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March 24, 2022

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Mar-24 vol. A (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 24 March 2022 Jeudi 24 mars 2022

Members’ Statements

Bait management / Gestion des appâts

Long-term care

Caregivers

Greek Independence Day

Member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan

Affordable housing

Seniors

Home care

GO Transit

COVID-19 deaths

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Affordable housing

Consumer protection

Assistance to tourism industry

Automotive industry

Long-term care

Land use planning

Electronic service delivery

Small business

Correctional facilities

Automotive industry

Autism treatment

Aggregate extraction

Curriculum

Child care

Home care

Business of the House

Deferred Votes

Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2022 / Loi de 2022 modifiant la

Loi sur le ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires (Commission de recherche sur l’aide sociale)

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Introduction of Bills

Ross Memorial Hospital Act, 2022

Armenian Heritage Month Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur le Mois du patrimoine arménien

Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act, 2022

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month

Petitions

Optometry services

Long-term care

Optometry services

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Optometry services

Orders of the Day

Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 visant à ce que l’Ontario reste ouvert aux affaires

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers / Prières.

Members’ Statements

Bait management / Gestion des appâts

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: I want to bring attention to the new bait management in Ontario, an important issue for the residents and outfitters in my riding and in MPP Mantha’s riding as well.

Ce nouveau règlement ne fait aucun sens pour les régions affectées par ce nouveau règlement. Soyons clair : je suis entièrement d’accord qu’il faut protéger nos lacs des espèces envahissantes. Par contre, les limites de zones de gestion des appâts posent des problèmes et ne sont pas réalistes à la géographie du Nord.

Speaker, this is only one example: A resident from Hearst can purchase bait in Hearst at the only bait seller in town in the green bait management zone, but cannot bring this purchased bait to Fushimi Lake, 30 minutes from the same bait management zone, because he must cross the orange bait management zone at some point to come back to the green bait management zone, where he is allowed to use the purchased bait. This new regulation puts residents subject to fines if they are stopped by MNR, but it’s also detrimental to the outfitters’ business.

Monsieur le Président, c’est simplement ridicule. Nous avons rencontré et adressé les problèmes au gouvernement. Nous avons fait des recommandations. Et avec la pêche et les élections qui arrivent à grands pas, cette situation est encore plus pressante.

Speaker, I’m asking the government to understand the urgency of this issue and to work with the affected communities to find a solution that makes sense.

Long-term care

Mr. Billy Pang: Today, I am happy to share about the long-term-care investments that this government has been making in my riding of Markham–Unionville.

Last Friday, I joined Minister Calandra and my colleagues in announcing the building of three new long-term-care homes and 640 new beds in Markham and Whitchurch-Stouffville. Such investments are crucial to ensuring our seniors get the care they deserve, especially considering the previous Liberal government only built 611 net new beds from 2011 to 2018, while leaving a wait-list of 40,500 people. I am especially proud of the Mon Sheong and Lang Yi homes being built in Markham–Unionville, which will bring 576 long-term-care beds to my riding.

However, the investments in our seniors don’t stop there. I am also excited to share that these Markham–Unionville homes will receive $2.5 million to increase staffing levels and improve care. I am proud to be a part of a government that takes long-term care seriously. I look forward to seeing how these investments improve the lives of Markham–Unionville’s senior citizens.

Caregivers

Mr. Joel Harden: One of the best moments of my time in this building was March 4, 2021, when all parties of this House passed Voula’s Law. My friend, Minister Raymond Cho, is here today. He was there and we worked closely with his office to send a clear message to care home operators across Ontario that it is unlawful and unkind to issue trespass orders to family caregivers or guests of people in care homes when there are reasonable complaints about the living conditions of loved ones in care homes.

What is unfortunate news since then is that more of these incidents have happened in Ontario. Thanks to our leader, Andrea Horwath, who allowed me to head out to Peterborough yesterday morning and to take a break from legislative duties here, I met with Diane Tamblyn. Diane Tamblyn is a daughter to a dad who is in a long-term-care home that has been cited for three serious infractions by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. That home has written a Trespass to Property Act notice to Diane, telling her that she is only allowed to go into the home between certain hours and that she is not allowed to go to the family council meeting.

Family councils are the bodies that are supposed to be there to adjudicate disputes, mediate conflicts. This home operator, which has a bad reputation, sadly, in the city of Peterborough, has taken this extreme step. I was there with Diane yesterday to defy that trespass act order and to go into that family council meeting. I encourage the minister responsible, I encourage the government, to get the parties back to the table and to uphold the important principle of Voula’s Law.

Greek Independence Day

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: I am pleased to rise today to mark 201 years of the independence of Greece. In 1821, the people of Greece rose up against the tyranny of the Ottoman Empire and re-established Greece as a free and independent country.

Greece is a land of philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle; of writers, such as Homer and Herodotus; and of leaders who shook the world, such as Alexander.

Greek emigrants have settled in countries around the world, first in settlements around the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and now in nations on every continent. In Ukraine—where Greeks have lived for thousands of years—in 1814, patriots founded the Filiki Eteria, the Society of Friends, in Odessa to plan the liberation of Greece. From Odessa, the society raised funds and enlisted supporters, who joined in the uprising of 1821. They fought for freedom, as patriots of Ukraine do today.

Hellenic Canadians are the children of the same diaspora excelling in many fields: business, education, medicine, politics, sport and many more.

The freedom of Greece was long the cause of Hellenes and philhellenes from many nations. It’s a freedom that has often been threatened, one that people have had to fight for over the ages. It’s not a battle that is won once; it’s an ongoing battle in defence of the right of people to be free, to choose their own leaders and to live in peace. The patriots of 1821 fought for this freedom for Greece and their spirit inspires us. Today, this same spirit and this same heritage drives the struggle for a free Ukraine.

Long live Greece. Zhto H Ellada.

Slava Ukraini.

Member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: As we near the end of this session, I want to say it has been a privilege and honour to represent the people of Thunder Bay–Atikokan. This work often takes us away from our loved ones. You miss birthdays, special occasions. You’re often preoccupied, and COVID put us in isolation many times.

I am blessed with three wonderful children, a son and two daughters. They have excellent partners in life who I feel are my children as well. I have two grandchildren who are growing up far too fast.

We all come to this work with our experience, and being a mother and grandmother is the most valuable experience I have found. The grounding and reminder of what is really important in life is due to the love and support of my family. They allow me to do this work with encouragement and support. They take care of my pets, water my plants, help me move and give me advice and perspective. I would not want to do this work without them. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

I also need to acknowledge the people in my riding working to help Ukraine and its people. My parents lived through the Second World War, and I am reminded of them so clearly when I see the devastation to families in Ukraine. I think of their bravery and how it must have felt to have children to protect during that time.

I am so grateful for my children and that my children are safe and thriving. I commit to continuing to do this work to make the world a better place.

Affordable housing

M me Lucille Collard: For Ontarians who always had a place to live, it can be hard to imagine what it feels like to be homeless. Whatever the reason may be for somebody to find themselves without a home, no one should have to sleep on the street or seek refuge in a shelter for any length of time. Relying on shelters for food and a roof is not a way of living, and crowding in a motel room, waiting for subsidized housing, is not a way for families to raise children. Everyone should have a chance at a fresh start, and having a place to call home can be the most powerful tool to motivate people to fully integrate into society and contribute to our economy.

We know the shelter model is no longer sustainable and that real help has to come from supportive housing, because what people need is assistance. We know we need more affordable housing to avoid having more people and families end up on the street. That’s why I have led an affordable housing and homelessness task force with my municipal colleagues for the last two years. What I’ve heard and what I have found out, during research and consultation with experts from here and abroad, is that we only need political will and political action to change the actual situation.

I will be bringing forward a private member’s bill that captures the results and recommendations that have emerged from this extensive exercise. I hope the government will take notice. I am also hoping that the government will be delivering more concrete measures to address this urgent issue.

Seniors

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the outstanding Canadian community on the 82nd Pakistan Resolution Day.

Speaker, when Ontario’s seniors have a problem, they come to us for help. They know that our government is working hard to make life easier for them. That’s why our government provided support for retirement homes to improve sanitation and hire more workers during this pandemic.

We also announced last month that we will distribute $11 million through the Seniors Community Grant Program. This funding will support more than 250 organizations. In Mississauga, this investment will allow the Shubh Helping Hands organization to host weekly workshops for seniors, the Church of Virgin Mary and St. Athanasius to help those who have been struggling with isolation and the Feng Hua Senior Association to teach new immigrants tai chi.

Ontario’s elderly, our most vulnerable, can trust that we have got their backs.

Home care

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Underfunding in health care and a massive staffing shortage has left our home care system in crisis. We all know seniors and people living with disabilities who would like to receive care at home instead of in a hospital or in institutional long-term care. They want to live in their own homes longer, supported and respected. But too often, the services that should be available to them are no longer there.

This crisis is felt acutely by the one quarter of a million Ontarians and their families that live with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

I recently met with Mary Burnett, the executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk, Hamilton Halton. I also spoke with Phyllis Fehr, who is living with early onset dementia. Phyllis described her determination to stay at home but also described the toll it is taking on her family.

This is an all-too-common struggle. Care partners and family members are unsung heroes. A staggering 70% of home care is provided by family care partners. The Alzheimer Society has made a reasonable request to this government to support individuals with dementia and their families by investing in at-home services.

Recently, the Premier said no to our opposition day motion to make much-needed changes and investments in home care and community care. It’s hard to fathom why this government is turning their backs on investments in care that would keep our loved ones with us in the comfort and the dignity of their own home. Families, health care, seniors and people with disabilities are all doing their very best. It’s time for this government to do the same, step up and do their part. It is time to help those that help others.

GO Transit

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: For many commuters across the GTHA, boarding a train at a local GO train station is just a routine part of the day, and as many employees return to in-person work, access to reliable GO Transit rail service is more important than ever.

It’s why I was very happy to announce last week that Metrolinx, with support from Infrastructure Ontario, has completed an initial business case, in partnership with the Niagara region, town of Lincoln and a third-party partner, for a proposed GO train station in Beamsville. The release of the IBC is the first step in the planning process to build a new station in my riding of Niagara West and it’s good news for local commuters. The proposed station will help connect people to jobs, education, health and community services while reducing traffic congestion and enhancing air quality while reducing emissions.

