would like to invite all members to their reception today at 5 p.m. in room 228. I hope to see you all there.

Provincial Day of Action on Litter

Mr. John Yakabuski: Today is Ontario’s fourth annual Day of Action on Litter. The sad reality is that we should never have had to have a Day of Action on Litter, because littering is entirely preventable. Litter doesn’t happen by accident; it only happens because someone chooses to drop a coffee cup along the sidewalk or toss a pop can out the window as they’re travelling along a rural road. It doesn’t happen without the conscious decision by someone to do so.

Speaker, we can start by taking personal responsibility. Littering is one of those things that you might have already guessed I despise deeply. It’s something that as little children we were taught not to do, and something my wife, Vicky, and I have passed on to our children. I recall many times when our children would come home from school with candy wrappers in their pockets, because the last thing they were going to do was drop that wrapper on the ground.

Litter is not only a visible blight on this beautiful land we’ve been blessed with; it is very harmful to our environment and dangerous for pets that may consume it.

However, it is gratifying to see concerted community efforts and litter pickup days all across Ontario at this time of year to remove what has been deposited through the winter months. Having said that, it would be much better if it had never found its way onto our landscape at all.

We should all make a pledge to take our individual and collective responsibility seriously, because Ontario is not only ours to discover; it is ours to keep beautiful.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m pleased to recognize and welcome the mayor of the township of Centre Wellington, Shawn Watters, who is here at Queen’s Park today.

Welcome. It’s great to see you here from the riding of Wellington–Halton Hills.

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’d like to acknowledge Shannon Thornton, who is in the gallery with us today. Shannon has worked in my office for four and a half years—both in the constituency office and Queen’s Park. She’s leaving today, and she’s going on to Ontario Tech University.

Shannon, I want to wish you all the best in your new job at Ontario Tech University. Thank you for your service here at Queen’s Park.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: On behalf of the official opposition, I’d like to welcome, from the Ontario Autism Coalition, vice-president Kate Dudley-Logue, along with Michau Van Speyk.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I want to welcome a great Ontarian, someone who loves his province: the Honourable Justice Jack Grossman, retired from the Ontario Court of Justice of North York.

Mr. Jeff Burch: Randall Marsh from Port Colborne is page captain today and has very proud family and friends from Niagara visiting in the members’ gallery: Scott and Deonna Marsh, Randall’s parents; Randall’s aunt Darah Wiens and her two children, Deacon and Daytona; his aunt Danielle Randall and her daughter Kennedy, from Fort Erie; and his cousin Jaena.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Brian Riddell: It’s my honour and pleasure today to announce Joan Fisk, who is the executive officer for United Way Waterloo Region Communities and currently the chair of the college of business and economics advisory board at the University of Guelph. She has done wonderful things for our community, and I thank her for it.

M. Guy Bourgouin: Il me fait plaisir aujourd’hui de vous présenter mes deux assistantes : une, Mélanie Gagné, qui est mon assistante, avec moi depuis cinq ans, qui travaille dans la circonscription, et aussi ma nouvelle LA, une autre assistante législative, Adriana Naffat. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park. Bienvenue dans votre Chambre.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to recognize a few special guests in the Legislature this morning. The winners of the future builders scholarship powered by Scottie Barnes from the Skilled Trades College of Canada are with us here today. I want to welcome Serjenka Paul, Malik D’Cruz, Alden Patterson, Abrahan Belisario.

Congratulations on starting your exciting careers in the skilled trades, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to welcome Kevin Goa, a grade 9 student at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute.

Welcome to the Legislature. Thank you for coming.

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I’m so happy to welcome my hard-working EA Sarah Bokhari. She’s also celebrating a milestone birthday today.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: It’s my pleasure to welcome Dana McKiel and representatives from Football Canada, Football Toronto and the Toronto Argonauts.

Dana, to you and your colleagues: It’s so good to see you here today.

Mr. Graham McGregor: I first met this visitor about 10 years ago on my first-ever PC election day that I volunteered on. Please join me in welcoming former Queen’s Park staffer and long-time PC activist Brooke Timpson.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I’d like to welcome, from the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies: Nicole Bonnie, Ashleigh Egerton, Sean McGrady, and Samuel Ashirbekov.

Welcome to the House.

Mr. Brian Saunderson: It’s my pleasure this morning to welcome the members of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. They hosted a great breakfast this morning. I want to thank them for the important work they do in making our communities safe, resilient and inclusive.

Ms. Doly Begum: I’m very excited to introduce some special guests to the House. We’ve got some long-time New Democrats, dedicated volunteers and leaders and community builders in the House today.

Please welcome Dan Danielson, Bob Spencer, Ian Roberts, Paula Masterson, and Reshad Ahmed to the House.

I also have Tejas Dhebana, a wonderful intern who has joined us in our office.

