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November 23, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Nov-23 (PDF)

L211 - Mon 23 Nov 2020 / Lun 23 nov 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 23 November 2020 Lundi 23 novembre 2020

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Private Members’ Public Business

Hospital funding

Orders of the Day

Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour mieux servir la population et faciliter les affaires

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Food and toy drive

Employment standards

Joan and Coleman MacDonald

Assistance to persons with disabilities

Logement abordable / Affordable housing

Holodomor

COVID-19 response

Holodomor

COVID-19 response

Marc Hovingh

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Small business

Infrastructure funding

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Small business

College standards and accreditation

Environmental protection

Arts and cultural funding

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

Consumer protection

Protection environnementale / Environmental protection

Education funding

Personal support workers

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Health care

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Estimates

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Introduction of Bills

Castleform Holdings Inc. Act, 2020

Petitions

Long-term care

Community planning

Education funding

Automobile insurance

Long-term care

Affordable housing

Services for persons with disabilities

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Climate change

Long-term care

Pharmacare

Opposition Day

College standards and accreditation

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour mieux servir la population et faciliter les affaires

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. We’re going to begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased to assent to certain bills in her office.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Wong): The following are the titles of the bills to which Her Honour did assent:

An Act to amend the Children’s Law Reform Act, the Courts of Justice Act, the Family Law Act and other Acts respecting various family law matters / Loi modifiant la Loi portant réforme du droit de l’enfance, la

Loi sur les tribunaux judiciaires, la

Loi sur le droit de la famille et d’autres lois en ce qui concerne diverses questions de droit de la famille.

An Act to enact the Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, 2020 respecting certain proceedings relating to the coronavirus (COVID-19), to amend the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and to revoke a regulation / Loi édictant la Loi de 2020 visant à soutenir la relance en Ontario concernant certaines instances liées au coronavirus (COVID-19) modifiant la Loi de 1996 sur les municipalités et abrogeant un règlement.

Private Members’ Public Business

Hospital funding

Mr. Jim Wilson: I move that, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should continue to support planning work for the redevelopments and construction of both the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in the town of New Tecumseth, given the government’s commitment to modernizing Ontario’s health care system and ending hallway health care and given population growth projections for Simcoe–Grey.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Simcoe–Grey; he has 12 minutes for his presentation.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Thank you for this opportunity to address one of the most pressing matters in the riding of Simcoe–Grey. Members will know that I’ve been advocating on behalf of Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston and the General and Marine Hospital in Collingwood for many years. Both of these facilities and the dedicated people who work in them have served my constituents and vacationers to our part of the province very well for generations. Unfortunately, both hospitals are now struggling to meet the needs and demands of families and visitors to our fast-growing communities.

Both hospitals require significant investment if the government is going to meet its goals of ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for patients and ending hallway health care. Both hospitals are long overdue for redevelopment. The communities they serve are meeting their responsibilities and are raising their local share of the necessary funds. In fact, the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation is in the midst of a $43-million capital campaign, and I am pleased to report that they’re halfway to meeting that goal.

Stevenson was built in 1964, and there have been no major renovations since. Its emergency department was designed to handle 7,000 visits annually; last year, almost 40,000 people came through the emergency room doors. This can’t continue. In 10 years, the population that Stevenson will serve is expected to grow from the current 75,000 to 100,000. The hospital’s outdated infrastructure is not meeting the needs of patients, visitors or staff.

We were all pleased to learn this past summer that Stevenson received stage 1 approval for redevelopment. The hospital will soon submit a stage 2 plan. It’s imperative that this next step move forward expeditiously. The hospital’s proposed expansion would see the facility grow by more than 127,000 square feet, making room for 47 beds, up from the current 38. The plan is to summit a design as all single-occupancy rooms. There would be new birthing suites and a dedicated entrance for the emergency department and one for the general public—all critical, knowing what we have faced with COVID-19.

The draft plan would triple the number of parking spaces and preserve the heliport while also putting in a new ambulance garage.

As I’ve said, the ER is attending to five times more people than it was designed for. This results in patients waiting on stretchers in the hallway rather than in dedicated treatment rooms. Everyone knows this is not optimal patient care at any time, let alone in 2020. Privacy and confidentiality are compromised and professional staff are challenged to do their jobs.

Stevenson has attempted to create negative pressure rooms to manage and isolate patients with serious and infectious diseases. COVID-19 has forced the hospital to quickly mitigate these serious issues but they are not a permanent solution. Negative pressure and single-occupancy rooms are critical to the management of outbreaks like COVID-19.

Birthing suites need modernization. Women in Simcoe county are entitled to services that reflect standards that are set by the province and are available elsewhere.

Surgical patient rooms are below space standards required to meet infection control and privacy. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care requires modern hospitals to have 80% private patient rooms, a standard that Stevenson does not and cannot meet without redevelopment. Undersized patient units result in medical equipment being stored in hallways, contrary to best practices and the Ontario fire code. Operating rooms are severely dated and too small for modern surgical practice. Upgrades will require a wholesale redevelopment that can only be accomplished through expansion.

It’s impossible to upgrade the current HVAC system, which of course is well below current standards. As a result of the dated infrastructure, properly heating and cooling the billing is a struggle. Critical airflow is compromised, impacting patient and staff comfort and ultimately the quality of patient care.

The main building needs a massive investment in modern sprinkler systems to meet fire regulations. This will require facility-wide work best completed as part of an overall modernization. The local fire chief has put Stevenson on official notice that the building is in contravention of the Ontario fire code.

The hospital electricity systems are at capacity. Keeping up with investment in information technology and digital advancements in medical equipment is extremely challenging. New cabling and IT equipment has to be integrated into spaces not designed for this kind of infrastructure, which, frankly, didn’t exist when Stevenson was built.

Turning to Collingwood General and Marine, the hospital was founded in 1887, and the current building was developed on the original site in the 1950s. Its main deficiency is that it’s simply out of space. It serves more than 60,000 permanent residents, in addition to millions of visitors to the region every year.

The 74-bed Collingwood General and Marine began working toward redevelopment 10 years ago, and the south Georgian Bay community is fully behind its plans. John Di Poce has generously offered to donate land on Poplar Sideroad, a few minutes’ drive from the existing hospital building. It is easily accessible from the neighbouring fast-growing centres of Wasaga Beach, Clearview township and the Town of the Blue Mountains, and it aligns with the new Highway 26 realignment.

Doug Measures, the mayor of Clearview township, has written the Minister of Health, pointing out, “The identified site borders our municipalities, utilizing quick easy access by the updated provincial and regional roads, the regional public transit service, and is well suited for medevac flight landings.”

Speaker, when Ornge is required, the current hospital has a single flight path for helicopters. Safety regulations call for two flight paths. Power lines surrounding the current building interfere with the flight path. The emergency department is next to the heliport landing area. The hospital must manually close the air intake for the building so no fumes enter the building. The new site would not only have a proper air handling system, it would better meet today’s safety standards.

In a letter of support, Jack and Susan Marley of Collingwood point out, “Each time the helicopter lands, two men are seen on the roof of the emergency area next to the heliport closing the air intake for the building so no fumes can get inside. The men stay on the roof until after takeoff when it’s safe to reopen the air vents.”

The new greenfield property is next to Georgian College, a bonus which would facilitate the hospital’s vision of becoming a true learning campus able to develop the next generation of health care providers for small-town and rural Ontario.

Because the existing building is old, many of its systems require regular and expensive ongoing renewal. Inadequate floor-to-ceiling heights make the facility ill suited to modern clinical standards. Structurally, adding additional floors isn’t possible. Most of the non-clinical staff have been moved into external modular buildings to free up whatever room is left for patient care and clinical needs. There are not adequate change rooms for staff.

Collingwood’s mayor, Brian Saunderson, wrote the Premier and the health minister to say, “The current physical constraints of the aging facility do not allow for appropriate patient privacy and safety. There are no waiting rooms for patients within the emergency department, ambulatory care, diagnostic imaging, cardiorespiratory department, endoscopy, same-day surgery and other out-patient areas.”

During this time of COVID-19, with 65% of in-patient rooms shared and new measures calling for more private rooms, CGMH is at risk of further bed closures in order to meet this need.

From a clinical perspective, the challenges are acute. Emergency department facilities for patients with mental illness or addiction issues are substandard. There is no space in the dialysis unit to expand. A closet has actually been converted in order to accommodate two additional dialysis chairs. Patient confidentiality is compromised because of open-concept areas divided only by curtains, instead of private rooms and recovery areas. There are no family support facilities, such as quiet interview rooms or lounges for families in a time of crisis. You literally have to have your family meeting in the hallway surrounded by a whole pile of equipment that’s stored there.

For all of these points that I’ve mentioned, it’s imperative a redevelopment be approved in the near future. In the words of Wasaga Beach mayor Nina Bifolchi in her letter to Premier Ford, “Delaying will only lead to increased costs down the road and it will only place further strains on the outdated hospital facility we have, as well as the highly skilled people working there. We need your government to commit to the building of a new hospital for the people of south Georgian Bay.”

Speaker, in conclusion, these hospital redevelopments in Alliston and Collingwood are essential to meeting current needs and future growth. My constituents are entitled to the same level of patient care and safety that all Ontarians expect and deserve. I ask all members to please support my resolution today that the government of Ontario continue to support planning work for the redevelopment and construction of both Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston.

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

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I’m pleased to speak in support of this motion put forward by the member for Simcoe–Grey. I understand the member recently announced he would not seek re-election, and I would like to congratulate him on his 30 years of service to the people of his community and the people of Ontario.

Health care has always been top of mind for Ontarians and for our government as well. The COVID-19 pandemic, as we all know, has brought health care to the forefront of everyone’s mind. We will continue to support the planning worked under way for both Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and the Stevenson Memorial Hospital. We’re investing $20 billion over the next 10 years in hospital infrastructure projects, which will create 3,000 new hospital beds across Ontario. Right now, there are almost 17 major hospital projects under way or in the planning stages. But building hospitals takes time. We need supports now, and our government recognizes that.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are investing $351 million to add more than 2,250 beds across hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province. Recently, I was pleased to join the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore and the member from Mississauga–Erin Mills to announce what this investment meant for Mississauga and Etobicoke. Trillium Health Partners will receive up to $21,825,600 in funding for up to 129 patient beds and an additional 12 critical care beds to help alleviate hospital capacity pressures and wait times.

This includes up to 99 beds at the Mississauga Hospital, with 70 of them in the pandemic response unit; 36 beds at Queensway Health Centre; and six beds at Credit Valley Hospital. I would really like to thank the Minister of Health and the parliamentary assistant for their efforts in making this happen.