Expanded rail service in our region is key to local economic development and smart regional planning as more and more people call Niagara home. The station will improve access to businesses, housing, jobs and destinations in and around the town of Lincoln, attracting between 7,000 and 8,000 tourists to our region per year and complementing the proposed Grimsby station and the existing St. Catharines station.

As our local regional chair and former member of this House noted, a future GO station in Beamsville will help drive our economy, connect our communities and enable Ontario’s growth well into the future. This is just another example of how our government continues to build Ontario, creating economic opportunities for everyone across the province, including here in Niagara.

COVID-19 deaths

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brampton Centre, I understand, has a point of order.

Ms. Sara Singh: Speaker, I seek unanimous consent for the House to observe a moment of silence for the 227 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past two weeks.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brampton Centre is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to observe a moment of silence for the 227 Ontarians who have succumbed to COVID-19 over the past two weeks. Agreed? Agreed.

Members will please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Members may take their seats.

Introduction of Visitors

Le Président (L’hon. Ted Arnott): Dans la tribune du Président ce matin sont les stagiaires de la Fondation Jean-Charles-Bonenfant qui travaillent avec les députés à l’Assemblée nationale du Québec : Véronique Boucher-Lafleur, Jérémy Dufour-Dinelle, Gabrielle Jolicoeur, Victoria Thân, Julianne Toupin. Ils sont rejoints par les stagiaires PSALO Iqra Mahmood et Clare Simon. Bienvenue à Queen’s Park.

We also have with us in the Speaker’s gallery Mr. Victor Maligoudis, the consul general of Greece to Toronto. He is here today for the flag-raising ceremony in celebration of Greek Independence Day, which we’ll have at 12:10 this afternoon. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. Norman Miller: I would like to personally introduce Clare Simon, an Ontario legislative intern who is with the Quebec interns in the Speaker’s gallery and who is doing a superb job as part of our team.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’d like to personally introduce my placement student from the politics and governance program at X University, student leader Mary Rose Amaral, who is joining us in the gallery.

Hon. Stan Cho: I’d like to welcome to the Legislature Gideon Spevak. I’m trying to get him to volunteer for my team. Now that his name is in Hansard, hopefully the pressure is on, Gideon. Welcome.

Mr. Deepak Anand: I’d like to introduce my OLIP intern as well, Habon Ali. Thank you so much, and belated happy birthday. Yesterday was her birthday.

Question Period

Affordable housing

Ms. Sara Singh: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, for far too many Ontarians, the cost of housing is out of control. In my community of Brampton, one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, it’s so important that families have a shot at buying a home that’s in their community. But that dream is increasingly out of reach.

A new report by Mortgage Professionals Canada shows that Ontario is the most expensive place in Canada. They say that house prices here are more than 22 times higher than Ontarians’ average disposable income, which is even more expensive than cities like Vancouver. For example, in Peel, a two-income minimum wage household would need 51 years to save for a down payment today. We have an affordability crisis here in the province.

Why hasn’t the Premier taken action to make the dream of owning a home a reality for people?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course, we have a plan and we’re working on that. The plan started back in 2018, when the Premier said the province is open for business.

He then turned to the Minister of Energy and said, “Stabilize hydro rates in the province of Ontario and cancel the planned 19% increase of the previous Liberal government.”

He asked the Minister of Indigenous Affairs, “Work with First Nations to open up the Ring of Fire and develop a critical minerals strategy.” He did that.

He then turned to the minister of red tape reduction and said, “You have to do something about job-killing red tape that is driving away investment in the province of Ontario.” She did that.

He turned to the Minister of Labour and said, “We need more skilled tradespeople. Get more in the province. Change the College of Trades.” He did that.

He asked the Minister of Colleges and Universities to improve education so that the people who are in our universities can be trained for the jobs of tomorrow. She has done that.

He then turned to the Minister of Job Creation and said, “Negotiate a deal.” He did that: the biggest deal in the province’s history, announced yesterday, giving thousands of people the dignity of a job and access to more housing because—

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

The supplementary question?

Ms. Sara Singh: What the government House leader failed to recognize is that you need to have a home in order to turn the hydro on, and most people working minimum wage jobs simply cannot afford to call a place home.

The affordability crisis is only getting worse under this Premier. Tim Hudak, with the Ontario Real Estate Association, wrote last week that even as Ontarians dream of owning a home, “Ontario’s looming housing affordability crisis is clouding that dream....” Mr. Hudak says the problem is really one of affordability, and it’s getting harder and harder for people in this province to own a home.

Families like those in my city of Brampton need a government that will actually help build homes people can afford as well as take on greedy speculators that help push the prices up for working people.

Speaker, why isn’t this government listening to working Ontarians who want to have a roof over their head instead of letting this affordability crisis continue to get worse day by day?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Do you know the first thing that people need in order to buy a home, Mr. Speaker? They need a job. They need the dignity of a job. And yesterday, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade delivered the largest investment in Canadian history for the jobs of tomorrow.

This is a member, colleagues, from Brampton. What the minister yesterday delivered, not only for the people of Windsor but for the people of Brampton, for the people of all of Ontario, is something that will see jobs and economic growth and prosperity for decades to come. Thousands of people will have a job. They will be able to buy their first home because of the work that this government has been doing since 2018.

When it comes to affordability, the Minister of Finance has been working on that from day one. We cut taxes. We made an environment where people want to finally invest in the province of Ontario. That’s not what the coalition did between 2011 and 2018, but a strong, stable, Progressive Conservative majority government delivers and will continue to deliver after June 2.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Speaker, deflecting from the reality of the housing crisis isn’t going to solve the problem. And just in case the government House leader didn’t hear me the first time: In Peel, a two-income, minimum wage household would need 51 years to be able to save for a down payment.

Hard-working Ontarians want to be on solid ground, with a roof over their head, so that they can build their best life. But when we see prices skyrocket, like what happened last week with the new benchmark of over $1.8 million just to build a new home in the GTA, it’s going to be really difficult for people to do that. People need to live affordably, near their families, their friends and in their communities. Some are raising concerns that without major changes to make housing more affordable, Ontario will have trouble actually attracting workers to our province.

It shouldn’t be this way. Homes people can afford should be a priority of this government, not their developer friends and insiders. Where is the political will from this government to fix the housing crisis in Ontario?

Hon. Paul Calandra: I’m going to suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that the thousands of people who found out yesterday that they will have a job for generations and years to come, thanks to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, are the insiders we are listening to. The insiders who are working on the lines in Alliston, who are building the cars of tomorrow at Honda: Those are the insiders we’re listening to. The insiders who are working at Ford: Those are the insiders we’re listening to.

Under the policies of the coalition between the Liberals and NDP, GM closed its facility. Under the policies of this government, reducing costs, making this an economy and a province that you want to invest in, they reopened and are now building the cars of tomorrow. Those are the insiders that we’re listening to.

We’ve created thousands of jobs. We are doing even more to ensure that this is the best province to live, work, invest and raise a family. It’s because of the work that this government has been doing since 2018, under a strong, stable Progressive Conservative majority government. And that’s what we will continue to deliver now and after June 2.

Consumer protection

Ms. Sara Singh: My next question is also to the Premier. People who are buying a home or a condo need assurances that the deals they sign will actually be fair. But as we saw last year, some greedy developers demanded huge payments just to complete the construction of homes people already had contracts for. There should have been rules against this, and there should have been penalties levied against those developers.

So can the Premier tell us how many of those developers actually received a fine for trying to gouge honest people for hundreds of thousands of dollars for homes they had already paid for?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Government and Consumer Services.

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you to the member for the question. Thank you, Speaker, for the opportunity to respond. On this side of the House, we are committed to protecting the little guy. We’ve said it before, and the Premier said very, very clearly that nothing burns him up more than when a developer tries to make extra money off the backs of hard-working people.

We are ensuring that we are going to stop those types of practices, Mr. Speaker. That is why we are doubling fines for any persons who commit these type of infractions. We are going to ensure that if a developer is found to be breaking these types of rules, to be taking these types of unethical practices with hard-working Ontarians who are trying to just buy their first home—or any other home for that matter—we’re going to make sure that not only are those fines being doubled, but they can lose their licence to build for two years.

We are taking these types of initiatives to ensure that we’re protecting the little guy, to make sure that we’re looking at their past behaviour, something that didn’t happen in the past, to ensure they don’t lose money on those deposits and to make sure that they can get the reality of affordable home ownership here in this province.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: We’ve seen this rhetoric before from this government, and the problem with them is actually on the follow-through. The Premier railed against people getting gouged in the pandemic by greedy developers, but according to the CBC, not a single charge was ever actually laid. Homeowners who signed contracts to buy a new condo shouldn’t be stuck with even bigger bills for already pricey homes.

There are already fines in place with the Home Construction Regulatory Authority. How many of those fines have actually been levied to date?

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you again to the member opposite. Just imagine, Mr. Speaker, for a moment: You’re a developer out there and you’re thinking of cancelling someone’s condo project. You now have to look in the mirror and really ask yourself, “Do I want to compromise or risk a two-year suspension of my licence to build? Do I want to risk a doubling of the fines if I’m found to be doing something inappropriate in this fashion? Do I want to carry those risks? Absolutely not.”

We are ensuring that we are creating the tools for agencies like the HCRA to ensure that they are able to monitor the actions of our builders out there, to ensure there are teeth to the regulations that are going to give people the reality of home ownership yet again. We are protecting our condo buyers. That is what we’re doing. We’re protecting and supporting affordable housing, and we’re ensuring that developers are going to think twice before they try to take advantage of hard-working Ontarians again.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: I didn’t hear an answer from the Minister of Government and Consumer Services, so I’m happy to fill him in that there were actually 600 complaints filed last year. That’s 600 Ontarians who needed this government to take urgent action, and they didn’t. But the Home Construction Regulatory Authority lists only two companies—two out of 600—that were charged in the last year.

The cost of housing is out of control, and the lack of action from this government is helping those prices skyrocket. When people sign a contract in Ontario, they should get what they paid for, and the government should have their backs to ensure that bad actors aren’t taking advantage of homeowners. When will this government hold those actors accountable and help the Ontarians who have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and the possibility of owning their dream home?