Welcome to your House.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: I’d like to welcome students here today from Central Peel Secondary School in Brampton. These remarkable students took

part in an international space competition at NASA. Out of 26,000 participants, these two teams from Central Peel placed first in their respective categories, and they’re the only Canadian teams to be recognized this year.

I’d like to introduce the students, up on my right: Kashyap Patel, Mashraful Choudhury, Ruhaim Ali, Mehtab Cheema, Anant Duggal, Tanvir Gahunia, Kushal Patel, Pragalva Sharma, Mahimn Patel, Deep Patel, Rehan Jaffar, and Neel Pathak.

They’re joined by their teachers: Kiranbir Sahota, Harbinder Sahota, and Simona Matei.

Congratulations and well done, guys.

Mr. Wayne Gates: It’s my pleasure to introduce Darah Wiens and her two children, Deacon and Daytona, from Chippawa, Niagara Falls; Danielle Randall and her daughter Kennedy, from Fort Erie; and Jaena Randall.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: I’m also pleased to welcome the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts to the chamber today, and members of Football Toronto and Football Ontario. There will be a reception in 228 at 11:45. Come by and see what I believe is the oldest professional trophy in the land on display.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to give a big shout-out to the students from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic High School. These amazing students, part of Beaverworx, FRC team 2609, were the champions at the FIRST Robotics world championship in Texas—the only Canadian team to compete in the finals.

Congratulations. You’ve made us proud.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I would like to welcome Manny and Roslyn from my office.

You’re not leaving today, but I’m glad that you’re part of our team. Welcome.

Hon. Michael Parsa: Speaker, I’d like to welcome the CEO of the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, Nicole Bonnie, and CEO of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, Valerie McMurtry, to the Legislature this morning.

I’d also like to give a shout-out to Van, Rose, Samuel, Kaygan, Byanka, Troy, and Aidan, who were all part of the OACAS #ForgetMeNot campaign.

Welcome to Queen’s Park. I look forward to meeting you all later on this afternoon.

Wearing of hockey jersey

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

Mr. Dave Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As you know, last night, my Peterborough Petes defeated the North Bay Battalion and are the Bobby Orr cup champions for the eastern conference of the OHL. So I seek unanimous consent for the member for North Bay to wear the Peterborough Petes jersey today in the chamber.

Mr. Will Bouma: Nipissing.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Peterborough–Kawartha is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for Nipissing, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, to wear the Peterborough Petes Jersey today. Agreed? Agreed.

Question Period

Nurses

Ms. Marit Stiles: Yesterday, we kicked off National Nursing Week. Doesn’t it say so much that just yesterday, this Conservative government passed a law that’s going to sell off our health care system to corporations that can make money off the backs of sick people? I want to remind everyone here that this is something that the nurses of this province deeply oppose.

The Conservatives are going down a path that both Quebec and British Columbia already found was a dead end. It cost everyone more—the government, individual patients. It worsened health outcomes. In the end, it made it harder as well on health care workers.

To the Premier: How will you stop the hemorrhaging of nurses out of our public health care system when there was nothing in the legislation to prevent it?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: With the greatest of respect, the NDP could not be more wrong about Bill 60.

I will highlight what the Auditor General’s report on outpatient surgeries in Ontario emphasized—that the experience in other Canadian jurisdictions is that community surgical centres can treat 20% to 30% more patients within the same amount of time. Why are other Canadian jurisdictions doing it, and why is Ontario doing it more? Because we want people to get access to surgery and not sit in wait lines.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: This is how out of touch this government is. If they actually got out of the backrooms and talked to the people on the front line—the nurses, the health care workers—they’d know the mess that they have created already in health care staffing.

Ontario’s nurses have been chronically overworked, underpaid and undermined by this Conservative government, and now nurses are currently without a contract. This week, we’re going to be tabling petitions with thousands of signatures calling on this government to present a fair and meaningful offer to their negotiations.

Speaker, to the Premier: Will his government give Ontario’s nurses a contract that shows how much we value them?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: There is no doubt that we on this side of the House understand the very valuable, important role that nurses play in our health care system, which is, frankly, exactly why at the beginning of the pandemic we initiated a Learn and Stay program under the leadership of the college of nurses ministry. It allows nurses who want to practise in the province of Ontario and train in the province of Ontario to have their tuition and their books covered if they are willing to practise in an underserviced area for two years after graduation. What did that one program do? It ensured that we had the highest number of students applying for those programs.

There are many, many people who want to practise in their communities in health care, and we’re going to enable that through our legislation.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: They are leaving Ontario. You cannot recruit into a broken program. With all of their efforts, we’re going to be 33,000 nurses and PSWs short in this province, and that’s a fact.

Speaker, that response does not give me a lot of hope, because while this government says one thing in this House, they say quite another thing to Ontario’s nurses. And their actions speak louder than their words.

