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May 19, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-May-19 vol. A (PDF)

L0266A - Wed 19 May 2021 / Mer 19 mai 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 19 May 2021 Mercredi 19 mai 2021

Orders of the Day

Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la lutte contre la traite des personnes

Members’ Statements

Child care

Vision Zero

Mental health and addiction services

COVID-19 testing

Treaties recognition

Education

Ontario artists

Long-term care

Volunteers

Sports and recreation infrastructure

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Border security

College standards and accreditation

Anti-racism activities

Public transit

Small business

Prescription drugs

Nursing education

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 immunization

COVID-19 response

Canadian National Exhibition / Arts and cultural funding

COVID-19 immunization

Correction of record

Correction of record

Introduction of Bills

Retirement Home Justice and Accountability Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la justice et la responsabilité dans les maisons de retraite

Centering Youth in Pandemic Recovery Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 pour mettre les jeunes au centre de la relance après la pandémie

Abuse Prevention Week Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la Semaine de la prévention des mauvais traitements

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Sexual Assault Prevention Month

Petitions

Education funding

Tuition

Education funding

Environmental protection

Education funding

Education funding

Fish and wildlife management

Education funding

Fish and wildlife management

Fish and wildlife management

Orders of the Day

Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la lutte contre la traite des personnes

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la lutte contre la traite des personnes

Ms. Jones moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 251,

An Act to enact, amend and repeal various Acts in respect of human trafficking matters / Projet de loi 251, Loi édictant, modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les questions de traite des personnes.

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I would. Thank you, Speaker. I will be sharing my time with Minister Downey, Minister Dunlop and Minister MacLeod.

I am proud to be part of a government that is resolved to take action on human trafficking and, therefore, it is my honour to help move forward the proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021.

This debate has been a painful reminder that human trafficking continues to be a serious problem and that, as legislators, we have a duty to use every tool at our disposal to combat it. This House has an opportunity to forge a new path in our fight against human trafficking and confront head-on those who benefit in trading in human lives and causing human misery.

I would also like to take a moment to thank members of this House for their support during second reading of this bill and for demonstrating your commitment to ensuring all communities in our province can look forward to a safer future. Thank you.

Human trafficking is a vicious and violent crime that can leave its victims severely traumatized. Here are a few alarming facts. The average age of recruitment into sex trafficking is 13 years old. Almost 65% of human trafficking victims identified by police are under the age of 25. Nationally, the number of human trafficking incidents reported in 2019 marked a 44% increase from the previous year. In 2019, Ontario accounted for the majority of police-reported human trafficking cases in Canada. And calls to the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline suggest that only a small fraction of incidents are ever reported to the police.

Human trafficking disproportionately impacts children and youth, Indigenous women and girls, racialized groups, those with mental health and addiction challenges, and youth who are otherwise marginalized; for example, those that are experiencing homelessness, victims of abuse, and children and youth in our child welfare system who are increasingly targeted.

COVID-19 has also laid bare the social and economic divides that traffickers have long exploited to target and lure victims. The victims themselves are more exposed to contracting the COVID-19 virus, among other serious health risks, less able to protect themselves, and often unable to seek medical help and other critical community supports.

Finally, COVID-19 has forced governments around the world to reorganize priorities, causing some to worry that victims of human trafficking, already difficult to identify in normal times, may fall through the cracks. I have a clear message for those who share such concerns: not on our watch.

With our government’s anti-human trafficking strategy, we’re making investments of up to $307 million to combat human trafficking and better support survivors. With the proposed legislative package we hope to pass today, we are building on the strategy and reinforcing it with the legislation to drive it forward. Our proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021, is a major step forward. It builds on the actions that have already been deployed and are under way to fight the increasingly sophisticated criminal networks that perpetrate human trafficking across Ontario.

To keep pace with the increasing volume and complexity of human trafficking cases, Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy provides a coordinated approach to law enforcement, with increased capacity to investigate and deter human trafficking. I would like to take a couple of minutes to remind the House of some of the measures my ministry has under way, in cooperation with law enforcement, to identify, target and hold human traffickers accountable.

We are establishing a new intelligence-led joint forces investigations team from police agencies across Ontario, including the Ontario Provincial Police, municipal police services and First Nations police services. The capacity of the OPP Child Sexual Exploitation Unit will continue to be expanded by adding 23 members, both uniform and civilian, to their current complement. This unit enhancement supports a deployed team model for uniformed members, increasing their ability to engage with community, as well as an analytical support team tasked to identify and disrupt those intent on the sexual exploitation of children, while rescuing victims from this heinous crime.

The OPP’s cyber operations

section supports all criminal investigations with digital forensics and cyber investigative needs, including the fight against human trafficking. The Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario’s anti-human trafficking team is ramping up efforts of police services specific to the identification and interception of human trafficking networks provincially and nationally.

We are enhancing the use of major case management for missing persons and human trafficking by investing in software development to meet the specific needs of human trafficking investigators and analysts. We are also putting more money from the proceeds of crime into stopping violent criminal activities and putting the criminals behind bars. Under the Proceeds of Crime Front Line Policing Grant announced in August, $6 million over three years is being reinvested into front-line community safety initiatives, including anti-human trafficking activities.

That is just a snapshot of what the Ministry of the Solicitor General, the OPP and our policing partners are doing to help prevent and combat human trafficking across Ontario. We will continue to improve connections between law enforcement and the agencies and sectors that have a significant role to play in preventing human trafficking, supporting victims and survivors, and ensuring that the people of Ontario can live free from the threat, fear or experience of exploitation and violence.

The proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021, demonstrates this government’s leadership in responding to this heinous and pervasive crime. This legislation, if passed, will be the first of its kind in Canada. It will better protect victims, support survivors and increase tools to crack down on offenders.

Wherever trafficking may occur, whether it be large urban centres, small towns, or remote communities, we know traffickers are using provincial corridors to move and exploit their victims. The bill includes two proposed new acts: first, the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act, 2021; and the Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act, 2021, which would replace the Hotel Registration of Guests Act. It also contains proposed amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017, and the Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking Act, 2017.

Together, the proposed changes would support the government’s response to human trafficking by supporting a sustained, long-term provincial response to combatting human trafficking and being the first Canadian jurisdiction to mandate an anti-human trafficking strategy in legislation; emphasizing that all Ontarians have a role in combatting human trafficking; strengthening the ability of children’s aid societies and law enforcement to protect exploited children; and supporting more survivors and the people who assist them in obtaining restraining orders against traffickers, with specific consideration for Indigenous survivors and communities.

The proposed changes also provide law enforcement with more tools to locate victims and penalize traffickers.

This will be achieved by increasing penalties for persons, including traffickers, who interfere with a child in the care of a children’s aid society; clarifying how and when police services can access information from hotel guest registries and establishing the authority to make a regulation to include other types of accommodation providers, such as short-term rentals—this will help deter trafficking and help identify and locate victims—and providing for the ability to create regulations requiring companies that advertise sexual services to have a dedicated contact to support investigations into suspected human trafficking.

In drafting the proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021, we engaged law enforcement, persons with lived experience, Indigenous organizations and communities, front-line service providers, sex workers’ rights advocates and the tourism sector, amongst others. This morning I will focus on two specific areas: the advertising of sexual services and using hotel guest registers as an important investigative tool. With each area, I will address the “what is it,” why we’re proposing the measures we are, and what we want these measures to achieve.

Advertising sexual services: As I have mentioned, the Internet has dramatically changed how human traffickers lure, recruit and exploit victims, including through the online advertising of sexual services. Online resources such as classified advertising sites, adult websites and even the dark web have become primary tools for traffickers to solicit customers for their victims. This online world has provided cover to help traffickers evade law enforcement and keep victims isolated and controlled. That is why our government is proposing that a new light shine on the world of advertising of sexual services to support investigations of suspected human trafficking.

Under the proposed legislation, if passed, we will have the ability to create regulations requiring companies that advertise sexual services to make their contact information, such as an email address or telephone number, available. If prescribed, these companies would be required to make the contact available to police and other entities, as well as respond to requests directed at this contact within a prescribed period of time. Once these proposed regulations are prescribed, failure to comply with this requirement could result in penalties of up to $50,000 for an individual and $100,000 for a corporation.

Using hotel and other accommodation industry guest registrations: Hotel and motel operators may unwillingly and unknowingly provide infrastructure for human traffickers. The market explosion of short-term rentals has added to the inventory and created new options for traffickers. As such, hotel guest registries serve as a valuable tool in human trafficking investigations.

The proposed new legislation would include regulation-making authority to enhance the information collected in guest registries and establish a length of time that registries must be maintained to support investigations, which can span many years. Under the proposed legislation, our government will work with law enforcement partners and Ontario’s tourism and hospitality sector to determine what information and record-keeping practices could best support our anti-human trafficking efforts through the regulation development process.

Policing stakeholders have also told us that the use of short-term rental units by traffickers is on the rise. That is why the proposed legislation includes regulation-making authority to prescribe other accommodation providers, such as short-term rentals, to ensure that they are required to follow the same requirements as hotels and motels to help deter trafficking in the places where we know it’s occurring more and more.

Providing this regulation-making authority would allow us to expand the scope of this new act to capture newer entrants to the accommodation sector, as well as provide greater flexibility for the act to maintain relevance and be reflective of the rapidly changing accommodation sector in the future.

At the same time, employees such as those in the accommodation and hospitality industry can also play a pivotal role in helping to identify trafficking, and, to do so, they must be equipped with the tools and necessary skills to spot the signs of, and appropriately respond to, human trafficking. I am pleased to say that under the proposed Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act, 2021, Ontario would become a national leader on training individuals and organizations on how to identify human trafficking and respond appropriately.

Human trafficking is a serious challenge for law enforcement. We must give police the tools to identify traffickers quickly and support investigations, including through access to hotel guest registry information where there are reasonable grounds to believe such information will assist in locating or identifying a victim of human trafficking or someone at imminent risk of being trafficked.

The proposed Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act, 2021, which will replace the Hotel Registration of Guests Act, specifies how and when police services can access hotel guest register information without a court order in certain emergency situations, such as when there is a threat of bodily harm to a person or reason to believe evidence may be destroyed. These changes would support more consistent and timely access to guest information in situations requiring immediate police action to protect public safety.

Not only is this clarity important for our law enforcement partners, it will also support the accommodation sector by making sure processes are clearly outlined to support their operations and training.

