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August 25, 2022

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Aug-25 (PDF)

L010 - Thu 25 Aug 2022 / Jeu 25 aoû 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 25 August 2022 Jeudi 25 août 2022

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Members’ Statements

Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region

Canada Summer Games

Veterans

Long-term care

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Child care

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace

Member for Markham–Thornhill

triOS College

Introduction of Visitors

Legislative pages

Question Period

Long-term care

Privatization of public services

Health care

Health care post-secondary education

Nurses

Child care

Home care

Climate change

Skilled trades

Climate change

Housing

Employment standards

Electricity restructuring

Health care

Social assistance

Automobile insurance

Introduction of Visitors

Introduction of Bills

405456 Ontario Limited Act, 2022

Ending Automobile Insurance Discrimination in the Greater Toronto Area Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 mettant fin à la discrimination en matière d’assurance-automobile dans le Grand Toronto

Northern Health Travel Grant Advisory Committee Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 sur le Comité consultatif des subventions aux résidents du Nord de l’Ontario pour frais de transport à des fins médicales

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate / Débat sur le discours du trône

The House met at 0900.

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

Prières.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, we’ll have a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Orders of the Day

Throne speech debate

Resuming the debate adjourned on August 10, 2022, on the motion for an address in reply to the speech of Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor at the opening of the session.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning. I have about seven and a half minutes to complete my response to the throne speech of about two weeks ago. I just want to start by reflecting back. I won’t repeat what I said in the first part of my response to the throne speech, but I was noting when I was reviewing what I said last time that, in the moment, when this throne speech was first presented, the government was using that opportunity to reassure Ontarians about the state of our hospitals and the crisis in emergency rooms.

They were saying things like, “High-urgency patients are finishing their emergency visits within target times,” which is not what we’re hearing, of course, from hospitals, and continue to hear. So we were commenting on the fact that the government was seeing this all through rose-coloured glasses.

In the meantime, since that throne speech was first presented, the government has used this opportunity to actually leverage what I think is a crisis in our emergency rooms and in health care as an opportunity to further privatize health care in this province and to push patients—vulnerable people—out of hospitals and into long-term-care facilities without their consent, which is another bill which we will be continuing to debate, although apparently which won’t be appearing before committee where anybody else in this province will have a chance to comment.

I wanted to start there because I think that’s important context, because what the government has gone from in the last few weeks is to take a situation in this province that is very, very dire, which is frightening for so many people in my community and across this province, and then use that and exploit that opportunity to, at the end of the day, pad the coffers of shareholders and exploit the opportunity to further privatize health care in this province.

One of the things I meant to do the last time I was responding to this is reflect on something that one of my constituents shared with me, because in the first question period of this government, of this session, I asked the Premier and the health minister about whether or not this was the kind of level of care that Ontarians could expect from this government. I had a constituent call me very distraught about the state of our health care system. They brought their son to SickKids after he broke his finger and faced a five-hour wait after being examined in a hallway.

When they complained, the staff told them, “Call your MPP. We’re exhausted here.” And I suspect that people are calling. I think they’re calling the members opposite; they’re certainly calling us. The government, again, is using this opportunity to take a path toward privatization instead of doing what really needs to be done, which is addressing the staffing crisis.

The government could, right now—and I called for this yesterday in my comments on Bill 7—stop their low-wage policy, stop this arbitrary cap on health care workers and other public sector worker salaries and repeal Bill 124—easy. Just do it.

I want to talk for a few more minutes though and use the opportunity I have now to talk about another area which I think is very important to many Ontarians. When we talk about this government’s attempt to privatize public health care—and we’ve put this government on notice that we will not stand for that and the people of this province will not stand for that. But I wanted to also talk about another area which people in this province care very deeply about, which this government has opened up the door to privatization, and that is education.

Tacked on to this throne speech was the offer of another direct payment program. The finance minister and the education minister continue to have few-to-no details about what’s going to happen here, but when we do the math, it really works out to a payment directly to parents of about $50 per student or per family to cover private tutoring costs. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that I have received nothing but outrage from families about this as they face another September with classrooms packed to the rafters and kids who are struggling.

What they want to see is actually what their taxes pay for, which is an investment in public education. They know that every dollar that you put into that public education system, you’re going to get so much more out of it, and kids are going to benefit so much more from that than from any dollar that’s put into a pocket, which is going to pay for, what—$50? You might get an hour of tutoring, if you’re lucky, and most tutoring programs are going to cost a lot more than that.

The other part of it that I think is really frustrating for families is it puts the onus on parents to go out and supplement their kids’ education because this government has let them down again. I’ve got to tell you, my youngest is now heading into university this year, and so I’m out of that part of the education system to some extent, but the years as a working parent that my partner and I spent trying to support our kids while juggling full-time jobs—this is the reality for so many families, and many more who struggle more and have to juggle multiple jobs.

And then to have to think, “Okay, I put my child in this school. I know that their teachers and other education workers care for them and are looking out for them”—but my gosh, the added stress of having to seek out additional support for them, that’s something that only very few people have the privilege to do. It’s not just a money issue, it’s a time issue. It’s really difficult for so many families who are already struggling with that.

I wanted to say, Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, that the government thinks they can throw 70 bucks or 50 bucks at a family and that that’s going to cover up the growing class sizes or the growing mental health and anxiety issues our kids are experiencing. This stripped-down, bare-bones approach to education that denies our children the quality of education they could be getting in so many other countries, frankly, and putting our province and those families at a huge disadvantage is really, very—not just unfortunate; it’s really deeply disappointing.

I want to imagine for a moment a future where kids go to school hungry to learn, not hungry for food—it really shouldn’t be too much to ask—a future where kids go to school and get the supports they need; where teachers and other education workers aren’t exhausted; where you can have one educational assistant maybe per class. Imagine that, instead of one per school or two per school. Imagine a future like that.

But this is where we’re at with this government. They had a chance to lay out a plan with solutions to address the crises we face in education and health care and cost of living, and they chose not to. But it’s not too late to do the right thing. People aren’t looking for business as usual, because that has not been working for them. They want to see all of us here in this place get to work and deliver for them, so I invite the government to work with us, to listen to the voices of front-line workers, to invest in the public services and solutions that will help lift all Ontarians and chart a better, greener future for all of us.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll now invite questions to the member for Davenport, if there are any.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I was listening to the member continuing her speech. I find it interesting. We all come to this place with good intentions to provide more hope and opportunity for the residents of Ontario, and I was hoping we would start on a new foot in the sense of, let’s invest more in home care, let’s invest more in our seniors, let’s really lift up Ontarians so they can have a better, brighter future. And time after time, I just find the opposition, instead of providing solutions and working with us to progress legislation, they just try to stall, and Ontarians can’t afford the stall.

They need solutions now. They need beds now. They need care now. Students need to go to school now. We can’t afford the pause.

If you want to pause the world and get things done in 20 years, great. Maybe that’s why you haven’t formed government in many years.

But I just want to ask you: Here’s your opportunity to really move progress. Will you do it?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you to the member from Barrie–Innisfil. I think maybe the member missed my speech because I would say that in fact what I was doing was proposing solutions, just not the solutions this government wants.

I have to say, on this point about making it happen faster: Well, first of all, the piece of legislation that we’ve seen since then, Bill 7, which takes away consent from seniors and families, that’s a piece of legislation—yes, this government wants it to move fast. They sure do. They don’t even want it to go to committee, where it will have public hearings, where they can hear from the families that will be impacted by this legislation, and that is shameful. And so I would say, no, I don’t want to see bad legislation sped through this place without an opportunity for debate.

Again, this government may have elected more members, but have a little humility and think about the people that you are here to serve. It isn’t just the people—what, the 41% of people or whatever. It is not just those people. You represent everybody in this province. Those families will be impacted and they deserve a say.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Questions?

M me France Gélinas: Like most of us, we have three kids. I have seven grandkids, six of them old enough to be in school, and I would say that they are—they’re wonderful; they’re mine, but they are just like everybody else. Kids in school, 20% of them will excel no matter what, if they’re online; 20% of them will struggle no matter what. They need that extra support. And the 60% in the middle, well, they do good in math but not in history etc.

When you look at this and you look at the government’s plan to give every parent $50, how will the 20% of kids who need this extra support, who need the tutoring to be able to achieve their full potential—we know how to support them. We know how to make them thrive and succeed, but they need that extra help. How is the 50 bucks going to help the 20% of kids who need support in order to be able to achieve their full potential?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you to the member from Nickel Belt, who, I think, always brings such a great perspective to this place and has done such extraordinary work representing her community and all Ontarians.

It’s a really good question, because I think about it now, and I mentioned it in my comments, that the work I had to do to help my children when they had struggles with learning—and they did, like many kids out there, and they are not even kids who struggle the way that some do. When I think about what advantages I had as somebody who could navigate a really complicated system to get them the supports that they need, so many families do not have the time or the ability, quite frankly, and the time and access to that information to be able to assist their kids.

Right now, our system is starved for support. Educational assistants are exhausted. Teachers are exhausted. ECEs are exhausted because they are overwhelmed. And this government chooses instead to give money that, frankly, most parents will never be able to take advantage of, even figuring out how to access those private tutoring services. It would be so much better spent in classrooms right now.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Questions?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Good morning to everyone in the House.

I had a question just with respect to the speech from the throne. I know the Lieutenant Governor, when she spoke, spoke a little bit about some of the investments and the opportunities in the automotive sector, with $16 billion in investments in Ontario in manufacturing for electric vehicles as well as the battery plants right here in the province of Ontario, the opportunities that that presents and the challenges that we’ve overcome in the last four years when most of that sector was looking at leaving the province. Obviously, the government has created the right environment for business to flourish here, whether it be $7 billion in savings or red tape reductions.

I just want to get your perspective as the official opposition in terms of how you see the automotive sector growing and what we’ve done so far and what we can do maybe in the future.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I want to thank the member from Oakville for that question. You know, it really is an opportunity to, I would say, start by thanking the union movement, particularly the unions that represent workers in the automotive sector, who have bargained so successfully and worked so hard to attract investment here while at the same time not undermining the wages and working conditions of the people they represent.

I want to use this opportunity in particular to thank my sister from the east coast of this country, Lana Payne, for her successful election as the national president of Unifor. We’re proud of you, sister. We know that you’re going to do a great job representing so many of the workers and this sector, and working together with us and with government to make sure that we provide more opportunities for the workers of this province and boost our economy at a time when the government people opposite are unfortunately driving down wages and increasing the cost of living.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): The member from Niagara Falls.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Thanks for the presentation by my colleague. The Conservative government never ran on the privatization of health care. Not once was it discussed at the door, not once did the candidate that was in my area even come to debates. Privatization of health care, with their 18% of the vote in the province of Ontario, is an absolute disaster. Bill 124 is a disaster.