This government continues to take our nurses to court. It’s a fact. They’re fighting with them and with other public sector workers over their unconstitutional wage restraint law.

Speaker, to the Premier: Will he celebrate National Nursing Week by ending his campaign to take Ontario’s nurses to court?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Another thing that we did when we came back after a larger majority victory in June was, in fact, to talk to and work with our partners at the College of Nurses of Ontario. We said, “We have far too many internationally educated and trained nurses waiting in the queue to come and practise in our communities. Would you work with us to ensure that those individuals who are waiting at the college of nurses for assessment get that assessment review, and ultimately approved licence, faster?” What did that do? It meant that we had a historic high of new, internationally trained nurses practising, again, in our communities, in our hospitals.

In our ability to ensure that whether it is new nurses being trained, internationally educated nurses who want to come to Ontario—we are doing the work here.

Health care

Ms. Marit Stiles: Ontarians are waking up today to news that expanded for-profit private health care is now the law of the land. In rural and northern communities, they are rightly worried about the impact that two-tier health care is going to have on already strained hospitals and community health centres.

I was in Thunder Bay last week, and like many communities across the north, they’re worried that the local hospitals that they proudly support and rely on are going to be closing their doors as staff are forced out by low wages and private sector competition in the south.

Speaker, to the Premier: Why is this government putting private profits ahead of the needs of patients in the north?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I want to remind members opposite that in fact we have over 900 community diagnostic operating rooms in the province of Ontario right now.

What are we doing through Bill 60? We are ensuring that your constituents who are waiting in line, who are waiting for scheduled surgeries, have the opportunity to get that faster. We did it at the beginning of the year by announcing three expanded cataract surgeries in Windsor, in Kitchener-Waterloo and in Ottawa. That means that people are back with their families, back on the job, back in community, where they want to be. They don’t want to be on a wait-list. And we’re expanding because we want to make sure that your constituents have the ability to get access to the health care they deserve in community faster.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: I want to remind the minister and the Premier that 2.2 million Ontarians don’t have access to a family doctor right now. In northern Ontario, we know the shortage is chronic, and it’s going to get worse now.

As these for-profit corporate clinics set up shop in more lucrative urban locations, it’s going to be even harder or even impossible for smaller rural hospitals to recruit and retain the staff they need. That is what we are hearing from the front lines. You should listen to them.

Northern and First Nations communities know that this government’s plan to replace community-based care with private, for-profit clinics is going to make their access to health care even worse.

Speaker, to the Premier: Why are you making it even harder for people in the north to get the care they need?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: The NDP will continue to say the status quo is good enough. It’s not good enough. We need to have people accessing care faster, and one of the ways that we are doing this is absolutely expanding the clinical and diagnostic piece.

The other

part is actually building out the health human resources so that, as an example, because of the passage of Bill 60, we have as-of-right in the province of Ontario—the first Canadian jurisdiction to do so—which means that a physician practising in British Columbia today can start working in Ontario tomorrow. We want to eliminate the barriers, eliminate the red tape to make sure that individuals who want to come here, who want to practise, who want to be in our world-class medical facilities, have that ability without the many, many red tape barriers that we’ve seen in the past.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the minister doesn’t want to talk about the north, I guess.

Let me introduce a concept to you: highway health care. Highway health care is what happens when this government forces northerners to travel long distances, sometimes thousands of kilometres, away from their families to receive the health care that they need. The Northern Health Travel Grant Program gives them $100 for a hotel. Well, good luck finding anything for that price anywhere. And worrying about that when you’re sick? Just great.

To the Premier: If he’s focused on destroying our health care system and more northerners are going to have to travel even further to get the care they need, will he at least enhance these supports?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Is the leader of the NDP suggesting that when we expand MRIs into new facilities, new communities in the north, in the south, in rural communities that have never had an MRI in their hospital before—that that is status quo that you’re happy with? It is not. Our government is making the changes that will ensure that people will get access in their communities, and one of the ways that we’re doing that is actually integrating the health care system.

Instead of having individual hospitals, individual organizations, we’re making sure that those partnerships ensure that individuals who are on wait-lists, whether it’s for cataracts, hips or knee replacement surgeries, can get it in their community.

That is what Bill 60 is about. It is about challenging the status quo, ensuring we’re engaging in innovation that is happening across Ontario. We’re empowering hospitals to do that.

Landlord and tenant board

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Attorney General.

The Ombudsman’s damning report called out the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board’s failure to provide justice to thousands of Ontarians.

The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario has been sounding the alarm for years that tenants have been struggling to participate in the LTB’s online hearing process.

We read in the Ombudsman’s report about a woman who waited 10 months for a hearing, only to have trouble logging on on the day, and as a result, her case was dismissed and her access to justice was denied.

To ensure everyone gets a fair hearing, experts are calling for in-person hearings to be easily available to people who request them. Can this government implement that recommendation?