It is essential for everyone to learn what human trafficking is, understand the risk factors, identify the warning signs and know how to get help. The proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021, is built on state-of-knowledge insight into the habits of traffickers and the needs of survivors and the family, friends, support workers and communities who help them.

The proposed legislation mandates Ontario to maintain an anti-human trafficking strategy that is regularly reviewed to help the province stay ahead of traffickers, combat this crime and support survivors. If prescribed, the collection of non-personal data will enable the government to conduct research and analysis to plan for the delivery of programs and services under the anti-human trafficking strategy, and to evaluate whether existing supports are working, where they can be improved, and what new supports can be added.

Traffickers don’t stand still, Speaker, and neither can we. The stakes are too high.

The proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act, 2021, gives Ontario an advantage in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. It gives law enforcement new investigative tools, disrupts the infrastructure that enables trafficking, enlists Ontarians in the fight against trafficking and delivers new tools to help support and give hope to survivors. I ask members of the House to pass this important legislation.

Now, Speaker, it is my honour to share my time with my co-lead, Minister Dunlop.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I now recognize the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. The floor is all yours.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I’m happy to join my colleagues the Solicitor General, the Attorney General and the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries to speak to Bill 251, the proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act. I want to take a moment to thank the Solicitor General for all her work with this legislation, as well as being my co-lead on the strategy. You have been standing at the forefront of this issue for a long time, along with our Minister of Infrastructure, Laurie Scott. It is an honour and a privilege to work with you and all of our colleagues on such an important topic.

After an informed and spirited debate on the merits of Bill 251, we have arrived at this final stage of the legislative process. All members of this House now have an opportunity to send a message beyond this chamber to every community in Ontario that human trafficking and child sexual exploitation has no place in our province, none at all. We want an Ontario where our young people can live their lives and fulfill their dreams without experiencing the nightmare of human trafficking. We’re not there yet. However, I believe Bill 251, if passed and enacted, would take us in the right direction.

Human trafficking and child sexual exploitation is a complex file involving not only a range of ministries across the Ontario government but many community agencies, a wide array of sectors and all levels of government outside of this building. Our government has also benefited greatly from the experience and expertise of survivors, front-line service providers, advocates and champions for victims and survivors that have informed various parts of the proposed bill. We would not be where we are today without their strength and determination, their belief and their passion in creating a better future for survivors and young people at risk of being trafficked.

Human trafficking is a horrific crime that poses a real and serious danger. It steals the safety, the health and livelihood of those who are being exploited and abused, often resulting in long-term trauma. This trauma is complex and runs deep, impacting the physical, emotional and mental health of victims and survivors. Human trafficking violates human rights. It is an affront to the humanity of every individual and family caught in its nightmare existence. It upends families, it weakens communities and it shatters lives. It should never be tolerated or coexisted with, and the outcomes are injurious and profoundly harmful.

Unfortunately, as stated many times, Ontario is a hub for human trafficking, accounting for the majority of all police-reported incidents of human trafficking across Canada in 2019. However, due to the fact that cases of human trafficking are known to be vastly underreported, these numbers only capture the tip of the iceberg and are likely much higher.

While anyone can be a victim, human trafficking is a crime that disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations and individuals, as traffickers assess and manipulate vulnerability to their own benefit to target, lure and groom their victims.

And when we think about those vulnerable people who are particularly at risk of being targeted by traffickers, it bears repeating: We are talking about children and youth, Indigenous women and girls and other racialized groups, children and youth in care, people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, newcomers, migrant workers, persons with disabilities, persons experiencing mental illness or addictions challenges, and people who may otherwise be marginalized, such as persons experiencing poverty, homelessness or bullying.

This is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. We owe it to our most vulnerable to stop this, to protect them and keep them safe. That’s why our government is committed to combatting human trafficking wherever it is found, to show our determination and will at every opportunity, so survivors know they’re supported by this government and perpetrators realize we are taking action to hold them accountable. That’s why we have continued to step up our fight against human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, even amidst the pandemic.

Bill 251 is a key part of our response to this grave societal challenge. Its proposed changes, if passed, would better protect victims of human trafficking, support survivors and increase tools to hold offenders accountable. Bill 251 builds upon a strong foundation of Ontarians and community service partners working together to fight human trafficking and support survivors. That collaboration helped inform and support our five-year, $307-million strategy to combat human trafficking and child sexual exploitation, announced last year.

I’m incredibly proud of this strategy, as it is the largest strategy across any level of government, at any time in Canada. This investment is supporting a range of initiatives across government focused on the four pillars of our strategy: raising awareness on the issue, protecting victims and intervening early, supporting survivors, and holding offenders accountable. Key efforts are already well under way.

Over the last 14 months, as the world faced a global pandemic, human trafficking didn’t stop or take any breaks. And neither did we. Working across ministries and with survivors, multiple sectors and community organizations across the province, we achieved milestones and laid a foundation.

In collaboration with the Minister of Education, the elementary health and physical education curriculum has been updated to include mandatory learning about online safety and consent to help keep kids safe and respond to the growing threat of human trafficking. We also released The Trap, which is an interactive digital education tool to help children and youth learn about how traffickers lure, groom and manipulate young people into trafficking, so they are equipped to recognize when it may be happening to them.

Working with the Minister of Indigenous Affairs, as well as Indigenous survivors and First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities and organizations, we released an Indigenous-focused education campaign, Speak Out: Stop Sex Trafficking. This was designed by and for Indigenous people to support Indigenous youth, communities and caregivers, connecting people and providing information about sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Through the work of the Minister of Transportation, we are partnering with the trucking industry, including the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, and ONroute locations to train staff and raise awareness on Ontario’s 400-series highways.

With the Attorney General, we have invested in enhancing specialized services for victims through victim services agencies, and we have reinvested cash and proceeds seized from criminals to help fight human trafficking.

And through the Solicitor General, we are implementing important initiatives to help hold offenders accountable, which we just heard about from my colleague the Solicitor General.

We are investing $96 million over the next five years in community-based services across the province to provide more supports for victims and survivors, particularly children and youth. This includes funding especially to Indigenous-led initiatives and organizations, to provide specialized and culturally relevant supports designed by and for Indigenous individuals for those at risk of and who are being trafficked. These programs do incredible work to support survivors and victims, especially our children and youth, who are often the target of traffickers. This investment provides direct supports at the community level to protect our young people.

To support Human Trafficking Awareness Day earlier this year, we also undertook a province-wide marketing campaign targeted to teens, as well as parents of children and youth, to raise awareness and ensure that everyone knows where to get help. We are expanding the Youth-in-Transition Worker Program to provide human trafficking supports to youth in care and leaving the care of children’s aid societies, including workers to support specific populations such as Indigenous children and youth.

And, Speaker, that was just one year in our strategy. There is still so much more to do.

As has been noted already, human trafficking didn’t stop or take any breaks during the pandemic, and neither did we. We need to be constantly adding new tools and mechanisms to our tool box. That’s why I would characterize Bill 251 as another important tool to help us protect children and youth and support survivors.

As my cabinet colleague has already noted, the proposed Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act, if passed, would require the province to maintain an anti-human trafficking strategy and support a sustained long-term response to combat human trafficking. We are very proud of this proposal. This requirement would be the first of its kind in Canada and position Ontario as a leader in anti-human trafficking efforts across this country.

It would mean that any government, regardless of political stripe, would be required to continue working towards eliminating human trafficking in this province and supporting victims and survivors. It would also embed promising practices, such as the need to engage with victims and survivors of human trafficking in developing a provincial strategy.

This is a practice I am eager to continue, after having had the opportunity to participate in numerous round tables with survivors, Indigenous communities and organizations, those on the front line, police officers and more to learn first-hand about human trafficking in Ontario.

These issues require us to work together in a non-partisan manner. Support is not limited to one ministry, one person, one political party or one government. It requires all of us working together. Given the complexity and pervasiveness of human trafficking, it requires not only a cross-government approach, but work across jurisdictions and with various sectors and community partners. That’s why I raise the issue with all my provincial, territorial and federal colleagues whenever I have the opportunity. I know my cabinet colleagues the Attorney General and the Solicitor General have done the same.

This proposed legislation would also increase public education and raise awareness of human trafficking through an enabling authority. This includes posting information about human trafficking, training staff on the signs of trafficking and how to respond if you think it is occurring.

These provisions would support the strategy’s efforts to raise awareness of human trafficking in targeted sectors, contributing to better identification, attitudes and behaviours towards human trafficking, including enhancing the ability to identify and appropriately respond to suspected instances and connect survivors to supportive services. Many people don’t know the signs of trafficking or don’t know where to go if they suspect it’s happening. Education is vital to prevention efforts to stop this crime and in supporting victims through early intervention.

We recognize that a range of organizations have applied anti-human trafficking efforts within their sectors and that appropriate responses may potentially differ. The proposed legislation seeks to build upon this work and encourage more organizations to prioritize anti-human trafficking efforts across Ontario. If passed, it would send a strong message that all persons have a responsibility to help combat human trafficking, while affording flexibility to compel, for example, sectors or businesses to prioritize anti-human trafficking efforts if required.

Bill 251, through the proposed amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, would also provide significant tools to better protect children and youth from this crime. Taken together, the proposed amendments to this act are important new measures that would strengthen the authority of children’s aid societies and law enforcement to intervene in child sex trafficking cases, discourage traffickers from interfering with children in the care of a children’s aid society and promote consistent responses across the province.

This part of the legislation is so important because, as has been stated many times, the average age of recruitment is just 13 years old. By the time a youth is 16 or 17, they could have been so manipulated that they do not even know they are being trafficked. The temporary removal from a very unsafe situation may disrupt the trafficking enough that the child or youth can access supports. And even if they don’t search out the supports immediately, they are being told someone is there for them when they are ready.

The sooner we can remove these children and youth—and again I’ll repeat, these are often children and youth—the better it is for them, for their families and for their communities.

Great collaboration brings great momentum, and that is where I think we are on this file at this moment. The proposed Combating Human Trafficking Act is the result of engagement with survivors, a wide range of front-line service providers and community partners, and Indigenous communities and Indigenous-led organizations who gave us their best advice and council. We owe it to the victims and survivors to do everything we can to address and end human trafficking, strengthen our ability to support them and to better protect children and youth.

On behalf of the government, I want to thank those who have taken this journey with us, who have provided invaluable feedback to inform this bill and those who continue to drive anti-human trafficking efforts across the province. We should all be proud of our efforts and the actions we have taken to date.