Last November, just two days shy of a year ago, we introduced Ontario health teams; the very first one was announced in Mississauga. These teams will provide better connected care for all patients by integrating services from primary care, home care, community care and hospital care to create a seamless system for patients, families and caregivers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They were a key part of our plan to end hallway health care, which included prevention and health promotion, providing care in the right places, integration and improved patient flow, and building capacity.

We’re also taking steps to preserve the capacity we currently have by making sure patients are receiving the right level of care and enabling greater access to home care and community care services through the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act.

Again, I will be supporting this motion and I thank the member for bringing it forward, and I look forward to seeing these projects, as well as others across the province, get under way and serve the communities where they are so needed.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Good morning to everyone in the House. I would like to start off by thanking the member for Simcoe–Grey for bringing forward this very important motion to help fund and increase health care capacity in his community—one that I’m actually very familiar with; I have a number of family and friends who live in the riding of Simcoe–Grey.

I’m very happy to support this motion, because across Ontario, we see that our hospitals are in desperate need of investment. As we know, in Brampton we are ground zero and we can very clearly demonstrate what happens when governments of the day neglect to invest in our health care system. In Brampton, we continue to see our ERs in code gridlock; we continue to experience what the member from Simcoe–Grey outlines as the lack of patient confidentiality, no rooms, no beds, no spaces. That’s because for 15 years, the Liberals failed to invest in our health care system. But, Speaker, what concerns me is that even before that, Conservatives failed to invest in our health care system.

I know that the member opposite has had an illustrious career—over 30 years—and is seeking retirement now, so I want to congratulate him on those accomplishments. He also served as a health minister during the Harris government when, actually, hospitals—several of them were closed and nurses were fired. At that time, those investments could have been made, but governments of the day chose not to.

But, today, we’re happy to support this motion because we understand that in Collingwood and in New Tecumseth, the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital deserve funding, and that that fast-growing region in south Georgian Bay, which continues to grow at an exponential rate—actually, Speaker, it’s the 12th fastest-growing sub-region in Ontario, with Collingwood and Wasaga Beach being the main drivers of this growth—that those people deserve to see their hospital capacity increased and investments made from this province.

So I’m happy to support this because I understand what happens when we don’t fund our hospitals and we don’t ensure they have the capital expansion that they need: Those communities suffer, and people in this province deserve better.

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

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: It’s a privilege to speak to the private member’s business brought forth to this House by the member for Simcoe–Grey.

Our government was elected on a commitment to both modernize and transform our health care system and end hallway medicine—or hallway nursing, as I like to call it—a health care system that was stuck in an era long gone, with Ontarians being treated in every unconventional place inside a hospital, like a hallway, a closet, an auditorium or even a washroom. This is the system that I knew far too well, a system that thousands of nurses and health care providers experienced for years day in, day out. This was the system that we inherited from the previous government.

With that in mind, as soon as we got elected, we got to work. We got to work to transform our health care system, build capacity within and make it one truly reflective of what Ontarians pay for through their taxes and what Ontario’s patients deserve.

Speaker, we know that such transformation is a bold and ambitious plan, and we know that after years of neglect, meaningful and fundamental change takes time. That is why I would like to take a few moments to highlight and celebrate our achievements and investments in the region of Peel and in the city of Mississauga, a community that I am so proud to represent.

Just recently, Madam Speaker, to act on our commitments to the residents of Peel, our government unveiled our ambitious and bold 2020 budget, titled, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, which included $572 million of direct commitments to our province’s hospitals to help offset costs associated with our continued fight against COVID-19. With this plan came numerous provisions that directly benefit Peel region. Of particular importance is $42 million for up to 232 new beds—I would like to repeat that—232 new beds for health facilities in Peel.

Trillium Health Partners will be receiving 141 new beds across their three hospital sites. Outside of Mississauga is a further 87 beds to the William Osler Health System, with 41 beds at Brampton Civic Hospital and 46 beds at Etobicoke General Hospital. With these new beds, we are building hospital capacity to relieve pressure and to ensure Ontarians who need surgeries and other procedures are not impacted by potential future waves of COVID-19.

But we know that improving beds is only one part of a broader commitment to strong public health care in Ontario. That’s why, in the context of COVID-19, this most recent budget also includes further supports for case and contact management in Peel region, with up to 70 new management staff and an additional 10 public health professionals from lesser-impacted areas in the province being redirected to Peel. When public health units and municipalities can successfully trace confirmed cases of COVID-19, they can effectively limit spread, flatten the curve and protect the health care ecosystem from dangerous surges.

Another crucial part of Ontario health care is long-term care. Back in the summer, we took decisive action to get more shovels in the ground and to get to work building greater long-term-care capacity, the amount that Ontarians demand and deserve. This ambitious plan, in conjunction with Trillium Health Partners and Infrastructure Ontario, aims to add up to 640 new long-term-care beds by 2021. This means progress in months, not years—certainly not 15 years—a change of the norm in building that Ontario has not seen from past governments.

Madam Speaker, our government was elected on the belief that the status quo that pervaded our public health care system for so long was unacceptable. We were elected on the belief that our health care system was not reaching the potential that it could, especially when Ontarians in need were either treated in hospital hallways or suffering on long wait-lists. This approach to bettering our public health care system drives this government in the COVID-19 pandemic, as we work to ensure that it remains equipped and ready for any wave that may lie ahead and beyond, for future generations to rely on.

The commitments and investments I listed in Peel are just a few of the 70 major hospital projects across Ontario that are currently under construction or progressing through various stages of planning. In the same spirit, our government will continue to support the planning work under way for both Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital, and I am happy to support this motion.

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

M me France Gélinas: I’m happy to say we will also be supporting the motion from the member from Simcoe–Grey so that Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, as well as Stevenson Memorial Hospital in the town of New Tecumseth, have an opportunity to move forward.

We wanted to add a few comments about hospitals. Everybody will remember that way back when the Conservatives were last in power—not this time, but the time before this—they engaged in hospital restructuring. “Hospital restructuring” were key words for “how many hospitals can we close,” and they were very successful in their goal of closing 28 hospitals. In the process, Ontario lost 7,000 hospital beds and, in the process, 6,000 nurses lost their jobs. That’s a legacy that we still live with to this day.

Fast-forward through 15 years of Liberal government: For five years in a row, hospital budgets grew by zero. There was a freeze on hospital budgets for five years in a row. When they finally started to fund operating budgets in our hospitals again, the rate of funding was below the rate of inflation. So is anybody surprised that we end up where we are now, when even before the pandemic, half of the 142 hospital corporations were full, at over 100% capacity?

We now have people sick enough to be admitted into a hospital that are admitted into a hallway, a TV room, a shower room—or just at the end of any hallway, they put a little curtain and this is your room, with no call bell, no electricity, nothing. What used to be a TV room, a patient lounge or whatever else has now been turned into four- or five-bed wards.

This is the reality of Ontario. It started when the honourable member was Minister of Health. He oversaw a huge part of hospital restructuring that brought us to where we are now with hallway medicine. We are in 2020. We all know about the pandemic that is going on. The number of people whose surgeries have been postponed because our hospitals had to deal with a pandemic and were already full to capacity—when they were finally allowed to reopen, we did the calculations: 189,000 people were added to the wait-lists that are already months’ long.

Because you have to realize that even with the paid procedures—hip, knee, cataracts, all of those procedures that we keep wait times for—we already measure wait time in months, and now we’ve just added over 180,000 new cases to those wait-lists.

This is what the hospital system looks like in Ontario. It doesn’t have to be like this. Lots of people who end up in trouble and end up in our hospitals—they do this because our home care system is broken. Why? I will bring you back to the member from Simcoe–Grey when he was last in government, where they decided to change our home care system to a competitive bidding system, where you saw big corporate for-profit companies outbidding the VON, the not-for-profit, strong home care system that we used to have in Ontario. They changed it for this competitive bidding model.

What has a competitive bidding model brought us? Well, in the short term, they underbid all of the not-for-profits. Most of the not-for-profits either went bankrupt or closed up. VON in Sudbury went bankrupt; they lost the contract. The for-profit that got the contract rehired their staff at a lower pay without benefits, without pension plans, without any sick days, without anything. How long do you figure those people who were experts in home care stayed into those jobs? Not very long.

Fast-forward to now: The home care system cannot recruit and retain a stable workforce, and we have the broken home care system we have now, which means that people who want to stay in their home are not supported, end up in hospital and then we have the hospital overcapacity that we have now.

This member was there when all of those decisions were taken. I’m glad that, now that he sits as an independent, he has seen the light of day and sees how important our hospitals are and is pushing for those hospitals in his riding. We will be there with him. We will push for the good people of New Tecumseth so that they get the hospital care that they deserve. We all deserve good hospital care. I thank the member for bringing this motion forward.

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

Mr. Deepak Anand: I rise today to speak on motion 119, the redevelopment and construction of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in the town of New Tecumseth.

Years back, when my daughter was a couple of years old, we visited Collingwood and instantly fell in love with its natural beauty. There are many biking and walking trails in the vibrant town centre. In fact, we ended up buying a managed townhouse at Cranberry Resort near Highway 26. I loved the fact that we could enjoy the lake and the mountain together at the same time.

As my daughter grew, so the area did too. More and more people are looking to retire, settle or enjoy a vacation home in this slice of paradise. The Ministry of Finance actually projected estimates that the population of Simcoe region will grow to around 80,000 by the year 2031. This signals exciting times for the region: More people means more family means more jobs, homes, schools and prosperity.

The Stevenson facility was actually built over half a century ago, and the Collingwood General was originally built in 1887. Since then, they have invested in regular upgrades, small expansions and new facilities.

As the population increases, demand increases, too. I want to thank all the front-line workers and the hospital administration for doing an incredible job of meeting this incredible demand, especially during COVID-19, in these hospitals.

It is a basic tenant of our public policy: As the demand increases, supply must go up as well. This government understands that, and we are committed to ensuring that Ontarians have access to the high-quality care that they deserve. It is why our government is investing $20 billion over the next 10 years in the hospital expansions and upgrades. The Minister of Finance has recently committed to adding over 2,250 beds across 57 health facilities.

Madam Speaker, you know the region of Peel, which I belong to, is the fastest-growing region in the province, with a diverse population aging, with a projected 61% increase in seniors between 2016 and 2026, and 38% of the population has one or more chronic conditions. I want to thank Premier Ford for listening to the community needs and your promise to address the needs of health care in Brampton. As recently announced, both Trillium and William Osler will receive funding for the new patient beds.

I want to thank all the residents and all the elected officials from Peel for working together during COVID-19 and supporting the community. I want to urge them, let’s keep working hard for our residents not just during COVID-19, but post COVID-19 as well.