Hon. Ross Romano: Well, the answer is now. The answer is absolutely now. We are ensuring that the tools are present to protect our homeowners. Imagine this: You used to be in a position under the former government—of course, supported by the NDP 97% or 99% of the time, depending on what day.

Interjection: A hundred.

Hon. Ross Romano: We’ll call it 100%, I suppose. The fact is that you could put a deposit down and it was actually a negative interest rate. You could actually see yourself lose money on your deposit if your condo was cancelled. Not only that but you had to make a formal complaint in order to have something launched where something could be investigated. Now it’s going to be automatic, Mr. Speaker—automatic launching of investigations any time a condo project is cancelled.

For the first time ever, we are also considering bad behaviour of the past. When these types of infractions occur, we’re now going to look at that to evaluate whether a person should face a punishment of up to a two-year licence suspension or should see a fine that could be doubled up to $50,000 and in some cases $100,000. These are going to ensure that we’re protecting condo buyers from these unethical practices, because, as our Premier said, we are always going to stand up for the little guy, and we’re going to ensure that people have the opportunity to purchase their first home.

Assistance to tourism industry

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Premier. Almost one year ago, the Premier and Minister of Tourism held a press conference to announce the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program. They promised $100 million in support for struggling tourism operators, who were hit first, who were hit hardest by the pandemic.

The minister said the applicants should expect an eight-week review process after the applications closed back in November. It has now been close to 25 weeks and not one single dollar of the $100 million has made it to the tourism sector. We are almost in April, and many businesses are struggling to find money to prepare for the upcoming summer.

Can the Premier tell the businesses when the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program funding will be released?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think the member is talking about the program that he and his colleagues voted against, if I’m not mistaken. Is that the one that you’re talking about? I’ll tell you what. The Minister of Tourism and Culture has been working since the start of the pandemic, really, to try to highlight how important it was that the recovery, post-pandemic, was quick and swift. We know that those are the sectors that were hit the hardest and will take the longest to recover, Mr. Speaker.

It’s not just about people’s enjoyment of facilities. It’s about the people that work in them. Think about the amount of jobs that culture brings to the province of Ontario, the thousands of people and the billions of dollars of economic activity. That’s why we put supports in place for them. It’s not just the actors, it’s the people behind the scenes: the hairstylists who work in the theatres, the plumbers, the electricians, all of those people in small towns across this country.

In my hometown of Stouffville, we cancelled the strawberry festival. That is an enormous potential for economic activity. And that’s why we put supports in place for all these communities, so that the recovery could be quick and fast. It’s unfortunate you voted it against it.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Michael Mantha: Speaker, it’s disappointing because “quick and fast” is not something which is in this government’s vocabulary.

Bruce O’Hare, president of Lakeshore Excursions, applied for funding in October. He has reached out to the ministry multiple times for answers on his application status. So far, zero, zilch, nothing—not even an acknowledgement. Same with Kathy Campbell, owner Onaway Lodge in Lac Seul, who is preparing for the opening of fishing season in just nine weeks. She has no idea if supports will come her way or even make it possible.

It is critical to give businesses an answer on whether they will receive the funds they applied for months ago. They need to plan, Speaker. Some operators are worried that they will have to close their doors before they can even get an answer from this government.

I ask again to the Premier, when will these funds reach these businesses? When will they reach these businesses? And will it be in time for the opening of this summer?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, it’s really funny to me, honestly, that the NDP ask questions about programs that they voted against, that they did not support. If it was up to the members opposite, none of these programs would have even existed. They voted against the small business supports—100% of them voted against that. They voted against the tourism supports—100% of them voted against that. They voted against the broadband that we’re bringing to communities across the province of Ontario, including in his riding, where we heard tourism operators say that without broadband, their businesses would be hurt.

How did they vote? They voted against it. They voted against the roads that the Minister of Transportation is building into their communities so that people can actually get to their tourism facilities.

On every single matter that would help smaller communities, that would help tourism and culture across the province of Ontario, they vote against it, but then they come and ask questions about, “Well, how we can make it better?” The way you can make it better is to vote in favour of the measures that are helping thousands of people.

Automotive industry

Mr. Robert Bailey: My question this morning is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Yesterday, Stellantis and LG Energy Solution announced their future battery factory in Windsor, a massive investment for the community and for the electric vehicle industry. This is great news for Ontario’s automotive sector and the local community at large. I’m sure my constituents, as well as all Ontarians, are curious to know more.

Through you, Speaker: Can the minister tell us what this investment means to the future of Ontario’s automotive and manufacturing sector?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you very much to the member for the question. Yes, Speaker, as you’ve heard several times in this Legislature this morning, LG Energy Solution and Stellantis have made a $5-billion investment in the province of Ontario. This is historic. You’ll hear many words used to describe it, but it is the single largest investment in the auto sector in Ontario’s history. This is historic.

Think about the two-year construction program, the thousands of good-paying jobs that will be required to build that facility—four and a half million square feet, the size of 112 hockey arenas; 2,500 new jobs when the plant opens—

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. Supplementary.

Mr. Robert Bailey: Thank you, Minister, for that great answer. This investment will be truly impactful for the local economy and for the broader automotive supply chain.

Under the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, automotive and manufacturing jobs fled this province. It’s great to hear that our government is taking action to reverse the damage they did to our economy for over 15 years.

Can the minister please tell us how this investment will support Ontario jobs and families for many years to come?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: This $5-billion investment is to produce electric vehicle batteries for the electric vehicles of the future that are being built here in the province of Ontario. This investment positions Ontario to lead North America in the EV revolution.

This investment is the culmination of our government’s work to restore the manufacturing might of Ontario. It began with lowering the cost of doing business by $7 billion; reducing WSIB costs, without reducing the premiums, by $2.5 billion; putting in an accelerated capital cost so businesses could write off their expenses in-year, saving $1 billion. We put in clean, competitive energy, top-quality manufacturing talent and access to investment-ready sites.

Speaker, all this will provide a place for 2,500 men and women to wake up every day and go to a good-paying job.

Long-term care

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the Premier. For-profit long-term-care homes had nearly twice as many residents infected with COVID-19 and 78% more deaths than not-for-profit homes. For-profit homes have a disproportionately higher COVID-19 mortality rate because of facility overcrowding and critical staffing shortages, yet this government continues to award contracts to build new long-term-care beds to private operators. Of 220 planned long-term-care development projects, over half are for-profit. In for-profit homes, long-term care is treated not only as a business but as a real estate investment for shareholders, and this is unacceptable.

Speaker, how will this government protect residents and prevent outbreaks in for-profit long-term-care homes as COVID-19 restrictions lift? Will they start to prioritize the care of seniors over profit?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, let me highlight the ways we’re going to do it. We’re going to do it by hiring 27,000 additional PSWs, nurses and allied health professionals. She voted against it. We’re going to do it by building 30,000 new spaces, which she is now telling the House she is not in favour of—too bad; I suggest they’re important. We’re going to do it by providing $380 million for prevention and containment measures—voted against it. We’re going to do it by providing IPAC, infection prevention and control.

The coalition that existed should have learned from the SARS epidemic, but they didn’t, Mr. Speaker. That is a failure of the NDP and Liberal coalition times. We learned from that mistake and we’re making sure that infection prevention and control funding is in place. And do you know what, Mr. Speaker? They voted against it. On every measure that we have put in place to improve long-term care in this province, guess who has voted against it, colleagues? The NDP and the Liberals, both separately and together in coalition.

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

Miss Monique Taylor: Properly funding not-for-profit long-term care is just one piece of this puzzle. We also need to invest in publicly funded home care to help seniors stay independent. Because of the lack of home care supports, more pressures are being placed on unpaid caregivers to support seniors with health challenges. One in three unpaid caregivers report profound mental, financial and physical impacts.

Speaker, this is completely unacceptable. Higher rates of caregiver distress signal the real need for more effective home care services and community supports. We need to make these investments to reduce the stress of caregivers and help them provide proper care for those they care for who wish to stay at home. Can the Premier tell us what his government is doing to increase home care options for seniors and supports for their caregivers?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Yes, I’d be happy to tell you about the supports that we’ve been putting into place to increase home care supports for seniors and other people needing home care services. We had heard from people that this system was broken, that it was antiquated. It hadn’t been reviewed since the 1990s, and that’s why we have taken action to modernize home care and community care, with Ontario health teams poised to take on its delivery over the next coming years.

We also passed the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, or Bill 175, which I believe you also voted against, which was passed in 2020. It lays the groundwork for integrated, responsive and innovative home and community care.

But it’s not just that: We’ve put money into it as well. We are investing an additional $548.5 million for three years for the home and community sector, and there’s more to do with respect to what we’re doing with the human health care workers as well.

Land use planning

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Speaker, good morning. Two weeks ago, the Minister of Municipal Affairs informed me that I likely didn’t know how this place worked when I asked whether the government was moving forward with a special executive order they granted for accelerated construction of a mega-facility in my riding rumoured to be for Amazon. Of note, Amazon hired the lobbying firm owned by the campaign manager of the governing party a month before the minister’s order was issued.

Speaker, I must admit, I didn’t follow the minister’s advice. I didn’t engage in backroom negotiations with city council, and I didn’t follow the minister’s actions and whine and complain and file legal complaints against advocates in my riding who have an opinion. Instead, I went straight to the people of Cambridge. Apparently, Speaker, that works around here too.

Now that council has voted against the proposed project the minister approved, is the minister going to pull the special order, as he previously promised, or is he going to break his own rules and proceed with accelerated construction of the facility for Amazon?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Jim McDonell: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. Our government has been very pro jobs, and we’ve been working on MZOs with great results, with new employment, new housing.

In the case of Cambridge, we issued the MZO as a response to the request from council. Council has not followed through on some of the requirements that they have that are a condition of the MZO. Minister Clark has been in conversation with the council, and the mayor of Cambridge is reviewing a letter that he received yesterday. But we reiterate that conditions must be followed. If they aren’t, then we will have to revoke the MZO. This is a decision of the local council. They are the heartbeat of the community, and we’re ready and willing to work with them.