Now we have the opportunity to send a strong message. If passed by this House, it will demonstrate Ontario’s long-term commitment and determination to end human trafficking, strengthen our ability to support survivors and victims, and better protect children and youth from this horrible crime. I urge all members to support its passage.

When I was first appointed as the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, I was part of the round tables that were being held across the province. One of the locations I went to was Thunder Bay, to the Ontario Native Women’s Association where we held an Indigenous-specific round table. I just want to read a quote from Coralee McGuire-Cyrette, who is the executive director of ONWA, who is very supportive of the plan this government has put forward. I thank her and her organization for the work that they are doing to support Indigenous women as they leave human trafficking.

“The Ontario Native Women’s Association ... clearly understands the necessity and the timely importance of the introduction of the Combating Human Trafficking Act as well as amendments to the Children, Youth and Family Services Act.... Indigenous women in Ontario have been telling us what they need for years to address human trafficking and this multi-pronged approach stands to provide meaningful change.”

I would like to thank all victims and survivors who participated in these round tables—which I know many members in this House held in their ridings and participated in with myself—who really helped to lead the strategy and the approach this government has taken to support victims and survivors in Ontario.

I’d now like to pass it over to the Attorney General.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I now recognize the Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: I’m really pleased and want to thank my colleagues the Solicitor General and the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, who have already broadly explained the Combating Human Trafficking Act and how it will enable the province to effectively fight against human trafficking and confront those who commit this exploitative crime. I look forward to hearing from Ontario’s Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries as well. I know that she has a unique perspective with her stakeholders on this insidious crime and how it exists in our province.

I’m proud to stand here once again to support this legislation and highlight some of the measures that my ministry has brought forward to help lead and strengthen protection and support the human trafficking victims and survivors.

Human trafficking is a vicious crime. It occurs in our communities and it occurs in our neighbourhoods. I’m proud to be part of a government that has been loud—very loud—and impactful in its commitment to confronting the perpetrators of these crimes and bringing them to justice. We have been equally forceful in our commitment to protecting and supporting survivors. We couldn’t do it without our partners or without the collaboration of our communities.

Our government continues to support the work of police and prosecutors to target the criminal networks that prey on and take advantage of and profit from young and vulnerable people. As you have heard from the Solicitor General and the associate minister, young people of an average age of 13—again, I just have to stop and let that resonate. That’s a child in grade 8, just to be clear. Our government continues to support the work of police and prosecutors to target these networks. We need to take the profits out of their endeavours.

I’m proud of the collaboration we’re driving across government to make sure we get this right. This is the one issue, and I said it at second reading, that crosses all ministry boundaries easily. We want to collaborate, barriers come down, we want to find the best way possible, and I think we’ve come up with an absolutely excellent plan in this legislation. It’s a problem that no one in our province should ignore.

Growing up, I saw first-hand how hard my mother worked as a founding member of the York Region Abuse Program, an incredible organization that supports the recovery of adult and child survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Later, as a lawyer, I was proud to be a member of an advisory group that helped inform the Saving the Girl Next Door Act, a thoughtful piece of legislation put forward by my colleague the MPP for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock, Laurie Scott, a real leader in this area, Mr. Speaker.

And now, today, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to build on Ontario’s comprehensive strategy to combat human trafficking through the Combating Human Trafficking Act. This legislation reflects the invaluable feedback provided by those who have been victimized by these criminal networks and the community-based service providers who have been there for decades, doing everything they can to support them. In my role as AG, I want to continue strengthening protections for human trafficking victims and survivors, including children and those who care for them, and I am proud to say that today we are doing just that.

Restraining orders are critical protection for survivors. Restraining orders can get survivors and their families some peace of mind, knowing traffickers are required by law to stay away from them and can be criminally charged for not abiding by that law. This act would allow these orders to apply for a longer period by specifically giving judges the discretion to lengthen restraining orders beyond the current three-year limit. This is a significant reform that I’m proud we’ve been able to bring forward to protect survivors when they need the help the most.

The act would also extend the protections of restraining orders to others, including front-line workers, survivors and the survivors’ family members, and we are supporting survivors and those who advocate for them by specifying who can apply for a restraining order on behalf of a child. This change is especially sensitive to customary care arrangements within Indigenous families and communities. The increased restraining order protections in this act build on several investments we’ve made over the past year and a half to strengthen support for victims, including survivors of human trafficking.

We know that staying home is not the safest option for many people. Domestic violence and violence against women and children has reportedly increased during COVID-19. That’s why we took action to increase supports and services in communities large and small, to ensure victims can get help when and where they need it. Over the past year the Ministry of the Attorney General has committed an additional $18 million in supports to victims of crime and front-line workers. Speaker, this includes more than $10 million specifically for survivors of human trafficking and local projects to help victims fight crime.

In August 2020, I was pleased to join the Premier and my colleagues who are speaking today to mark an investment of $7.65 million—so $7.5 million and a little more, Mr. Speaker; that’s a lot of money—in specialized services to support human trafficking victims. This funding helps reduce financial barriers and cover essential requirements to provide important lifelines to survivors in very difficult moments. This can include cellphones, which are critical to a survivor’s safety; transportation; meals; a place of safety; and dental care. These are all things that most of us take for granted.

The investment is also helping front-line workers offer early intervention and referrals to local programs and expand funding to cover court-related expenses.

Speaker, I also want to take a moment to highlight our support for victims in smaller rural and northern areas of our province. In March, we committed more than $2 million to establish sexual assault services in Leeds, Grenville and Dufferin counties. The funding also expands Victim Services of Nipissing District-North Bay. In the past, Ontario also began implementing more services tailored to the needs of survivors of human trafficking, including Indigenous-specific victim services, which have been designed, developed and delivered by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people. These programs respond to language barriers and the realities of remote communities.

As announced in the 2020 budget, the province is providing up to four hours of free legal advice to survivors of sexual assault, which can include survivors of human trafficking. This program started as a pilot in Toronto, Ottawa and Thunder Bay, and has been so successful that it is now offered province-wide. For the past three years, my ministry provided free legal representation to help sex trafficking victims and those who care about them apply for restraining orders against traffickers.

Thanks to this program, 100% of applications for restraining orders have been granted, which complements the strengths and protections in the Combating Human Trafficking Act. Two of the applications were on behalf of victims as young as 13 years old, underscoring the need for this legislation.

I also want to mention another program that has helped fight human trafficking and give money to survivors and those who support them. Ontario’s Civil Remedies Grant Program, as mentioned by the associate minister, invests cash and assets forfeited from criminals into community programs that help victims and prevent crime. This past fiscal year, we invested $2.5 million from proceeds of crime in 33 local projects across the province focused on preventing human trafficking and supporting crisis counselling, research and public education. We have made changes to property forfeiture that allow for the forfeiture of cash and assets of lower value in uncontested cases.

These changes are long overdue and allow Ontario to catch up with other provinces in terms of deterring crimes like human trafficking. Twenty years ago, Ontario was a national leader in deterring crime through property forfeiture programs. Since then, other programs have updated their laws to keep up with crimes that fuel gang activity and human trafficking, yet Ontario fell behind, even though two thirds of human trafficking crimes are reported here.

Our new administrative forfeiture program was implemented on April 1 of this year. Now, in uncontested cases, certain personal property connected to unlawful activity can be automatically forfeited without a court order. This will free up valuable time and resources for the police and our courts and will ensure victims can access compensation with fewer delays.

Our support doesn’t stop there, Mr. Speaker. We’re also holding human traffickers responsible and accountable for their crimes. Our dedicated provincial human trafficking prosecution team is a province-wide, comprehensive, coordinated and specialized team of prosecutors. They take on human trafficking cases, advise front-line crown prosecutors and train prosecutors, police and victim/witness assistance staff. They also work closely with police officers and service providers to improve human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. As of April 1 of this year, my ministry has expanded the specialized team to 14 prosecutors, covering every region of the province.

We’re also taking action to ensure the criminal justice system is more connected and responsive to human trafficking and other crimes. Recently, Ontario modernized the criminal justice system through a new digital evidence management program that allows police services to securely capture, store and share evidence electronically with crown attorneys and other police services. Across the province, we continue to implement a digital system called eIntake that allows police to file criminal charges electronically. These tools are improving how information moves through Ontario’s criminal justice system and will help ensure human traffickers are brought to justice quickly.

Finally, I want to highlight recent changes my ministry made to modernize the justice system—changes that also help combat human trafficking; changes that needed to happen a very long time ago; changes to fix a neglected justice system, its gaps and barriers amplified by COVID. Survivors of human trafficking in particular should not be revictimized by the failings of our justice system.

Just a few weeks ago, our government passed the Accelerating Access to Justice Act. As part of that legislation to break down barriers to justice, we will be filling judicial vacancies faster. This will support survivors by ensuring human trafficking cases are heard by a judge quickly and with fewer delays. We are also addressing systemic barriers to access to justice and providing faster access to victim services by changing courthouses into technology-enabled community justice hubs.

Speaker, I want to finish by reiterating that I am honoured to work with my colleagues here and so many justice and community partners to bring forward the Combating Human Trafficking Act. I want to thank Minister Jones and Associate Minister Dunlop for their leadership on this file to bring all of the Legislature together for a very important matter. This is another vital step forward in Ontario’s urgent and comprehensive actions to fight this heinous crime.

I look forward to working with the Premier and my colleague ministers to harness the talent, experience and expertise across the justice sector to ensure our anti-human trafficking strategy makes an impactful difference in every community in the province, and I look forward to working with the staff in my ministry, including our hard-working special prosecution team and other justice sector partners, to protect and support human trafficking victims and survivors.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Merci. Meegwetch.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Now I turn it over to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I would like to start off by thanking and congratulating my colleagues the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and the Associate Minister of Women’s Issues for this groundbreaking legislation. I’m pleased to have a small

part in this as the tourism minister in terms of our Accommodation Sector Registration of Guests Act.

I was previously the minister responsible for women’s issues in another iteration three years ago. My first speech as a minister was to the Canadian Club, and it was on Ontario’s dirty little secret. I wanted to build off of the extraordinary work of the Minister of Infrastructure, the Honourable Laurie Scott, who brought forward to this Legislature, years before anybody was talking about human trafficking, the girl next door act.