To the member and to the people of Simcoe–Grey and New Tecumseth, planning work is already under way for both Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital. I want to assure you: Your government is here to listen and to act.

To the member: Thank you for your advocacy, and thank you for your commitment for 30 years. It’s thanks to you that we understand the importance of health care for our residents and we understand the need here in Collingwood as well. It will be a pleasure to support your motion.

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

Mr. Jeff Burch: It’s a privilege to rise today in the House and debate the member from Simcoe–Grey’s private member’s motion 119, on the Simcoe–Grey hospital redevelopment.

The first time I heard the member speak in person was at an NDP fundraiser in my riding. We were celebrating the career of Peter Kormos, one of my predecessors. I know the member and Peter were friends. If Peter were here, he would give him a really hard time about the Conservatives’ record on this issue, but my friend from Nickel Belt has already done that.

We’ve seen Ontario’s hallway medicine crisis balloon over the last number of years. People spend hours waiting in ERs, frequently in hospitals that are run down, only to end up on a gurney in a hallway without a call button, without privacy. In my riding, in Niagara, some of the hospitals are rated on Ontario’s most overcrowded list. Chronic overcapacity makes the patient experience worse, and it can lead to non-emergency surgeries getting postponed. It mean there’s a surge of new patients with nowhere to relieve the congestion.

In 2013, my own father was a victim of hallway medicine, as I’ve spoken about in this House. After suffering a stroke, he spent 36 hours in the emergency department after being sent to the wrong hospital, where they weren’t equipped to handle strokes. He’s now paralyzed, and my mother cares him for 24/7. This case is not an outlier; it’s happening all over Ontario.

In my riding, a 98-year-old World War II veteran who flew Lancaster bombers in the war—I’ve spoken about his case here in the House before. After suffering a fall, having head injuries and a suspected concussion, he sat for two hours in emergency. He was then declared fit to sit. He sat another six hours due to overcrowding. The family asked for a gurney, but none were available. It’s one of hundreds of stories I’ve heard in the Niagara region alone. Hospitals from across this province are in crisis, and it’s past time to tackle it. It has been this way for many, many years.

The motion before us today is looking to reconfirm support for the planning work for the redevelopment construction of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial. It’s my understanding that Collingwood General is nearly 66 years old. Stevenson Memorial Hospital was built in 1964. Both of these facilities have been allowed to sit without adequate planning to redevelop them.

In June, the Stevenson Memorial CFO revealed that the hospital had spent nearly $800,000 on COVID-19 expenditures and faced $600,000 in lost revenues. So the situation obviously is serious in my friend’s riding, as it is in many of our ridings. I have hospitals in Welland, Port Colborne—my friend from Niagara Falls, in Fort Erie—that are in desperate need of attention. It’s high time that we start to take a look at these things.

I’d also mention, Speaker, that it’s not just about bricks and mortar. We had a new hospital built in St. Catharines a number of years ago. The problem was it wasn’t staffed properly. You can have all the bricks and mortar, you can have a big, shiny new hospital, and it doesn’t matter one bit to patients if there aren’t the staff in those hospitals taking care of the patients. That has not happened for many, many years. I know it’s not completely this government’s fault, but it’s certainly the fault of governments over the last 15 years. It’s a situation we need—

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you. I return to the member for Simcoe–Grey for his right of response.

Mr. Jim Wilson: I want to thank the members for their support of this matter, which is so important to my constituents.

Speaker, over the last 30 years that I’ve been in this House, governments have funded all of the hospitals around Simcoe–Grey. Owen Sound got a new hospital. Barrie has had two new hospitals. During my time, Newmarket has had a couple of billion dollars put into it. I opened the new hospital in Barrie in 1996. I opened the new hospital in Orangeville in 1998. Everybody around me has been done, except for the riding of Simcoe–Grey, so I’m very appreciative of the members who spoke and I understand that all parties will support this resolution.

I do want to tackle a bit of history here, Madam Speaker, because they say I closed 28 hospitals; I think Dalton McGuinty had it up to 35 at one time. Well, let me tell you how they count these things. In the Grey-Bruce health system, there were six hospital corporations on seven sites. I amalgamated those hospital corporations into one corporation. So you went six hospitals, seven sites, one corporation—they call that five closures, as part of their 28. All of the hospitals are still open.

On University Health Network, I amalgamated the hospital corporations of the rehab hospital, Princess Margaret, Toronto Western, the orthopaedic, Toronto General, and one or two others; seven hospital corporations into one, and they call that six closures. All of the hospitals are open.

The only hospital I remember closing was Wellesley, and it needed $68 million of work. We ended up closing that, moving all of its AIDS and HIV services down to St. Mike’s, which was running Casey House at the time—experts in that. We built a state-of-the-art long-term-care facility on that corner at Wellesley and Church. It’s there today.

I also—

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Name the 28 hospitals. You can’t name them. It’s false history.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you, the member for Simcoe–Grey. The time provided for private members’ public business has expired.

Mr. Wilson has moved private members’ notice of motion number 119.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? That is carried.

Motion agreed to.

Orders of the Day

Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour mieux servir la population et faciliter les affaires

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 19, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 213,

An Act to reduce burdens on people and businesses by enacting, amending and repealing various Acts and revoking a regulation / Projet de loi 213, Loi visant à alléger le fardeau administratif qui pèse sur la population et les entreprises en édictant, modifiant ou abrogeant diverses lois et en abrogeant un règlement.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Last time this bill was debated, the member from London West had just finished her debate and it was on to questions and answers. Questions?

Miss Monique Taylor: Speaker—who was our former speaker? Oh, Ms. Sattler, the member from London West. Speaker, I was here when she did her time on this bill and of course, as usual, always articulate, always speaking to the real issues that we know that the people of Ontario face and that we don’t see reflected in this bill. I mean, it’s no different than any bill that we’ve already been watching here in this House that talks about business in the title, but doesn’t see it reflected in the actual legislation that this government puts forward.

So I will ask the member, what does she not see in this bill that would be important for the she-covery throughout the province as people, and particularly women, are struggling with employment?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I’d like to thank the member for Hamilton Mountain for her question. Certainly, there have been numerous missed opportunities for this government to step forward and address the need for a she-covery in this province.

We know that women have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Women therefore need targeted assistance to deal with the pandemic, and particularly to get back into the workforce. We just saw a study by RBC this weekend that confirmed that women are not getting back into the workforce at the same rate that men are.

Certainly, we know that women carry the burden of looking after children. Caps on class sizes, a significant increase in the number of child care spaces: these would have been important initiatives that would have assisted with the she-covery.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Like many members in the chamber, I’ve hosted some virtual round tables with the small business community, particularly, recently, with the region of Durham recovery group. What we discussed was the effect that Bill 213 would bring, particularly the removal of red tape, on small and mid-sized businesses within the town of Whitby, but more broadly within the region of Durham. I wonder if the speaker opposite would speak specifically to the effect in her riding of the removal of the regulations and the effect of making the situation overall in the province of Ontario far more productive for small businesses, but more importantly for hard-working Ontario families.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Unfortunately, there is virtually nothing in this bill, Bill 213, that assists businesses to respond and recover from the impact of the pandemic. We have been hearing in my riding, and I’m sure all members have been hearing in their ridings, from business owners who need direct financial support. This government has heard over and over again from MPPs on this side that this is what business is asking for. This is what they asked for during the summer hearings from the Standing Committee on Finance. This is what they are emailing our offices about. They are calling our offices.

They are telling us, when we speak to business owners, that they need direct financial support to deal with the impact of the pandemic.

This government is offering a $1,000 fund for PPE; the average cost of PPE is $20,000. What good is $1,000 going to do for a struggling small business that is hanging by a thread?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Ms. Suze Morrison: Thank you so much. It’s interesting to be here. I have to admit, I wasn’t present for the member’s initial debate. We’re here on a Monday doing questions and comments on a debate that took place last week and, with the reality of social distancing in the House, it means some of us, unfortunately, miss some of the really great debate that happens.

To the member from London West, who I so enjoy listening to in debate as often as I can: For those of us who weren’t present last week when you gave your initial remarks, if you could highlight, perhaps, the top one or two messages that you want to make sure that the government members really get across from your initial debate.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I appreciate the question from my colleague and wanted to share with the viewers and MPPs who are here in this Legislature today that the main message I conveyed on Thursday when I spoke to this bill is that it has 29 schedules; it’s a grab bag of measures that affect different ministries. But the reality is that none of it matters because this bill includes

schedule 2—a bill that legislates the ability for Canada Christian College to be able to grant university degrees in arts and sciences. It legitimizes an institution that was founded by someone who is Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic. Why is this government feeling that legislation is an appropriate place to legitimize that kind of bigotry and hate?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mr. Aris Babikian: The Better for People, Smarter for Business Act is expected to save businesses time and cost in regulations and policy for business. Is the NDP against the government helping businesses reduce regulatory burdens and making it easier for businesses to create jobs in Ontario?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Listen, the official opposition would like nothing better than the government to step up and start helping businesses in the province of Ontario. That is why with every bill that this government has brought forward claiming that it is a bill that is going to assist businesses, we have highlighted the fact that it’s not addressing the real needs that businesses have brought to our attention. They need direct financial support. Their workers need paid sick days. They need a moratorium on commercial evictions.

Of course, we have heard after a gap of one month that this government was finally dragged into doing the right thing on a commercial eviction moratorium, but even what they did is going to exclude hundreds and thousands of businesses in this province.

We want to respond with what businesses are saying they need in order to get through the pandemic, and this government continues to refuse to listen.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I did hear the debate of my colleague, and what was so clear—and you said so well—was that we have these regulatory changes, and we have this one

schedule that’s just something that none of us can support. It is sort of a pattern that this government does: put something that we know this side of the House could never support in a bill with a bunch of regulatory changes.

I had a couple of meetings with small business last week and spoke with the chamber of commerce. They are very concerned we are not doing sufficient things for small business in this bill or in the budget. So I’d like to ask the member: Can you explain what you would like to see in a bill to help small business?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I very much appreciate the question from my colleague. We, the official opposition, released a plan, our Save Main Street plan, that really focused on what businesses need to make it through the pandemic and still survive on the other side.

One of the first things we hear from small business is their need to be able to keep their workers on the payroll. Many of these workers have been with them for years, and they don’t want to lose them. They want to have those workers available for when we get back to the new normal in Ontario. So a ban on evictions, a direct commercial rent subsidy, paid sick leave for workers—these would be very important measures that would assist small businesses.

We’ve also heard about the need for a utility payment freeze. This government thinks that deferring taxes and then collecting the bill—

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you.

There’s not enough time for another question. Further debate?