The new word that the PCs are using is “innovative.” That’s their new word. It’s not innovative to have seniors taken out of our hospitals without consent. It’s not innovative to have people call 911—they’re supposed to get an ambulance, and they end up getting a cab. So my question is very clear: Is it a myth that seniors moved without consent is not in the bill?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you to the member. Yes, I would say absolutely it’s a myth. Bill 7, which is what the member is referring to, is full of the mention of being able to move seniors and take all these measures without consent. That’s absolutely what it’s built on. We heard the Minister of Long-Term Care yesterday—not in this chamber, when he was asked directly, but outside in scrums with the media—confirm that they were going to actually be billing those seniors for taking up beds if they don’t take the first bed offered to them—which is shameful, because that could be anywhere in this province.

I want to also thank the member for mentioning that privatization of health care was not something that this government ran on in the election. We know that. We suspected it; we told people that this was what was coming. But I’ll tell you one of the things that really upsets me right now is that when I talk to people in my community, they will tell you that they never expected—especially grandparents—that they would have a situation in this province—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Thank you.

Question? The member from Mississauga–Malton.

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s always great to see you in that chair. As you know, I’m proud that our government, through the speech from the throne, is making investments. We are investing in rebuilding Ontario’s economy by creating new jobs with bigger paycheques, supporting workers by raising the minimum wage and investing in skilled training and skilled workers. I actually had an opportunity to visit one with the Hammer Heads.

Through you, Madam Speaker, I want to ask the member opposite, do you support these kinds of investments that we are doing into the skilled trades strategy and into the youth as our leaders of the future?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you to the member for Mississauga–Malton. What I would like to see, and I think we do have—we obviously need to address those issues. I would refer to the member from Scarborough Southwest, who has presented this government repeatedly with some really good plans and innovations—real innovation that would actually help us to accelerate the placement, for example, of health care workers who are internationally trained in our system. This is what we need to see happen here.

I would say I would differ with the member on his characterization of the kinds of jobs this government is creating. What we’re not seeing in this province are decent wages, are decent jobs being created. What we’re seeing is a government that is freezing the wages of the hardest-working people in our province—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Thank you.

Further debate?

Mr. Rick Byers: Good morning, members. It is my pleasure to offer my inaugural speech in this chamber. As I was preparing my remarks for this morning’s presentation, I realized that I don’t think I’ve ever spoken for 20 minutes straight, so this will be an adventure. At the same time, it’s something I clearly will have to get used to. Who knows? Sometime soon, I may think that 20 minutes is only a healthy introduction.

To be one of only 1,968 members to have stood in this chamber in all of the history of our great province of Ontario is still something I’m getting used to. I understand from the Clerk that I’m member number 1,937. I like that number. Seeing those names in the corridors of this beautiful building and knowing that we are continuing the important work that they undertook is a little overwhelming. As I hope to outline in this speech, though, I want to focus on the outcomes of government, as I know they did over the past 155 years.

I want to begin my remarks by thanking the people who were so supportive in helping me with my journey to this chamber, beginning with my dear wife, Margot Byers. Margot is here with us this morning. Margot and I will have been married for 36 years as of next month. She has been a caring and loving partner and fantastic mother of our three sons. She has also been tremendously supportive and patient as I’ve pursued elected office many times, as you will hear shortly. Thank you for everything, Margot.

Margot and I have been blessed with three fantastic sons: Adrian, Peter and Cameron, who are actively pursing careers in health care, finance and engineering. Thank you for being who you are. You make us proud every day.

I’m delighted that our fantastic and multi-talented daughter-in-law Teresa Silva-Byers is here as well. She and Adrian will have been married three years as of next month. Thank you, Teresa, and welcome.

My mother, Mary Byers, is here as well. In addition to being a great mother and a very accomplished author, she is a big reason why I am standing in this chamber today. You see, she and my father, David Byers, were very active in the PC association and campaigns for Len Reilly, who was the member for Eglinton–Lawrence, which is where we lived when I was young. In fact, when Mr. Reilly announced that he was not running and Roy McMurtry was thinking of running, Roy first asked my dad if he wanted to run. Roy would have supported my dad if he had wanted to run.

But Dad was not interested, and Roy McMurtry not only became a member here, but of course had a distinguished career as Ontario’s Attorney General and Solicitor General. So thank you, Mom, for who you are and for lighting the spark that led me here today. Dad passed away 26 years ago, but I know he would have been pleased to see today happen, and I know he’s looking down from a gallery above.

Of course, I also want to thank the constituents of the great riding of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. I am very grateful for the confidence you showed in me as a new candidate in this past election. The voters sent me to Queen’s Park with a solid margin, and I will be forever grateful. I will work hard to earn your trust every day.

I want to recognize, as well, the incredible work of our dedicated campaign team. We are fortunate to have a history of campaign success in Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, but we take nothing for granted and always work like we’re 500 votes behind. This time was no different. We all worked our tails off putting up signs, getting to the doors, raising funds and running the office. And in the end, we got it done. So I want to thank our core team, also known as the A Team, for all their dedication, support and friendship: Karen, Carol, Dave, Bill, Jo, Sharon, Don, Bob, Paul, Tyler, Ted and John—from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And finally, there were so many friends who supported my campaign efforts, from former work colleagues, friends who used to live in the riding, and friends and supporters from past campaigns. Clay, Jim, Larry, Bill, Andrew, Michael and many more—thank you for your guidance and friendship.

I now want to acknowledge the person who represented Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound from 2011 to 2022, Mr. Bill Walker.

Interjection: Hear, hear.

Mr. Rick Byers: Hear, hear.

Bill could not be here today, as he is active with his new job. We know he will be here again soon.

Bill grew up in the riding, in the booming metropolis of Hepworth. He was very active in sports, and I understand he developed his speaking ability while playing third base for various baseball teams in the riding.

Bill was successfully elected in 2011, 2014 and 2018. I was Bill’s campaign manager in 2018. He worked actively for our community during his two terms in opposition, including as critic for long-term care. But it was during his last mandate, when in government, where Bill was able to really deliver so fully for our Grey-Bruce community: three new schools, three daycare facilities, broadband investments throughout the riding, 958 new and upgraded long-term-care beds and, of course, the new hospital being built in Markdale. What a track record. That is getting it done.

These accomplishments would not have happened without Bill’s energy and dedication. You’ve heard of the Energizer bunny; we called him Energizer Billy to acknowledge how hard he worked every day. As members here know, Bill’s friendship and team approach defined how he operated all the time. Oh, and of course, saying over 127,000 words in this chamber in one year and having a drink—the Billy Walker—named after him were also an important part of his legacy.

Bill, thank you for all you’ve done for Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound and who you’ve been throughout your terms of service. You’ve served your community and your province with distinction.

I want to also take a moment to acknowledge Bill Murdoch, who represented Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound from 1990 to 2011. As members know, Bill passed away last week. He was an extraordinary and incredibly active member of the Grey-Bruce community and of this chamber. His name is carved on the walls five times. Bill’s legacy will long be remembered and cherished. Many current members served with Bill and have related fond memories of his work here at Queen’s Park. I know we will have an opportunity to formally remember Bill Murdoch in this House sometime soon, and I know we all look forward to that presentation. Thank you, Bill, for your great work and for being the great person you were.

Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound is a big and beautiful riding. From the southern communities of Hanover and Dundalk up to Tobermory, it is 175 kilometres from end to end. Our biggest centre is Owen Sound, at 21,600 people. It’s where my constituency office is located, which is run by Ontario’s best constituency team: Julie, Lisa and Karen. Thank you so much for your excellent support.

The economic base of the riding is heavily agricultural, with large beef, dairy and cash crop producers throughout. In addition, there’s a solid economic base, with a variety of excellent businesses, including Chapman’s ice cream, in Markdale, and Bruce Power, in our colleague Lisa Thompson’s riding, but with substantial operations in Owen Sound and in my riding. Both of these companies were excellent community stewards during COVID.

Of course, I could not discuss Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound without referring to the significance of the landscape, which we are so fortunate to enjoy. Whether it’s the harbour and islands around Tobermory, the beautiful grotto on Georgian Bay or the rugged beauty of the Beaver Valley, our home is a beautiful and scenic place to live. Please come and visit.

And, of course, we’d love to see you up in Wiarton on Groundhog Day, where you can see and hear Wiarton Willie make the bold prediction about when spring will come. The Premier has been to see Willie, and we sure hope he will be back. Trust me, watching fireworks at 7 a.m. on a cold winter morning is something you will not soon forget.

So why am I here now and what was the journey that got me here? Well, my journey started in grade 3. I was attending John Ross Robertson public school. I enjoyed math, playing the recorder and recess. Then our teacher, Miss Redmond, told us one day that there would be an election for mayor of the grade. So I ran for mayor of grade 3. Who does that? But it was fun. I had a neat slogan: “Want a New Pair of Plyers? Vote Byers for Mayor.” It rhymed very well. There were three candidates: me, another boy and a girl named Janet Cameron.

Of course, I didn’t win, as the boys either voted for me or the other fellow, and all the girls voted for Janet. It was my first taste of vote-splitting. But I’d caught the political bug.

Next was four years later and my chance to be a page here in the Ontario Legislature. It was 1972—that’s right, 50 years ago. Now, I know some of you are saying, “Rick, you look so young. Are you sure it wasn’t 30 years ago?” Others are probably saying, “It’s probably more like 70 years.” Anyway, regardless of the time, my interest in being a page came from my parents’ active involvement in our local riding.

So in the spring of 1972, in the 29th Parliament, I was here. Bill Davis was Premier, Bob Nixon was Leader of the Opposition, and the cabinet included Bette Stephenson, Darcy McKeough and Frank Miller. It was a thrill. I loved it every day. I even got the seating plan signed by almost all the members. I still have it. The bug was getting more active.

The next step was a chance to work for Michael Wilson in Ottawa, when he was Minister of Finance. I worked on his staff in a tax policy role. It was a tough environment back then, with rising interest rates and challenging inflation—sound familiar? I was involved in four budgets and with many policy areas, including helping structure everybody’s favourite sales tax, the GST. But the lesson that stuck with me from that work was the willingness of a government to make the tough but right decisions, even if the politics were difficult. I saw that first-hand. It had a big impact.

My work with Mike Wilson triggered a career in finance with BMO Capital Markets and then the OMERS pension plan. I worked with governments on financial and infrastructure matters, and I enjoyed and appreciated seeing public policy’s perspective from the viewpoint of a commercial partner and the financial markets.