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

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Thank you, Speaker. I have what I need, so no further questions.

Electronic service delivery

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Minister, on Tuesday, you held an important announcement in the city of London that signalled the next step our government is taking to continue making life and business more attractive and more affordable here in Ontario. Business owners across Ontario have long called on governments to support the growth and stability of our communities by placing the future of our province’s service delivery at the forefront of innovation.

As such, Speaker, I’d like to ask the minister to please tell us how the government’s new digital dealership registration will innovate how we do business in Ontario for years to come.

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you to the outstanding member from Oakville North–Burlington for her question. This past Tuesday, our government launched our new digital dealership registration program, or, as I like to call it, DDR for short. Very simply put, to the member, through you, Mr. Speaker, this is just creating an easier, faster, simpler system for Ontarians to be able to purchase a new vehicle. Now a purchaser of a new vehicle can walk into a dealership and leave on the exact same day with their new car.

You won’t have to worry about taking time to go down to ServiceOntario to register your licence plate, your vehicle or your permit. No, we are moving forward with our transformation in this government, in this province, to ensure that we are moving forward to give people the opportunities to have easier access to the things we all want and need.

That is why we are moving forward with further transformation here in the province of Ontario, because we want to make things easier for the people of this province, and more affordable, and we have every intention of continuing this initiative for the next four years as we continue—

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

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: I thank the minister for his answer. The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons about how we can work together to make public services more user-friendly and convenient for the hard-working people of the province. Even more so, we’ve learned how to positively leverage technology to our favour and open the doors for more people to be able to access a wide range of vital services from the safety and comfort of their own home.

My question, through the Speaker, is again for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. Could the minister explain how the DDR is contributing to service delivery in our province and what is being done to ensure that everyone is able to use government services regardless of their ability to physically or virtually access them?

Hon. Ross Romano: Thank you again to the member from Oakville North–Burlington for that very, very good question. Speaker, DDR is a major step forward in a series of ongoing innovations that we are doing here in this province to enable online vehicle ownership registration transfers. At full implementation, the DDR program will help streamline up to 4.8 million dealership registration transactions annually, all of which must currently be done in person. Now we’re moving those online.

Not only that, but the announcement that we made this past Tuesday marked the successful completion of our government’s mission to improve or bring online the top 10 ServiceOntario transactions here in the province.

Simply put, Speaker, this is yet another occasion of a promise made and a promise kept by Premier Ford and this Conservative government for the people, and we’re going to continue doing everything in our power to deliver on our commitment to be a digital-first, but not a digital-only, method of service delivery here in the province of Ontario. We’re just making things easier—

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

The next question.

Small business

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier. My constituent Victoria Velenosi, who runs a small business in my riding of Toronto Centre, recently reached out to my office about delays in accessing small business grants. Victoria said:

“I am among those who have been hanging on by the skin of our teeth for the last two years. My business is an event and live performance space that caters to the performing arts industry. As you know, my industry has been the first to be mandated to shut down and the last to be allowed to reopen.

“February 10, I applied for the third round of Ontario’s $10,000 for my business Space Space Revolution. I am still waiting to learn if my application will even be approved.”

Speaker, why is this government making small businesses like Victoria’s wait for the help that they desperately, desperately need to survive this pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Thank you for the question. I’m going to pick up where my colleague left off. Of course, this is a program that you’re speaking about that you voted against. We have now handed out over $3 billion in support to small businesses.

That is one that you voted against, but you also voted against the program she should be applying for, which is the electricity rebate, the tax rebate. Those are all programs that are available to small businesses. There are eligibility requirements—certainly there are. There are good follow-ups from the 1-800 number and from the ministry’s website—again, all programs that you voted against: the over $3 billion that has been such a vital support to these small businesses and has been their lifeblood.

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

Ms. Suze Morrison: Respectfully, back to the minister: I don’t know what planet you’re living on, but the small businesses in my community are telling you outright that the money is not flowing. You can pat yourself on the back, but the money is not flowing. They are waiting and they are languishing.

Speaker, small businesses can’t afford to wait any longer. Your program is not working. Victoria said:

“I have spoken with the relevant department about the Ontario small business supports, only to be told that my applications are still processing and I should continue to wait 60 calendar days. But my bill can’t wait that long.

“The delay happening is defeating the entire purpose of the program.”

Businesses like Victoria’s are the spaces that Ontarians are most waiting for to reopen, so that they can safely gather and experience art, music, culture, theatre and live performances. Businesses like Victoria’s help to fuel tourism and economic recovery. We need them as part of our recovery plan, and they’re not going to make it to be a part of that recovery plan if you don’t start flowing the money from your broken program.

Will you commit today to fix your broken program and start flowing the money that businesses need today, not 60 days from now, to stay open?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

The Minister of Economic Development to reply.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: This round of business funding that is out there builds on the nearly $3 billion that was provided last year through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant. In this new Small Business Relief Grant, we’re providing $10,000 to eligible businesses who were subject to closure. These are businesses who were ordered closed under the modified step 2 of the Roadmap to Reopen.

Those who were eligible for the previous grant were pre-screened to verify their eligibility. Newly established businesses—the few hundred that were established in that period—were able to apply for this new program, now that the portal is open. We want these businesses that are eligible to be supported, and that’s why there were so many opportunities for them to apply, to become eligible, to apply for the small business relief, to apply for the tax relief, to apply for the electricity relief, and I hope that they—

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

The next question.

Correctional facilities

M me Lucille Collard: Mr. Speaker, this government is going ahead with the construction of a 235-bed prison in Kemptville, despite major opposition from the Kemptville community. Residents don’t agree with this mega-project that is going to pave over acres of farmland. The municipality doesn’t have infrastructure, including public transit, to support this project.

Ontario Liberals are listening. We have called on the construction of this prison to be put on pause.

Will the government commit to a moratorium on the construction of the Kemptville prison so that they can take the time to actually listen to community concerns and answer some important questions that the municipality has?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Solicitor General.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Respectfully, we are working very closely with the municipality, the mayor, the clerk and everyone who has questions related to what this investment will mean to the Kemptville and area community.

When we made a commitment to an eastern Ontario expansion of a very-needed piece of our provincial infrastructure on the corrections side, it included the corrections facility in Kemptville. We’re in those planning stages now. Talks are continuing. We are working directly, as I said, with the municipality, including raising issues that directly will benefit the community in terms of access to land and access to additional services that, frankly, wouldn’t be there without this facility.

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

M me Lucille Collard: Respectfully, the mayor has been asking who is going to be paying for this infrastructure, and I haven’t seen any answer to this question.

To incarcerate a person in an Ontario provincial prison costs $300 per day. Speaker, 70% of the incarcerated people in our provincial institutions are just waiting for trial. Precedent has shown that these people can safely be allowed to live in their communities while waiting for their day in court.

The prison represents an outdated way of thinking about the best way to reduce crime. The government should be lifting people out of poverty and investing in community rehabilitation programs, not spending massive amounts of money to lock people up before they even have been convicted.

Does the Solicitor General think that continuing to pour money into the prison system is a fiscally responsible way to fight crime?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: If the member opposite’s question is, will our government support individuals who are in our corrections facility, whether they’re awaiting trial or bail, the answer is absolutely, unequivocally yes. Your party continued to say no and to pause these investments.

The investments are going to make a difference for corrections officers, for individuals who are serving in our institutions. We need the ability to offer those programming spaces to keep people safe, to stop recidivism and, ultimately, to make sure that when people successfully leave our institutions, they are going to jobs, to communities, and being a part of society. That will ensure we have a safer Ontario at the end of the day. That’s what our government is doing.

You can continue to say no. We will make investments.

Automotive industry

Mr. Michael Parsa: My question is to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Yesterday’s announcement from our Premier and the minister was an absolute game-changer for the city of Windsor as well as the province itself.

As we know, the previous government abandoned the automotive and manufacturing sector. As a result, the cost of doing business became so high that businesses and jobs fled to other jurisdictions.

Speaker, Ontarians are looking to our government to make Ontario open for business. So through you, I’m wondering if the minister can tell us what his ministry is doing to help attract the game-changing investments that LG Energy Solutions made in our province.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, since we were elected, we have been lowering the cost of business by $7 billion a year.

Since Toyota’s $1.4-billion investment, Ontario manufacturers have announced a further $13 billion in Ontario, and this is unprecedented in our history:

—$1.8 billion from Ford in Oakville;

—$1.5 billion from Stellantis in Windsor;

—General Motors, $1.4 billion in Ingersoll, and another $1.4 billion in Oshawa;

—Honda, $1.4 billion in Alliston;

—Dofasco, $1.8 billion in green steel in Hamilton; and now

—LG and Stellantis, $5 billion in Windsor.

Add our tech, our parts, our critical minerals, and we have everything we need to build the cars of the future.

Stay tuned, there’s much more coming.

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

Mr. Michael Parsa: I really do want to thank the minister for the answer.

As stated earlier by the government House leader, this investment will help secure Ontario’s automotive sector for decades to come. It really is great to hear that businesses have such renewed confidence in Ontario’s business climate that they’re willing to make multi-billion dollar investments here in Ontario. This is in stark contrast to the condition that the Liberals left Ontario in before we came in to office.

Speaker, we can’t stop now. Through you to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade: Will he tell this House what next steps our government will be taking to support the automotive sector for years and decades to come in Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Lower costs, lower costs, lower costs: That’s what you can expect.

There are plenty of words to describe yesterday’s $5-billion announcement. Some would say “historic.” Some would say “unprecedented.” Some call it a game-changer. But Mayor Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, may have said it best. He said, buddy, “We’ve bagged a unicorn.”

Mayor Drew and his Windsor Works team really worked. Our teams at our ministry, the Premier’s office, Treasury Board, finance, caucus and cabinet have all been rowing with the same set of oars, so our word, Speaker, is “teamwork.”

Thanks to all for giving thousands of people hope, but mostly for creating a place to work for those 2,500 people.

Autism treatment

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. Adi Chityala and Smitha Pradhan have a seven-year-old son, Rishi, who is diagnosed with autism. Rishi’s family have been forced to pay out of pocket for the critical therapy he needs due to this government’s delay, flip-flops, cuts and lack of supports for children with autism.