Hon. Doug Downey: I appreciate the report from the Ombudsman. One of the things that he did say was that when we took government in 2018, the previous government, supported by the NDP—and I’m paraphrasing what the Ombudsman said, of course. He said that the technology was redundant, that it was broken.

We have invested $28.5 million in cutting-edge systems so that people can access justice.

In terms of in-person hearings, people can request in-person help. They can go to locations in London, Ottawa, Toronto, and other spaces.

We also have a mobile service to help people who don’t have the technology.

So we are doing things to make sure that we’re doing digital-first but not digital-only.

I look forward to the supplementary question, when I’ll talk about some of the other investments that we’ve made.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Toronto Centre.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: There has only been less than 1% of actual hearings that were actually in person.

My question is to the Premier, on the same specific issue.

The Ombudsman’s scathing report included many heartbreaking stories.

A tenant’s home was so unsafe that it made her ill, so in December 2020, she then applied to the LTB. Her case was then heard only 16 months later, after she already made the difficult decision to leave the home that she could afford.

This all happened under this government’s watch—where the caseload blew up from 20,000 and in 2022 to 38,000.

You can’t blame the Liberals for everything. They broke it, but you made it worse. There’s still no relief in sight.

When will the government actually own up to their failures and table a detailed report with timelines to clear the historically high backlog of the LTB?

Interjections.

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

I remind members to make their comments through the Chair.

The Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: In fact, the backlog did grow, because there was a pandemic. And when we chose to protect tenants and put a freeze on evictions, of course the backlog grew by a little bit. But we’ve invested. If it was left to the NDP, who knows what the number would have been? We pivoted very quickly to online hearings. We made sure that people had their day in court, and we moved very fast. We made investments in staff. We made investments in technology. We’ve doubled the number of adjudicators. We have done so many things.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, what the NDP have done. They’ve said: “Have hearings.” “Don’t have hearings.” “Have them in person.” “Have them quick.” I think I’m going to start calling it the party of turnstile.

Public transit

Mr. Graham McGregor: My question is for the Minister of Transportation.

Like many communities across Ontario, the city of Brampton is rapidly growing. Every day, new families are calling Brampton home, and along with this rapid growth comes the need to build new transportation networks.

For 15 years, the previous Liberal government stuck with the status quo and ignored Brampton’s growing transportation needs. Rather than making urgently needed investments into large-scale transportation infrastructure, the Liberals were more focused on building bike lanes—it’s true; you did that.

The people of Brampton, the region of Peel and the surrounding communities are counting on our government to make the critical transportation investments and upgrades to keep Ontario moving.

Speaker, could the minister please explain how our government is expanding public transportation networks in my community and beyond?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member for the question.

Speaker, unlike the previous government, we’re focused on getting results for the entire province, including for the city of Brampton. Our government is making incredible progress to improve transportation infrastructure that was neglected in Brampton for far too long under the Liberals and the NDP. This includes upgrades to GO Transit stations in Brampton—one of the busiest stations along the Kitchener GO line.

The upgrades at Bramalea GO station will support two-way, all-day GO service along the Kitchener GO line and will make travel easier for the growing Brampton community. The enhanced Bramalea GO will include a new bus loop, more parking and an improved platform that is connected by tunnels and elevators.

Speaker, this government is focused on making life easier for the people of Brampton, and I look forward to providing an update on the Bramalea station in the near future.

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

Mr. Graham McGregor: Thank you to the minister for that answer.

Speaking from experience—I take the Kitchener line most days; I took it this morning—those trains are packed. What a great investment by this government in the Kitchener line. And it’s great to learn about the upgrades at the Bramalea GO station. These improvements will make travel more convenient for individuals and families who rely on this very busy GO line.

The previous Liberal government failed to plan ahead for the growth in transportation needs of Brampton. Even now, Liberals and NDP are out of touch with reality and they take every opportunity to oppose the transportation solutions that Brampton needs, including Highway 413. I guess they didn’t learn their lesson from the last election. As a result, many residents and commuters are delayed every day with the endless traffic congestion and gridlock, which causes frustration, but it’s also a threat to our province’s economic prosperity.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is addressing the urgent transportation needs in Brampton and—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I share the member’s frustration.

The NDP and the Liberals think they know what’s best for Brampton residents, but if it were up to them, nothing would get built. That is unacceptable.

We have a balanced approach that expands public transit, like Bramalea GO, and that builds new highways, like Highway 413.

In the last election, the people of Peel and Brampton spoke, and our government is listening. I hear first-hand from residents in Peel region of the impact that gridlock is having on their lives and on their economy. It’s unacceptable. We won’t stick with the status quo. We are building Highway 413.

Speaker, now is the time to act, and now is the time to build.

Health care

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour la ministre de la Santé.