During this time, we were living in Oakville and raising our family there. And during this time, I ran in three elections: federally in 2000 and 2004, and provincially in 2007. I lost each time. Who does that? I must hold some record for most electoral losses in Oakville. Oh, well. I mention these political losses not to relive the memory of having gone through them, but because they have instilled two lessons which I hope to use to my benefit in my current role as a member.

The first lesson: While losing hurts, it makes finally winning even more cherished. More importantly, though, it motivates you to focus even more on serving your community. As I noted earlier, I will never take for granted the voters of Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, who gave me this amazing opportunity to serve the community and the province—never.

Secondly, I believe it has made me focus more on the outcomes of government, rather than on the process. When I was asked by the party to be a candidate for this election, the previous losses made me think very hard about whether I should try again. Margot, of course, had the best perspective. She said, “If you don’t run, I won’t listen to you for one second on how good you might have been as a member”—sound advice. My decision to run ultimately focused on my desire to get things done for the community and for the province; in other words, the outcomes of government. That is certainly what I hope will guide my actions in this chamber.

That’s why I was so pleased to hear the major elements of the throne speech, as delivered by the Lieutenant Governor: building our health care system, building an economy with better jobs and bigger paycheques, building Ontario’s roads and transit infrastructure to keep Ontarians moving, building the workforce we need for the jobs of tomorrow, and building more homes that people can afford. These will all be important outcomes and results from our work together here in this chamber. They will deliver important results in our communities and for the province. For me, these goals reinforce why I’m so happy to have made this long journey to the Legislature of Ontario.

As I look at the clock, I see that miracles do happen and that I’m approaching my 20-minute limit. Further, as Jim Flaherty used to say, I’ve gone on for almost as long as it seems. So let me finish with a story that will put in further context how I plan to think about the challenge we will face in this 43rd Parliament. The story is set in Antarctica. You see, when I was leaving OMERS in mid-2015, I was approached by a great organization called the True Patriot Love Foundation about an upcoming expedition.

True Patriot Love is a fantastic foundation that raises money to fund programs for injured Canadian veterans and their families. They had organized and run expeditions to various exciting places since their start-up in 2009. In fact, our colleague Peter Bethlenfalvy went on an expedition to the North Pole in 2014. He told me it was an incredible adventure.

True Patriot Love said there was a group of 10 veterans and 20 civilians going to Antarctica to climb Mount Vinson—at 16,050 feet, the highest peak on the continent—and would I like to come? Well, of course, anyone who gets asked that question says yes, right? Well, I did end up saying yes and went on this extraordinary adventure to Antarctica in January 2016.

We flew to Punta Arenas at the southern tip of South America, then took a military transport to Antarctica that landed safely on a glistening ice runway. We camped in the intense white of an Antarctica summer, which is a balmy minus 25 degrees most days, with sunlight 24 hours a day. We moved progressively day by day towards the summit opportunity.

To make it to the actual summit, though, we had to traverse a long, narrow ridge at the top of the mountain. It was about 60 metres long and about two metres wide. We were roped together in teams of five. About halfway along the ridge, our group paused. I had a chance to look around. To my left was 45-degree slope and a beautiful white mountainous scene. I remember thinking to myself, “This is fine. If I were to trip, my team could easily secure me.” All was good.

Then I looked down to my right. About 18 inches from my right boot, it was 1,000 feet pretty well straight down. “Yikes,” I said. “Byers, quit being a tourist and take your next step and make sure it’s the best step you can take.” So I did.

Happily, everyone in our group made it to the summit and safely back to camp. A few days later, we took the transport off the ice. What an adventure.

After our celebrations and storytelling though, and coming back safely, I had a chance to reflect on that moment many times: the goal of taking the best next step. I realized that those words can well apply beyond being on a mountain. In fact, it doesn’t matter whether you’re near the summit, at work, with your family or managing your next challenge, the goal should be to make sure you take the best next step.

I believe this thinking can also apply to our role in government. We all know we are facing significant challenges in so many areas. Whether it’s health care, housing, education, the economy or other issues, I believe it’s critical for us to think in terms of taking the next step and making sure it’s the best one we can take. That’s the thinking I hope to bring to my work here in the Legislature, and I know you will hold me to account for that approach.

So, colleagues, thank you for this opportunity to share some thoughts about my journey to this important place and the approach I hope to take. I look forward to working with you all and, together, taking the best next step.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Questions and answers?

Mr. Chris Glover: I thank the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for your comments. I will agree with you on one thing: It is a beautiful area that you represent. I’ve got a friend in Oliphant and I drive through that area many, many times. It’s an absolutely gorgeous area.

Look, I’m going to use my question as an opportunity to make a personal plea to you. One of the issues that I’m most concerned about in my riding and across this province is homelessness. Homelessness is not just in downtown Toronto; it is across this province. I was just reading a report from Grey Bruce public health. They interviewed 77 residents who are experiencing homelessness: 38% of those have a physical disability, 67% have a mental illness.

One of the issues that we are facing is that ODSP rates do not provide enough funding for housing, so half of the people, the 16,000 people in this province who are experiencing homelessness, have either a physical or an intellectual disability or mental illness. And so the government’s proposing to increase ODSP rates by 5%, which would increase the housing allowance from $497 to $520. That’s not going to provide housing. People are going to be—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Response?

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member for the question, and I share your views and concerns about homelessness. We do see it in our riding, whether it’s Owen Sound, Hanover, there are pockets of homelessness. I know it’s being worked on well—in fact, two responses that have been very significant. One, there was a huge investment through Grey Bruce Health Services of about $6 million recently for increased mental health support and facilities at the Owen Sound hospital, so we sure look towards using those resources to help.

And on ODSP, I understand the views. I would say, the increase of 5% is significant and linking it to inflation, but also, so many other programs apply that support those in need. But we share the concern with you about homelessness.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Question? The member for Markham–Thornhill.

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Thank you, Madam Speaker. You are looking great in the chair.

And thank you to my colleague from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. It is a beautiful riding. You talk about your landscape and the water and the green—always, I miss your riding. Thank you for your election. Thank you for bringing your wonderful family to the chamber, and congratulations on your election.

My colleague comes from the municipal world. He understands the housing crisis is not only facing Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound, but Ontario as a whole. Tell me about the throne speech—elaborate on that—bringing hope and dreams to the next generation of Canadians of having a home, having a roof over their heads. Please elaborate on that.

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member for his question. And welcome to Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound. I look forward to seeing you on Groundhog Day. It’s a frosty morning, February 2, but I look forward to seeing you there.

Look, on housing, we share the view that more needs to be done. We see that. Listen, I know it personally. I’ve got three sons who are looking for spots for sale. We know it directly. That’s why I’m so pleased about the work that our government is doing and the commitment to build 150,000 new homes a year. And 100,000, the highest in 30 years, have been built already this past year.

I want to work to get it done. This is one of the important outcomes of government I talked about. I look forward to working with members in the House and our members in our local community in Grey county and getting it done. Thank you for your question. I agree with your approach.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Question?

Ms. Lise Vaugeois: Welcome to the House. We are arriving at the same time to this place, and I’m sure you’re finding it as interesting as I am.

The most important action this government could take to address the health care crisis would be to repeal Bill 124 and remove the wage repression experienced by our existing health care workers. I have noticed that it seems that there are certain words that the members of the government are not allowed to utter.

So I have a two-part question. Are you allowed to say the words “Bill 124,” and if so, could you please address why this government will not repeal the bill or even mention it?

Mr. Rick Byers: I’m pleased to reference Bill 124. And I think that it’s clear to me—and again, early days in my time here in the House—but we agree about the need for building and improving our health care system throughout the province. We get that.

What you’ve got from our side is a very tangible plan for huge investment in health care facilities over the next decade, long-term care and on and on. I understand the significant support that has been delivered through the health care system in the last several years: over 10,000 new health care workers hired since March 2020 and other supports that have been given.

I know I’m aware of the questions in the community. I have heard them. We’ll work to make sure there are proper resources to support our patients and health care systems in the province and in my riding.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Question?

Mr. Deepak Anand: First of all, I want to congratulate PA Byers and Margot for the election. It’s always a family affair. By the way, my family’s favourite place is Tobermory, so I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

I was looking at your past, and I saw that you’ve been actively giving back to the community as vice-chair of the South East Grey Community Health Centre, the Royal Canadian Legion, Christ Church Markdale. It’s incredible when you see the members coming and giving back to the community. This is what we are here doing.

My question to the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound would be, what is some of the legacy work that you want to do for your riding going forward as a member of provincial Parliament?

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member for his question, and I appreciate his observation. We all do a lot of work to support our communities, and I’ve been pleased in my last years of not-full-time work—which of course has changed now—to have been involved in several elements in the community.

I will mention the South East Grey Community Health Centre, because it’s a great point that you’ve mentioned. Here is a community health centre that is staffed significantly by nurse practitioners and some visiting doctors, which provides fantastic care in the community. I love that model. One of the things that I want to get done is that they’re looking to build a new facility in Dundalk—of course, the source of the famous bee-swallowing incident recently. We want to get a new facility for the South East Grey Community Health Centre down there and get it done to continue to expand health care services in our community.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Question?

M me France Gélinas: It’s rather interesting, because I was also going to ask you about the South East Grey Community Health Centre, a community health centre—like all of them—where care is based on needs, not on ability to pay; where people who have complex needs can be taken care of by an interdisciplinary team. Not only do they have nurse practitioners, they also have social workers and they have nutritionists, and they all work together so that they can make people as healthy as they can and support them if they have complex needs.

I was happy to just hear you say that you support the model. There are about 20 communities in Ontario that have been waiting for a long time for a community health centre or a satellite of a community health centre. Would you help advocate so that your government funds those communities who have been waiting such a long time for a community health centre?

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member for your question. I’m glad you have, it sounds like, great knowledge of the community health centre model. I must say, I’ve been indirectly involved in it for the last three years on the board. I love it. I think it’s a very practical model and something that, in answer to your question, I will happily advocate for, on seeing it expanded.

I think it’s very practical, and as you said, it’s not just health care, all sorts of community programs apply. It’s an important part of our primary care model, and I think that’s the other element that we’ve been talking a lot about: hospitals, but our primary care infrastructure. It’s also important that we build out and coordinate and support other elements of health care, so I look forward to supporting the community health centre model.

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

M me France Gélinas: I was happy to hear the Lieutenant Governor give the speech from the throne, but I must say that one of the sentences that she said within the first five minutes—the first five minutes of her speech was really focused on health care, understandably. We just came out of a pandemic, and COVID-19 is still around. But the sentence that really bothered me was, “Together, let’s build a health system that better cares for patients and keeps our province open.”