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: I’m happy to join the debate on Bill 213 today to express why I will be voting no to this piece of omnibus legislation unless substantive amendments are made, and I will explain why the bill, as a whole, is problematic.

This bill amends 46 different acts already in existence under 29 different schedules. There are two things that immediately jump out at me when reading this bill. First, bizarre—the bill is very, very bizarre. Second, this bill perfectly embodies the motto: What the government gives with one hand, the government takes away with the other. Let me repeat: What the government gives with one hand, the government can take away with the other.

It’s curious that the government is trying to change 46 pieces of existing legislation at a time when they believe no one is looking because of their mishandling of COVID and their repeated lockdowns and shuttering of businesses that are putting people out of work.

Let’s take a closer look. The government is granting three Christian colleges the ability to grant additional degrees and granting them the status of universities. Tyndale Christian college, Redeemer Christian college and Canada Christian College are all to become universities. The way the bill is presented, it almost corners these three colleges into acting against the very principles they promote.

In the same bill that is to grant these three colleges university status, the government wanted to have all churches and places of worship give up their right to perform marriages, free of government intervention and control. That is an attack of religious freedom. Freedom of religion means places of worship are to be free of government intervention. This bill, as drafted, crushes that principle—a principle that this government and many of its members have, in the past, during campaign time, professed to support.

So how did the government put these three Christian colleges into this predicament? Let’s look at the lobbyist record—public for all Ontarians.

Tyndale and Redeemer are represented by employees of the lobbying firm Loyalist Public Affairs, founded by Chris Froggatt, who, multiple news reports have shown, has had a close working relationship with the government and the Premier in the past, providing them with political advice, leading the Premier’s election readiness advisory committee and, of course, infamously handling communications with regard to the Premier’s attempt to appoint his close personal friend to run the OPP—an interesting, or bizarre, choice. The Premier claims that, “No one influences my government.

No one influences my cabinet.” This bill would seem to contradict this tough talk.

The third school, Canada Christian College, is run by the Premier’s close friend Charles McVety, so presumably a lobbyist was not necessary. What did these Christian colleges get in return for their representation?

What the government gives with one hand, the government takes with the other, because in the same bill, as currently drafted and originally intended, this government is imposing itself and all future governments on the practice of marriage in Ontario.

One

schedule of this bill,

schedule 3, eliminates the automatic election for someone to take their spouse’s surname after marriage. That isn’t reducing a burden, despite what the bill’s title says. It creates a burden. It forces people to now use the burdensome process of legally changing their surname rather than simply assuming their spouse’s surname. Instead, newly married people will have to legally change their name by getting a police check and filling out an application with about 29 sections. I don’t understand why this is necessary. The current law allows a person to leave their surname as is after marriage or assume their spouse’s. What is the issue? Why make it harder?

Second, and more alarming, Speaker, is another

schedule of the bill,

schedule 8, that grants cabinet new powers on the practice of marriage in Ontario. Specifically, it gives a cabinet minister of this government—or any future government, which is important to note—the power to (1) create a code of practice that everyone who can solemnize a marriage in Ontario would have to comply with, and if they do not, their authority to conduct a marriage could be cancelled at the minister’s discretion; and (2) it gives a cabinet minister the power to unilaterally cancel the registration of anyone who can marry a couple in Ontario when it is not in the public interest.

It’s very bizarre and very troubling. It rips away freedom of religion from places of worship and puts it entirely in the hands of one cabinet minister.

More troubling, the bill doesn’t bother describing what the code of practice is. It doesn’t provide a description of what the public interest is. As a result, we don’t know what the rationale is for proposing a standard of “in the public interest” and a code—or new concepts—on conducting marriages. That’s left for a later date to be created and changed at the whim of a cabinet minister in this government or any future government—no debates, no vote, no discussion. Ontarians are to trust this and every future government blindly on this. Well, I don’t think blind trust is something that should be given to this government especially, or to any government for that matter.

I also know that it’s safe to say the definition of “in the public interest” created by this government and some of its ministers would not be the same as what I believe “in the public interest” is, or what Ontarians believe, for that matter.

I also think it’s safe to say that the leaders of those three Christian colleges would not agree with this government on what it believes is in the public interest. Is it in the public interest to threaten that you’re going to bring down the hammer on the people of Ontario if they don’t listen to the Premier? I would say no, but the Premier believes it. In this bill, was the government drafting the threat of a new hammer, a hammer on anyone who solemnizes a marriage in Ontario, including those in places of worship and religious institutions?

Churches and other places of worship will now have to comply with a code of practice and a government-defined definition of what “in the public interest” is when performing marriages. This code can be changed whenever this or any future government wants by a single cabinet minister. This is not freedom of religion; it is a direct threat and attack to freedom of religion.

Amending this

section at committee is not enough. The very inclusion of such a broad tool in this legislation shows that this government does not uphold the authority of religious institutions or religious freedom, and furthermore it does not take the legislative process that this provincial Parliament is here to conduct seriously. It is another example of how this government wants to move the legislative process out of this Parliament and into the hands of the executive branch, to be decided behind closed doors without a debate or a vote, just like Bill 195. The very inclusion of this code and “in a public interest” are direct threats on freedom of religion and on churches and other places of worship.

These sections should be entirely removed from the bill, Madam Speaker, not just changed. I fear that whatever tool is created in committee to change

schedule 8 will be so broad that it will be the starting point of a slippery slope, attacking freedom of religion in Ontario by this or any future government.

It’s funny, Speaker, because last year when I proposed my private member’s bill against voter fraud, the government House leader said that political parties get to run themselves. He felt there shouldn’t be any laws against the conduct of internal political party hacks who want to commit voter fraud. But now this bill says that that same government that thinks political parties are above the law, the same government that believes it can fine someone for having 10 people over for Thanksgiving, believes that churches and other places of worship don’t get to run themselves when it comes to the practice of marriage.

So this government presents a code of practice or conduct on those officiating marriages, but they reject a code of practice or conduct on political parties and political operatives on voter fraud.

You know, it’s interesting, Speaker, because in retrospect, since the bill was introduced on October 6, I thought we would have heard in some public way from certain members across the aisle. I thought, for sure, for such an attack on freedom of religion, we would have heard from members from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex or Niagara West, or any other politician from the government benches who cut their stripes and got their vote and status among the voters by professing to be defenders of religious liberty.

I thought those members who profess to defend and speak out and promote religious liberty here to do just that, but they are nowhere to be found when it’s their government stripping away and attacking religious liberty. They said nothing in the two weeks after the bill was introduced, and nothing since—crickets.

In conclusion, Speaker, I have to ask: What is the point of

schedule 3 and

schedule 8? What is the issue? Why can’t we have it drafted right into the bill if it is valid, or why won’t the government just remove those sections?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: To the member from Cambridge: This particular bill is designed also to help small businesses. When you take a look at the current situation right now with Peel and Toronto being in a lockdown, nobody likes that. I don’t like that. I’m sure no one in this Legislature likes it. But the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act is expected to save businesses time and cost, in regulatory and policy to businesses.

My question to the member, respectfully, is, do you—we know that the official opposition, they’re badgering us with regard to this particular bill. But again, as an independent, are you against businesses, whereby this policy will reduce regulatory burdens to make it easier for businesses to create jobs in Ontario?

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Thank you to the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington for his question. Should we be supporting small businesses and all businesses? Yes, we should. Why are we putting these sections into a bill, then, about business? This isn’t better for people; this isn’t better for business.

Considering I’m one of the few people who are actually defending small business, who was previously on that side, the fact that you’ve locked down two regions and closed off small businesses, only allowing big box stores to open, makes me want to ask you: Are you against supporting small businesses?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mr. Jeff Burch: Thank you to the member from Cambridge. It’s always great to hear her speak. She packed a lot of information in that 10 minutes; I’m going to have to get a copy of that for future reference.

I’m just wondering, this government has a really troubling record with overreaching on emergency bills, burying all kinds of legislation in a kind of stealth manner—ranked ballots, taking away a municipality’s ability to run their own affairs; conservation authorities, that’s been under attack in bills; and now, of course, this situation with McVety. What is she hearing from her constituents in terms of this Conservative government using a pandemic as cover to bury legislation in their bills in a stealth manner?

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Thank you very much to the member for Niagara Centre. Our great folks in the Hansard department will make sure that you have a copy, word for word, of my speech. So thank you for that.

My constituents in Cambridge, which includes North Dumfries and north Brant, they’re extremely disappointed. We saw that back in July when I voted no on Bill 195, which is a bill that was really draconian and a complete government overreach. My constituents were, across all political stripes, quite happy about my vote on that bill. Believing that this government has let them down, they feel abandoned. They feel lied to.

I want them to know that I will continue to represent them until my term is up, and that I will continue to fight for what they want, which is keeping the small businesses open and ensuring that we are trusting individuals to do what they know that they can do: keeping things safe, keeping people healthy. It’s such a disappointment because I have been conducting round tables for the last few weeks, and my small businesses are scared about what this government is going to do next.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Question?

Mr. Deepak Anand: Due to COVID-19, small businesses are struggling, and one way we can help these businesses is by reducing their costs. Our government has a target to reduce these costs to businesses by $400 million, and that is why Ontario is at an A- grade in 2019, well above C+ in 2018. That’s the change. This bill streamlines and harmonizes regulations with other provinces to make life better for the people and smarter for businesses, while maintaining health and safety standards.

Through you, Madam Speaker, my question to the member would be, what are the things in this bill that you support that will enhance and will make life better for our small businesses?

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Thank you to the member from Mississauga–Malton. We know small businesses are struggling. If the government had approached this pandemic in a way where they actually supported the vulnerable and those who actually needed support instead of just the two-week shutdown—okay, we get it. We don’t know about the virus. We need to not overwhelm our health care system. We are now eight months, going into nine, of lockdowns and restrictions and no real, objective criteria being presented.

Let people get back to work. We don’t need to be supporting them with all this money. We could be putting that towards the vulnerable if you let them get back to work. That’s all they have been asking for this entire time. People are struggling. People can’t pay their mortgages. They cannot pay their rent. So is this bill needed? Unfortunately, it is, but those two schedules that I mentioned are not.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Question?

Ms. Suze Morrison: I listened intently to the member’s remarks, and she specifically noted that this government doesn’t deserve the blind trust of Ontarians. I would ask the member if she would care to elaborate from her personal experience why exactly this government does not deserve the trust of Ontarians.

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Thank you to the member for Toronto Centre. I’m grateful for that question. I think Bill 195 was a good example of not being able to give your trust completely to this government, or to any government for that matter.