Last week, the Canadian press received access-to-freedom-of-information documents from the Minister of Health that said Ontario’s lack of a long COVID strategy has led to “fragmented” clinics that offer little to no support to patients. The health ministry’s strategic policy branch wrote: “Ontario does not have a coordinated approach to care for patients with a post-COVID-19 condition.”

My question to the minister: Aside from billing codes—can the Minister of Health tell the 750,000 Ontarians living with long COVID where they can access the care they so desperately need?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: With the greatest of respect, the member opposite is dismissing the fact that we’ve actually worked with the Ontario Medical Association to make sure that there are appropriate billing codes for our primary care practitioners who are treating and assisting individuals with long COVID. It is an important piece to make sure that individuals with long COVID are not left abandoned by our health care system—which is not going to happen under this government.

To suggest that this is a dismissive and not important piece to ensure that individuals who are suffering with long COVID have the support that they need in the province of Ontario, I think, shows a great deal of disrespect to those individuals.

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

M me France Gélinas: Since there was no money, several hospitals have established long COVID clinics, but they have mostly relied on redeployed resources from other areas of the hospital.

Again, I quote from a briefing that the minister received: “While some providers are responding to the immediate demand for post-COVID care, these offerings are insufficient, fragmented and unsustainable without dedicated funding. This model is not sustainable and could result in little to no support for Ontarians with” post-COVID needs, the briefing warned the minister.

These clinics are currently at risk of closure due to the lack of funding. The minister’s briefing documents said, and everybody agrees, that a provincially coordinated approach would be most effective.

Minister, where is the dedicated funding for a provincially coordinated approach to care for the 750,000 Ontarians with long COVID, like BC, Alberta and Quebec are already funding?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Our Premier and our government have always been there for the people of Ontario as we experience, whether it is the pandemic—ensuring that our public health units, our primary care doctors and our hospitals had sufficient resources. And we will continue to do that.

There is excellent work happening, in our research hospital facilities as well as at our universities, to study and assess the impacts of long COVID. As we develop and see how those outcomes continue, we will be there, as we have been through the entire pandemic, to make sure that they have the resources to continue to serve these important long COVID patients.

Energy rates

Mr. Dave Smith: I have a question for the Minister of Energy.

I know that individuals and families in my community, along with people across Ontario, are looking for relief on their home energy costs. While natural gas rates are gradually coming down, the costs remain high, and people are still feeling the financial impact that global economic instability is causing to everyone.

When our government was first elected in 2018, we made a commitment to make life more affordable for Ontario’s families. We must make every effort to deliver on our commitment by providing more ways for Ontarians to take control of their energy bills and encourage energy conservation.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to make home heating more affordable and cleaner?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks to the member from Peterborough, and congratulations to his Petes on advancing to the OHL final against the London Knights.

Since day one, our government has been working hard to make sure that life is more affordable for the people of Ontario, particularly on the energy file.

That’s why, last fall, I was pleased to announce $4.5 million for the Clean Home Heating Initiative, where members of his community in Peterborough; members in London, home of the Knights; members in St. Catharines, home of the IceDogs; and members in Sault Ste. Marie, home of the Greyhounds, can apply to get a hybrid home heating system. Just last week, I was pleased to join the Attorney General and the member from Barrie–Innisfil in Barrie—home of the Colts—to announce that our government is bringing that investment up to a total of $8.2 million, so that we can offer this additional program to another 500 homes across the city.

This is great news for energy bills, but it’s also great news for the environment.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Dave Smith: I can confirm that all of Peterborough is energized for the Petes right now.

It’s encouraging to hear that our government has introduced yet another way for consumers to keep costs down, save money and take control of their energy bills.

While this is positive news, many individuals and families across our province are struggling with energy costs because of ongoing global economic instability. Our government must show respect for the people of Ontario by continuing to implement programs that offer choices and will help reduce the costs.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the people of Ontario can benefit from the Clean Home Heating Initiative?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks again to the member, and good luck to his Petes.

Our government is excited to provide this opportunity to more communities and more homeowners across the province to lower not just their home energy bills, but also do their part for the environment and reduce emissions. The Clean Home Heating Initiative is going to allow most households to leverage Ontario’s world-class green energy, clean energy grid that we have to both heat and cool their homes with a hybrid heat pump that switches between electricity and natural gas. Switching to hybrid home heating could save them about $300 a year on their energy bills. That’s a significant amount. They would also be cutting their emissions by a third, which is great news for the environment.

We know that people across the province want to have more choice, and we’ve been providing that. People across the province want to have more control over their monthly costs, especially on their energy bills, and I’m proud to say that the Ontario government is delivering on that.

Nurses

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier.