I have no problem building better care for patients, but we have to look at the link that was made right at the beginning of the throne speech, that our health care system should be there to support people based on their needs, not on their ability to pay. It does not exist to keep our province open.

So why does this link bother me? Do I want our province to be open? Absolutely. Some 20% of the small businesses in Nickel Belt closed or went bankrupt during the pandemic. Those businesses did nothing wrong. Those businesses did what the government told them to do. They closed down when the government told them do so, but yet there was no support for them to stay open. There was no support for them to make it to the other side of the pandemic.

And 20% of the small businesses in Nickel Belt do not exist anymore through no fault of their own—that is, people that don’t have jobs anymore; that is, families that need to find other ways to support themselves; that is, businesses that have been there for three generations that are not there anymore. That means, whether you go to Place Bonaventure Mall in Chelmsford, or to the Hanmer mall, there are more empty places in the malls than there are businesses still open. Do I want our province to stay open? Yes, absolutely. I don’t want to lose any more businesses in Nickel Belt.

But I also want our health care system to be true to Canadian values. When Tommy Douglas brought us medicare, he made it clear that care will be based on need, not on ability to pay. This is a value that defines us as Canadians. This is a value that really distinguishes us from our friends to the south. In Canada, you get the care you need based on your health needs, not on your ability to pay. Whether you are a two-year-old, newborn or a 102-year-old person, you will get the care you need. But all of this is under threat right now, Speaker.

When we look at Bill 7 that the government introduced, where you will take away the right to consent from frail, elderly people needing long-term care, so that you could free up beds so that our hospitals allow our businesses to stay open? This is to put the burden of all of this on the shoulders of frail, elderly people. How, as a society, could we even contemplate doing things like this?

Do I want our hospitals to be there? Yes, absolutely. Do I want them to have enough beds for the care that we need? Yes, absolutely. Have I had it up to here with hallway health care? Yes. My hospital, Health Sciences North, has been full at over 120% every single month for the last three years, except for that little wee part there during COVID where they were allowed to stop everything. They’re still full. I didn’t look at the stats this morning, but yesterday they were at 124%. What does that mean? That means that every single bed is full.

That means that the hallways on four north and four east have at least four beds in all of them. That mean that there is no more shower room—we have patients in there. That means that this big, ugly room beside the morgue in the basement of the hospital has at least eight patients in there, in beds with no bathroom, no call bell. This is what hallway health care looks like in northern Ontario, and I don’t want any of this.

But there is so much that we could do. First, invest in home care. Our home care system was privatized by the last Conservative government that was there. Remember, it was called the Common Sense Revolution. The private sector was going to deliver home care faster, better, cheaper than the public system. Fast-forward to 2022: Would anybody say that our home care system does a good job? Absolutely not. It fails more people than it helps, every single day.

I will give you some examples. I don’t have the right to share her name, but we’ll call her by her initials. D.R. has concerns regarding home care services for her husband, Mr. R. She has been trying to reach her care coordinator for two weeks. She leaves voicemails, but does not receive a call back. She had heard from a PSW from Bayshore that the hours of care for her husband will be cut from four hours a day to two and a half hours a day, because there is a lack of staffing.

Mr. R. just returned home from the hospital two weeks ago. He is quadriplegic and spends most of his days in bed. She wants her husband to have proper care at home; so does he. But with two and a half hours—when you’re quadriplegic, it requires quite a bit of care and requires the skill to be able to provide that care. There are very good PSWs that have been working with that family for a long time, but now her hours of care are being cut, because there are not enough PSWs to do the job.

We all know how to fix this. We have been told over and over again. How do you fix the shortage of PSWs in our home care system? Let me repeat it, Speaker: The government can, today, pass the law that we would all agree to this morning, to make 70% of jobs in the home care system permanent, full-time, well-paid, with benefits, sick days, a pension plan and a workload that people can handle—problem solved.

There are tens of thousands of PSWs that are good at what they do, that care for the people, that have the knowledge and the skill to care for a quadriplegic patient in his home who wants to stay with his family in his community. But if they work for home care, if they work for Bayshore, none of them have a permanent job, none of them have a full-time job, none of them get paid enough to be able to pay the rent and feed their kids. So rather than taking a shift with Bayshore, they will take a shift with Home Depot, with Giant Tiger, because Giant Tiger will pay them more than what they get when they work hard as a PSW.

In my riding, I serve 33 small, local communities in northeastern Ontario. The communities are far apart. They come to me and they show me—every two weeks they submit their mileage. They could have 800 kilometres of mileage. They could have 600 kilometres of mileage for what they do in a two-week period of time. Do they get paid? How long do you figure it takes to travel 800 kilometres on the not-so-good roads we have in northern Ontario? It takes hours and hours. They don’t get paid for that travel time. They get 34 cents per kilometre. You can go to Foleyet. There is one gas station, and gas is at $2.29. How far do you figure that 34 cents brings you? Not very far.

It is better to go do a shift at Giant Tiger at minimum wage than it is to care for Mr. R., who is quadriplegic and who needs home care. This is wrong. Why can we not respect PSWs? Why can we not respect the fact that 90% of people want to stay home, that we have tens of thousands of PSWs who are good at what they do, who want to care for people, who went to school to do this, but who cannot pay their rent and feed their kids if they work as a PSW in home care? Why can we not change this today? It would make such a huge difference.

Mr. R. will end up in the hospital, he will end up being labelled ALC, and he will end up in a long-term-care home an hour’s drive away from his family.

I can give you the example of—again, I don’t have permission to share her name, but we’ll call her G.B. Mr. B.’s wife is the primary caregiver at home. She called for assistance. Her husband receives home care, and she receives respite. Her husband has dementia. He’s diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and is on dialysis three days a week for his kidneys. She takes care of him most of the time, but she was receiving respite hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays—three hours three days a week. She decided to take her husband on a little holiday. It was summer, COVID was finally lifted; let’s go for a little holiday.

When she returned, she realized that her home care had been cancelled. She has not received any respite care since then. She spoke to her care coordinator at the Home and Community Care Support Services and she is saying that there are not enough PSWs to reinstate her respite care.

She spoke to a PSW at Canadian Shield and she told her that there are a lot of PSWs available, but, again, they need to pay the rent and feed their kids and they will make more money working at Giant Tiger, Home Depot or Tim Hortons than they will—she is very disappointed. Nobody told her that if she was to take her husband on a little holiday, they were going to lose their respite care.

I have Mrs. C.K.: Mrs. K. reached out to our office with her concerns. She says that her care coordinator from Home and Community Care Support Services North East told her that she had too many home care hours and they were going to make some cuts because the guidelines had been changed. Mr. K. had been receiving home care since 2019.

She says that she received one hour in the morning and half an hour at night, which equalled 10 and a half hours per week. It’s for her, not for her husband. They help her dress, make her bed, bathe her, change her commode, wash her hair in the sink during the hours that they are there in the morning, and the half an hour at night is to change her commode and get her ready for bed. Now, she has one hour per day. The half hour has been cut off at night. All of this, she is told, is because of budget cuts and her care will be down to a minimum.

We all know what will happen, Speaker. This woman won’t be able to stay at home. Everybody needs to be washed. Everybody needs to sleep in their bed. You cannot sleep in a wheelchair; you will end up with a pressure ulcer on your butt, or anywhere else, and then you end up in the hospital. And then the doctor will say it’s not safe for you to go back home, and then you are labelled ALC. Then, apparently, you take up a bed in our hospital and you are not keeping our province open, because this is how this government looks at that.

I have another failure of home care here: Mrs. D. lives in Hanmer. Her husband broke his neck several years ago and he has slowly deteriorated. She sold their home and moved to something that would be more accessible to him, but he has been in the hospital following a fall. She wants to bring him back home. She moved to a place that will be easier for him. But there is no home care. He needs a lift to get out of bed and into his wheelchair to get around. He was sent to rehab for three months. Everybody feels that he would be ready to go back home, and there is no home care.

She has made an inquiry of her own. She found home care. She went and bought the equipment. She moved their home into a place that will be wheelchair-accessible so that her husband could come back home. But there is no PSW to provide the home care that her husband needs.

The hospital and the rehab says that with one hour a day, she would probably be able to manage having him at home. Think about this. For the sake of one hour with a PSW—most of them are paid $18 an hour—for the sake of the government investing $18 a day into this family—he is in the hospital. He has been labeled ALC in the hospital. It costs the taxpayers $500, $600 a day to keep him there. He will be transferred to a long-term-care home where the government will be investing about $187 a day—for the sake of $18 for one hour with a PSW to bring this man back home.

I can talk about Mrs. M.R. Mrs. M.R. lives in Whitefish in my riding. She is on home and community care support services and has a plan of care for a PSW to go to her house every day for an hour to help her dress, put her braces on etc. When she was discharged from the hospital, the care went pretty good for many years. Now, the PSWs, day after day, don’t show up. If there’s nobody to help her, then she is at very high risk of a fall because she needs help to put her leg braces on. When she talked to the scheduler at Bayshore, the scheduler at Bayshore told her that it will get worse before it gets better.

This patient is getting worse. She has cancer. She is partially blind. She needs home care. Again, for the sake of one hour a day of a PSW coming to help, Mrs. M.R., who lives in Whitefish in my riding, is going to end up in the hospital, and she’s going to end up being labelled an ALC patient. She’s going to end up in a nursing home for the sake of one hour of a PSW a day.

I could keep going on and on, but I see that I have very little time left.

To keep our hospitals open, certainly, fix our home care system. It is very economical to keep people in their own home. This is what people want. The best quality of life is to be in your own home, with the people you love, in the neighbourhood you know, with the people who support you, with your circle of care. And yet, we have a privatized home care system that does not respect their PSWs, that cannot recruit and retain a stable workforce, which means that for the one hour a day of a PSW—I’ve given you three or four examples.

I have pages and pages of examples all from my riding, but in every single one of our ridings it is the same story. We could keep all of those people safely at home if we fix our home care system rather than taking away their right to consent.

We could also do a whole lot to help our hospitals if we were to invest in community mental health. When we see where the investments are being made, in more in-patient mental health rehab—unfortunately, 90% of them who go to those beds will relapse because they don’t have the support in their community. We have billions of dollars coming from the federal government. Invest them into supporting people with mental health issues and addictions in their own homes so that they will not end up in the ER, in our hospitals.

There is lots that could be done to help make sure that our hospital system, our safety net in our health care system, is there when we need it. But taking away the right of elderly people to consent to their assessment for long-term care and taking away the right of frail, elderly people to consent to sharing their personal information and having people access their personal health information is not something in line with the values of Ontarians. We should run away from this and fix the part of our health care system that would keep our hospitals free.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Questions and answers?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Again, I always pay attention to what the members opposite say as a slogan here, “Listen to the Other Side,” but time after time there are still no solutions.