Again, I have asked twice in this House for objective criteria for the reasons for lockdown. I got non-answers both times, once from the Solicitor General and once from the Minister of Health, unfortunately. We’re asking for clarity. We’re asking for transparency. Not just me, but we have members of the public asking. We have members of the opposition asking for clarity. So it doesn’t matter what side of the political spectrum we’re on, we are asking for clarity. We cannot trust you to make decisions when one week you’re saying something, and then the following week you’re saying something else.

There are contradictions in everything that is being said. We, as people, as Ontarians of this province, need clarity.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mrs. Nina Tangri: I want to thank the member opposite for sharing her thoughts about this bill. The COVID-19 pandemic response bill that we brought forward allowed us to provide the relief for the businesses that we have talked a lot about today in the House: $1.9 million in employee relief by allowing WSIB payments to be deferred; $1.8 billion in property tax deferrals for businesses; $6 billion in relief through the interest and penalty-free period for payments; and also, through the budget bill, where we allowed $1,000 for PPE. We’re allowing rebates for property taxes for our businesses hit in the areas, like in the hot zones—for example, Peel.

The COVID-19 pandemic relief bill was a bill that the member opposite voted against. Now, all of measures that our government is taking to support businesses, yet the member opposite speaks against those great measures that we have taken—I’d like to hear her response on what she believes is a better measure than a lot of the things that we are providing here right now.

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Madam Speaker, this is the third government question, and each time they had an opportunity to ask me about what I actually spoke about, and each time they have not, because they’re embarrassed. They know that this bill should have been for COVID recovery because of all the damage they’ve done to this economy—the recovery that’s needed. They’ve snuck two schedules into this bill that have no place, and the questions I get are: “What do you support? Why did you vote no against this?” I’m voting no because you put rubbish in a bill. That’s why I’m voting no. There’s no transparency, once again.

Ask me a real question that I can respond to. Asking me about what great stuff—how much money you’re putting into PPE. Guess what? They want to get back to work. They don’t want your money for PPE. They want to run their businesses the way they need to, to feed their families, to pay taxes, to support this economy, and to make sure we have enough money for health care and education. That’s what Ontario wants.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Question?

Miss Monique Taylor: It is always fascinating to be in the House when the member from Cambridge takes on the government—a government that she used to be a part of and left for a reason. I would say this bill is probably just one more of those reasons why she pats herself on the back and said that she did the right thing.

It was very interesting to hear her speak about these schedules, the mess that they are going to make, how they are not better for people, and the interesting fact of why the government chooses to put this in a bill that’s called Better for People, Smarter for Business.

Can she tell me anywhere in this bill that she actually finds measures that are better for business and smarter for people?

At the end of the day, if we have a bill that’s supposed to be about COVID measures, we should be focusing on COVID—

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you.

Further debate?

Mr. Aris Babikian: This bill proposes to develop an online service for property-related information requests to ensure that information to inform evidence-based environmental decisions related to property transactions is available to businesses and citizens in a timely manner.

I assume the opposite member will agree that a more efficient and accountable way of reporting property information is to help our residents?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): I apologize. We were done with questions and answers; we were on to further debate.

Interjection.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Okay, we’ll count that as debate.

Questions?

Miss Monique Taylor: Questions for the member? Is that what’s happening, now that they’ve confused it all up?

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Yes.

Miss Monique Taylor: That’s fine, Madam Speaker, because I was going to take the opportunity to stand up and speak to Bill 213 anyway, but it’s easy for me to transform that into a question back to the governing member.

As we’ve been hearing, there are a lot of poison pills within this bill. We know that

schedule 2 is a problem when it comes to McVety. We know that the Marriage Act is a problem; we know that the transportation act is a problem—so many issues within this bill that are truly not better for people or smarter for business.

Can the member tell me the measures that he thinks are in this bill that will actually help people and businesses?

Mr. Aris Babikian: There are so many positive aspects in this bill to help our residents, our citizens and our businesses. It is time for us to put all our differences aside and work together to help overcome these difficult times during this pandemic. We can sit down and debate the issue and criticize each other, but the important thing is that we need to be more proactive. We have to provide more resolution to the needs of our residents.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): We’ve run out of time for debate on Bill 213 today.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): It is now time for members’ statements.

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Ms. Jill Andrew: It is an honour to stand on behalf of our resilient Toronto–St. Paul’s, but make no mistake, our resilience must be met with this government’s action and resources. We cannot be taken for granted.

I want to give a heartfelt thank you to our very own local community she-roes who created #one2giveTO. They and all of us in St. Paul’s have shopped local to support our small businesses. We’ve donated essentials, helped seniors, neighbours on ODSP/OW who have run out of money between the cost of rent, food, meds and PPE. We’ve made phone calls to check in on the mental health of our loved ones. We’ve mailed letters to those without Internet.

Speaker, our resilience is waning. We cannot afford to get this lockdown wrong again. We have no more lives to spare.

St. Paul’s needs no evictions—residential or commercial—during the full duration of COVID-19. We need real rent relief. We need housing for people in St. Paul’s experiencing homelessness, paid sick days for all workers who are sick so they can stay home. Women without children, Speaker, also locked down in violence, need this government’s help, too.

We need the Premier to explain the sense behind our kids and caring adults crammed in schools while the message is for us to stay home.

Speaker, St. Paul’s needs help—more help than I could ever list in a member’s statement. We demand truth, transparency and clarity from this Conservative government now. We are strong, but we cannot do it alone.

Food and toy drive

Mr. Rick Nicholls: A few months ago, I spoke about the miracle that occurred in my riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington back on May 16. Volunteers were able to collect over 678,000 pounds of food within just one day.

Part of that miracle was that it was not only put together in just three weeks; with the help of a huge group of volunteers, food was collected in a matter of hours. Since there was so much, it may have taken our riding a few days to sort through everything, but then another miracle happened.

You see, at this time of year, normal charities that are usually open are struggling due to the lack of volunteers and COVID-19 precautions. This past Saturday, my riding of Chatham-Kent was blessed with a new initiative. It’s called The Gift. Similar to the miracle, people were encouraged to leave food and toy donations by their front door, where volunteers, following COVID-19 safety protocols, went to collect them. As so many items were donated, we still do not have a concrete number, but volunteers are busy sorting and counting.

Susan Fulmer from the Wheatley food bank spoke about how amazing Chatham–Kent residents are. She also mentioned that they received thousands of gifts and pallets of food, all to help prepare the Christmas hampers, which will then help those in need with a little boost this year. Again, organizations such as the Chatham Goodfellows, the Salvation Army as well as local Christmas hamper programs will be aided by this.

It’s fantastic to see a community volunteering their own time to help the less fortunate so close to the holidays. Because of The Gift, I’m happy to say Merry Christmas.

Employment standards

Mr. Jeff Burch: Speaker, I want to speak to you and all the members of this House today regarding an urgent, ongoing situation with the Niagara health system and across the province of Ontario. Hospital staff are being sent home without pay when exposed to COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health, under this government, has directed this change, and hospitals can no longer do straight pay for staff directed by the employer to go into isolation. This practice is a marked departure from the province’s direction during the first wave, where staff in self-isolation would continue to receive their full pay. We’ve heard from front-line hospital staff who report that when exposed to COVID in the line of duty, they’re sent home without pay when they self-report.

This change has the potential for dangerous consequences in our community. This government often talks about the hard work done by front-line health care workers, correctly calling them heroes, yet the actions from the Ministry of Health now put them in an impossible situation.

We know that the vast majority of families in this province cannot afford to go without an entire paycheque. One can clearly see the difficult decision a worker would face, to self-report possible exposure with the knowledge that doing so may mean your family cannot get by financially that month.

Sending front-line workers home without pay shows flagrant disrespect for their work, livelihood and safety. Beyond the safety of the workers, it creates a door for exposure in our hospitals and our communities.

The OHA, hospitals across Ontario, and health care unions have asked the ministry to restore hospital workers’ pay and make them whole when they are exposed to this deadly virus. We must reverse this threat to their work and financial stability, and start treating them with the respect they deserve.

Joan and Coleman MacDonald

Mr. Jim McDonell: My riding is blessed by many great community volunteers, but none greater than Joan P. and Coleman MacDonald.

Joan Barton, by many local standards, was a foreigner to Williamstown, travelling there from Vankleek Hill in 1954 to teach at Char-Lan high school. She met her husband-to-be, Coleman MacDonald, and raised their three children, Greer, Dawn, and Krista, on their bicentennial farm. The couple’s motto was “Faith, family and friends,” and their infectious love for enjoying a good time captured the spirt of Glengarry county.

As a teacher, Joan P. helped produce musicals and events that incorporated her musical talents, including 52 years as organist at St. Mary’s. As an active member of our local food grains bank, Joan organized and produced the annual Irish stew musical. It was all about having fun and raising money for a good cause. Joan also served on the Charlottenburgh township council, the Williamstown Fair, the Glengarry, Nor’Westers and Loyalist Museum, and the St. Raphael’s Friends of the Ruins committee for many years.

Both Joan P. and Coleman were avid curlers, organizing and supporting the local Lancaster club with enthusiasm and a generous welcome for all members, new and old, helping them generate activities such as their annual Boxing Day bonspiel. You were always welcomed by Joan P.’s big smile, and a Labatt 50 and a lame joke from Coleman.

Both Coleman and Joan were honoured by their peers. Joan was inducted into the Glengarry Celtic Music Hall of Fame, and Coleman into the Glengarry Sports Hall Of Fame for curling. They were leaders in their community, where their lively energy and good work continue to inspire respect and fond memories.

Joan passed away in 2009, and Coleman followed her this past June, both passing away in their historic Loyalist home farm. Great neighbours and friends, rest in peace, Joan P. and Coleman.

Assistance to persons with disabilities

Ms. Marit Stiles: It’s a pleasure to speak, as always, on behalf of the great people of Davenport. As we have said many times in this House, the COVID pandemic is exposing existing gaps in income insecurity and in access to supports. From the beginning of the pandemic, people receiving assistance through the Ontario Disability Support Program have been sounding the alarms, calling on the province to boost benefits during the pandemic, particularly for those who don’t qualify for federal benefits.

Mr. Speaker, everyone in this chamber is contacted, I’m sure, by people with disabilities, many of whom have been housebound because of their vulnerability to more severe illnesses from COVID-19 and are having to pay more for everything, from ordering groceries, to transportation, to personal protective equipment. Many of the people who have contacted me are desperate, deeply depressed, and as we know from recent media reports, considering terrible ends.

Simply put, it has been a nightmare. And now the government is putting salt on the wound, wasting $1.5 million to hire fraud investigators. This is money that could help people on ODSP. But instead, the government has decided, at the worst time for thousands of people in our province, to focus on how many people they can kick off their very support in a pandemic. Mr. Speaker, when will the government live up to its responsibilities and respect the human rights and dignity of Ontarians living with disabilities?