This year alone, Rishi’s parents will pay approximately $40,000 for a variety of therapies, far more than the $5,000 they eventually received from the government after months of waiting. They have seen solid improvements thanks to their intervention, but it has come at the cost of real financial challenges because of this government’s inaction.

This is my question: Will the Premier make good on his previous commitments, follow the recommendations of the Ontario Autism Program Advisory Panel and finally implement a needs-based funding system?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you very much for the question. Indeed, our government is implementing a needs-based autism program and we will continue to do that. We’ve doubled the funding. We have five times as many children in a program receiving services than under the previous government. We have 40,000 children who are receiving services who would not have received services under the previous government’s plan.

We are dedicated and committed to making sure children with autism and their families receive the supports they want. In fact, we have 32,000 payments that have gone out in the interim one-time funding, 3,365 children are enrolled in behavioural plans and 12,914 families are receiving foundational family services; the caregiver-mediated early years program—1,126 children receiving services; the Entry to School Program—912 children. The list goes on.

We are making sure that these children get the services they need, despite the lack of effort by the previous government.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: What I am hearing from constituents who are impacted by this government’s neglect of children with autism is that they don’t trust this government to help families in need anymore. This government promised families like Rishi’s that the wait-list would be cleared by the end of March 2020. Instead, as we move into 2022, the wait-list has ballooned to 50,000 people.

These families need help. It’s past time to stop playing politics with these numbers. When will this government stop ignoring the needs of children with autism and support children like Rishi?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Our government is absolutely committed to making sure these children receive the services and care they need. That’s why 40,000 children, approximately, are receiving the services right now, funded through the OAP. This is a multiple-pathway program. It is needs-based, it is comprehensive, it is family- and individual-centred to address their unique needs.

The opposition had the chance to support children and youth with special needs and they said no. They said no to the children who will be served by the Grandview children’s treatment centre in Ajax. They said no to the children who will be served by the Chatham-Kent children’s treatment centre and their families. They said no to the children will be served by 1Door4Care at CHEO’s integrated treatment centre. They said no and voted against the largest investment to support children with special needs, including autism, in two decades, and they voted against these investments, not once but twice in two budgets.

Our government is supporting children with special needs and children with autism. That’s why we doubled the OAP budget. It’s why we had an autism advisory panel and developed an integrated intake organization, building capacity that never existed to serve this vulnerable population, and we will continue to do—

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

The next question.

Aggregate extraction

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Premier. Tuesday was World Water Day, and most Ontarians would be shocked to know that gravel mines use two billion litres of water each and every day. That’s almost double the amount of water the city of Toronto consumes on a daily basis. Over 5,000 gravel mines are licensed to extract 13 times more aggregate than the province’s annual consumption, but the industry wants more.

Something does not add up here, so my question is: Will the Premier impose an immediate moratorium on all new gravel mining approvals and expansions until it undertakes an independent review of how much aggregate the province actually needs?

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

Hon. David Piccini: The government of Ontario supports keeping the province’s aggregate resources as close to markets as possible, while ensuring protection of the environment and human health. Enhancements to our water-taking program recently include giving municipalities more say in this process, expanding restrictions, better assessment and management, increasing transparency and data reporting—Mr. Speaker, I could go on.

In addition, we have launched the largest freshwater cleanup of its kind, taking place along Lake Ontario right now, working alongside a number of partners across Ontario to ensure that we balance both the need for aggregates while also protecting human health and our environment.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, with all due respect to the minister, AMO came to this committee, to this Legislature, and asked the government to indemnify municipalities’ legal obligation to protect their residents’ water, because of the weakening of water protections brought forward by this government. People are asking why the government is approving new licence applications when the industry is already has access to 13 more times aggregate than the province needs on an individual basis.

Speaker, you cannot eat gravel. You cannot drink gravel. So my question to the Premier is: He said no to an aggregate mine in Milton. Will he say yes to a moratorium on new licence applications in other communities across this province?

Hon. David Piccini: Mr. Speaker, here you see the contradictions and the pretzels this member, the leader of the Green Party, will twist himself into. He wants hospitals. How are you going to build them? He wants to invest in public transit. How are you going to build it? Aggregate washing and the fine-grain materials that we take as a result of that process are critical for that industry.

Speaker, we’re working with industry. We’ve seen the largest investments into the cleanest steel-making production in Ontario’s history. We’re working with industry on the largest, low-carbon public transit investment in Ontario’s history, with the Ontario Line.

That member is full of contradictions. Mr. Speaker. He’s just really saying no to workers who get up each and every day to build a more sustainable future. You have to balance the two. We understand that building a better Ontario means investing in hospitals, means investing in public transit, means working with industry to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We’re doing just that. We’re leading this nation and we’re not going to stop for the pretzel-twisting leader—

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

Interjections.

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

Please start the clock. Next question.

Curriculum

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning. There is no denying that two years of a pandemic and the longest school closures in any jurisdiction have had a devastating impact on our kids’ mental health. Experts have warned that these impacts will be long-lasting. Just this week, school principals and teachers are sounding the alarm that the resources needed in our schools are simply not there.

But instead of marshalling resources to meet that challenge, this government is rushing to bring back standardized EQAO testing. That’s going to add to the pressure that our students are facing every day. Speaker, why is this Premier spending millions on outdated standardized testing instead of investing that money in the direct supports that our students need right now?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My appreciation to the member opposite for this question. We understand, of course, as we spoke about in this Legislature over the course of the week, the importance of continued investments in mental health. That’s why our government has brought forward a 423% increase in mental health funding when compared to the previous Liberal government. We saw, of course, that this impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been absolutely noticed on students and staff alike, and that’s why we’ve made such continual investments in this area.

But I want to just address the fact that we modernized EQAO. We’ve improved EQAO assessments by digitizing tests so that the assessment of math and language skills can occur. We did this so that we can measure progress and make data-driven decisions. I hope that the NDP support data-driven decisions that will ensure we’re lifting student performance and enabling success in literacy and numeracy.

While we have seen that over 140,000 students have already taken this test, we’re going to continue to invest and support learning in reading and mathematics along with investments in mental health.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: I can’t believe how completely disengaged from reality this government is. Expecting an eight-year-old to type 150 words independently—that’s not modernizing. That’s adding stress. That’s completely disengaged from reality. And it is not just the fact that these standardized tests will add enormous stress for our kids when they’ve already been through so much. There are very real concerns about the politicization of EQAO under this government, starting with the appointment of a failed Conservative candidate as chair with a 400% pay hike.

Experts have long argued that these politicalized standardized tests aren’t even measuring what matters in our classrooms. They certainly won’t be useful after two years of significant disruption. So I’m asking the Premier again, will they finally wake up to the crisis that is facing this next generation, scrap the EQAO test and invest that money in direct supports for our children?

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: It’s disappointing to hear that the opposition apparently doesn’t believe in evidence-based, data-driven decisions when it comes to improving performance measurements for our students and enabling success in literacy and mathematics. It’s disappointing to hear that the member opposite and the official opposition, together with the Liberal government, don’t believe in modernizing the EQAO assessments, that they don’t believe in improving our system of standardized tests to ensure that we’re able to respond and provide the supports that are in place.

Let’s talk about a couple of the things that we’ve seen as a result of EQAO testing. We saw, under the former Liberal government, over half of students were unable to pass the EQAO math test—unbelievable reductions as a result of their failure to invest in education and closing 600 schools. What we’ve done as a result of that is responded with over $200 million to improve math scores and a four-year math strategy to hire over 800 board and school-based leads to ensure that we’re providing the supports that are necessary, responding to the data that is before us and ensuring that we’re making evidence-based decision-making.

Child care

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. Ontario has yet to sign a $10-a-day child care agreement with the federal government. We’re dead last. We’re right at the back of the pack. That’s a place where the Premier seems content to be.

This unnecessary delay has hurt families for years. It’s cost them thousands of dollars, and that means less money for things like groceries, kids’ clothes, kids’ sports, kids’ extracurricular activities, and it’s held back some families from having two incomes. The Premier’s message to these families: “Not my problem, folks. You’re just going to have to wait.”

Speaker, Ontario Liberals have committed to signing a deal and supporting families by retroactively giving them $2,750 a year to compensate for the Premier’s inaction.

Will the Premier get a deal done on child care? And will he commit to retroactively supporting families for the costs that they’ve had to incur due to his delays?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: It should give great comfort to those families that the Liberals are suggesting that they might give them some money back. For 15 years, the Liberals put in place the most expensive child care program in the nation, if not North America, but now, all of a sudden, the Liberals are going to give you back a few coins so that you can make up for all the hundreds of thousands of dollars that it cost you. And like the NDP, they would sign a deal before even reading it or looking at it. They would sign a deal that doesn’t get to the $10-a-day child care figure, Mr. Speaker.

I’ll tell you what we’re going to do instead. What we’re going to do instead is this: We’re going to wait for a deal that gives us $10-a-day child care, not only for today, leading into an election, but for future generations of Ontarians, because that’s what a responsible government does.

There is nobody—nobody—who ever would believe that a Liberal promise to put more money back in your pockets will ever amount to anything. There is just no chance. People know that, and that’s why a strong, stable majority Progressive Conservative government is getting the job done.

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

Mr. John Fraser: It’s clear that the Premier is not interested in making life any more affordable for these families. With all due respect to the House leader, I’ve heard his talking point before, and I only have three words for him: full-day kindergarten. The same full-day kindergarten that you all voted against. You all voted against it.

The same full-day kindergarten that the Premier said “Maybe we should cut this” about, two years ago, until families said, “No, that’s not going to happen.” The same full-day kindergarten that, for almost a decade, has saved families thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars a year. The same full-day kindergarten that you didn’t want, that lifted up our economy by allowing more people to come into the workforce. So I’m not going to take any lessons from the House leader on this.

Right now, is this government going to get a deal done and retroactively compensate families for the damage they have done by delaying for almost a year?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, I would suggest that that’s the problem: He is not taking lessons from this side of the House. He’s not taking lessons from this side of the House because the coalition of the “tax, spend and tax” has cost this province billions and billions of dollars. I talked about this yesterday.