The Conservative government’s Bill 124 was ruled unconstitutional by the court. Health care workers, the unions representing hundreds of thousands of workers and the general public know that Bill 124 is not only unconstitutional, but it is disrespectful and it specifically targets women-led professions like nursing. Nurses in Windsor-Essex are leaving my community and going to work in Detroit, Michigan, where they are better paid and more respected. Bill 124 continues to push more Canadian nurses to leave Ontario for work.

Speaker, it’s National Nursing Week, and nurses want to know why the Premier is targeting them and other women-led professions by suppressing their wages and appealing the Bill 124 court ruling.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

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

I would like to wish all nurses a happy Nursing Week.

I was actually at Centennial College yesterday and met with a class. It was their first day of nursing, so congratulations to all those new students who are entering the profession.

We’re seeing a record number of students entering into the nursing field because of some of the incentives that we’re offering, like the new Learn and Stay program, which the Minister of Health was acknowledging early on. This is 2,500 students who will have the opportunity for free tuition, to enter into the nursing profession, paramedic, lab tech—all their education covered, with a commitment to stay in their communities for two years.

Another interesting incentive we’re offering is the Community Commitment Program for Nurses, which was launched in June 2022 at selected hospitals in Ontario to address nursing shortages. In fact, in about 10 months, Windsor Regional Hospital has signed up over 200 nurses in this program. This program offers qualified nursing staff $25,000 to sign up and then serve at least two years in a designated community.

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

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: There are hundreds of nursing positions in Windsor that go unfilled every single month because of Bill 124. We have a shortage of nurses, and taking them to court to continue to suppress their wages is not the way to make them feel appreciated or respected.

The Premier posted a video for National Nursing Week, and he said, “Nurses are the foundation of our health care system, and I encourage everyone to take time this Nursing Week to thank our wonderful nurses for everything they do.”

To celebrate National Nursing Week, will the Premier stop fighting nurses in court and will he prove his proclaimed gratitude for them by repealing Bill 124 today—or is he just full of it?

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

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: I withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I think the member failed to hear me—200 nurses signed up at Windsor Regional Hospital.

I have a quote from the CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital: “It has been hugely successful.”

“‘These government programs have really benefited us with recruiting,’ said Karen Riddell, Windsor Regional Hospital’s chief operating officer and chief nursing executive.

“‘We have another 111 graduates starting this summer. That’s a significant number.

“‘As the province expands these HR strategies, these are really important to maintaining our workforce.’”

That was from Karen Riddell of Windsor Regional Hospital in your riding.

Disaster relief

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier.

Climate change is beginning to have a real and measurable impact on how we live our lives.

In 2017, the city of Ottawa and communities along the Ottawa River were hit with flooding events that had not been seen in 50 years. Hundreds of residents were impacted, including in east Ottawa. Many lost their homes. In 2019, record levels of water returned, and this time only worse. Thousands of residents across the region were affected. The city declared a state of emergency, and the army had to be called in to protect critical infrastructure like water treatment facilities, and neighbourhoods.

After a few years of reprieve, generational flooding has returned to Ottawa. If not for the most recent events, this year would also be the worst flooding in 50 years.

Three generational floods in seven years—homeowners are tired, volunteers are burnt out, and this can’t keep on happening.

What actions is this government going to take to understand exactly what is happening, and, more importantly, what are they going to do to stop it and protect residents from its impacts?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through to you the member: The city of Ottawa staff contacted our municipal service office yesterday regarding the spring flooding and requested that a Provincial Disaster Assessment Team be deployed to assess the impact. City staff noted to our ministry that the damage is localized, but it’s significant in some of the neighbourhoods around the Ottawa River. According to municipal staff, they’ve requested that the PDAT team come up. A meeting is scheduled with the city tomorrow.

As all members know, in the spring, there are going to be situations like we’re experiencing in Whitewater, in the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke’s riding. My ministry office is available in all regions of the province to reach out when a provincial disaster team is required.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Stephen Blais: In 2017, after the flooding, affected homeowners were able to apply for disaster recovery assistance for Ontarians to cover the cost of the cleanup, repair essential property and their basic expenses. After the flooding in 2019, residents were also afforded that opportunity, and I know it was greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately, after the devastating derecho in 2022 that blew down church steeples, ripped off barn roofs and damaged homes, this government did not offer Ottawa residents that same level of assistance. Many farmers are still reeling from that abandonment.

Now that the flood waters are slowly but surely starting to recede and, apparently, the disaster team from the province is in Ottawa, will this government ensure that affected homeowners in the national capital can apply for disaster assistance relief this time?

Hon. Steve Clark: According to the member’s own municipal staff, the majority of the permanent homes located in the flood plains appear to have insurance that would cover any losses they receive.

I want to remind all members that the Disaster Recovery Assistance for Ontarians program is not to replace insurance; it’s a program that provides the minimum basic requirements as part of it. The member knows that.

As I said, a meeting is scheduled with the ministry and the municipality tomorrow.