Our government is proposing lots of solutions in terms of helping our seniors, getting them the care they need, investing in home care.

I think it’s rich because the members talk about home care, but when they had an opportunity to vote for record investments in home care, they voted against it.

Now you have an opportunity to vote for better quality of care for seniors who do not want to stay—it’s their choice. They don’t want to stay in a hospital. They have a better opportunity to go somewhere—better for their families. And yet, you’re still opposing it.

So I ask the member: What solutions are you going to come to the table with that Ontarians can actually move forward with and our government can move forward with?

M me France Gélinas: Thank you for asking a question about home care. The solutions in home care are clear. To continue to invest into the for-profit companies that dominate our home care system, when there are no checks and balances, does not give us better home care.

To give us better home care, mandate permanent full-time—mandate 70% of jobs in home care to be permanent, full-time, well-paid, with benefits, sick days and pension plans, and the problem will be solved. You will make a huge difference. Tens of thousands of PSWs who presently work elsewhere will come back to the job that they love, to the job that they are good at doing.

By keeping all of those people in their homes, you free up beds in the hospitals. There are solutions that are within the government’s control to help free up beds in the hospitals. I hope you will do it.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Question?

Mr. Wayne Gates: Let’s be clear: It was the Conservative government that privatized home care and privatized long-term care. And let’s also be clear: We know that under this Conservative government’s watch, 5,000 of our seniors—parents, grandparents, mothers-in-law—have died in long-term care, in for-profit homes. Just last week, Madam Speaker, 40 died—in the last two weeks.

Knowing this, do we feel it’s okay to give medical information of patients—seniors—to long-term-care providers without their consent, which is in Bill 7?

M me France Gélinas: In order for our health care system to work, people have to have trust. You need to be able to trust that the person who you’re talking to will respect you. How do we make sure that this trust is maintained, so that people continue to get quality care? We always ask for consent.

If you share information with a physician, with a nurse, with a lab tech, with a physio or whatever, they are bound to keep that information secret. Nobody will know. The bill, Bill 7, takes away that right, takes away that bond. Now health care professionals will be able to access information without your consent—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Thank you.

Question?

Mr. Deepak Anand: I just want to acknowledge the member from Nickel Belt. It’s always a pleasure listening to you and listening to the issues that pertain to our health care system.

I just want to talk about the investments made by our government, especially talking about the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority health campus of care, a new culturally appropriate health campus that will include a new hospital and lodge, as well as a new ambulatory care centre on Moose Factory Island. Another example is building a new francophone community health centre to consolidate primary care, nursing, and mental health and addictions services in a modern facility. Another long-term-care project is the Golden Manor project, building 50 new long-term-care beds—and the list goes on.

My question to the member is simple: Do you support these investments, and do you support this throne speech?

M me France Gélinas: Speaker, I think that we should always be very careful with taxpayers’ money. I think that we should always make sure that we get the best value for money from taxpayers’ money.

We just came out of a pandemic. We have seen the difference between private, for-profit long-term-care homes, where two times or three times more people died than in not-for-profit. When you see the difference is so clear in the quality of care—it costs the exact same to the taxpayer to invest in a not-for-profit home as it does to invest in a for-profit home. Why not make sure that we get the best value for taxpayers’ money and invest in a not-for-profit long-term-care home, as opposed to what you’re doing?

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It’s now time for members’ statements.

Debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region

Ms. Jess Dixon: I’m standing up today to shout out a great organization hard at work in my riding of Kitchener South–Hespeler: Women’s Crisis Services of Waterloo Region. Their mandate is to support women and children in moving beyond abuse through outreach services, education and safe shelter.

Last Friday, I got a tour of their newest project, Aspen Place. Aspen Place is a residential building, a triplex that the organization was able to buy outright back in May. It will provide transitional housing for up to a year for women and children fleeing abuse. The building was purchased largely through community support, but our local ReStore, Home Hardware and Activa homes were especially generous.

Aspen Place is meant to feel like a home, not a shelter, and I was so touched and impressed by the dedication of the crisis services staff to making that goal a reality. When I was there, I met Faune and Ashley, who were both absolutely covered in sawdust and paint and hard at work cutting down cabinets to build toy storage.

Jen Hutton is the CEO, and we had a great conversation about how financial dependence binds women to abusive partners. I got the chance to share some of the amazing retraining and skills upgrading initiatives developed by our very own Monte McNaughton. Jen and I are excited to meet again soon and talk about how our government is continuing to empower women to achieve financial independence through new employment opportunities.

Today is the official ribbon-cutting for Aspen Place. I can’t be there in person, but I’m there in spirit. Great work, ladies. I appreciate all that you do.

Canada Summer Games

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: It is my pleasure to recognize the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara that officially came to a close Sunday, August 21. I had the opportunity to witness many visitors and victories by impressive athletes from all across Canada. These young individuals showed true sportsmanship and dedication to their sport.

It was truly an honour to present winning medals to these athletes at beach volleyball, long jump and rowing events that took place over the past two weeks. A huge congratulations to all 509 athletes from Team Ontario for collecting a total of 198 medals: 86 gold, 60 silver and 52 bronze. You have made all of us very proud, and you should be incredibly proud of your personal accomplishments, going home to your family and friends, knowing you served your province and did your best. These wins would not have been possible without the guidance of many coaches, managers and parents. Thank you for your dedication to uplifting young athletes.

Big wins were also celebrated by 12 provinces and territories that participated in the Summer Games. Thank you to the dedication of 3,000-plus volunteers who really gave a gold medal performance.

As the Canada Games torchbearer for St. Catharines, the 2022 games will forever remain a special memory. We are all very much looking forward to watching the 2023 Summer Games in Prince Edward Island next year with Team Ontario sweeping another big win.

Veterans

Mr. Andrew Dowie: One week ago, I had the sincere privilege to represent our government at the national ceremony for the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe raid hosted in Windsor by Veterans Affairs Canada. It was a tremendous honour to meet three veterans at the ceremony, each of whom epitomized courage under fire and sacrificed so much to protect us.

Sapper John L. Date was presented with the National Order of the Legion of Honour at the event from Colonel Bruno Heluin of the government of France, recognizing his service with the 11th Canadian Field Regiment in the Dieppe raid.

Also recognized for their service to Canada were Arthur Boon of Perth–Middlesex, who served with the Canadian Forces on the beaches of Normandy, France, on D-Day; and Charles Davis of Windsor–Tecumseh, a proud veteran of the Normandy campaign, who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day plus four.

It was a sincere honour to meet, have dinner and speak with Mr. Date, Mr. Boon and Mr. Davis last week, and I want to thank them tremendously for their service to us. I’d like to take this opportunity as well to congratulate Mr. Davis in advance for his upcoming 100th birthday on September 27.

A special thanks to Veterans Affairs Canada for delivering a national ceremony in Windsor that demonstrated tremendous dignity and respect for the sacrifice of our veterans.

Long-term care

Ms. Marit Stiles: I just want to talk for a moment this morning; I’m looking forward to speaking a bit about our health care system, because we in Ontario cherish our public health care system. The right to health care for everyone regardless of income or where they live is part of our identity as Canadians. So it’s no surprise Ontarians are reacting to this government’s recent attack on public health care and seniors’ care with growing fear and anxiety.

I want to take the few moments that I have here this morning to speak to something very specific, which is this government’s decision to table a time allocation motion on their government bill, Bill 7, on long-term care. This is the bill that would deny seniors and their families the right to consent to where they want to be sent for long-term care.

I wanted to raise that because the government has tabled a time allocation motion that would prevent committee hearings, prevent this bill from going to committee, which means that the people of this province who care about these issues, which are most Ontarians, will not have an opportunity to speak, to present and, frankly, to outline their concerns or arguments around this legislation.

I think it’s really unfortunate. I think that we need to do better here in this place. This government was elected with a majority. They can do whatever they want, pretty much, at this point. I encourage them, please, to provide an opportunity for people to speak to this bill, for experts to come and express their concerns, and maybe we can actually create some good legislation in this place.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Mr. Rob Flack: Next week marks the beginning of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Every September, we are given the opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives to childhood cancer and honour more than 10,000 children who are currently getting treatment while fighting this ongoing battle.

Approximately one in five children will not survive their battle with cancer. Dave and Maureen Jenkins’s daughter, Maggie Jenkins, was a bright and loving girl from my riding who tragically lost her life on March 14, 2014, after complications from an aggressive cell cancer that had previously gone undiagnosed. Sadly, she was only 12 years old.

The fight of childhood cancer survivors never ends. Approximately 95% of survivors live with chronic health problems for the remainder of their lives. Childhood cancer is the number one cause of death by disease of Canadian children.

The Jenkins family is pleased to provide every member of this Legislature a gold ribbon lapel pin through the Maggie Project in memory of those who have fought and continue to fight childhood cancer.

I would like to encourage all members of this Legislature to reflect upon this reality over the coming month and encourage all Ontarians to continue our hard work towards ending childhood cancer.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Child care

M me France Gélinas: My constituents in Nickel Belt continue to wait for this government to follow through on their commitment to provide affordable child care spaces—parents like Janelle, from Chelmsford in my riding. Janelle has had her child on the registry since April of last year—that’s 16 months ago—but she has yet to find a child care spot. This young woman travels and has applied to 10 different child care centres, yet she is still empty handed, her maternity leave ends in September, and she wants to go back to work, but cannot do that without child care for her baby.

K.G. lives in Hanmer and is a registered nurse. She has two young children on multiple wait-lists. She would accept driving to two different daycares, twice a day, every day so that she can get back to caring for patients as a nurse. Her maternity leave is done. She wants to get back to work, she is very much needed as a nurse, but she cannot go back to work until she finds child care for both of her children.

Yesterday the government stated, “Every job that sits unfilled hurts Ontario’s economy.” I agree, Speaker. But those are just two of the thousands of professional jobs across our province that are unfilled because this government won’t follow through on the commitment to deliver child care to the working parents of Ontario—talk about an easy solution that would help our health care system tremendously.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Mr. John Jordan: This past Friday, I joined the honourable member for Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, with members of the Rural FASD—fetal alcohol spectrum disorder—Support Network, at South Gower Park to hear more about the impact a $500,000 Youth Opportunities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will have. The four-year-long grant was awarded in 2022 and is designed to help the organization and its organizational mentor group, Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth, to expand on their work with individuals with FASD and their caregivers.

Individuals diagnosed with FASD experience unique and complex challenges in all stages of life. This investment will go a long way to provide the appropriate support for individuals with FASD and their caregivers.