Logement abordable / Affordable housing

M me Lucille Collard: Le 10 novembre dernier, j’ai lancé un groupe de travail sur le logement abordable avec mes trois collègues municipaux de la circonscription d’Ottawa–Vanier. Nous avons décidé d’unir nos efforts afin de trouver des solutions étant donné la crise du logement qui affaiblit gravement notre économie.

La pénurie de logements adéquats, sûrs et abordables dans la province et, plus particulièrement, à Ottawa–Vanier est un problème majeur depuis plusieurs années, et la situation ne fait qu’empirer avec la pandémie.

Currently, more than 12,000 people—many are families with children—are waiting for housing in Ottawa. This is a 15% increase from 2017. Nowadays, if you want to have access to a two-bedroom apartment, you have to work two full-time jobs. This is not affordable housing.

The lack of adequate and affordable housing in Ontario is not an issue that we can put off any longer. It’s not a partisan issue; it’s a matter of human rights and human dignity.

Cette pandémie nous fait réaliser encore plus à quel point nous avons besoin de protéger et d’aider les membres de nos communautés les plus vulnérables. Dans un pays comme le Canada et une province aussi prospère que l’Ontario, aucun être humain ne devrait avoir à choisir entre la nourriture et le logement. Nous pouvons faire mieux; nous devons faire mieux.

I call on every member of this House to join me and my colleagues at the city of Ottawa as we endeavour together to do everything possible to ensure that all Ontarians can have a place to call home.

Holodomor

Ms. Christine Hogarth: I rise today to honour the memories of the Ukrainian Canadians whose ancestors died in the genocide of Ukrainians at the hands of the government of the Soviet Union in the early 1930s.

Starvation was the weapon of choice by the Soviet government against the Ukrainian people. This period in history is known as the Holodomor, a term derived from the Ukrainian words for hunger, “holod,” and extermination, “mor.” This deliberate, man-made famine took place from 1932 to 1933.

Soviet leader Joseph Stalin collectivized the agriculture sector and forced peasants to relinquish their land, personal property and sometimes housing to collective farms. He also deported kulaks—wealthier peasants—as well as anyone who resisted his policy of collectivization. Wheat and other grains were confiscated from farmers by the communist government. Some of it was sold for export to fund Stalin’s five-year plan.

As a result, millions of innocent people starved to death—28,000 people died per day at the height of the Holodomor, 31% of whom were children under the age of 10. What makes this man-made genocide so shocking is that it took place during a time of peace and was not the result of a war or natural disaster, nor was there any provocation by the Ukrainian people.

The Holodomor was denied, covered up and then ignored by the world for over five decades. Now, we recognize and remember what really happened. The fourth Saturday of November of each year has been designated as Ukrainian Famine and Genocide Memorial Day, Holodomor Day. This year, we will remember Holodomor on November 28. On behalf of the large number of Ukrainian people living in my riding and throughout Canada, we will never forget the Holodomor.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Kevin Yarde: It’s an honour to rise on behalf of the great people of Brampton North. Peel and Toronto are now in a lockdown because this government tried to save a buck by cancelling public health measures too soon, ignoring public health advice and refusing to expand COVID testing and contact tracing. We need direct, concrete financial help for businesses and workers impacted by this lockdown.

This government was warned over and over again that this was where the province was headed if the Premier continued to nix public health protections. He didn’t invest in testing and contact tracing. He didn’t invest in smaller class sizes. He didn’t protect long-term-care homes.

Officials in Peel have previously said that there are some neighbourhoods in the region that are seeing much higher positivity rates than in other areas of the province—specifically, in Brampton northeast. It is not necessarily additional restrictions that we need; we need support and resources where COVID is spreading. In Brampton, our number-one source of spread is in the industrial settings amongst industrial workers. In Brampton, we have the largest food processing and transportation logistics centre in the country. They’re all considered essential workers, so none of these individuals are going to stop working with the latest restrictions.

What we need is an isolation centre so that people can safely isolate. We need sick benefits for workers so that people with symptoms don’t have to show up to work sick.

Holodomor

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: As we begin National Holodomor Awareness Week, I join with Ukrainians in Ontario, in Canada and around the world to remember the victims of the Holodomor, the Ukrainian genocide.

Holodomor was a famine in which an estimated 2.5 million to 7.5 million Ukrainians, many of whom were children, were targeted and intentionally and systematically starved to death between 1932 and 1933 by the communist dictator Joseph Stalin. Soviet authorities confiscated all food grown by Ukrainian farmers. Although the harvest was rich, Ukrainian people were forbidden to touch it. Anyone, including children, caught taking even a stalk could be executed. Special squads were dispatched to search homes and forcibly take all food, ensuring a mass starvation would ensue. These targeted and intentional crimes turned Europe’s breadbasket into a land of immeasurable human suffering.

To add insult to injury, this genocidal famine was denied, ignored and covered up throughout the 20th century. Despite decades of oppressive rule, Ukrainians refused to abandon their drive for freedom and independence.

Speaker, I remember that I was a staffer here at Queen’s Park when we hosted a Holodomor awareness night with the PC caucus. We heard narratives from speakers and survivors from the League of Ukrainian Canadians, the Holodomor National Awareness Tour, the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. Hearing these stories had a profound impact on me, so today I join all members of this House in solemnly marking the anniversary of this crime against humanity.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Today, Toronto and Peel enter lockdown to combat the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in problem areas. Once again, our front-line and essential service workers are being called upon to support the province so the rest of us can stay home, isolate and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Speaker, the situation is complex and obviously less than ideal, but we must all do our part to ensure we get through this difficult time.

I want to extend my sincerest thanks to Ontario’s front-line and essential service workers for their diligence and professionalism. I want to also call on all Ontarians to practice kindness and patience with one another.

This pandemic continues to be a defining moment in Ontario’s history, and I believe we can get through it if we all work together.

Marc Hovingh

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the member for Algoma–Manitoulin has a point of order.

Mr. Michael Mantha: Yes, Speaker. I rise on behalf of the good people of Algoma–Manitoulin and across this province requesting unanimous consent for a moment of silence to remember one of our own: OPP Constable Marc Hovingh, who tragically passed in the line of duty. Marc will always be remembered as a loving husband, the best dad ever, a gentle giant with an infectious smile, a true champion, a man who had our backs and never wavered, a kind heart with a loving soul, a man of faith, a community man, a family man and a true blue ambassador to the force.

A safe journey home to Manitoulin Island today, Marc. To your loved ones and your family: You will forever remain in our hearts.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Algoma–Manitoulin is seeking the unanimous consent of the House for a moment’s silence in memory of the OPP officer who lost his life, tragically, protecting us all. Agreed? Agreed.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

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

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Sara Singh: Good morning, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. On Friday, the Premier announced long overdue public health measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Sadly, these measures come after months of delay and underinvestment from the Ford government.

It was a little over two weeks ago that the Premier rolled back public health measures and claimed, “We see the curve going down,” even as those case counts were spiking in communities like the region of Peel.

Has the Ford government’s health table estimated how much COVID-19 spread as a result of the government’s refusal to recognize the crisis?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. The government has maintained its focus on halting the spread of COVID-19, not only in the summer but through the fall, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Health brought forward a very comprehensive second-wave program, which included substantial investments in testing. It included also investments by the Minister of Long-Term Care.

I would say to the member that progress has been made. While we continue to work a whole-of-government approach to flattening the curve, we do understand how difficult this is for the people in the city of Toronto and to the people of Peel. That’s why we’re going to redouble our efforts to make sure that we can flatten this curve, because I think those two communities, as well as the entire province, deserve that.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: The new lockdown measures imposed Friday will have devastating impacts in communities like Brampton, but it’s all the more devastating because they actually could have been avoided if the Premier had not spent weeks and months denying and minimizing the threat posed by the second wave and ignoring the facts.

Speaker, is he prepared to admit that his government’s inaction and denial has made this crisis far worse in the province of Ontario, and commit to an honest and transparent response moving forward?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the passion and the concern that the member opposite has with respect to her community. I think we’re all on the same page in wanting to ensure that Peel region gets back on its feet as soon as possible.

We have redoubled our efforts working with the federal government, of course, and with Peel region and with our municipal partners in that area. We understand. That’s why the Minister of Health has brought in additional contact tracers. That’s why we brought in additional testing into Peel region.

This is a very difficult situation. It’s difficult for the businesses there; it’s difficult for families. We understand that, Mr. Speaker.

The Minister of Finance has brought in additional resources to help our small businesses, but ultimately what will work best for that community is if we all redouble our efforts and do what public health officials are saying. It is in our control, not only in Peel and Toronto, but across Ontario. It is in our control, whether we flatten this curve and we reopen Ontario for business as soon as possible, Mr. Speaker.

The member has my assurance and the assurance of the entire government—in fact, of the entire Legislature—that we will do everything that we can to get—

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Thank you to the government House leader for that answer, but do you know what? Numbers are rising here daily. The Premier claimed that he was actually flattening the curve, but when we see those numbers rising—today, we hit record highs; in Peel alone, 535 cases. But instead what the Premier did was actually loosen public health measures while those case counts were spiking.

He claimed the public health officials backed him when they, in fact, did not. He forced them to sign gag orders so that they couldn’t contradict him. I think that the people of Ontario deserve much better.

Will the Premier admit that, and commit to lifting the gag orders, provide an honest and transparent response, and put the interest of people and communities ahead of the political needs of this Ford government?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: We have been putting the health and well-being of the people of Ontario first and foremost since this pandemic began, and we’ll continue to do so.

The situation in Peel region is very concerning; I agree with you. Despite having stricter measures since about October 10, we’re finding that the case numbers continue to climb. That’s why it was necessary to move both Peel and Toronto into lockdown measures. As the member will know, to move into the red zone, the cases have to be 40 per 100,000. Right now, in Peel, they’re at 179.4. Action has to be taken.

We have been following this very closely since the beginning. We have been working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, but also Dr. Loh, the medical officer in Peel. He is certainly in agreement with the steps that needed to have been taken. We are making sure that all of the members on the team, the pandemic task force, the health measures table and so on, are not required to sign gag orders or non-disclosure orders. They are free to speak. But everyone agrees that action needed to be taken, and that is what we have done.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Sara Singh: My question, once again, is to the Premier. The COVID-19 pandemic has hit all Ontarian families hard, but it’s especially devastating in communities like Brampton. Brampton is home to thousands of essential workers. These are the people who have kept us going, and they have kept going into work so that others can stay home. These are our truck drivers, our cab drivers, warehouse workers or even front-line health care providers.