That girl next door act propelled a discussion in this Legislature and across this great province about the scourge that is human trafficking—or, as I will directly call it, sex trafficking—of girls as young as 11 in every single community across the province of Ontario.

Laurie was able to build a network not just across Ontario, but to have a national conversation started. I know she had a great deal of work being done with federal members of Parliament as well to really talk about the fact that this type of illicit, illegal activity is happening in every community. It’s happening on our 401 corridor, but it is really a borderless crime. A child in Ottawa could just as easily be trafficked in Gatineau as a child in Kenora could be as easily trafficked in Manitoba.

I think it’s really important that we have this conversation. I know, Speaker, you yourself, in your own riding, have been a tremendous leader on this issue and have spoken literally to hundreds of people to talk about the situation in southwestern Ontario, and I congratulate you for that.

In my new portfolio, as I mentioned, we had a small part to play to work with the Solicitor General, the associate minister and the Attorney General to talk about how we can best combat human trafficking that is happening in hotels in every community across Ontario.

Growing up in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, my best friend was Joylene MacNeil. She ended up in Durham and she still is with the Durham Regional Police Service. She became a police officer, and she’s still there. She’s working in the human trafficking area. She told me three years ago when I was the minister, and she joined me at the speech, that in every single hotel in the province of Ontario, there is sex trafficking. She told me stories of helping victims who were not able to walk because they had been raped so badly. She talked to me about girls that were stuck in hotel rooms literally with no food for weeks.

She told me about children who had been addicted to drugs because they had to numb the pain and their trafficker was supplying them.

None of these stories are pleasant. But we do have an outstanding directorate here that is victim-led in the province of Ontario. I think there are many victim-led tables across the province as well that have really brought a voice to those who have survived. When they bring their lived experience to us as legislators, we can’t help but act swiftly and act strongly.

This is what this legislation does. This legislation is a whole-of-government approach. It is one that is multi-ministerial. There are four ministers speaking today, but I can tell you the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing is involved, the Minister of Transportation is involved and, of course, the Minister of Infrastructure is involved, and so many others. Because this really is something that happens in every community.

I remember being told by my friend Cynthia Bland, who is the founder and CEO of Voice Found—it’s victim-led, to support those human-trafficked. She told me of a story of a young girl in my constituency, in Barrhaven, where you don’t think it’s going to happen because we happen to be, according to the census, one of the wealthiest, best-educated communities in all of Canada. So, you think, “Okay, this is not happening here.” But Laurie Scott knew it was happening there, because she said it was the girl next door.

I found out that a hockey family—I’m involved in hockey, Speaker; you know that—had a daughter, who was 13 years old, and a son playing hockey, doing great work. She decided she would start to get on Instagram. She was angry with her parents because they were off at hockey or whatever. A predator who was much older than her started to message her on Instagram and then started to supply her with purses and other things at the Bayshore Shopping Centre. Then this little girl ends up being not only trafficked, but brutally gang-raped.

That happened in my community. I can imagine what’s happening elsewhere, in Indigenous communities, in areas where there are parents who are unable to be with their children all of the time. If that’s happening in our nation’s capital, it’s happening in every single community in this province, and it’s happening in hotels. That’s why I was pleased to work with our sectors, in the tourism business and hospitality, and making sure that every single hotel owner in the province of Ontario—they have a role to play.

We can’t look the other way. We have to have a pact in this Legislature, all of us together, regardless of political party, that we do not look the other way because this is uncomfortable. We have to talk about it. We have to bring Ontario’s dirty little secret from behind the shadows into the forefront, because that could be any of our daughters. The girl next door could be our friend’s daughter. It could be our neighbour. It could be our daughter’s friend. It could be our son’s friend. It could be their classmate. It could be the people we work with.

In fact, when I was giving a speech in Ottawa on this very issue several years ago, I actually was working with a woman from Ottawa who told me that her daughter—she was dedicated in this line of work, and her daughter had been trafficked in Gatineau, across the river in the national capital region, where the tall, beautiful, historic Parliament buildings sit, where the major legislation that keeps our country going is made. It’s happening there. It’s happening where I live. It’s happening here in Toronto. It’s happening in hotels as we speak.

So, every moment we have the opportunity to raise this issue and lend our voices—it’s absolutely critical that as leaders in our communities, as mothers and fathers, as grandparents in this assembly, we recognize it could be happening to a child.

That’s what this is about. This is not about sex workers who have chosen that life; it is about children who have been preyed upon. They have been conditioned, they have been groomed, and they had their lives ruined. That’s what this legislation is about. That’s why the Solicitor General brought this forward. That’s why the Attorney General has made such an effort. That’s why the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues is speaking with victims. If we can’t stand up for vulnerable women in this Legislature, who in this country will? That’s our job. It’s our job to stand here. It’s our job to talk about that.

When I was women’s minister, I also heard stories about young Indigenous children in the north being groomed over $10 iTunes cards. Think about that. Think about an 11- or 12- or 13-year-old girl absolutely violated, her life ruined, because of a $10 iTunes card that she thought was more attractive in the moment than going home. The stories I remember from those times—I tell you, Speaker, they still haunt me.

I had the opportunity to lead a national conversation with Maryam Monsef, the minister of women’s issues federally, in the Yukon—I believe it was in October 2018—and really trying to explain to some of those from other parts of the country that it is happening in their communities. I remember, because I’m a native Nova Scotian, the Nova Scotia minister at the time learning a little bit more about it and being really shocked it was happening there.

I then had the opportunity in March 2019 to go to the United Nations as a Canadian delegate to speak on human trafficking at a session organized by the Vatican and then again at the general assembly. I took my opportunity on women’s issues to talk about this particular issue because, again, it is borderless. It’s as easy for a child in Windsor to be trafficked in Detroit as it is, as I said earlier, from Ottawa to Gatineau, or Kenora to Winnipeg. That’s the reality. These kids are being trafficked up and down the 401. We needed to have that conversation.

We need to have this conversation here, we have to have it nationally and we have to have it internationally. I was really proud to be able to do that. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it’s certainly one that I’ll never forget.

As I close out, Speaker, there are amazing victim-led organizations across this province. I mentioned Cynthia Bland. This ministry has the opportunity to support this legislation through the accommodations sector—and I’ll close on that—but we also have a $103-million fund called the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which every member is aware of. It’s open to all of our communities. For the past couple of years, we have been able to fund Voice Found through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which is absolutely critical. I’ve visited there many times. I’ve met many of the victim-led facilitators.

I was able to speak with Cynthia a couple of times throughout this pandemic. I was able to donate some PPE, actually, to them as well personally. I can’t say enough about these courageous people; that really is what they are and who they are. They’re courageous, because they stand up every single day and listen to stories that most of us would never want to hear.

Speaker, we don’t want to see this happen in our communities. So, I implore all legislators in here to not look the other way, to really look at the problem, root it out, make an example of these individuals. We’re really committed to making hotels, motels, short-term rentals and other temporary accommodations across the province accountable, and we’ll continue to do that.

But the accountability isn’t just with a company. The accountability isn’t just with law enforcement. The accountability can’t just be with those victim-led organizations. The accountability starts with every one of us. If we all talk to 10 people today—which we all will; we will all talk to 10 people because we’re politicians—I think we should all reference this debate that we’ve had so that they understand it’s happening and so it’s not just a few of us who are having this conversation this morning, but it’s a lot of us having the conversation on a longer-term basis.

I’m going to conclude with this. I’ve said this many times in this Legislature and I firmly believe this, Speaker—and you are a true example of it and so are many of the men here. I know I’ve done a lot of work with the Minister of Natural Resources on women’s issues in his riding. The chief government whip is standing up all of the time on this issue and had a round table organized recently. Strong women have to support vulnerable women, but Speaker, I will conclude with this: It’s now more important than ever before that strong men support vulnerable women.

I urge all of the men in this chamber to support this legislation as we move forward as a government in a whole-of-government approach.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): It’s now time for questions and response.

Ms. Suze Morrison: Thank you to the ministers collectively for their presentations.

To the member across: When you said we need a pact in this House so that we do not ever look the other way, I would challenge back to you that your government can’t just pick and choose when you’re willing to not look away from gender-based violence. Where was this passion to not look away from ending violence against women when your government cut 30% of the funding for rape crisis centres in this province, or when you slashed legal aid, or when you cancelled the provincial round table on ending violence against women? Where were you looking then? Because it wasn’t in the face of women who were experiencing gender-based violence in the province of Ontario.

So, my question to you, Minister, is: Will you live your commitment to ending gender-based violence, restore funding to rape crisis centres, support women’s organizations, support legal aid and bring back the round table on ending violence against women?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I’ll look to the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues for a response.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for your question and for being a member of the committee when we were there doing our deputation last week. I’m very proud of this government’s anti-human trafficking strategy of $307 million over five years, and I was very pleased a couple of months ago to announce the recipients of the $96 million in the community supports fund, as well as the Indigenous-led initiatives fund—some fabulous organizations, 27, in fact, across Ontario. I had the opportunity to meet with many of those organizations as part of our round tables, who were there supporting victims and survivors of human trafficking.

With this five-year strategy, as well as looking at Bill 251, with the intent that there will always be an anti-human trafficking strategy in place in Ontario, we are leaders in Canada. I’m very proud of this government, and we are here to support victims and survivors.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Additional questions?

Mr. Robert Bailey: It’s a privilege to be here this morning and take

part in the debate. We also had more than one of those roundhouses—not “roundhouse,” but round tables; I guess it was a roundhouse some days—in Sarnia–Lambton. The Minister of Infrastructure now came down there. I had the minister of tourism and sport there at about the same time—recently, anyway—and it was about saving the girl next door, that bill.

Something I want to ask—I’d like to comment on all of us; maybe I will during the day. But something I think we haven’t talked a lot about—I think I’ll put this question to the Attorney General: I want to know what we’re doing in this province, and if there’s more that we could do, about the johns who take

part in this, the perpetrators. What are we doing to name and shame them? And if we’re not doing anything, I think we should be.

Hon. Doug Downey: This topic brings out such passion in people, and I 100% agree: We need to be vigilant about not only the people who are preying on the young and the vulnerable and trafficking them, but those who are using them as a service. It is deplorable and despicable, and I would like to take a roundhouse to them, to use your phrase.