In addition to improved access to programs and training, the Rural FASD Support Network will be able to expand upon its peer-facilitated support and fellowship, and provide additional forums for people with FASD to share their voice and lived experiences. The network connects individuals with FASD and their caregivers from across Ontario with local FASD-informed service providers and provides evidence-based, researched training. Thanks to the grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, people with FASD will be able to access those needed supports to achieve their full life potential.

Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace

Mr. Stephen Blais: It’s an honour to stand and speak today about an important event that happens in Ottawa’s east end: Dapo Day, held the third Saturday in August, and this past Saturday was its 20th anniversary. Twenty years ago, the Agoro family lost their son and brother Dapo Agoro to senseless knife violence. The Dapo Agoro Foundation for Peace was born out of the loss. The Agoro family wanted to not only honour their son and brother Dapo but to be a catalyst for change.

As humans, we all face trauma, adversity and stress on a daily basis, and the ability to recognize and recover is a tool that we all need, both as individuals but also as a community. The Dapo Agoro Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes non-violent conflict resolution.

This year’s anniversary featured a virtual panel discussion around the road to resilience. The panel explored the definition of all that resilience means, including what it means when someone can be too resilient, and shared personal examples of this resilience. The attendees left with new insights and connections within Ottawa for help and learning.

Sadly, it’s a daily occurrence to read in the news of young men and women being hurt and killed by violence. Nevertheless, this foundation continues to honour Dapo Agoro’s memory by exploring how to build a healthier, stronger community to support our youth and help them navigate their lives.

Member for Markham–Thornhill

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I’m always honoured to rise in this chamber. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the residents of Markham–Thornhill, the most ethnically diverse riding in Canada, for putting their faith and trust in me and re-electing me for a second term.

I want to thank all my re-elected and newly elected colleagues in the House. I would like to especially thank our Premier for his strong leadership in Ontario.

My success wouldn’t have been possible without my wonderful campaign team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my volunteers, my family, my core team.

Mr. Speaker, when I escaped from fear of persecution and came to Canada as a refugee, I had nothing. I lost almost everything, except for my hopes and dreams to live in this wonderful province, to have peace and harmony. And here I am, a re-elected representative in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, a symbol of democracy. I never thought that one day I would become an MPP and a parliamentary assistant.

I thank my parents for giving me their values, principles and courage to become who I am today. I regret that they are not here, but they are looking at me from above.

As Ontario reopens, we have now started to re-engage with our community. I was happy to attend the 25th anniversary of Vedic Cultural Centre in my riding. I would like to congratulate President Yash Kapur and his team.

In this 43rd Parliament, my goal is to drive on forward and get it done.

triOS College

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I would like to recognize one of our long-time constituents, triOS College, on celebrating their 30th anniversary this summer.

Speaker, triOS began and are still headquartered in my riding of Mississauga–Streetsville. They began 30 years ago by offering network operating systems training to computer resellers and corporations.

In the 1990s, they expanded into career training of unemployed adults, acquired a five-city chain of career colleges, and became triOS College of Information Technology.

After the dot-com meltdown of 2001, they pivoted from IT to offering business, health care, law, and supply chain programs.

They’ve since expanded to eight campuses in Ontario, plus four more locations in the Maritimes as Eastern College.

In the past two years, they’ve launched an online college and partnered with Sault College and Mohawk College as their GTA training partner.

Speaker, triOS College employs over 700 staff and faculty, trains over 5,000 students daily and has graduated over 60,000 adults into meaningful jobs, including thousands—yes, thousands—of PSWs.

Speaker, triOS has been recognized as one of Canada’s best-managed companies for the past 12 years.

Please recognize their co-founder and CEO, Frank Gerencser, together with his team, John Cruickshank and Massimo Noce, who are in the members’ gallery today. Welcome.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Rick Byers: It’s a great pleasure to have three very special people with me in the members’ gallery today: my wife, Margot Byers; my mother, Mary Byers; and my lovely daughter-in-law, Teresa Silva-Byers. Thank you very much for being here, and welcome.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I’d like to welcome, in the members’ gallery, Erin Ariss from the Ontario Nurses’ Association, vice-president, region 4, and a registered nurse in Ontario, and Nour Alideeb, a government relations specialist. Thank you for being here. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Andrew Dowie: I’d like to recognize several special guests of mine from the great riding of Windsor–Tecumseh. In the west members’ gallery are my lovely and amazing wife, Mary; my mother, Mary Jo; my exceptional campaign manager and executive assistant, Paul Synnott; and my tremendous, hard-working constituency assistant, Rachel Haddad, who excels in helping people, day in and day out, those in need. Thank you so much for being here, to all my special guests, for their first visit and certainly not the last visit.

Miss Monique Taylor: Today is the last day for our pages. Daunte Hillen is a page from Hamilton Mountain. I know he’s missing all of his baseball games, but he’s really happy to be here, supporting us.

Thank you, Daunte. Thank you to all the pages. We’ll miss you, again.

Mr. Rob Flack: I am pleased to have in the gallery my new legislative assistant, Tanner Zelenko; one of Ontario’s top educators, Beth Allison; and the one and only, my wife, Denise Flack. Welcome.

Hon. David Piccini: I would like to welcome to Queen’s Park Michael Elliot. Mike started in my constituency office in Norwood, banged on probably more doors than I did, the only person in the 2018 campaign—he is now working for the Minister of Health in Saskatchewan. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Mike.

Ms. Natalie Pierre: I’d like to introduce the Mazzucco family from my riding: Mark, Michael and Madina. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Doly Begum: I would also like to give a big shout-out to Tanisha Hossain from Scarborough Southwest, who has been a wonderful page and has come back for a second time to help us out. I know her parents are very proud. Thank you, Tanisha, and thank you to all the pages who have been helping us. Thank you very, very much.

Mr. Vincent Ke: I want to introduce guests from Vancouver: Mr. Phil Laird, the vice-president of Trinity Western University, and Mr. Michael Shao, the CEO of Tresor Solutions. They are going to open a new campus in my riding of Don Valley North. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: It brings me great honour to introduce Neal and Debbie Roberts, the parents of Andrew Roberts. He’s very hard-working. He’s a bright star and a part of our team who works with the Premier, so welcome. You must be very proud of your son because all of us rely on him every day. Thank you.

Mr. Brian Saunderson: I would like to introduce Robert Morales. He is a constituent from Simcoe–Grey and he has recently joined my office as my legislative assistant.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and to introduce Elya Keren-Sagiv, a legislative page from my riding of York Centre. Today is her last day as part of the program. Congratulations and all the best on your journey ahead.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I’d like to introduce and welcome today to the House Jacqueline Pizzimenti, the daughter of a very good friend of mine who just completed her psychology degree and is on her way to Windsor to study and do her master’s in social work. I welcome her to the House—her first opportunity to see the place in action.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m now going to ask our pages to assemble so that we can thank them.

Our pages are smart, trustworthy and hard-working. They are indispensable to the effective functioning of the chamber. They have cheerfully and efficiently delivered notes, ran errands, transported important documents throughout the precinct, and have made sure that our water glasses are always full. We have been indeed fortunate to have them here during this special summer sitting of the Legislature.

They depart having made many new friends, with a greater understanding of parliamentary democracy and memories that will last a lifetime. Each of them will go home and carry on, resume school in the fall, continue their studies and will, no doubt, contribute to their communities, their province and their country in important ways in the coming years.

We expect great things from all of you. Maybe some of you will someday take your seats in this House as members or work here as staff. We wish you very, very well.

Please join me in thanking and expressing our appreciation to our legislative pages.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Nickel Belt has informed me she has a point of order.

M me France Gélinas: I seek unanimous consent to move a motion to allow an emergency debate on the health care crisis this afternoon during orders of the day.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Nickel Belt is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion to allow an emergency debate on the health care crisis this afternoon during orders of the day. Agreed? I heard some noes.

Question Period

Long-term care

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question to the Premier. This government is giving itself the power to sign people up for long-term-care homes they don’t want to go to. Yesterday, the long-term care minister admitted to media that they will use financial coercion to make them go. He said, “Should a hospital charge them? Absolutely.”

Why does this government believe that a hospital stay should end with a bill?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, we can’t keep doing the same old thing over and over again, pouring billions of dollars into the health system, and expect a different result. We need new solutions to old problems that the Liberals and NDP created. The opposition will always find reasons to say no. They will keep defending the status quo, saying no for the sake of saying no. We refuse to accept the status quo. The opposition want people who should be in long-term care in hospital beds. Hospital beds weren’t made for long-term-care patients.

And what’s happening is it’s clogging up the emergency departments, delaying surgeries. These problems are decades in the making, created by years of refusal to act under the Liberals and NDP. The Liberals and NDP, who caused the problem, are now complaining about the solution. Their solution is to do absolutely nothing, to change nothing.

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Well, Speaker, cruelty is not a solution. These seniors, these people with disabilities—they’ve done nothing wrong. What’s wrong is the broken long-term-care and home care systems, systems that have been cut and privatized to the bone.

Late yesterday, we learned the government plans to ram this legislation through without any hearings or opportunities to hear from front-line workers and from families whose lives will be devastated by these changes. Why is the government so unwilling to hear from families and front-line workers who will be devastated by this bill?

Interjections.

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

Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: The opposition want to keep the status quo, which means longer wait-lists, less hospital beds for people who need them. Mr. Speaker, according to the Ontario Hospital Association, there are 6,000 beds being taken up by alternative-level-of-care patients in hospitals. It’s the highest number in the history of this country, and in the last three months, we saw a 1,000 increase. The policy is absolutely necessary. It will free up 2,500 beds.

The opposition will always say no to building more hospitals, no to hiring more nurses, no to building more hospital beds. They will say no to shorter surgery wait times, no to making the system better. The Liberals and NDP built 611 long-term-care beds. We’re building 31,000 new long-term-care beds, investing $4.9 billion, hiring more than 27,000 long-term-care staff—

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

The final supplementary.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: This government is sacrificing people in what might be their final month. It’s separating them from their spouse, their sons and daughters, their essential caregivers. When someone cannot afford to pay to stay in a hospital, how far away is the government willing to move them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader and Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I truly don’t think the opposition understand what we are trying to accomplish here. The Premier just highlighted the fact that there are some 6,000 people who are in ALC across this province. The impact that has on hospitals all over the province is of a magnitude that I don’t think the opposition understands.

What we are saying is that long-term care can be part of the solution. For the first time in decades, because of the investments that this government has made in new and upgraded long-term-care beds, in four hours of care, in 27,000 additional health care workers, we can be part of the solution. I appreciate that the opposition always want to tear down what is being built up, but we will not stop, Mr. Speaker, because we cannot.