They deserve a lot more than just our thanks. They need actual support. They desperately need hospital services. They need testing. They need paid sick days so that they can stay home when they’re sick. Why has the Ford government failed to provide any of this?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, in fact, we have provided measures at every step along the way for all front-line health care workers and front-line workers. As you have indicated, the truck drivers, the other people that work in the supply chain, all of those people need our help and support. That’s what we’ve been working on since the beginning. We have been supplying the personal protective equipment that people need. We have been making sure that people receive financial assistance if they need to, if they have been laid off work or if they have had their hours cut.

We are doing everything that we can along the way, ensuring for our front-line health care workers that they have the personal protective equipment, that they have the resources within the hospitals or care facilities, and making sure that we are expanding capacity, as well, for the people that we know are contracting COVID-19, as well as continuing with the surgeries and procedures that were postponed during wave 1.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Working people in Brampton, who are putting their health at risk in a pandemic, shouldn’t have to worry about basics like choosing between losing a day’s pay or going to work sick. The Premier proudly scrapped paid sick days last year, and when New Democrats forced the federal government into creating a program, this Premier dragged his feet and refused to co-operate.

Will the Premier follow the advice of public health experts like Peel region’s very own chief medical officer, Dr. Loh, and immediately establish a program to ensure that workers can take paid sick days if they need to?

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

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you for the question. On July 16, Premier Ford joined our government in a historic $19-billion Safe Restart Agreement. This includes $1.1 billion and 10 paid sick days. The federal government has introduced legislation, Bill C-2, that will provide access to paid sick leave. This bill passed first reading in the House of Commons on September 24. We’re monitoring the progress on this bill, and we will be ready when and if this bill passes into law.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed problems the Premier would rather ignore. Communities like Brampton, Scarborough, Weston, Jane and Finch have struggled for years with underfunding and second-class treatment. They don’t need a lecture from the Premier about avoiding parties; what they need is hospitals and health centres. They need dedicated resources for testing and contact tracing during the pandemic. They need culturally specific outreach programs to spread the word and create awareness about COVID-19. They need the support to ensure that they can pay their rent, feed their kids and take a sick day if they’re worried about COVID-19. When will the Premier do any of that?

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you so much again for that question. Unlike our government, which continued to work through COVID-19 for the people of Ontario, the federal government prorogued the House. I clearly understand your frustration, as we have been waiting for months. We hope to have an answer soon for you. Thanks so much again for the question.

Small business

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. This morning, residents woke up in Peel and Toronto to a full lockdown. Everyone knows they have to do their part to stay home and slow the spread of COVID-19, but for business owners who have already had the hardest year of their lives, the news was devastating. We’re coming into Christmas season, the time many businesses rely on to get them through the rest of the year, especially this year. Now business owners are having to close their doors without any financial help from the government. The Premier promised to “double the supports,” but when you double nothing, it’s still nothing.

Why doesn’t this government think small main street businesses are worth saving, or even worth fighting for, and why are you so unwilling to help?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister for Small Business and Red Tape Reduction.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I disagree with the premise of that question. Look, we understand—there is absolutely no sugar-coating it—these are very tough times, unlike anything we have experienced. There is no family, there is no business, there is no person that hasn’t been affected by this pandemic.

But that’s also why this government has put forward unprecedented supports for businesses since the start of the pandemic. Just recently, the Minister of Finance released, and is now providing, over $600 million in relief to support eligible small businesses. This application is online and available. It’s very easy to apply to—one portal. Those eligible businesses that can also apply for the main street PPE grant can access this funding immediately. I urge all business owners impacted by these restrictions to immediately apply through this online portal and get the supports they need.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Mr. Speaker, it is shocking that this government has not acted on direct financial support. If policies aren’t implemented now to protect and support workers and business owners, especially small business owners, our economic recovery will be that much harder. But still this government refuses to offer direct financial support. In fact, they’ve actually made it harder for the small business owners, while giving big breaks to big box stores and huge corporations.

In a release, the CFIB suggested that the lack of support for main street businesses was “outrageous” and immediately called for the creation of a “small business first” strategy, something New Democrats have been calling for for months.

How many more businesses are going to have to close before this Premier and this government finally listens to businesses, to workers and to groups like the CFIB and finally steps up with some real support?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you once again for the question.

Our government understands that businesses need our support more than ever before. That is why we put forward immediate financial relief to the tune of $600 million in direct support to these impacted businesses. On top of that, today the federal government has announced that they have opened online applications for rent relief, tenant-direct programs, 90% rent relief for those businesses that have been impacted. We have put forward a $60-million PPE grant program to help those impacted with direct supports.

We’ve also, in the summer, launched a $57-million—the largest investment ever by a government to help businesses go digital; $2,500 grants for main street small businesses to help them pivot to e-commerce online models to adapt to the new challenges of the pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, this government will continue to work with our small businesses and support them in their time of need.

Infrastructure funding

Mr. Stan Cho: My question this morning is to the Minister of Transportation. All too often we see politicians passing the buck to other jurisdictions when it comes to building infrastructure in Ontario. This has been an ongoing and deadly problem in my riding of Willowdale.

At the south end of my community, the world’s longest street, Yonge Street, meets North America’s busiest highway, the 401. For two decades—two decades, Speaker—Willowdalers have been asking their elected officials to redesign the interchange at Yonge and the 401, but nothing was done. This is not just a matter of easing congestion; this is about public safety.

Speaker, through you: Minister, can you commit to this issue so that we can work towards making Willowdale’s streets safer and finally fix the ramp?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member from Willowdale for the question. This is a major interchange on the province’s busiest highway, and I know how important this issue is to the people of Willowdale.

Speaker, political gridlock often leads to gridlock on our streets, and as the member highlighted, this has led to a long-standing and dangerous problem in Willowdale. That’s why I’ve directed the Ministry of Transportation to look into this, and I am pleased to confirm that our government has given stage 1 planning approval to improve the Highway 401 and Yonge Street interchange. In addition, the province will also fund up to 50% of the cost for the city of Toronto to conduct the environmental assessment.

I want to assure the member from Willowdale and his constituents that work is under way to improve this interchange and to reduce congestion for local traffic.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you so much, Minister. It’s hard to stop smiling, because this is such great news for my constituents in Willowdale. From my first day in office, this has been something that I’ve been speaking to your ministry about. It’s such an important initiative in Willowdale, and I’m proud that this government is working to end the culture of delay and mismanagement, to get rid of that political gridlock. Speaker, the former Liberal government had over 15 years to act on this issue, and they did nothing. In fact, it’s one of the reasons that I ran for this very seat.

Getting transportation infrastructure built across Ontario is a priority for this government, especially as we look to Ontario’s economic recovery following COVID-19. So, Speaker, through you to the minister, my question is simple: What does our recovery plan look like in Ontario?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you again to the member from Willowdale for the question. We need to get Ontario building. We need to make bold investments in infrastructure to create jobs and to stimulate our economy.

We have a 10-year, $144-billion infrastructure plan to ensure that Ontario is ready for the future, and nearly half of that money is in public transit, but a stimulus plan is only as good as the tools that drive it. That’s why, last month, we introduced the Ontario Rebuilding and Recovery Act, which, if passed, will give us the tools that we need to get shovels in the ground sooner.

Speaker, this is the bold action that we need. It’s the bold action that has been missing for years. The opposition has an opportunity with this bill to work with us and support this bill, so that we can ensure that Ontario emerges stronger than ever.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. Speaker, last week I asked the Premier about an outbreak at Begley Public School in Windsor that closed the school. In his response, the Minister of Education said, “Transmission is not happening within school.” Well, sadly, Speaker, there are now 26 confirmed positive cases coming out of that school outbreak, and on Friday, another Windsor school was shuttered, this time in the Catholic board. The Windsor-Essex public health unit informed the public that “the entire school is considered high-risk for exposure to COVID-19.”

My question to the Premier is this: With the evidence so clearly showing the increased risk of a second wave that was allowed to get out of control under his leadership, why were no additional measures announced to protect students and staff?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, the Chief Medical Officer of Health of this province, including leading pediatric doctors, have been very clear that the plan we have unveiled is keeping kids safe, and that is so imperative. It is so important that we continue to ensure that schools remain open in this province.

In the context of F.W. Begley and the Greater Essex County District School Board, the local public health unit has yet to confirm if that transmission occurred in school or in community, and I think it is absolutely unacceptable that you would advance a message, absent knowing the facts, at a time when parents in that community are simply looking for those facts. That actually does not instill confidence in their institutions; it undermines it. So I’d ask for a bit of time for the local public health unit to provide that clarity, and I would ask for a better sense of adherence to facts.

In this province—here’s a fact—99.95% of students are COVID-free in Windsor and every region of this province; 99.85% of students have never had COVID. That, Speaker, underscores that the plan we’ve unveiled, endorsed by the medical officer of this province, is working.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Mr. Speaker, the person who parents are lacking confidence in right now is the Minister of Education of this province. Our front-line education workers, school administrators and students themselves have worked tremendously hard to keep our schools safe, but it’s been in spite of this government’s lack of support. By October 26, there had been 1,770 school-related cases of COVID-19. The minister then said that transmission is relatively low and that his plan was flattening the curve. By November 9, we were up to 2,700 total cases. Today, there are over 3,800, and positivity rates among kids under 10 is going up, while testing and tracing have gone down.

Speaker, we know the government has refused to cap classes at 15 to reduce the risk. Will they at the very least ramp up the testing, tracing and screening in our schools?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Chief Medical Officer of Health has endorsed a protocol that leads the nation in every measurement the member has said.

In the context of testing, the Minister of Health has been clear that we have the most levels of testing of any province in Canada by far, and when it comes to the data points that underpin the success and the safety of kids—

Interjection.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I know they’re inconvenient to you. I know that they undermine a narrative you choose to advance. But parents want the facts. Here’s a fact that I think would instill a level of confidence: if they knew that 99.95% of students are COVID-free, that 99.92% of staff are COVID-free, that 99.7% of staff have never had COVID.

I appreciate that that may, for whatever reason, bring concern to you, but I think for most folks out there, they’re pleased to hear that our leadership in public health and our school boards are working together to flatten this curve, to reduce the risk and to keep our kids safe, and that is a good thing we should celebrate in this province.

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

The next question.

Long-term care

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Minister of Long-Term Care. Today, there are 101 long-term-care homes in outbreak in Ontario. Nineteen of these homes have double-digit resident cases. At Rockcliffe Care Community home in Scarborough, 98 residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Sadly, 12 residents have died. We’ve seen that when COVID-19 gets into a home with four-bed ward rooms, like Rockcliffe, or Starwood in Nepean, or West End Villa in Ottawa, it spreads like wildfire and it’s deadly. Homes have been asking since July for a plan to move residents out of four-bed ward rooms to reduce the risk of transmission.