The first time that these two parties coalesced into a coalition was back in 1985. In 10 short years, they cost $78 billion worth of debt. Now, as I said yesterday, as they’re sitting around the illegal pool in the leader of the Liberal Party’s backyard that he built on conservation lands—but as the Minister of Transportation, colleagues, he didn’t know that he was supposed to get a permit to build a pool on conservation lands. Oops, Mr. Speaker. As they’re sitting around thinking, “What can we do to make life better?” The last time, between 2011 and 2014, how much do you think that cost people?

It was $148 billion. And what did they get for it? They got 611 long-term-care beds. They got a health care system that was failing. They didn’t get subways. They got an education system that could barely get our kids the math and reading scores that they require. Failure on every level—

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

The next question.

Home care

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question is to the Premier. Over half of families in Hamilton are being denied access to essential home care services because of the home care worker shortage that this government has allowed to happen.

Lucy Morton, OPSEU regional VP, said, “Our members’ job used to be to care for clients. Now they teach families how to care for them.”

This is dire, especially for families in my riding, like Peter and Lynda. These home care supports provide dignity and essential care, but when there are no workers available, they put Lynda’s health at great risk.

Peter and Lynda are not alone. Over half of the requests for home care in this province are going unmet. The people of Ontario don’t need any histrionics from this government. They don’t need more pats on the back. This government recently said no to our opposition day motion to invest in a home care system that would allow people to live at home, in dignity.

When will this government act to address this urgent crisis in home care for the people in Hamilton and the people of Ontario who need your help now?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say to the member opposite we are already taking action to deal with our home care system because we have heard from people that in the past it didn’t respond to their needs. We’re modernizing the system. It’s outdated. That’s why we brought the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, which is going to form the foundation for the modernization of the system to provide integrated, patient-centred care to people.

We know many people are waiting for long-term-care spaces. Many people are also needing home care for wound care and other care. That’s why we are training nurses specifically to be able to deal with wounds, which form up to 25% to 30% of all the home care that’s required. They need that specialized care. We’re also investing $548.5 million to expand our home care services, and we are also making sure that we have added investments of $111 million for high-intensity supports at home. So we are already building a connected 21st-century home care system that’s going to serve the citizens of Ontario from now and for many, many years to come.

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

Business of the House

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Yes. I’m rising on standing order 59 just to highlight the status of business last week. I thank all colleagues for what has been a very productive week in the House, on all sides, and again, I thank the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade for a game-changing announcement.

On Monday, March 28, we will be debating, in the afternoon, Bill 100, Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act.

On Tuesday, March 29: in the morning, again, Bill 100, Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act. Before question period, there will be a tribute to former member Mr. Marvin Shore. In the afternoon, we’re debating a private member’s bill which will be introduced later today and, in the evening, PMB ballot item 34, standing the name of the member for Niagara West, which is Bill 89.

On Wednesday, March 30, in the morning, Bill 50, the Hungarian Heritage Month Act, will be debated. In the afternoon, we’re debating a government bill which will be introduced. In the evening is PMB ballot item 35, the member for Brampton Centre, which is private member’s motion 38. In the night sitting, it will be a debate—we’ll be debating a government bill which will be introduced later on.

On Thursday, March 31, in the morning, we’re debating a government bill to be introduced. Routine proceedings: There will be a ministerial statement by the Minister of Infrastructure. In the afternoon, we will be debating a second government bill which will be introduced. In the evening: PMB ballot item 36, the member for Oshawa, and in the night sitting, there will be a debate of a second government bill which will be introduced, again.

Deferred Votes

Ministry of Community and Social Services Amendment Act (Social Assistance Research Commission), 2022 / Loi de 2022 modifiant la

Loi sur le ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires (Commission de recherche sur l’aide sociale)

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 92,

An Act to amend the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission / Projet de loi 92, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur le ministère des Services sociaux et communautaires afin de créer la Commission de recherche sur l’aide sociale.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1144 to 1149.

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

Mr. Miller, Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, has moved second reading of Bill 92,

An Act to amend the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barrett, Toby

Bell, Jessica

Berns-McGown, Rima

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Bouma, Will

Bourgouin, Guy

Burch, Jeff

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Collard, Lucille

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Elliott, Christine

Fedeli, Victor

Fraser, John

Fullerton, Merrilee

Ghamari, Goldie

Gill, Parm

Glover, Chris

Hardeman, Ernie

Harden, Joel

Hatfield, Percy

Jones, Sylvia

Ke, Vincent

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Martin, Robin

McDonell, Jim

McKenna, Jane

Miller, Norman

Miller, Paul

Monteith-Farrell, Judith

Morrison, Suze

Mulroney, Caroline

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Park, Lindsey

Parsa, Michael

Pettapiece, Randy

Piccini, David

Rakocevic, Tom

Rasheed, Kaleed

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sattler, Peggy

Schreiner, Mike

Scott, Laurie

Shaw, Sandy

Simard, Amanda

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Todd

Stiles, Marit

Surma, Kinga

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Vanthof, John

Wai, Daisy

Walker, Bill

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise and remain standing as they’re counted by the Clerk.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 71; the nays are 0.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Second reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 101(h), the bill is referred to the Committee of the Whole House, unless—the member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek?

Mr. Paul Miller: I would direct the bill to the committee on social policy.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is the majority in favour of this bill being referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy? Agreed? Agreed.

The bill is referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.

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

The House recessed from 1152 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I beg leave to present a report on the pre-budget consultations 2022 from the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs and move the adoption of its recommendations.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Hardeman presents the committee’s report and moves the adoption of its recommendations.

Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: The Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs conducted its pre-budget consultations from January 10 to January 26. Public hearings were held over eight days via video conference for the following regions throughout the province: northwest, northeast, Ottawa, eastern, greater Toronto and Hamilton area, southwestern and central.

The committee heard from a total of 137 witnesses and received over 300 submissions from associations, organizations, businesses, community groups, municipalities, service agencies, trade unions and individuals. On behalf of the committee, I’d like to thank each and every one of them for taking the time to share their views with us.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the permanent membership of the committee: Ian Arthur, Vice-Chair; Will Bouma; Stephen Crawford; Catherine Fife; Mitzie Hunter; Logan Kanapathi; Sol Mamakwa; Jeremy Roberts; Dave Smith; and Vijay Thanigasalam; as well as all the substitute members who participated in the hearings held for each region and the report-writing deliberations.

The committee also extends its thanks to the Clerk of the Committee, the staff in legislative research and the staff at broadcast and recording, Hansard and

interpretation for their assistance and hard work during the hearings and report writing.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I move adjournment of the debate.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Hardeman has moved the adjournment of the debate. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Debate adjourned.

Introduction of Bills

Ross Memorial Hospital Act, 2022

Ms. Scott moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr65,

An Act respecting the Ross Memorial Hospital

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 89, this bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

Armenian Heritage Month Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur le Mois du patrimoine arménien

Mr. Babikian moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 105,

An Act to proclaim the month of May as Armenian Heritage Month / Projet de loi 105, Loi proclamant le mois de mai Mois du patrimoine arménien.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And would the member like to give a brief statement explaining his bill?

Mr. Aris Babikian: The Armenian community of Ontario is one of the oldest communities in Ontario. The first Armenians settled in Ontario—it was in the 1880s. Since then, the community has grown to over 100,000 in Ontario. They have communities from Windsor all the way to Ottawa, and anything in between, and they are very contributing members of our society. They have been involved and contributing in many fields like culture, education, economic and political institutions, arts, science, literature and other spheres of life. But also, most importantly, the Armenian community has a unique history in Ontario.

In the 1920s, the Canadian people launched the first international humanitarian relief effort by bringing 120 orphans to Georgetown. They settled them on a farm, and it is now a heritage building. It is the Cedarvale Community Centre right now.

I think it is appropriate that we acknowledge the Armenian community’s contributions to our society.

Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act, 2022

Ms. Stiles moved first reading of the following bill:

Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act, 2022.

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

Would the member for Davenport care to briefly explain her bill?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Yes. Thank you, Speaker. The Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act was first tabled in this place nearly a year ago and, regrettably, the need to address the disproportionate impact this pandemic has had on children and youth is even greater. Experts in child development, mental health and education are telling us that we must do much more to mitigate these impacts or we risk lasting harm to a whole generation of Ontarians.

The bill seeks to establish a child and youth action plan in collaboration with youth, to address the ongoing impacts of the pandemic. It would also create a COVID-19 recovery youth secretariat to ensure that government bills are looked at through the lens of their impact on children and youth. A new standing committee will ensure accountability and transparency so that these issues are not just paid lip service but are measured and acted upon.

A strong recovery for Ontario depends on the social and economic well-being of our next generation. This bill seeks to create a firm legislative foundation to make that happen.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I rise in the House today in recognition of Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, a month that is focused on teaching people across the province about the importance of Ontario and Canadian agriculture. With one in every 10 jobs and a $45-billion contribution in GDP connected to agriculture, a strong sector in Ontario means a strong province with good jobs, thriving rural communities and a safe and secure food supply.

Now more than ever, people appreciate the key role that Ontario farmers, food processers, retailers, transport and essentially every link along the supply chain—these links play a key and important role in keeping grocery store shelves stocked with Ontario products and our food supply chain strong.

While expressing appreciation to farmers is important, I know first-hand from growing up on a farm, raising beef cattle, cash crops and now goats; being vice-chair of OAFE, Ontario Agri-Food Education Inc., before being elected in 2011; and growing up in the 4-H program and learning to do by doing that agriculture literacy is about more than just recognizing and verbally appreciating our farmers. We can do so much more.

Agriculture in the 21st century is more than the quaint, albeit historic, images of open-air tractors, farmers in straw hats and milking cows on stools. Today’s farms employ robotics, data analytics, autonomous machinery, digital soil mapping—just to highlight a few of the best practices in the spirit of increasing yields, processing opportunities, global competitiveness and, most importantly, consumer confidence. Again, it’s about technology, it’s about automation and it’s about innovation, in 2022 and looking forward, and most importantly, it’s about building competitiveness and opportunity.

Last week, when I was in eastern Ontario, I met with a hundred farmers and agricultural leaders from Northumberland–Peterborough South, Leeds–Grenville, Stormont, Glengarry, Ottawa, as well as Dundas. During these conversations, they shared with me again and again that we need to show all Ontarians what modern farming looks like today and into the future.