As the Premier has said, as the health minister has said, the status quo is just simply not an option any longer, and there is nobody who would suggest that somebody who is on the long-term-care wait-list should wait in a hospital as opposed to being in a long-term-care home.

Privatization of public services

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre.

Every day over the last week has raised new concerns about the government’s plan for private health care. Today, we have a leaked copy of a poll from the government’s pollster of record, asking Ontarians whether they agree with the following statement: “I should be able to pay for my own health care to get better service in Ontario.”

I would like to put the same question to our Premier: Does the Premier think people should be able to pay their way to better health care in Ontario?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I have said it before and I will say it again: In the province of Ontario, we use our OHIP card to pay for health care in Ontario when people need those services.

Our five-point plan to remain open includes many investments in many different areas to preserve our hospital capacity, to provide the right care in the right place. It’s exactly what we need today in the province of Ontario. We’re making those investments. I only wish that the people across the aisle in the NDP caucus would understand that we need to make these innovations. We need to encourage them. We need to allow hospitals, health care providers, long-term care, primary care physicians to do what they do best, which is look after people with your OHIP card.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Back to the Premier: It’s not just about private health care. The same government poll asks people whether they agree that the government should allow more private and/or charter schools in Ontario—charter schools. That is public funding of private education, let’s be clear.

Does the Premier agree that public money for Ontario’s education should be diverted to private and charter schools?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: There is no government in the history of this province that has put more money into public education than this government ever—ever. And every step of the way, of course, the opposition has voted against those investments because, as we say constantly, when you are building a better system, the only thing the NDP have to offer is how they can tear that down. It’s not just about saying no for them, it’s about tearing down the progress that the people of the province of Ontario have made.

Better math scores. We have more teachers in schools. Our students finally—finally—are doing better in STEM, Mr. Speaker. When you combine that with the investments that the Minister of Colleges and Universities has made, when you combine that with the great work of the Minister of Labour to bring the skilled trades back into the schools, we are building an education system that works for all Ontarians and we’re doing it faster and better than anybody could have ever imagined with higher investments than any other government in the history of this province.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Back to the Premier again: When this government talks solutions, you know what I hear? You know what Ontarians hear increasingly? They hear that that is code for lining shareholder pockets at the price of public education and public health care. And whether they’re slapping seniors with massive fees to stay in hospitals or pushing private schools and private health care on Ontario families, this has never and will never for this government be about anything else other than lining shareholder pockets.

Why is this Premier so determined to divert public money from our schools and our hospitals at such a great cost to Ontarians?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I think that question in its entirety really underscores why it is that the NDP has such a small caucus in this place.

Look at the record of this government. We took over from a Liberal-NDP coalition that almost bankrupted the province of Ontario. They didn’t build long-term-care homes, they didn’t invest in hospitals, they didn’t build schools. In fact, they closed schools. Together they laid off thousands of nurses.

What have we done? We have been working to create thousands of jobs in the province of Ontario, not by government jobs, but by bringing back policies that bring back companies to the province of Ontario—300,000 lost jobs under them; thousands of jobs because of the work of this government.

We brought back the auto industry. The Minister of Labour brought back the skilled trades to support all of the new building that is happening with the Minister of Transportation.

Subways: How long did people wait for subways? Under that crew, nothing got done. Under us, Ontario is moving forward. We will build and we won’t let them tear down the progress we made.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. The next question.

Health care

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Earlier this month, the London Health Sciences Centre was forced to close their world-leading epilepsy monitoring unit due to critical staffing shortages. The unit being closed and a lack of access to EEGs means even more delayed surgeries. Think of the impacts to health, mental health and the quality of life of patients suffering from seizures.

When will this government admit the crisis in health care is real and address the staffing shortage that they created?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Again, this question will highlight some of the work that we have already undertaken with the Ontario College of Nurses and with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to expedite the internationally trained experts in health care who want to practise in the province of Ontario. We have asked and directed those two colleges to make sure that people who have applied have their process going through very quickly so that they get that accreditation and they get that licensing because the member is right: We need to increase the supply of health care workers in the province of Ontario.

I would add respectfully that this is not unique to Ontario. As recently as two days ago, I was meeting with the FPT, the federal, provincial and territorial leaders, to talk specifically about what Canada can do and how they can assist to make sure that those internationally trained individuals who want to practise in Ontario can do so quickly.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Respectfully, through you, Speaker, Bill 124 is unique to Ontario.

People on waiting lists are waiting even longer and it is because of the disrespectful policies of this government. Epilepsy patients, like Sarah, live in fear wondering when their next episode is going to happen.

Clearly, the Minister of Health wants to peddle privatization as a cure all for the crisis Conservative cuts have created. Overworked and underappreciated by this government, then Bill 124? It’s a perfect storm. Will this government finally admit they got it wrong, repeal Bill 124, and finally treat health care professionals with respect, yes or no?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: There is no government in the history of this province, under the leadership of the Premier, that invested more in public health care than this government. Mr. Speaker, that includes investing in health human resources.

Since March 2020, we have added over 10,900 health care professionals across this province. This includes making sure that, in the future, we also have health care professionals by building medical schools in places like Brampton and Scarborough, making sure we almost double the number of doctors in the north. We put forward programs in the fall economic statement: $342 million to support adding over 5,000 new and upskilled registered nurses and registered practical nurses, as well as an additional 8,000 personal support workers.

Every step of the way, Mr. Speaker, the members opposite have voted against each of these measures to help support health human resources across this province. That is a shame.

Health care post-secondary education

Mr. Rob Flack: The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have put pressure on the health care system right here in Ontario. We need more health care professionals now more than ever. With our health care services trying to stabilize after dealing with the COVID pandemic over the last two years, we need to address these urgent pressures so our province can stay open with an even stronger health care network.

Medical education is critical to providing Ontario with the health care and human resources that are desperately needed. Can the Minister of Colleges and Universities share the government’s plan to expand medical education so we can welcome more medical trainees into this province?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for Elgin–Middlesex–London for that important question. He is right. We need to increase health human resources, and that starts with post-secondary education.

Our government, under the leadership of this Premier, is getting it done by taking action to increase health human resources across Ontario through our historic expansion of health care post-secondary education. This includes building the first new medical school in the GTA in over 100 years. Speaker, the last medical school built in the GTA was at the University of Toronto in 1843. We are the government that is building the new Toronto Metropolitan University medical school in Brampton.

We’re also creating the new University of Toronto Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health in Scarborough and expanding the Queen’s Lakeridge Health campus. Earlier this year, we also established the Northern Ontario School of Medicine as the first stand-alone medical school in northern Ontario.

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

Mr. Rob Flack: Health human resources were heavily neglected under the former Liberal government, I think we all know that. In their term, they failed to build a single medical school addressing the growing need for health care access. Their actions left this province vulnerable to a staffing shortage—this we know.

We currently have six universities that provide undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, but more action is needed to strengthen our health care and intellectual infrastructure. Our government understands the need for the correct number and mix of health professionals in the right places throughout this province.

Speaker, can the minister update the House on what the government is doing to strengthen the development of our existing medical education and professional development programs?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you again for the question. I’m happy to say that our government has taken action on this issue. We understand that a growing population means a growing need for health care professionals. As the member mentioned, it is important to have health care education infrastructure across Ontario that will keep us open in the long-run. Not only are we increasing the number of medical schools across Ontario that will serve both urban and rural communities, but we are also enhancing existing medicine and health care programs.

Our government is adding 160 undergraduate seats and 295 postgraduate seats to six medical schools over the next five years. This is the largest expansion of medical seats in over a decade.

Earlier this year, we also announced our Learn and Stay program, which over the next four years can help 3,000 nurse graduates receive financial supports to cover the cost of tuition in exchange for committing to practise for two years in an underserved community. We want to ensure that everyone has access to health care where they need it, when they need it.

Nurses

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question is to the Minister of Health. You announced the creation of the operating room assist position at Hamilton Health Sciences, but we’re hearing a concerning story from registered nurses. Registered nurses at Hamilton Health Sciences caution that replacing highly trained scrub nurses with ORAs puts patient safety at risk in the operating room. Patients don’t want someone in their OR who is unable to intervene when unexpected things happen during surgery. When a patient is coding in the operating room, there isn’t time to wait for a nurse.

Delays can be the difference between life and death. With only 22 hours of online learning, two practice labs and two weeks of practical experience, ORAs do not have the same expert knowledge and specialized training as highly skilled scrub nurses.

My question: Will you stop cuts to nursing at the cost of patient care and require Hamilton Health Sciences to keep nurses in the critical scrub nurse role?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: This question really speaks to the fact that while we in the Progressive Conservative government are embracing and welcoming these innovations and suggestions being brought forward by unions, by professionals, by hospitals—we’re allowing that innovation to happen. It is, frankly, disturbing that the member opposite is suggesting in any way that we are impacting patient care. What we are doing is we are empowering people who have the skill set and the training to be able to operate at the height of their skill set.

Having those professionals in surgical units, in emergency departments, in our community care and long-term care is what’s going to make our world-class health care system here in Ontario even better.

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: What’s disturbing is putting patients’ lives at risk to save a buck. Because you wouldn’t want a flight attendant to land a plane instead of a pilot. So why are you removing nurses from the scrub nurse role and replacing them with operating room assistants?

I agree that we need to address the nursing crisis, but you are compromising the standard of surgical care for patients to save money. You need to invest and protect the scrub nurse position to ensure patients get the care they need and deserve. Without proper standards of care, patients may have a higher risk of unexpected complications, which could result in multiple surgeries and, in the worst-case scenario, even lose their lives.

My question to the Minister of Health: Will you address the nursing crisis by ensuring that the right care is provided at the right time by the right provider and stop removing scrub nurses from that critical role in the operating room?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: When I talk to heads of nurses’ unions, when I talk to doctors, when I talk to health care professionals, they say, “We want to work as a team. We want to be part of that continuum of care for the patient.” It is exactly why we are encouraging funding and enabling Ontario health teams to be operating in the province of Ontario. From diagnosis through treatment through placement, we now have a coordinated system that allows that patient to have a touchpoint no matter where they are in their continuum of care.

That’s the kind of thing that gives patients and families comfort, that they know that wherever they are in their treatment, they are going to have a touchpoint and a group of professionals who are working together for the best outcome.

Child care

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Soaring inflation is causing parents in my riding to spend more money and save less. Often these families must work more to keep up with rising costs.