Media reports to date suggest that it’s approximately 130 properties that may be impacted, largely in the West Carleton-March ward, which includes the Constance Bay area. This is something we’re going to continue to monitor. I want to assure the member that ministry officials have boots on the ground.

Skilled trades

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Ontario is currently facing a historic shortage of skilled workers across nearly every trade. Simply put, Ontario needs more workers. The numbers are staggering: It’s projected that 72,000 workers will be needed by 2027 in the construction sector alone. However, with so many unfilled jobs, it’s concerning that the average age of an apprentice is 29 years old. Young people need to be provided with the opportunities to launch into these well-paying and life-long careers.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting young people in gaining the skills they need to address our province’s overwhelming demand for skilled tradespeople?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member from Carleton for being such a champion of those in the skilled trades. I remember being with the member and the local ironworkers at the ironworkers’ training centre in her riding and meeting two young female apprentices who really advocated for the government to improve washrooms and improve PPE for women. So I want to thank the member again.

Speaker, as the Premier and I often say, a career in the skilled trades is truly a career for life. That is why our government is investing more than $1.5 billion over the next several years to get more young people into the trades.

Today, I am pleased to be joined by Serjenka Paul, Malik D’Cruz, Alden Patterson and Abrahan Belisario, who are starting their careers in the skilled trades thanks to the innovative and game-changing future builders scholarship, powered by Scottie Barnes, in partnership with the Skilled Trades College of Canada.

Working with community leaders and role models like Scottie Barnes, we’re going to continue to get more people into the skilled trades.

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

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Thank you to the minister.

Mr. Speaker, when speaking about getting more people into the skilled trades and how the labour shortage is hurting Ontario’s economic potential—we need to remove barriers for those who don’t currently have jobs but who want to work. Most people who are unemployed or receiving social assistance want to work.

Currently, there are nearly 700,000 people in Ontario who are on social assistance, many of whom are seeking employment. However, some of these individuals may need assistance with retraining and other supports so that their skills better match the jobs of today.

Our government must focus on implementing programs that provide practical help for individuals to secure a fulfilling career to support themselves and their families.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting Ontarians in securing gainful work?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member again for that question.

This is why we’re changing our Employment Ontario system for those on social assistance, to ensure we’re now buying workboots, we’re buying uniforms, we’re buying transit passes. We’re sitting with those on social assistance to ensure they’re writing résumés properly and they know how to enter interviews, to ensure they can get meaningful employment. We’ve made a lot of changes to Employment Ontario throughout the province.

In the three regions where we brought forward these changes, I’m proud to announce to the House today that 63,000 people have now gained meaningful employment, filling labour shortages—but most importantly, ensuring that people are providing more income, so they can build families, beyond these careers.

We’re going to continue working every single day for those on social assistance by lifting them up and removing barriers to get into in-demand careers.

Road safety

Ms. Doly Begum: Last week, we heard of a massive tragedy, where an eight-year-old girl died after a hit-and-run outside a school in Burlington, Ontario. The girl was trying to cross the driveway to get to the school’s entrance when she was hit by a car leaving the parking lot.

The issue of pedestrian fatalities and severe injuries has become a growing concern for residents and communities, with 22 deaths and 77 severe injuries reported in Toronto in 2022 alone. The lack of meaningful action in Ontario to ensure safe streets for all is concerning. We here in this House need to do much more.

My question to the Premier is, what action will this government take to prevent these fatal pedestrian accidents?

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

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member opposite for her important question.

Since we were elected in 2018, road safety has been a top priority for our government. I just want to underline the fact that road safety is not a partisan issue. Our government has worked closely with members of the opposition caucus on these important measures because we want to do everything we can to protect our vulnerable road users.

Since September 2018, we’ve implemented important changes that will protect vulnerable road users. We’ve increased penalties for drivers who fail to yield for pedestrians at crosswalks, at crossovers and at school crossings. We’ve increased the maximum fine penalty for all general offences under the Highway Traffic Act.

And we’ve introduced a new offence for careless driving causing death or bodily harm, with penalties that include fines, licence suspensions and imprisonment. This offence carries the longest prison term of any penalty in the Highway Traffic Act.

But this is not a one-and-done issue. It’s an ongoing priority, and we’re going to continue to work with Ontarians—

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

Ms. Doly Begum: I agree with the minister on one thing: Road safety is not a partisan issue.

We have also introduced a solution: Bill 40, the Moving Ontarians Safely Act, which will enshrine measures to prevent more lives from being impacted by unsafe roads.

I think of my friend right here, the member from St. Catharines, whose mother was hit by a driver on March 24 as she crossed a street in front of another elementary school. She was knocked nine feet into the air and hurled for 20 feet. She’s still in hospital.

Will this government commit to making our roads safer by passing this bill?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Any form of aggressive and distracted driving is unacceptable, and it will not be tolerated by this government.