I think we need to stay vigilant. We need to talk about both sides of this equation, and we need to put all of our resources into protecting vulnerable people from both sides of that equation. It’s something we have to stay vigilant on.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Kiiwetinoong.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Those who work in addressing the trafficking of Indigenous women and girls point to the root causes of exploitation of Indigenous women, including pervasive racist and sexist stereotypes and the normalization of colonial violence. I’m just wondering how this bill addresses that.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I will turn to one of the ministers—and it happens to be the Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: Look, we all have something to say about it, because you speak a truth, that there are some structural challenges that are there that we need to recognize. We can’t just be putting in rules and procedures without recognizing the fundamental problems that are part of this dynamic.

I can tell you that the one thing that we’re doing in my ministry is we’re working on using technology to get away from some of the re-victimization. I’ll give the example of where someone has to fly in on a six-seater airplane with their accused to go to a trial. That would just be horrific to experience that, and that is what’s happening, where all of the witnesses and everybody are travelling on the same plane. So, we’re trying to use technology to bring things forward, to take down some of those systemic challenges that have been brought up. They go deeper than that, as you’ve mentioned.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. Will Bouma: It’s indeed a pleasure to join in the debate and to see the action that our government is taking on this. It struck me in listening this morning and through the testimony that we heard at committee how quickly the environment changes and how victims of this are groomed.

I was wondering if I could ask the Solicitor General to explain the importance of a legislative requirement for reviewing the strategy on a regular basis, as well as what work might go into that. For example, we are in year 2 of the current five-year, $307-million strategy. What kinds of conversations are she and other members of the government having to help shape any changes thus far?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you to the member. It’s a really important consideration. We know that when Minister Scott and others sat on a select committee that really started to delve into human trafficking, the average age was 14, so that is one of the important reasons that we have to constantly be vigilant as a government, as parliamentarians, to make sure that the legislation that we have in place and the regulations that we have in place are still appropriate.

The consultation is ongoing. Minister Dunlop spoke about round tables that she has held, that Premier Ford has held, and myself, involved in listening to survivor-led organizations, listening to people with lived experience, listening to family members who have been impacted and trying to better understand how we can help them immediately. That’s why it’s so critically important to have that ongoing update.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Justice for Children and Youth would like to see more resources applied to voluntary services for exploited youths to access in order to leave avoidable exploitative situations. So, Justice for Children and Youth are critical of these resources going to, primarily, police response and of the legislation that is potentially punitive against the victims. JCY highlights how sexually exploited youths are often recruited from child custody and CAS types of environments.

My question is, if you’re placing them back into those kinds of environments, how is that going to help youths trying to escape or get services for child exploitation and child sex trafficking?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): I’ll recognize the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for that question. In fact, we recognize that children and youth who have been in the child welfare system are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked. That’s why we have made amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to ensure that 16- and 17-year-olds can be temporarily removed if there are suspected incidents of trafficking.

I look to the Minister of Tourism, who gave the example of $10 gift cards. When we’re looking at children and youth who are being recruited—the average age being 13; some are much younger than that—they don’t even know it’s trafficking at that time. The $10 gift card, the new purse, the thinking it’s your boyfriend doing this: They don’t recognize it’s human trafficking. If we’re able to even temporarily remove them so they recognize that there are supports there in their community—and how to access them.

We know that sometimes they return to trafficking, but if they know that supports are there in their community and they’re able to access them, then they’re more likely to leave trafficking and feel supported.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

Mr. Lorne Coe: During committee we heard concerns from some about the role of police in human trafficking supports. In our government, we understand that law enforcement plays an important role in keeping people safe and holding offenders accountable. Could the Solicitor General explain what role police have in this process, in particular the level of training they receive in this area?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you for raising that important issue. Every new cadet who goes through the Ontario Police College gets a

section completely dealing with human trafficking: understanding the signs, understanding the opportunities of where help can happen within their communities. But there’s also another piece and that is, frankly, why there are four ministers standing here today to talk on this legislation: the prevention piece. All of those have to be coordinated to ensure that we get this right.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. The time for debate this morning has ended.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Child care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: This government’s choice not to invest in and prioritize child care is forcing my constituents into a tough spot. A mom in my riding contacted my office because she was struggling. Between helping her kids with their school during the day and going to work at night, she was being stretched thin. The lack of child care spots in London has left her literally sleepless. She’s not alone. I have heard from multiple essential and front-line workers in my community who can’t find spots, particularly in the east of London. Families, especially moms, are left to decide if they should quit their jobs or pay exorbitant fees for child care.

For months now I’ve been raising the alarm on the child care crisis in London. Pre-pandemic waiting lists were ballooning. Those wait-lists have only continued to grow. After forced closures and a reduction in staff, child care centres simply don’t have the space or staff to accommodate the demand for child care spots in London. In addition to keeping the centres safe by social distancing and keeping their numbers lower, they also have to help kids complete their school requirements. All the while the government refuses to prioritize child care workers for vaccines.

The folks at the London Child Care Network told me, “I can personally speak to how frustrated I am for the child care profession. Why is it up to child care centres to provide the backup plan? I feel that child care has been so resilient throughout the pandemic and the pressure for our limited resources keeps piling on to the licensed operators and ECEs and child care in Ontario.”

Once again, child care in London is at a breaking point. This government needs to immediately address the ballooning wait-lists. Without it, economic recovery for women and for all will not be possible.

Vision Zero

Mr. Lorne Coe: As part of its commitment to Durham Vision Zero and road safety, the regional municipality of Durham is currently recruiting high school students from across Durham region to become Vision Zero Youth Network ambassadors.

The Vision Zero Youth Network is a free program that enables selected ambassadors to work with the Teens Learn to Drive team, police services and other partners to close the knowledge gap for young drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, making Durham roads, including those in Whitby, safer. This program also provides many benefits for student participants, such as a $500 scholarship, hands-on experience and access to mentoring, while earning 40 hours of community service.

Students today can apply to become an ambassador by visiting teenslearntodrive.com. I encourage all those watching this morning to do exactly that.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: To the people of Kitchener Centre who are sending me their reasons to invest in mental health care now, I want to say thank you, because everything is not okay. On May 10, I spoke with Helen Fishburn, the CEO of CMHA Waterloo Wellington. They host Here 24/7, which is a crisis line for folks experiencing mental health issues. As of May 10, 3,639 people had been stabilized but were now languishing on wait-lists, waiting for help.

I asked Helen who was on that list. She said in the first wave it was seniors who were isolated and lonely. The second wave were youth and post-secondary students who saw their visions of adulthood disappearing before their eyes. And now in the third wave, it’s parents who have become “professional jugglers” but who are at a breaking point. Helen said, “In my 20 years, I have never seen it like this.”

What are they asking for? A comprehensive mental health and addictions framework for Ontario. We have to do better because while people are on these wait-lists, the risks of waiting are great. They can fall back into crisis. They can experience different types of coping mechanisms and the impact of turning to drugs and alcohol to address the anxiety. The layers get deeper for people who are racialized, for people who are homeless and for those who are waiting for culturally responsive care that just doesn’t exist.

So today, everything is not okay.

COVID-19 testing

Mr. Norman Miller: In an effort to help stop the spread of COVID-19, all four Muskoka chambers of commerce are making rapid antigen testing kits available to small and medium-sized businesses. I want to thank the managers of the Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Hunstville/Lake of Bays and Muskoka Lakes chambers for taking the lead on this initiative. Working with the Orillia chamber, the Muskoka chambers ensured they were among the first to sign up to offer this program to local businesses.

Businesses with 150 employees or less can arrange to get tests for their employees by visiting www.rapidtestmuskoka.com. The program is designed to help detect asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 in workplaces, helping to keep workers, their families and the customers safe.

Businesses can receive a two-week supply with enough kits to test their employees twice a week. If someone tests positive, that individual will be required to leave work, arrange for a PCR test at a COVID-19 assessment site and self-isolate at least until the results of the PCR test are received.

This program is the result of a partnership with the Ontario government, the federal government and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. I want to thank the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, for his

part in developing this program, and again, I want to recognize the work that the four Muskoka chambers of commerce have put in to make this program available in our area.

Treaties recognition

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker.

Remarks in Oji-Cree.

This morning I rise to speak about a very important matter that is before the courts, which is treaties. There’s a case that involves a clause in the Robinson-Huron Treaty, signed in 1850, that allows for increase of the annuity payable to treaty holders should revenues from resource development generated in their treaty territory allow the crown to increase the annuity.

The annuity was increased once, in 1875, to $4 per person and has not been raised since. This issue has been raised by these treaty chiefs many times since 1875, with no resolution from Ontario or Canada.

Chief Dean Sayers of Batchewana said of this matter, “As a people, this colonial court process is not our preferred resolution to a disagreement about treaty implementation ... in the absence of a negotiation table, we have had to utilize the court system to enforce crown ... obligations.... Based on the evidence presented, the federal and provincial government and Ontario residents can now understand that the treaty is a sacred agreement that has to be interpreted in a way that” serves both parties.

Speaker, treaty relationships should not have to be fought in court. The Robinson Huron Treaty Anishinabek want to move forward with treaty renewal, and Ontario needs to quit being an obstacle in this process. Ontario, honour the treaties.

Education

M me Lucille Collard: Later today, we will be debating my first private member’s bill to build a more inclusive and equitable province through the education system.

While we’re on this topic, I wanted to take a moment this morning to speak to the importance of quality education in this province. Schools take up a lot of our children’s growing space, and it is crucial to ensure our children feel safe, seen and heard. Schools need to be spaces where they can explore their opinions and develop compassion.

While my PMB focuses on the importance of using this space to promote diversity and inclusion, we don’t have to stop there. With ever-evolving content and educators able to teach it, schools can provide an incredible foundation for change and progress.

Support and training for education workers is just as important as having quality teaching content. All of our children and communities are at an advantage when our teachers, schools and school boards are supported. But it’s no secret that our education workers are feeling abandoned and that they’ve been voicing their concerns for a long time now.

With the effects of the pandemic on our entire education system, with the ongoing shortage of French teachers and with the systemic barriers that remain for racialized students, it is clear that our education system needs repairing. Every child in this province deserves a high-quality education free of discrimination.

I look forward to discussing this further during today’s Bill 287 debate.

Ontario artists

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I have to report to this Legislature that music is in the air in Barrie and Innisfil. You may know that CBC Music’s Searchlight contest, the hunt for Canada’s next undiscovered talent, is on right now, and we have Barrie’s own Kat Chabot with her song that she wrote called Coffee by the Sea, which residents can vote for.