Our government, I am very proud to say, understands the future of farming, and we’re leading by example in that regard. I’m so incredibly proud of the investments we’re making, and I’m equally proud of the work that we have done to support farm organizations, commodity groups and educational groups that are doing so much in an incredible way to make sure Ontarians understand and value food produced right here at home in Ontario. We’re continuing to support AgScape, formerly known as OAFE, and Farm and Food Care Ontario, so that those two organizations can continue to promote careers in agriculture to attract young people to our sector.

Did you know, Speaker, that in Ontario there are three jobs waiting for every graduate? He’s nodding his head, ladies and gentlemen. He does know that. But most importantly—I’ll repeat that: There are three jobs waiting for every graduate coming out of post-secondary education, whether it’s in trades, college or university institutions, and that is exciting because they’re good-paying jobs.

I also want to note that there is a record number of women pursuing these rewarding and, frankly, well-paid careers. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was at the Simcoe research centre with Minister Bouma—I just promoted him; with PA Bouma. I was so incredibly impressed, Speaker: five PhD researchers working at that station, all women, making a difference. That’s something that, as a representative of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, I am so incredibly pleased to see.

Let’s talk about these organizations that promote careers as well. Through AgScape, we’re providing resources to Ontario teachers. They’re essentially lesson plans that enable students to think critically about agri-food issues and the importance of supporting our local economy. Beyond that, our government has made food literacy a pillar of our grade 9 science curriculum. Now students across the province will learn about the science related to agriculture and food production.

I also need to recognize the incredible work by the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington and thank him for his relentless advocacy. He has done an amazing job of bringing a diverse group of people together supporting his particular passion, which is agriculture literacy. I look forward to hearing from him in the weeks to come right here in this House.

This may be Canadian Agriculture Literacy Month, but we need to ensure the conversations around food production, the incredible innovative opportunities in agriculture and the awareness we are raising does not end on March 31. We need to celebrate and recognize food production in Ontario 365 days a year because, ladies and gentlemen, farmers are working 365 days a year. Farmers, with their supportive workers, are out there every day ensuring we can have confidence in our food supply here in Ontario.

I would also like to acknowledge Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, which took place last week. Awareness is critical, and at this time, I would also like to take a moment to recognize Marion Feldskov, who passed away suddenly in Howick township in my riding. I offer my sincere condolences to her family. Marion worked tirelessly promoting the farming community, and she ensured volunteers united to celebrate not only their annual fair but their agricultural traditions as well. May Marion’s legacy continue to spark the commitment and interest in localized agriculture.

Why is it important to follow Marion’s lead and promote interest in local agriculture? Well, the reality is, Ontario’s agri-food sector drives the Canadian sector overall. We’re the breadbasket. And honestly, we can’t have these types of conversations without recognizing the state of affairs in eastern Europe as well. Our need to have a complete and competitive food supply chain where we are producing and processing right here at home has never been more important.

We need to ensure Ontarians have confidence in our food supply, and we need to be at the ready for when we need to support countries that need our help as well. Sixty-five per cent of the food processed in this province ends up on Ontario tables, and through our $25-million Strategic Agri-Food Processing Fund, we’re going to increase the amount of food processed right here at home.

Every single day, more than 723,000 Ontarians wake up to work in primary food production. I’m going to share that figure again: Every single day in Ontario, more than 723,000 people wake up and go to work in our agri-food sector, whether it’s directly on the farm, in food processing, distribution, food retail or service. It has never been more important to have Ontario be a hub for food production, from farm to fork, field to processor and beyond. This needs to be our focus going forward. I share that with you because Toronto is the third-largest food hub in North America, after Los Angeles and New York.

Everyone in the House today and everyone watching, please join me in recognizing Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month and thank everyone who takes time to share their agri-food knowledge and their passion, and encourage them to keep growing right here in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Responses?

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s always an honour to stand in the House, and today to spend a few moments talking about Canadian agriculture and specifically Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month. One in every 10 jobs in Ontario is agriculture-related, is related to processing the food we eat. As the minister said, 723,000 people get up in the morning and work in the agri-food sector.

I think over the last two years, many people in Ontario have truly come to appreciate what agriculture is, because for the first time in our generation, they’ve seen empty shelves and they’re wondering where our food actually comes from. That’s something that people need to know. People need to know where our food comes from, how it gets to your table, how it gets to the store. Many people do think that agriculture is still mom and pop and two little kids in straw hats. It’s not that anymore; it’s not that anymore. It’s robotics. It’s computers.

But there are some things in agriculture that haven’t changed. Agriculture is people who know the feel of the soil when it’s dry enough to plant. That’s something that a computer or a robot, I think, is a long ways away from. The one thing about people in agriculture communities is, they plant, they watch things grow, they watch things live and they watch things die. We, the people in agriculture, have a full understanding of what goes in to eating a steak, the sacrifices that have been made by people, and by animals, in eating that steak. We know that.

And we have to make sure, people in agriculture and people in government, that everyone understands all the steps that are taken, all the precautions that are taken. It’s incredibly important. There are a lot of groups that do that already—farm and foodscape and OAFE—but we need to do more, and I think it’s not a partisan issue. We need to do more, because Ontario is an agricultural powerhouse; it is. But to remain an agricultural powerhouse, we need to make sure the people know that the jobs that are available are incredible.

From my personal experience, I have four kids and only one is involved in agriculture. One of the reasons that the other ones aren’t involved is when they went to high school, they were told by the guidance counsellors that there’s no future in agriculture. I’ve got a lawyer, and I’ve got a GIS specialist. We have to make sure that stops, because there is an incredible future in agriculture. It’s a future on which we all depend. It is the future.

We also have a responsibility to protect the foundation of what agriculture is built on, which is the land. Now, we can increase productivity, and farmers have done a great job of it, and through the whole sector. But at the end of the day, if you don’t have the soil, you don’t grow the crop, you don’t feed the steer and you can’t supply your own food. We are lucky; we can access food from across the world. But we know that you have to be able to supply your own people in times of need. You have to.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Farmers feed cities.

Mr. John Vanthof: Farmers do feed cities. We feed cities across the world, but we have to make sure that we retain the capacity to feed our own people.

I’m going to give a shameless plug to something. I never thought I would promote a Netflix program. I never thought I would, and not everyone likes this show. It’s a reality show. But if you know nothing about farming, and even if you know a bit about it—Netflix: Clarkson’s Farm. It’s a reality show, but it does show the problems that farmers face.

For those of you who are wondering, someone on that show, that 20-year-old kid who has never been 20 kilometres from his farm but he knows every farm within three kilometres—that was me, and I’m incredibly proud to be able to say that today.

Petitions

Optometry services

Mr. Michael Mantha: I’m honoured to read this petition on behalf of the good people in Sudbury, Elliot Lake and Chapleau. It says:

“Petition to Save Eye Care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I agree with this petition and present it to page Pallas to bring it down to the Clerks’ table.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the province of Ontario requires a minimum but no maximum temperature in long-term-care homes;

“Whereas temperatures that are too hot can cause emotional and physical distress that may contribute to a decline in a frail senior’s health;

“Whereas front-line staff in long-term-care homes also suffer when trying to provide care under these conditions with headaches, tiredness, signs of hyperthermia, which directly impacts resident/patient care;

“Whereas Ontario’s bill of rights for residents of Ontario nursing homes states ‘every resident has the right to be properly sheltered ... in a manner consistent with his or her needs’;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Direct the Lieutenant Governor in Council to make regulations amending O. Reg. 79/10 in the Long-Term Care Homes Act to establish a maximum temperature in Ontario’s long-term-care homes.”

I fully support this petition, sign it and give it to page Callum to deliver to the table.

Optometry services

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Good afternoon, Speaker. I have a petition that comes from the people of the town of Belle River, the town of Essex and the city of Windsor. It’s a petition to save eye care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning” last “September...;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I fully support this petition. I’m going to sign it and give it to Ria to bring to the table.

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: The petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and I want to thank Amy Bolton from Smiths Falls for submitting this.

“Whereas:

“—In the past 10 years in Ontario, 86% of all movies with on-screen smoking were rated for youth;

“—The tobacco industry has a long, well-documented history of promoting tobacco use on screen;

“—A scientific report released by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit estimated that 185,000 children in Ontario today will be recruited to smoking by exposure to on-screen smoking;

“—More than 59,000 will eventually die from tobacco-related cancers, strokes, heart disease and emphysema, incurring at least $1.1 billion in health care costs; and

whereas an adult rating (18A) for movies that promote on-screen tobacco in Ontario would save at least 30,000 lives and half a billion health care dollars;

“—The Ontario government has a stated goal to achieve the lowest smoking rates in Canada;

“—79% of Ontarians support not allowing smoking in movies rated G, PG, 14A (increased from 73% in 2011);

“—The Minister of Government and Consumer Services has the authority to amend the regulations of the Film Classification Act via cabinet;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“—To request the Standing Committee on Government Agencies examine the ways in which the regulations of the Film Classification Act could be amended to reduce smoking in youth-rated films released in Ontario;

“—That the committee report back on its findings to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and that the Minister of Government and Consumer Services prepare a response.”

I fully support this petition, will sign it and pass it on to page Pallas to deliver to the table.

Optometry services

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I have a petition to save eye care in Ontario, with signatures collected by Byron Optometry.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I’m proud to affix my signature to this petition and will send it to the table with page Rhythm.

Orders of the Day

Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 visant à ce que l’Ontario reste ouvert aux affaires

Ms. Jones moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 100,

An Act to enact legislation to protect access to certain transportation infrastructure / Projet de loi 100, Loi édictant une loi pour protéger l’accès à certaines infrastructures de transport.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the Solicitor General care to lead off the debate?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you so much, Speaker. It is indeed a pleasure to rise in the House today to open debate of Bill 100, the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, 2022, which I introduced on Monday. I will be splitting my time with the Attorney General and the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation.

Safe and open international border crossings tie Ontario to the world. Hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods for people and businesses pass through our international borders every single day. They are loaded onto planes at our international airports or cross bridges into the United States where truck drivers take them to their next destination. This freedom of movement is why Ontario is poised for massive economic growth. It is the foundation on which countless hard-working moms and dads make their living. Recent events, like the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, have hurt these very people.