Our government introduced community safety zones around schools for this specific issue, to make sure that drivers take extra care when they are driving around our most vulnerable, our children. We have allowed municipalities to introduce this around schools, and we’re doing everything we can to support community safety zone implementation across Ontario. We understand that in 2021 alone, over 250,000 tickets were issued to vehicles that were captured by speed cameras that were noticing speeding in these community safety zones.

We’re going to continue to support our municipalities as they take the measures that they can to protect vulnerable road users, especially around schools, and we’re going to continue to do what we can to make sure that our roads are among the safest anywhere in North America.

Northern Ontario development

Mr. Ric Bresee: My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development.

For so long under the previous Liberal government, so many opportunities to foster economic growth across northern Ontario were lost or ignored. The strengths, the assets and the abilities found in so many of our rural, remote and Indigenous communities were ignored. As a result, their full potential has never been realized.

Our government must respect the people of northern Ontario, and we must implement solutions that will allow all Ontarians to have more opportunities to create and expand their economic potential. Our government must continue to invest in programs and projects that will help keep northern Ontario competitive and current.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is supporting prosperity and opportunities in northern Ontario?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I’m going to try, but first I want to thank the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington for his amazing job and the important contributions he makes to our caucus.

It’s that time of year. Spring is finally here across northern Ontario. Leaders from across our vast region meet for an opportunity to discuss best practices every year—especially for the past five, under the leadership of this Premier, and the commitment from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to join municipal leaders and talk about the opportunities across northern Ontario. That was in full display in Thunder Bay.

What a lineup: Ministers Surma, Clark, Dunlop, Lecce, Pirie, Smith, and, of course, what I fondly like to call the minister for Thunder Bay, our amazing parliamentary assistant, Kevin Holland. We made a direct pitch to the importance of business expansion and development—179 job placements, to the tune of $7.8 million. We’re on fire—

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

Mr. Ric Bresee: I think I just heard $7.5 million.

It’s encouraging that our government is supporting common sense measures that will continue to build prosperity across northern Ontario. Many communities across the north are eager to take advantage of these opportunities that will help create jobs and expand business operations.

Our government must continue to work with our northern partners to build a stronger Ontario. The people across the north are counting on our government to deliver on our commitment to invest in key priorities that are relevant and important to their communities.

Can the minister please expand on how our government is continuing to invest in projects that will strengthen communities in northern Ontario?

Hon. Greg Rickford: Enough about northwestern Ontario; let me shift to northeastern Ontario, where yesterday I and my colleagues helped to kick off FONOM, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities conference—a phenomenal agenda. There we were again—several cabinet ministers making important announcements about what’s going on in northeastern Ontario.

I made a bit of a pivot. There are so many beautiful small towns up there in northeastern Ontario, and they appreciate our community development tranche that we put into the NOHFC when we modernized it, to the tune of $5 million. We talked about Blind River and rehabilitating their curling club; the township of St. Joseph and rehabilitating a children’s library; Gore Bay and upgrading the harbourfront and making it more accessible. These are the things that matter to young families and retirees in our community—good, hard-working families who want a great quality of life. We remain committed to just that.

Social assistance

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Paul, a tenant in my riding, was saved from homelessness thanks to the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit. This subsidy was supposed to last until spring 2024, but after the government slashed funds to this program, the funds are now set to run out by the end of the month in Toronto.

Will this government properly fund this program to keep individuals and families from ending up on the streets?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: I can’t believe some of the lines of questioning we get from the New Democratic Party, given the fact that we’ve increased our Homelessness Prevention Program by $202 million—and in the city of Toronto, by an additional $48 million. We continue to work with our service managers, and we continue to work with the federal government.

It’s interesting that this member asks a question about a cost-shared program under the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, as part of the National Housing Strategy. This member and his party refused to stand up for tenants and citizens in asking for our fair share of federal dollars. We’re being shortchanged $490 million by the federal government, and the NDP continue to sit on their hands.

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

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Aside from the very fascinating spin we just heard now, the government has responded to this in the media and simply blamed the cost of skyrocketing rents.

The government must take responsibility for the out-of-control cost of rent right now. There is an immediate solution, and it’s called rent control. Tenants don’t have time to wait for a market adjustment. They need relief right now.

Will this government support the NDP’s call to bring back rent control right now?

Hon. Steve Clark: Two days in a row, and the NDP continue to talk about failed policies.

Again, we put a plan in place that has seen, in the last two years, a record amount of purpose-built rental construction in our province, something that every community, no matter what corner of the province you’re in—we need more purpose-built rentals. What have we seen? Last year, 15,000 new purpose-built rental starts, and the year before, over 13,000—the highest we’ve seen since the mid-1980s. Again, we continue to work with our municipal partners, we continue to put a plan in place.

I want to remind this member—the NDP have sort of amnesia when they come to the House. Here’s a