As well, Innisfil residents can also support Dawn Mucci, who is very well known for Canada’s Top Mayor Award. She wrote a theme song for those awards called Elevate, with the group Vibration.

So, if you’re browsing the Internet, you can support those two local artists we’ve got. It really shows you what happens when the community comes together with music.

But Speaker, there’s more. As you know, Barrie’s Live Music Show is an online group that’s been playing music throughout the pandemic. They’ve raised over $100,000 for local charity groups, and most recently, they were part of The 705 fundraiser. The 705 is a recovery hub in Barrie that helps those who are experiencing addiction and alcoholism. It is generously operated by volunteers. I want to name some of those volunteers today: Christine Gordon, Tod Palmer, Jorden Mathias, Samara Whiteman, Mark Rogowski and Brett Mason. And of course, Barrie Councillor Natalie Harris has also been donating her time to help with this particular clinic.

Speaker, I am so proud to represent this community. Please vote and donate to The 705 efforts.

Long-term care

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Right now, a grandmother is calling for help but nobody is coming. She is in a for-profit long-term-care facility, and the few staff working there are spread so thin, residents there just have to wait—wait in soiled undergarments; wait when they are hungry; wait when they are thirsty, sometimes lying there with bedsores that look like shrapnel wounds.

We can fix this. New Democrats have joined advocates in sounding the alarm for years. We have told countless stories here in this chamber of those whose lives were lost and those who are hanging on and still calling for help.

Where is the sense of urgency to fix the system? Our loved ones need help now. The NDP have called for inquiries. We’ve tabled bills to increase the hours of direct care, bills to take profits out of long-term care, bills to let loved ones see their mothers and grandmothers who are alone there right now—the list goes on and on. But there’s just no urgency.

This government, just like the one before, will agree in this House and then let the status quo prevail—a status quo where our loved ones are dying of dehydration; a status quo where the military releases alarming and horrifying reports of inhumane conditions. These are our parents, our grandparents. They raised us, gave us everything. And in their time of need, they are made to live alone and without dignity. During this pandemic, 4,000 of them have died alone in long-term care. Enough is enough.

Liberals and Conservatives have received huge sums of money taken from for-profit long-term-care operators for years to keep this broken system going. It’s time to pull the plug on for-profit long-term care. It’s time to have the resolve to do the right thing.

Our loved ones are not commodities. They are counting on us right now to fix long-term care in Ontario. We know what needs to be done. Let’s do it now.

Volunteers

Mr. Jim McDonell: I rise today to congratulate the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations to celebrate heroes young and old in my riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Angele Bourdeau-Piette and Julia Lucio have partnered to start a GoFundMe campaign to highlight the efforts of local youth to take

part in National Superhero Day, held on April 28. Children and their families were required to wear orange, and Angele and Julia were hoping to give every child a commemorative bracelet. They believe our kids deserve a hero badge, and so do I.

Meanwhile, the local Dairy Queen owner, Nolan Quinn, encourages residents to take

part in the “We Stand Behind our Healthcare Frontlines” mural. It has been developed in the solarium seating area of the Dairy Queen, now vacant due to the pandemic. Nolan has enlisted local artist Robbie Lariviere to complete the mural, recognizing the health care heroes of the Cornwall Community Hospital. Community members are encouraged to offer ideas for their visual tributes for the chance of winning a prize.

I wish all involved in promoting the giving residents of Cornwall and surrounding communities as we keep our heads high in support of each other during these challenging times.

Sports and recreation infrastructure

Mr. Mike Harris: Good morning. More and more families are choosing to plant their roots in southwest Kitchener. In fact, this part of my riding is the fastest-growing community in Waterloo region, which is also one of the fastest-growing communities in all of Canada. As you can imagine, the demand on local recreational amenities has swelled considerably.

A few years back, I met with Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Councillor Kelly Galloway-Sealock to discuss plans for a new community park that would include one of the city’s largest playgrounds, turf fields and an aquatic centre that would serve local residents of all ages. As a father of young children—I think a couple of them are actually watching right now, so a “hello” to Maverick and Ryder—I know just how important having a place for them to play close to home is for their well-being, and I was more than happy to add my support to the project. In September, I was proud to help cut the ribbon for the official grand opening of phase 1 of the RBJ Schlegel Park.

But that was only the beginning. Yesterday, I was honoured to join the Minister of Infrastructure and her federal counterpart to announce that $24 million in funding for the RBJ Schlegel Park aquatic centre was approved, which was nominated for the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program by our government. This new aquatic centre will include a new 25-metre pool and multi-use community rooms, where families can stay active together.

It has taken an entire community of hard-working people to get this project done. I’m so happy to see it coming to fruition in Kitchener–Conestoga.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: This morning my first question, once again, goes to the Premier. For months, Ontarians everywhere, businesses, health experts, everyday working folks, have been pushing for the government to answer basic questions about their COVID-19 response.

Earlier this morning, we called for a full public judicial inquiry into the government’s response to COVID-19. Will the government commit today to calling a full public judicial inquiry into its response to the COVID pandemic?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: We were very quick to ensure that there was a commission of inquiry into long-term care, but obviously we are still in the midst of the pandemic. As I said yesterday, I appreciate that the opposition wants to declare victory and say that it’s over and move to reopening, but our main priority right now is going to continue to be the health and safety of the people of the province of Ontario.

With close to 7.5 million vaccines in people’s arms—great progress, very, very good progress. I’m excited that the numbers seem to be going in the right direction, but it’s not time to declare victory. We’re going to double down and make sure that all of the people of the province of Ontario are safe, so that when we get this behind us, the economy can come roaring back. There will be plenty of time for the members of this Legislature to investigate the progress of the pandemic.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, it is absolutely the right time for this government to commit to doing the right thing, as other governments have already done. This is something that needs to happen here in Ontario, just like it needs to happen in many, many other parts of this world.

This Ford government promised accountability, they promised answers, but their track record shows exactly the opposite of that. They stonewalled their own long-term care commission and refused them the extension that they had asked for because they didn’t want them to be able to do the job necessary. They promised an investigation into long-term-care deaths that were caused by neglect, caused by dehydration, that the Canadian Armed Forces discovered. They’ve ignored expert advice and claimed that they didn’t.

Will the Premier commit today to holding a full public judicial inquiry into what happened with this government’s response to COVID-19?

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I just said, the Auditor General has taken a look. There was a commission of inquiry as well. There will be plenty of time for, first and foremost, the members of this Legislative Assembly to look at, through its committees, the pandemic before, during and after.

Having said that, I will reiterate that I’m just not on the same page with the Leader of the Opposition when it comes to declaring victory over this pandemic. There is still a lot of work that remains to be done. Huge progress has been made, yes, absolutely huge progress: 7.5 million vaccines into people’s arms and thousands of appointments being booked. That is great news, but the job is not yet done, and for the members of the opposition to suggest mission accomplished—I just simply disagree.

We’re going to double down on our efforts to make sure that all Ontarians are safe and that when we put this behind us once and for all, we can put all that we need to into making sure that we unleash this economy like it was before the pandemic.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I fear we’re now looking at yet another failure of this Ford government to do the right thing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have watched as this government has made the wrong decisions. There are lessons to be learned here, and they need to be learned. This government needs to make a commitment to being very transparent and open in public about how this pandemic was managed.

There was a preventable third wave. They walked us right into it because they ignored expert advice and 1,892 more people passed away in the third wave. The long-term-care tragedy is unspeakable: 4,000 people lost their lives. The impacts are going to be felt for decades on families, on businesses, on jobs and on people’s mental health.

We need to learn what this government got wrong, including why the Liberals and the Conservatives failed to learn the lessons from the SARS pandemic. We need to ensure that this never, ever happens again in Ontario. So, will this government commit to an independent judicial inquiry? That’s the very least that Ontarians deserve.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course, we have had an Auditor General’s report; we’ve had a commission of inquiry into long-term care—

Interjection.

Hon. Paul Calandra: That’s right. The Leader of the Opposition and her party were against that commission of inquiry.

There are going to be lessons to be learned, Speaker; of course, there are. It is our responsibility to make sure that we learn from the mistakes of the previous four Liberal administrations that preceded this government. But we were moving very quickly, in fact, because we knew some of the problems that the previous Liberal government left us with, whether it was inadequate testing or whether it was the lowest ICU capacity per capita in North America. We were moving quickly on that.

There are other lessons to be learned too, Mr. Speaker, like why variants of concern had been allowed to come into this country through international borders, why the federal government hasn’t worked with us after we’ve been pleading for months to close down our borders. Are there lessons to be learned? Absolutely.

The first place we can learn those lessons is through the members of this Legislature working through our committees to do so, Mr. Speaker. That’s the first step.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my next question is for the Premier, but this minister is absolutely wrong in his assessment here.

This question is now to the Premier. It’s regarding the Minister of Health’s statement yesterday that a reopening plan is coming soon. We know that this government has a dismal track record of ignoring experts all the way along. In fact, that’s exactly what led to the third wave being as bad as it was. Their reopening track record has caused us to be in the third wave and has caused this pandemic to be longer than necessary here in Ontario. It has cost lives. It has cost jobs. It has cost us businesses.

The question is, when will we actually see the plan?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much for the question. We have been careful every step along the way, protecting the health and well-being of the people of Ontario.

Emerging from this third wave, even though we’re starting to see the numbers go down, we’re not in the clear yet. We still have very high numbers in ICU. Today they’re down to 735, but that still is very high.

We know that we have to take very careful steps, because the last thing that we want in the province of Ontario is a fourth wave. So, any steps that we may take in the future will be based on sound medical advice from Dr. Williams and from other health experts who are advising us, because we know that we cannot move too quickly. The variants of concern are still out there. Things can rise up very quickly, so we need to take very, very careful steps to emerge from this third wave when the time is right.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Gee, Speaker, that would be a really good change here in Ontario; that would be a really good change. This Premier and this minister have claimed in the past that they have consulted with doctors, that they’ve listened to the experts. We’ve heard all of this before, but it doesn’t ring true, Speaker.

In November 2020, the government claimed that their colour-coded system was designed by expert advisers. That’s what they claimed, that the system was designed by the experts. But the reality shows something completely different. Those very advisers rejected the government plan, as we found out after. They had actually rejected the government plan.