Under the previous Liberal government, the cost of child care rose 400% from an already astronomically high number. The government negotiated with the federal government to lower these costs, but our province was the last to sign an agreement to bring affordable, $10-per-day child care to the people of Ontario. The Liberals and NDP say they would have signed a deal to provide relief earlier.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Education, why was Ontario the last province in the nation to sign a deal with the federal government and what difference will the working parents of this province see in this period of economic uncertainty?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member from Oakville for his question. It is relevant because we didn’t sign the first deal, as proposed by the opposition. We signed a better deal for the people of Ontario, a deal with $13.2 billion of investment. We’re talking about literally $3 billion more, an additional year—the only province in the federation to have that type of funding certainty—and a commitment to for-profit and non-profit child care operators, in which those 30% of for-profit operators would have been omitted if, God forbid, we had followed the advice of the opposition.

We stood up for all families, for parental choice and ensured that every single parent is eligible for the reductions they deserve: $4,000 this year on average; $12,000 per child next year on average, on the way to $10 a day by the year 2025.

This is a massive step forward as we encourage more economic participation of women in the economy, and we reduced costs at a time of national inflation. We’re going to continue to work with all levels of government to deliver the affordability parents deserve.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the minister. The primary way to ensure affordability for parents accessing child care is to get operators opting in to the agreement our government signed earlier this year. Many child care operators in my riding have expressed concerns about the agreement, causing them to delay signing the deal.

The government needs to help operators sign this agreement that will put hard-earned dollars back into the pockets of families. We need to do everything we can to incentivize operators to opt in to this deal that will provide certainty for parents. The minister has changed aspects of the deal and now operators are saying they are confused, which impedes their willingness to sign on.

Speaker, what exactly has the government changed in this child care agreement and will these changes make a substantive difference for operators who have not signed on?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I do appreciate this question from the member from Oakville. Many parents in his community and across this province are depending on government to get on with the business of making life more affordable after it increased. The cost of child care increased by 400% under the former Liberals. We all must accept the premise that that was an indefensible record.

Our Premier has a mandate to get the job done, to reduce fees, and part of our plan is to listen to the advice of the very operators, often women entrepreneurs, who run these centres.

I want to give a shout-out to the member from Ajax, the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education, who has been leading efforts to streamline the process, to reduce red tape, to create funding guideline guarantees—exactly what the sector wanted—and more time for them to enrol and build comfort, to November 1, as we work together to increase participation, decrease costs and make life affordable for Ontario families.

Home care

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Carmen is the primary caregiver for her 91-year-old mother. Her mom qualifies for two showers a week through home care, and Carmen made an inquiry to see if she could get a bit more. Her mom was re-evaluated and now she gets one shower per week.

Is that an example of the enhanced home care that this government keeps boasting about?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I think that individual cases—while I obviously cannot delve into them here in question period—are an important thing to highlight why we have in our budget a $1-billion investment in home care. It is investing for the next three years to improve quality of care and keep the people of Ontario in the homes they love, longer.

We are investing not only in the nursing visits, in the shifting hours, in the therapy visits—including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology—but we’re also doing it within the community. That is, as many of us know, the programs like adult day programs, meal services, transportation, caregiver supports and assisted living services.

Will the member opposite be supporting this $1-billion investment in our budget?

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

Mr. John Vanthof: This government has been in power for four years. This happened this week. Carmen was just asking for a little bit more help for her mom. She got less. And you know what? Carmen’s mom now gets two showers because Carmen pays for the other one herself. This is privatization. That PSW is the same PSW.

So is that the solution? Pouring billions of dollars isn’t the answer if Carmen’s mom only gets one shower, at the end of the day, through home care. I keep hearing “billions of dollars,” but it’s services to people that matter. Is this government actually going to provide the service through public health care?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, when we passed the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act—which, I must say, the members opposite voted against—it modernized the delivery of home and community care services by bringing an outdated system, designed in the 1990s, into the 21st century.

We’ll continue to do that innovation. We’ll continue to bring forward the things that people need when they want to stay safely in their own homes. That is including an investment that we have made in this year’s budget. I hope the member opposite takes a close look at what that investment will mean to his community and people across Ontario, and do the right thing and vote for our budget.

Climate change

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I’m very proud to be here to represent the very green riding of Beaches–East York.

My question is to the Premier, whom I know well from our days at Toronto city hall together. Last week, the federal government put out a climate adaptation report. Guess what, Mr. Speaker? Ontario is falling behind on mitigating the worst impacts of climate change, and that is because of “limited political will,” as the report states. Ontario’s infrastructure is especially vulnerable to climate change and will result in cascading economic and social impacts. The cost of inaction for climate change is too much.

So far, I have not seen the government propose anything to protect and create resilient infrastructure. What good is building highways if they flood over and have to get repaired every single year? We could be creating the strongest, most resilient province in this country. Instead, we cannot even say the word “climate” in the throne speech.

Mr. Speaker, why won’t this government take climate change seriously? When can Ontarians expect this government to stand up and take a leadership role to safeguard the future of Ontarians?

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

Hon. David Piccini: I appreciate the question from the member opposite.

The government is working diligently on building adaptation and resiliency. That’s why we were the first government to launch a climate change impact assessment, something that could have been done under the decade-plus rule of the previous government but wasn’t. We have launched that impact assessment to work with municipalities at a regional level to identify areas of vulnerability and act. That’s why our Minister of Infrastructure has invested historic dollars into rural municipalities, northern municipalities, and is working around the clock with her federal counterparts at making these historic investments.

Also, that member would know very well, coming from the Beaches, the record investment in stormwater and waste water investments under this Premier. In fact, I’ll quote the mayor, who said this was a “significant investment” to benefit and improve the lives of Toronto residents. That member knows that because, in her community, under the previous Liberal government, sewage was discharged in record amounts into Lake Ontario. This Premier is cleaning it up.

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

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I appreciate the minister’s response, but quite frankly, this government seems to still be stuck on step one. We need to stop only doing assessments and really begin to implement measures. “Get it done,” as you say.

The report says, “There is little evidence of adaptation being mainstreamed into decision-making.” Last week, at AMO, I attended session after session after session that highlighted the need for climate action to be tied to infrastructure. Municipalities are asking for this government to step up and actually start implementing climate strategies to create resilient communities.

Mr. Speaker, instead of forcing cities, municipalities, Indigenous communities and climate leaders to take action themselves in an attempt to safeguard their towns and homes, Queen’s Park needs to step up and create a climate framework for this province.

Will this government finally agree to add the lens of climate adaptation to their policies and decisions in order to help our municipal counterparts thrive and create truly resilient communities, and allow Ontario to adapt to the climate consequences that we have created?

Hon. David Piccini: The only ones stuck at step one are the Liberals, and step eight is how many seats they have.

Step one is the platitudes that we heard from the previous government. Step two is meaningful action, making investments into municipalities, something this government has done. Thanks to the leadership of this Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, we have record partnerships, historic investments into the municipalities. Thanks to this Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, we’re creating clean, green jobs of the future, making record investments into the electrification of the automobile that’s breathing new life.

We’re taking two million cars off the road thanks to partnering with Algoma and Dofasco, and those workers are staying right here in Ontario. You know where they would have gone? Step one for them was leaving the province, under the previous government.

Our government is taking meaningful action, attracting jobs and talent into this province, and we’re building a greener future—

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

Next question.

Skilled trades

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My question is to the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Constituents in my riding of Niagara West face a shortage of skilled trades, frankly, like we have never seen before. Families depend on these trades to maintain their homes, their vehicles and their businesses. Entrepreneurs and workers alike need these trades to build the products that we know will make us the envy of the world.

Education investments and skills development are crucial to keeping our local economies competitive and building up our skilled trades, so could the minister please tell this House what the government is doing to invest in and develop talent in the skilled trades?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member for Niagara West for that question and for his promotion of the well-paying careers in the skilled trades in the Niagara region. You’ve done heroic work down there—to the member. So I want to thank him for that.

Mr. Speaker, since day one, our government has been on a mission to get more people into the skilled trades. These careers are exciting, in-demand, come with good pay and benefits, often with a defined pension, and you can be damn proud of what you build. The skilled trade system, however, suffered massive neglect thanks to the former Liberal government.

Today, nearly one in three journeypersons are over the age 55 and will soon retire. That is why our government is making truly historic investments—in fact, over $1.5 billion over four years—to fix the problems that we inherited. Mr. Speaker, it’s all hands on deck, and we’re working with employers and unions every day to prepare more people for these lifelong careers.

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

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: This government is getting the job done across the Niagara region by making historic investments in infrastructure, health care, long-term care, new hospitals and investments across our region. We’re enhancing our transit and road infrastructure, and I know that my constituents waited long enough to get these investments announced due to the neglect and, frankly, indifference of the former Liberal government supported and propped up by the NDP. The last thing they want to see is further delays in project delivery because of a lack of skilled tradespeople to get these projects built.

What is our government doing to ensure that there is training for people in Lincoln, West Lincoln, Grimsby and across the Niagara region to make these projects a reality?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member for this really important question. In fact, in the town of Lincoln, our Skills Development Fund is truly changing lives. I had the chance to see this first-hand with the member from Niagara West just a number of months ago. We’re investing more than $2.5 million to help 145 young people ages 14 to 29 develop skills in key areas that support local tourism and hospitality. Together, program participants are spending over 73,000 hours helping 100 local small businesses enhance their websites and digital marketing so that they can attract more customers and grow.

Through our Skills Development Fund, we’re giving people right across Ontario the skills they need to fill in-demand jobs and earn bigger paycheques for themselves, but, most importantly, for their families.

Mr. Speaker, our government has an ambitious plan to build Ontario and we’re leaving nobody behind.

Climate change

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, to the Premier: During the provincial election, 11 people died in a climate pump storm system that charged through Ontario and Quebec. The climate crisis is deadly and yet the Premier has no credible climate plan. When will the Premier present a serious and funded plan to address the climate crisis?

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

Hon. David Piccini: The reality is, this Premier has. The Leader of the Opposition offers no solutions. It’s this Premier who’s led to the largest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions through partnering with Algoma and Dofasco. What does that mean? Two million cars off the road. It’s this leader that has moved beyond the NIMBYism flanked by the Leader of the Opposition, whose members know all about it, who has actually gotten shovels in the ground on public transit—record investments. Residents in my community can now benefit from two-way, all-day GO.

We’re expanding investments with the Ontario Line, getting shovels in the ground on the lowest carbon public transit project in North America.

Speaker, all they offer is doom and gloom, driving jobs out of this province. This Premier is building a cleaner, greener future.

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: The Premier weakened the province’s greenhouse gas reduction targets—weakened them in the face of a global crisis—and now he plans to ramp up electricity from gas-fired power plants, which will dramatically increase carbon pollution in this province. When will the Premier finally take the situation seriously and present a comprehensive and adequately funded plan to address the climate crisis?

Hon. David Piccini: That member could check on the publicly