We built a field hospital in Burlington. We’re doing that in Ottawa. Through you, Speaker, how is it that long-term-care homes don’t have a plan for alternative spaces for residents to reduce the risk of COVID-19?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Today, Rockcliffe Care Community home has 53 residents, so they are rapidly improving, and my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this.

The issue of how we deal with an integrated plan to either transfer residents from a long-term-care home early or transfer those who are ill and need medical care has been ongoing. Our ministry had a task force put together months ago to review this. This is an ongoing assessment involving our IMS table, our Chief Medical Officer of Health. There are many aspects to this, and we need to understand both the needs and the rights of the residents in long-term care and the various ways our community can provide support. The Windsor field hospital is an excellent example of how that can happen. It’s a very valuable learning, and I’ve been in touch with them.

This is ongoing. We will continue to add measures. Again, my heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this unprecedented challenge.

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

Mr. John Fraser: I appreciate the minister letting us know that only 53 residents have COVID-19 now. Twelve of those residents that no longer have COVID-19 are no longer here. So I ask you and caution you that minimizing things by saying that most of the homes aren’t in outbreak, most of the homes don’t have resident cases, most of the homes don’t have double-digit cases is not respectful to those people who have lost a loved one. Our responsibility is not to protect the majority of people in long-term care; it’s everybody.

It’s been eight months. Across the river in Gatineau, in Ottawa, they’ve taken over a hotel. I understand what you’re saying about residents’ rights, but there’s a right to protecting people. Homes have been asking for eight months for a plan, and there is none. There are fires burning in homes; not every home, but some homes are really burning. We knew that would happen, and I don’t understand—maybe the minister can explain to me why there isn’t a plan now.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite. I believe it’s important to deal with fact, and that’s why it’s important that we put out information that’s accurate: so that everyone can understand and be on the same page. That’s what we’ve been doing all along.

I have tremendous respect for our front-line providers. I have tremendous respect for all our families and our residents in in long-term care. I also have tremendous respect for everyone who has been working around the clock for many, many months—almost a year now—to address these unprecedented challenges in long-term care, where our most vulnerable people reside. I will continue to do that as the minister, and I will continue to make sure that every measure and every tool is being used.

Our government has put dollars behind all these strategies: $540 million; $461 million for increased pay; $243 million originally to help support health. The dollars keep rolling out behind the policies that we’re putting forward to prevent more tragedy in our long-term-care homes. My heart goes out to everyone who is working so hard and who has been affected by this.

Small business

Mr. Stan Cho: My question is for the minister responsible for small business and red tape reduction. Ontario has never faced a challenge like we’ve faced the last eight months with COVID-19. We know that this unprecedented challenge has required the government to make some difficult decisions, and, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, many businesses in the province are required to close or significantly restrict services due to enhanced public health measures.

Speaker, through you, can the minister please tell this House how our government is providing much-needed support for businesses that have been affected by the new health restrictions?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you very much to the member from Willowdale for his question, and I want to thank him for his advocacy and support for small business as we look for solutions to support them in this very difficult time.

There’s no sugar-coating it, Mr. Speaker: The economic and the financial burden this pandemic has had on small businesses has been especially tough. Our government understands that small businesses are an essential part to our province’s economy.

Supporting businesses impacted by the necessary public health restrictions in regions like Peel and Toronto—we’re trying to help employers manage these very difficult times. Our government is now providing $600 million in relief to support eligible small businesses required to close or significantly restrict their services due to the enhanced public safety measures. This is doubling our commitment. On November 16, we opened an online portal whereby these businesses can apply for a temporary property tax and energy cost rebates.

For the businesses subject to these new restrictions—

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

Mr. Stan Cho: I appreciate that the minister recognizes that these small businesses are the backbone of Ontario’s economy, and that behind every single door of these small businesses is a hard-working family trying to provide for their loved ones. It is crucial that our government takes the action necessary to support these job creators.

Small businesses are the economic engine of this country and the largest job creator. We need to bring more jobs to Ontario to contribute to our recovery process, and that begins with supporting our small businesses, because we know that one day COVID-19 will be in our rear-view mirror.

Speaker, through you, can the minister explain how our government is planning to support our job creators and contribute to that strong recovery that we are looking forward to?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you very much to the member for his question. Our government is taking steps to lessen the burden on businesses. In the 2020 budget that we put forward, we announced a variety of measures to help small businesses. We are going to be lowering property taxes on job creators, reducing the business education tax for over 200,000 businesses—over 94% of all business properties in Ontario. This will create $450 million in annual savings for many businesses.

We are proposing to provide municipalities with the ability to cut property taxes for small businesses and a provincial commitment to consider matching these reductions. This will provide small businesses with as much as $385 million in total municipal and provincial tax relief by 2022-23.

We are investing in initiatives that will support jobs now and will help to contribute to Ontario’s strong recovery.

College standards and accreditation

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: My question is to the Premier. The Premier seems tied at the hip with Charles McVety. They’ve campaigned together. McVety sold memberships for the Premier and even helped him win the leadership of his party. That is why Ontarians are disgusted with

schedule 2 of Bill 213.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims wrote to the Premier this morning, and they said, “The president of the college, Charles McVety, has expressed deeply Islamophobic views inconsistent with the Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

“McVety has also expressed sentiments targeting other minority communities in ways that are abhorrent and condemnable.”

My question: Will the Premier inform NCCM and all Ontarians that he is pulling

schedule 2 from Bill 213, or will he remain silent in the face of his own bill that legislates a bigger hateful platform for his long-time buddy Charles McVety?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Colleges and Universities to respond.

Hon. Ross Romano: Once again, I’m happy to respond to the member opposite and to all the members opposite and everyone in this House and in the province of Ontario on the importance of procedural fairness in our system of laws in this country and in this province.

The PEQAB process is a very independent process. We’ve talked about that several times. There is no way to interfere with the PEQAB process; it’s impossible. The application goes from the institution directly to PEQAB. PEQAB makes a recommendation to the government.

In order to make this even more transparent, in order to provide the most level of clarity, what we did was we also said we’re going to legislate that whole process. That’s what we’re talking about. That’s why we’re debating this issue, Mr. Speaker. If the PEQAB process is completed, upon completion, then the legislation will be proclaimed into force.

You have the most transparent, fair, equitable process there is, because you know what, Mr. Speaker? Equality under the charter provides equal protections and benefits under the law for all.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: Interference with independent processes are legislation like

schedule 2 in Bill 213. That’s actually interference in an independent process.

The NCCM letter details years of Charles McVety’s hateful views. They write in their letter, “It is inappropriate, especially in times of turmoil and our public health crisis, for Mr. McVety to enjoy special privileges” as a bigot.

The Premier and his caucus have uttered not a single word to condemn the years of bigoted comments by their friend, party member and ally Charles McVety. It’s about time that the Conservative caucus, especially the backbench and the members of cabinet who see themselves as inclusive and allies to diverse people, speak out against this bill.

Will the Premier grant his caucus a free vote on Bill 213, or will he force his caucus to agree with him and Charles McVety and toe the line on a bill that legislates and approves hate?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Ross Romano: It’s really easy for the opposition to stand there and speak about interference and processes. They love the concept of interfering. They continually interfere with processes. That’s what the opposition members do.

As a government, we have a responsibility to uphold the charter. The entire purpose and the principle behind the motion that has been brought forward by the member opposite, and originally by the Leader of the Opposition, who, unfortunately, isn’t able to continue on with that motion—but the entire premise of that motion is to violate the charter. The whole premise of the entire motion says we should do everything in our power to stop an institution from being able to apply through an independent process. It’s illegal; it’s unconstitutional. It has absolutely no merit.

The way motions work, unfortunately, is they’re allowed to bring forward motions that have no constitutional merit and that, as by their very nature, are unconstitutional. But as individuals in government, we have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law. We have a responsibility to uphold procedural fairness. Mr. Speaker, we’re going to continue to do that because that’s what we’re—

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

Environmental protection

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Good morning. My question is for the Premier. Researchers say we need more flood mitigation to prevent the cost of flooding from tripling over the next decade. Instead, your government is attacking conservation authorities, which will lead to less flood mitigation.

Municipalities are on the front lines of the damage. I’d like to quote the mayor of Milton: “These changes would hurt residents if housing is allowed to be built on flood plains—and who’s going to pay? It will be our local taxpayers picking up the bill for events that could have been prevented.”

Speaker, this is why mayors, scientists and conservationists are sounding the alarm bells. So I ask, will the Premier listen to local leaders and remove

schedule 6 from Bill 229?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply for the government, the parliamentary assistant, the member for Barrie–Innisfil.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Our government is helping conservation authorities achieve their goals, such as prevent much flooding. You just have to look at some goals that were achieved in the past, like in the 1970s, when the riverbank was hardened at the Grand River. That is proven infrastructure that helps flooding. But that is just building on big accomplishments that conservation authorities have made, including the accomplishments of our government.

Unlike the Liberals, we will not be disobeying conservation authority guidelines by building a personal pool, like their new leader, Del Duca, is doing—nor the members of the New Democrat Party, who don’t even mention conservation authorities in their Green New Democratic Deal plan. Our government has a proven record of protecting the environment, whether it’s the Living Legacy fund, whether it’s the Oak Ridges moraine, whether it’s the Niagara Escarpment and, most recently, the $20 million we’re giving to the Nature Conservancy, we’re protecting the environment.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: With all due respect to the parliamentary assistant, the Grand River Conservation Authority is holding an emergency meeting right now, this morning. They opened it by saying, “This will cripple our ability to protect the watershed.”

Speaker, we have to be honest about this. This isn’t about efficiencies or streamlining or economic recovery; this is about development in the wrong place at all cost. It will be the people of Ontario who will be left paying for the mess that this change will make—paying for it by paying more for flooded basements, paying more for home insurance, paying more in taxes to fix the infrastructure damage from increased flooding. Speaker, it is wrong.

So can the member opposite explain why they’re changing things so the minister makes the decision, overturning the science-based and evidence-based decisions that conservation authorities make to protect us?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Conservation authorities can still provide advice, and we’re enabling them to still provide advice. In fact, we’re helping conservation authorities achieve their goal to prevent flooding.

The member mentions the Grand River. Frankly, the parts that weren’t fortified by riverbank hardening are still flooding to this day, so perhaps we should go back to what was clearly working in the 1970s. Our changes clearly do this by helping less people have flooded basements. It’s in our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan where we talk about how to prevent people from flooding—and t