In February, the government ignored the science table advice while claiming that they were following it. In fact, the Premier said, “We’ve always listened to the chief medical officer and the health team.” And the experts say that decision not to listen is exactly what brought us to the devastating third wave that we are still dealing with.

So why would anybody believe the Premier and the Minister of Health now?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Notwithstanding the comments made by the leader of the official opposition, our government has in the past and always will continue to rely on the advice of Dr. Williams and the other medical experts who are providing with us advice and recommendations. They are reviewing the science data and trends, along with collaborating with local medical officers of health.

They are looking at the indicators such as the epidemiology of the virus, the number of cases, the positivity percentage, the health system capacity, ICU occupancy and general hospitalizations, public health system capacity and, of course, the rate of vaccinations, which I’m very proud to say are now at over 7.4 million vaccines that have been distributed. Fifty-seven per cent of the population of Ontario over age 18 has now received at least a first dose.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, everyone knows that this Premier, this government, walked us right into the third wave, because at every step, while he was insisting that the expert advice was being followed, those same experts were actually begging the government to change course. As a result, we now have 732 patients in the ICU today. In fact, today we’ve hit a horrifying milestone, where now over 2,000 more Ontarians lost their lives to COVID-19 in the third wave. Those are parents, those are children—those are children who have been left orphaned—mothers, fathers, wives, husbands. We need to get this right. We absolutely can’t trust the Ford government, unfortunately, to do that.

The question is: Will this government commit today to a reopening plan that is actually backed by science and that we can see for ourselves where it has come from, so that people can actually trust the reopening plan? Because we certainly can’t trust this government and this Premier to get it right.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Yes.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Premier. Timmins declared a state of emergency on Monday in response to the recent rapid surge of COVID-19 cases, the bulk of them within Timmins itself. The Porcupine Health Unit has called upon this government to recognize Timmins as a provincial hot spot to ensure that vaccines and supplies are readily available for the community. They also need support to enhance capacity for testing and to set up a community isolation centre.

We are now seeing young, healthy individuals requiring hospitalization. This is really, really concerning for northern Ontario.

Will the government provide the support Timmins needs to respond to this surge of cases?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member for the question. Yes, of course we will provide support in any situation where there is a hot spot emerging where additional resources are needed. We are watching this situation very carefully, and we will provide the supports that are needed to enable the situation to be brought back under control.

But with respect to vaccinations, I can advise that we are receiving over two million vaccination doses this week, that we are going to be able to supply all of the public health unit regions, all 34 around Ontario, with significant volumes of vaccines so that people can be protected—young people and seniors as well and everyone in between.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Back to the Premier: We have to know that the geography of the north and limited resources make our health care system vulnerable, especially in emergencies. Remote and sparsely populated communities are far from health care. People in regions across the north have driven over hundreds of kilometres to get to their vaccines, because it’s not getting to all the northern communities equally. Our public health units are doing their best with limited resources.

Now Timmins is in the third-highest number of active COVID cases per capita in Ontario. They need resources. Will you commit to getting those resources to Timmins, what they need so their health care is not overwhelmed, yes or no?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member for the question. Yes, of course we will assist Timmins if they require additional resources in addition to vaccines, if they need more support to deal with any outbreak. We want to make sure that we can supply everyone who wants a vaccine with one.

I would just also refer to Operation Remote Immunity, which was a big success in vaccinating our First Nations people on 31 fly-in communities, as well as in Moosonee. We want to get back to do the second doses as well, as well as to deal with young people ages 12 to 17, who can now be vaccinated with a Pfizer vaccine. We are committed to that, and we are going to be ramping up Operation Remote Immunity to go back again to finish the job.

Border security

Mr. Stan Cho: Speaker, I continue to talk to frustrated Willowdalers every day, who have made incredible sacrifices over the past year, but they’re also very worried. They’re worried because of these variants of concern entering Ontario, and we know for a fact that these variants did not originate inside of Ontario’s borders. We also know for a fact that the majority of cases of COVID-19 today remain those variants of concern. So my constituents have a right to be worried.

If we look to the example around the world of other jurisdictions and see what they’ve done, our nation cousins have implemented stricter border policies to stop the entry of COVID-19, and they’ve had great success. I did read recently, however, that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom has come under fire for not restricting travel from international hot spots sooner.

Speaker, my question is to the Solicitor General: Can she share lessons from the UK experience that would be relevant to stopping the spread here in Ontario?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you to the member from Willowdale for continuing to raise this important issue, because it’s not going away, and we actually need to deal with it with our federal cousins.

The spread of variants of concern is not just something Ontario is monitoring and raising the alarms about. As the member mentioned, in the United Kingdom, as an example, you cannot enter if you have been in or through any country on their red list 10 days prior. The British Prime Minister has indeed been under fire for not adding some countries to this list sooner. This delay, some have claimed, has caused unnecessary spread of the new variants of concern just as the UK was reopening.

In Canada, we don’t even have red lists. We have a couple of blocked countries but, as we know, it takes only two mouse clicks to reroute your flight with a layover in another country to flaunt the rule. In fact, travel sites do it for you.

It’s time for our country’s Prime Minister to step up with stricter measures at our borders as well.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you to the Solicitor General, because that’s exactly what I’m hearing from my constituents—that frustration after putting in a year of sacrifice and affecting their lives in every way imaginable. You would think that our partners in Ottawa would have put in some safeguards to protect our borders by this point, this far into the pandemic, this far into the third wave, but they have not.

Speaker, it’s not just international travel. A Maclean’s

article from last week said, “The virus isn’t just flying into Canada. It’s also on a criss-crossing tear inside our borders.” I think that most Ontarians would agree with that, that more should have been done by our Prime Minister.

Back to the minister: Can the Solicitor General tell us more about the countries on the restricted list for the UK?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Absolutely. The UK actually has 40 countries on their red list. Canada has no countries that stop you from travelling to Canada. We only limit direct flights. The federal government does restrict direct flights from India and Pakistan, but there are no rules against rerouting through other countries. The UK, Australia and New Zealand restrict travel based on where you’ve been, not what flight you take.

As other countries talk of tightening up travel restrictions, Canada is actually mulling over lifting restrictions along our longest border. Ontario is taking all necessary steps to stop the variants. It’s time for our federal government to do the same.

College standards and accreditation

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, PEQAB reviewed the twice-delayed application by Charles McVety’s Canada Christian College. Conservatives have bent over backwards to help Charles McVety. This fall, in an omnibus bill, they buried legislation allowing him to turn his college into a university that offers arts and science credits.

PEQAB made a decision last night, and while we wait for the minister’s response, here’s what we know: We know Charles McVety never shied away from using his college platform to attack LGBTQ2S communities, and he never shied away from using his college platform to attack Muslim Ontarians.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, and to the Premier: When will this government tell Ontarians that people who spew hate should never run universities?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the member for Northumberland–Peterborough South and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. David Piccini: Thank you for the question from the member opposite. Speaker, as we’ve said from day one, this government understands and respects the independent PEQAB process.

It’s because of that independent process and because of the educational experts embedded in that process that Algoma University is expanding its educational opportunities in the north for learners in the north. It’s because of that independent process that OCAD University in downtown Toronto is expanding opportunities for students in the arts, embracing new challenges, embracing new learning techniques. It’s because of that independent process that we’ve seen Seneca pivot to offer programming for in-demand labour market needs. And it’s because of that independent process, regardless of who applies, that we’ve ensured a high quality of education in this province.

We will always, as we said from day one, respect the independent educational advice from the PEQAB committee.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: The McVetys’s quest to own a university never should have got this far. It never should have come to this. The Premier and this whole government encouraged Charles McVety at every step. They emboldened him enough to think he can build a bigger platform for his hateful rhetoric. As long as Charles McVety supported the Premier, the Premier had his back. In the meantime, the Minister of Colleges and Universities refuses to invest in Laurentian, he won’t speak out against McVety’s hate and he’s leaving post-secondary institutions to fend for themselves during a pandemic.

So, Mr. Speaker, through you to the Premier: Why won’t the government reverse the legislation and stop wasting precious time and resources on people like his bigoted friend Charles McVety?

Mr. David Piccini: It’s this government that historically lowered tuition for learners in this province. It’s this government that has expanded mental health supports, that stood with our universities and our publicly assisted colleges through the difficulty of this pandemic, providing additional funds to support learners.

Again, it’s because of independent processes, independent of political influence—independent processes that have a rigorous review on student freedoms in the PEQAB process, a rigorous review on organizational structure, a rigorous review on student supports, led not by politicians but educational experts. I find it ironic that, all of a sudden, now the member is interested in the PEQAB process. It’s that member who wanted politicians to make those decisions.

On this side of the House, as difficult as it is, we will always stand by the independent educational advice of the PEQAB process. We will respect it, and I would encourage the members opposite to do the same.

Anti-racism activities

M me Lucille Collard: My question is to the Minister of Education. As I have worked to draft my private member’s bill that will be debated later on today, I have been hearing from many leaders in my riding and from across the province who have been working tirelessly to fight racism. As elected representatives, it is our responsibility to work towards a truly inclusive province. To this day, there are children in our classrooms who cannot reach their full potential because of systemic barriers obstructing their success.

Your ministry, the Ministry of Education, has an Education Equity Secretariat initiatives branch, but I haven’t seen any initiatives lately, even given the important rise in racism incidents over the last year and more. Can the minister provide some information regarding any recent initiatives to address equity issues in our schools?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Obviously, we both have a shared interest in breaking down the systemic barriers that really impede the success of young people in the province. It’s why this government made a pretty significant, bold step in de-streaming the new grade 9 math curriculum, which will be unveiled shortly, for the benefit of all children in this province, lifting up the performance of students in Ontario. It’s why we’ve initiated, just last week, an over-$300,000 investment to counter the anti-Asian racism that is very much on the rise in this province and around the world.

It’s also why we took action to end discretionary suspensions of young children, disproportionately impacting racialized, Black and Indigenous children. It’s why we’ve mandated all trustees and senior board staff to undergo human rights training, to build that capacity and that culture within our schools of inclusivity and respect, something that I think the member opposite and I share.

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

M me Lucille Collard: Again to the Minister of Education: The fight against racism obviously needs to be led on multiple fronts, but one of those has to be education. As we work towards a brighter future for our children, we must recognize that giving them tools now to understand equity issues and participate in the development of an inclusive and equitable Ontario is something that we wish for our children.