In February 2022, a group of individuals shut down one of Canada’s most important international border crossings.

Approximately $17 million of trade crosses over the Ambassador Bridge hourly, making up 25% of all Canada-US trade. The six-day blockade in Windsor of the Ambassador Bridge disrupted billions of dollars of international trade. Supply chains were stalled, manufacturing facilities closed and employees were sent home because parts were not arriving on time. Our auto sector took huge losses, as did agricultural and many other industries. Impacts of the illegal blockade were felt throughout Ontario in Oshawa, Hamilton and Peterborough, far beyond the blockade itself.

This, unfortunately, shook investor confidence in Ontario as a reliable place to invest and locate manufacturing facilities. This caught the attention of the President of the United States at, what I don’t need to tell you, is an important time in our trading partnership.

The economic disruption caused by the blockade was compounded by public safety threats, and resulted in significant amounts of police overtime and increased policing costs. It did something else: It highlighted to Ontarians how important it is for police to have the right tools to effectively protect Ontario’s international borders, and how important freedom of movement is for people and businesses.

The professionalism of officers from the Ontario Provincial Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Windsor Police Service and services from Brantford, Chatham-Kent, Hamilton, LaSalle, London and Waterloo was evident as they worked together to clear the blockade at the Ambassador Bridge safely and professionally. In addition to their excellent skill and preparedness, they were able to do so because on February 11, 2022, Premier Ford declared a province-wide emergency, pursuant to

section 7.0.1 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

On February 12, 2022, the government approved O. Reg. 71/22, the Critical Infrastructure and Highways emergency order. This emergency order provided police services with the tools necessary to remove the illegal blockade at the Ambassador Bridge, with the authority to order the removal and storage of vehicles and objects used to block the flow of people and trade. It enabled the registrar of motor vehicles to suspend and revoke the licences, vehicle permits and commercial vehicle operator registration certificates of those individuals who were holding up trade and commerce.

This emergency order was necessary because without it, police and the registrar of motor vehicles would have had to piece together provisions from multiple statutes, which may be possible during the normal exercise of duties but was challenging in an emergency context. The tools they had available, such as fines, were not as effective at dispersing the crowd when compared to the seizure of vehicles. And the lack of heavy equipment, such as tow trucks, and the unwillingness of some tow truck operators to assist meant vehicles were not being removed. Even with the emergency order, police were limited by what the province could enable under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

I hope we can all agree that it should not take an emergency order for police to be able to clear a shutdown of an international border crossing. Blockades of this nature are illegal, and we need to give police the tools necessary to remove them.

In light of recent events, workers, businesses and certainly our trading partners will not accept the status quo. They will not accept existing legislation that does not keep Ontario open for business. We must take this opportunity to increase provincial capacity to respond to disruptions at international border crossings like bridges and airports that can have widespread impacts on our economy and the flow of trade. That is why our government has brought forward Bill 100, the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act.

Bill 100 fulfills a commitment Premier Ford made to the people of Ontario in February to bring forward new legislation to ensure our borders remain open for people and businesses. If passed, it will better protect critical international border crossings from unlawful blockades. The proposed act would protect jobs and shield the economy from future disruptions. It is our talented workforce and job creators that make our province a strong, reliable trading partner, and this bill is a signal to the world that we will continue to be open for business in Ontario.

In a moment, I will walk this Legislature through the measures included in Bill 100. But first, I want to be clear that the legislation we are proposing is specific to illegal blockades at border crossings that disrupt ordinary economic activity or interfere with the safety, health or well-being of the public. We scoped the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act very narrowly. If passed, it will have no impact on the right to peaceful, lawful and temporary protests. It does not apply to impediments that are minor or easy to manoeuvre around.

The goal here is to help ensure public safety and limit the economic severity of disruptions in a timely manner if they arise in the future. To accomplish this, we are proposing measures that provide the necessary tools to clear impediments quickly and safely.

While international border crossings such as international airports are under federal authority, the province does have an active role to play. Local and provincial police are, of course, the first responders to situations of unrest and disruption at these significant sites. That is why

section 1 of the proposed legislation applies to:

—any land or water border crossing point between Ontario and the United States;

—any airport that regularly accommodates flights directly between Ontario and a country other than Canada that is prescribed by regulations made under the act; and

—as situations arise where government deems it necessary, any other transportation infrastructure that is of significance to international trade that can be prescribed by the regulation made under this act.

The proposed act would prohibit all persons from impeding access to, egress from and ordinary use of protected transportation infrastructure if a number of conditions are met, including: disrupts ordinary economic activity, including international trade; or interferes with the safety, health or well-being of members of the public. The act would also prohibit people from helping others to impede international border crossings, for example, by providing fuel. Again, these prohibitions do not apply to impediments that are trivial, transient or minor in nature or those that can be moved around easily.

And this legislation would have no impact on impediments that are specifically legally authorized or required or that are caused by law enforcement in the course of their duties.

The legislation provides the authority for police to impose roadside suspension of driver’s licences and vehicle permits or to seize licence plates for up to 14 days when a vehicle is used in an illegal blockade of critical transportation infrastructure. These provisions would also apply if a vehicle were used to illegally assist a person who was illegally impeding access to protected transportation infrastructure.

Currently police have a range of tools available to respond to the unsafe use of vehicles, objects or individuals blocking roadways. What we have seen is that these need to be supplemented with additional tools to quickly address serious interference of infrastructure used in international trade. Enabling police to take immediate action provides the required tools to clear road blockages more quickly and effectively.

We are also proposing additional tools for the registrar of motor vehicles to suspend or cancel the plate portion of a commercial motor vehicle or a trailer permit, or a commercial vehicle operator’s registration certificate, commonly known as a CVOR. Permit suspensions or cancellations would apply to trucks, buses and commercial trailers. These powers provide significant consequences for the misuse of a commercial vehicle or trailer to interfere with protected transportation infrastructure.

A suspension or cancellation of a commercial vehicle operator’s registration certificate has significant impacts to Ontario-based companies. The suspension is not only in effect for the vehicle identified as being involved in the blockade, but could impact the entire company’s fleet associated with that commercial vehicle operator’s registration holder. Where there is a vehicle permit suspension or cancellation ordered by the registrar, police officers and Ministry of Transportation enforcement officers may seize the licence plate for all affected vehicles registered to that company.

In addition, the legislation would give police officers the discretionary power to remove and store objects, including vehicles, that make up an illegal blockade. Essentially, if an owner or operator is unwilling to comply with the direction to remove an object involved in a blockade, including a vehicle, Bill 100 would provide police officers with the ability to remove it themselves or have someone else remove the object for them and store the object for up to 30 days.

Police would be required to make reasonable efforts to notify the owner, and any costs or charges associated with removal or storage would need to be paid by the person or persons responsible for the object, as they are today when a vehicle is impounded or towed.

If passed, our legislation would enable police to arrest individuals who breach the act and fail to follow police direction to stop participating in a blockade. It would also require individuals to identify themselves to police when police intend to lay a charge, as is the case when charges are laid for trespassing.

Individuals could be arrested if they fail to follow a police officer’s direction to stop impeding critical border infrastructure, fail to follow a police officer’s direction to stop assisting others with such an impediment, fail to follow a police officer’s direction to disperse, or interfere with or obstruct police or others from performing a duty or function under the act.

When it comes to offences, the maximum punishment for breaching any offence under the new legislation, except a failure to identify oneself, is one year’s imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $100,000 for an individual. Directors and officers of corporations can face up to $500,000 in fines or up to one year’s imprisonment or both. Corporations can face up to $10 million in fines. Failure to comply with the proposed requirement to identify oneself would result in a fine of up to $5,000, as is the case under the Provincial Offences Act.

We do not take any of these measures lightly. To ensure accountability and transparency, we have built into the proposed legislation that the ministry responsible for the act, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, would be required to conduct a review of the act once it has been in force for one year. This would require a written report to be published online and tabled here in the Legislative Assembly. The review would have to be published and tabled within 18 months of the act coming into force.

International border crossings like the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia and the Peace Bridge in Niagara Falls are the arteries that keep Ontario’s manufacturing pumping. Ontario is the number one export destination for 19 US states and the number two export destination for seven US states. Overall, trade with the US accounts for 79% of Ontario’s exports and over 52% of imports. Any threats to our border crossings are threats to our jobs, our business and our economy.

To put this in perspective, at the height of COVID-19, it was Ontario’s Pearson airport that served as the hub for the delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout Canada. Speaker, this bill is a necessary step to defend our economy and the flow of goods and people from future disruptions to international border crossings like these.

The mayor of Windsor, Mayor Drew Dilkens, has praised the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, saying the proposed legislation should go a long way in preventing any future blockades from even happening again in Windsor: “This absolutely sends a strong signal and will make any sensible person think twice before they undertake this type of protest again and block an international border crossing....

“A signal has to be sent how there will now be severe consequences for that type of action.”

In Sarnia, Mayor Mike Bradley has also stated his support of the legislation, saying that it may limit the need for large police actions to respond to blockades in his city or elsewhere: “What happens in Windsor hurts here and even the blockade on the 402 had a negative economic impact. Again, it was the right thing to do, what the government is proposing.”

Our trade corridors form a tightly woven network where disruption of one piece of infrastructure can have a cascading impact on the entire province. I have no doubt that without quick and decisive action by our government, the individuals who shut down the Ambassador Bridge would have expanded its blockade to include the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia and the Peace Bridge in Niagara Falls.

This legislation isn’t just responsive to events in Windsor; it is preventive so that we are never again in a position where illegal blockades come at the expense of countless hard-working families. If passed, the legislation will safeguard our industries, reinforce our position as a strong and reliable trading partner, ensure that illegal disruptions to trade are quickly addressed and make certain that the US and the world know that Ontario remains open for business.

I thank Premier Ford for making Bill 100, the Keeping Ontario Open for Business Act, a priority, and I thank my colleagues the Attorney General and the Minister of Transportation for their valuable input to make this a strong and effective piece of legislation.

I encourage all members to support this bill, which will benefit each and every community across Ontario.

The Acting Speaker