So, as I am a firm believer that schools are the starting point to a better society, I ask: Does the minister support action to modernize our curriculum and make schools places where our children can learn, and contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable province?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We certainly agree that this is a priority. It’s why we tackled actions to really reduce those barriers, well before the pandemic and during the pandemic. We have urged school boards—and accelerated the collection of race-based data and the public release of it to create accountability. We think we have to understand the problem by measuring it first. It’s also why we’ve ensured that there’s anti-racism and anti-discrimination training in all curriculum, mandatory from kindergarten all the way up to grade 12.

One of the, I think, most compelling case studies of supporting racialized children is making sure that they can see themselves reflected in their educators, which is why we abolished regulation 274 to ensure that equity, diversity and, yes, merit lead the way in the hiring of educators in Ontario.

Public transit

Mr. Stan Cho: I’m still going to talk about Willowdale. It has to do with transit this time and an election promise our government made to get Ontarians moving, specifically in the greater Toronto area, where transit has not kept pace with growth. Nowhere is that pain felt more than in Willowdale, which hit its provincial growth targets for 2041; it did that a few years ago, Speaker.

It’s finally time to get these subways built, and I’m so happy that Willowdalers got excellent news last week with an announcement that the federal government has committed to funding 40% of the Premier’s historic $28.5-billion transit expansion plan. This is really exciting for Willowdalers, but they need more detail. Can the Associate Minister of Transportation tell us how these transit projects will achieve the promise of addressing the growth in Willowdale?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Speaker, I think you can tell that I can’t stop smiling when the member speaks about the subject. A tremendous amount of work has been undertaken to advance the single largest build of public transportation in Ontario’s history. I want to thank the Premier for his vision and Minister Mulroney for working so hard to negotiate a great deal for Ontario. It wasn’t always easy but she successfully persisted.

The funding commitment confirms the continued construction of our Ontario Line, our Yonge North extension, our three-stop Scarborough subway and our predominantly tunnelled Eglinton Crosstown West extension. These transit lines will reduce gridlock—which is desperately needed in the GTA and especially right here in Toronto so that people can get to where they need to go and so that goods can move across the province very, very quickly.

Mr. Speaker, this not only means we will be improving the quality of life for people here in the GTA, but we will be injecting the GTA with billions of dollars into our local economy here.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Really, it is excellent news for Willowdalers. Willowdalers are very familiar with gridlock and the challenges associated with that, the challenges associated with overcrowding on the subways. My constituents have been waiting for this news for a long time, and we’re almost there.

I’ve had relatives visit from overseas look at our subway map and—this is decades ago—laugh at it. For a city our size, we do not have enough subway service. That’s a fact. So, I’m looking forward to the day where we have a spider web network of subways, and this is an important step towards that.

My question is going to be back to the associate minister. Now that this landmark expansion plan has funding attached to it from the federal government of $10.7 billion, can the minister tell us how we’re going to plan and develop it differently so that these projects will benefit generations to come?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Of course I can. Our plans are centred around building fast, reliable transit, but we also have a focus on building complete communities. Throughout this pandemic, we have spent the last 14 months confined to our immediate neighbourhoods. Having gone through this experience together, we have learned a lot. We have learned about the importance of walkable communities so that you can access everything you need within a 15- to 20-minute walk, whether it’s a grocery store or a pharmacy—also, so that you can have easier access to employment centres across the city, so that you can travel to take care of loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, this moment in time has presented us with a great opportunity and we will not waste it. We are going to build transit and we are going to build complete communities.

Small business

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. The city of Toronto’s annual employment survey was released this week and the findings shine a light on the absolute devastation our largest city has suffered due to the painful and repeated lockdowns, made longer by this government’s failures. The survey recorded a 7.6% decline in total jobs, making it the largest single-year decline since the survey was initiated in 1983. By the end of 2020, a staggering 3,480 businesses had been closed.

Speaker, the people of Toronto want to know: Why did the Premier repeatedly ignore the pleas for help from small businesses who were being forced into eviction, gouged by insurance companies and left without the means to replace lost revenue?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the member from Willowdale and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Stan Cho: Certainly we recognize that small businesses in this province have been impacted greatly by COVID-19. These are our job creators. This is where these jobs come from. That’s why this government, from the get-go, from when COVID-19 began, has introduced a series of measures from the beginning, most recently a grant program that the member opposite voted against. The member has done no favours to these small businesses by voting against every support measure, whether that was hydro reductions or tax reductions, not just to get through the pandemic but to position these businesses for success in the future.

The question to the member is: What has the member voted in favour of to support these job creators? Name one measure the member has voted in favour of supporting small businesses.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, let me tell you: The words of the member opposite are cold comfort to the small business owners who have lost everything this year and to the nearly 120,000 workers who do not have a job to return to. Those businesses are not coming back.

In Davenport, we’ve lost cherished local businesses, like Wallflower on Dundas West, Starving Artist on St. Clair and Queen West’s iconic LGBTQ bar, The Beaver. There’s a tide of for lease signs like no one has ever seen before all across this city, and those that have survived up to now are begging you to stop forcing them to jump through hoops to get a small business grant that barely covers their needs.

Speaker, Toronto’s economic recovery is absolutely essential to Ontario’s economic recovery. Will the Premier finally wake up to that fact and fix this mess?

Mr. Stan Cho: Speaker, what I hear is that the member has not voted in favour of any of the support measures this government has introduced—

Interjection: Not one.

Mr. Stan Cho: Not one. But I will also remind the Legislature and the businesses in Toronto that the opposition did not put forward a single amendment through the budgetary process, the official channel through which to suggest further measures to support these small businesses—not one.

So now as we move through—and thanks to the efforts of our health minister, nearly half the population in Ontario has been vaccinated with their first dose. That means hope is indeed on the horizon and we see those brighter days. This government has positioned these businesses for success tomorrow as well, because it’s not just about COVID-19—though now the members voted against that as well, Speaker.

But here’s the thing for these small businesses: We’re going to get through this, and despite the efforts of the opposition, we’re going to position you for success. We’re busy fighting this virus. We’re busy fighting for small businesses. The opposition is simply too busy fighting this government.

Prescription drugs

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier. May is Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month. Ontarians living with cystic fibrosis have waited too long for life-changing drugs that could transform their lives. They’re available in other countries around the world, but not here. Trikafta is a transformational drug that can treat up to 90% of Canadians with CF. The federal government is poised to end the review and provide recommendations by the end of June.

In England, the National Health Service finalized negotiations with the manufacturer and agreed to fund the drug before regulatory approval. Ontario can do the same, Mr. Speaker. Will the government negotiate with Vertex immediately so that, once approved, this drug can be prescribed to desperate CF patients as soon as possible?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you very much to the member for the question. This is an important issue, I know, to many Ontarians. Trikafta has shown great promise as an effective treatment for cystic fibrosis patients, and this is an important step for CF patients to be able to access new drug therapies such as Trikafta in Canada.

Our public drug programs look forward to continuing their discussions with Vertex as Trikafta moves through the steps in the drug review process, which includes, of course, approval by Health Canada for sale in Canada; a review of the clinical and cost information through a health technology assessment; and, finally, reaching successful pricing negotiations with the pCPA, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance.

It is working its way through the system. We are doing whatever we can to follow up and to work with Vertex so that these products can be available to cystic fibrosis patients in Ontario.

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: My supplemental is for the Minister of Health. Twelve-year-old Camille Rochon from Orléans is one of the many cystic fibrosis patients in Ontario whose life depends on timely access to Trikafta. Now it appears, based on that answer, that Trikafta will be delayed by the same health care red tape that has delayed so many other groundbreaking treatments here in Ontario, that are available in other parts of the world. Every day that passes without access to these medications means more sickness, more hospital visits, and even more death.

Mr. Speaker, the Premier, his minister and his government have the power to get Ontarians with CF affordable access to Trikafta. He could help and the minister could help the vast majority of CF patients have a brighter future.

I know that the minister wants to say yes. So just say yes. Will you ensure that Trikafta is available at an affordable price here in Ontario the moment it receives federal regulatory approval?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you again for the question. Of course we want all of these new drugs to be able to be approved and available for people, and I know that many people in the cystic fibrosis community are looking forward to having this approved. But you will also know that there has to be a process to make sure that we take an evidence-based approach to the approval of these new medications, by funding decisions that consider the clinical effectiveness of the drug, the safety, patient input, affordability and effects on other health services.

Of course, I am as anxious as anyone else is to have these drugs approved because we want to be able to help people with cystic fibrosis lead more normal lives—I know that life is very difficult for them—and I am speaking with my ADM in this area on a regular basis to understand where the system is. Anything that we can do in the Ministry of Health to move things forward, we certainly will do.

Nursing education

Mr. Stan Cho: I know our government has been making long-overdue investments into our health care system. These are investments that the previous Liberal government simply failed to make, and these—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

Please restart the clock. Member for Willowdale.

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you, Speaker. These investments into our health care system also include, of course, the education of our future generation of nursing students in Ontario. We’ve all heard the many stories of Ontarians who wanted to become nurses but were unable to find a program close to home or weren’t able to get into a program, even though they were qualified, because of a lack of increased enrolment opportunities. I’m proud that our government has taken the right steps to ensure that this changes, that prospective nursing students have more choices and improved access to excellent post-secondary training.

Through you, Speaker, can the Minister of Colleges and Universities tell us more details about what the government is doing to support the training of more nurses?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member from Northumberland–Peterborough South and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. David Piccini: It’s always very exciting to rise in the House to talk about outside-the-box thinking and about leadership that this government is taking to invest in increased nursing spots for our next generation of nurses across our great province. That member is right. This government made a historic $35-million investment to expand nursing spots in this province.

Speaker, it was the first expansion in nursing seats in over 20 years—20 years, the first expansion in nursing seats. But what does that mean? For fall 2021, that means in our 2021-22 cohort, over 2,000 additional students, of which 1,130 will be practical nurses and over 870 RNs. We reached that number in close consultation with the sector, reaching out proactively, seeking feedback from our partners in the post-secondary sector, asking them how many additional seats they can do. It supports historic investments from this Minister of Health to end hallway health care and deliver better patient-centred care.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: I really appreciated that answer, because in Willowdale, our nurses and students appreciate being close to home, being able to study and work close to home, so we look forward to continuing to care for our communities in the right way, which my constituents want to see. This takes those investments.

But I know that we’ve also committed to establishing a nation-leading four hours of care per resident in long-term-care homes. This is