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May 13, 2024

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2024-May-13 (PDF)

L157 - Mon 13 May 2024 / Lun 13 mai 2024

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 13 May 2024 Lundi 13 mai 2024

Members’ Statements

Volunteers

Anti-racism activities

Health care funding

H.O.M.E. Program

Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame

Health care

Education funding

Civics education

Battle of the Atlantic / Dutch liberation anniversary

Home Hardware

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Health care

Education funding

Labour dispute

Taxation

Health care

Taxation

Consumer protection

Office of the Premier

Taxation

Caregivers

Skilled trades

Ontario Place

Taxation

Consumer protection

Taxation

Notice of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Caregivers

Correction of record

House sittings

Introduction of Visitors

Introduction of Government Bills

Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à renforcer la cybersécurité et la confiance dans le secteur public

Petitions

Social assistance

Tuition

Land use planning

Post-secondary education

Social assistance

Tenant protection

Opposition Day

Education funding / Subventions destinées à l’éducation

Orders of the Day

Building a Better Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à bâtir un Ontario meilleur (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers.

Members’ Statements

Volunteers

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: Speaker, the 2024 volunteer service awards took place last week to recognize thousands of volunteers across the province for their countless hours of dedicated service. This is Ontario’s premier event, and I’m so pleased today to highlight the eight outstanding members from my community of Oakville North–Burlington.

Three individuals with five years of service are Pannaga Adiga with the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation Canada, Thomas Aro with the 23 Division community policing liaison committee, Toronto Police Services, and Denise Noguchi with GlobalMedic, the David McAntony Gibson Foundation; for 25 years of service, Chi Kan Li with the 38th Mississauga Scout Group; for 35 years of service, Edward Anczurowski with the Knights of Columbus; and youth recipients Frank Liu, Jessica Wang and Michael Yu from the Oakville Chinese Network Society.

Speaker, I believe we can all agree that volunteers are the heart and soul of communities, driving positive change, fostering connections and making our province a better place for everyone.

Congratulations to these worthy recipients and thank you for all you do to support our community.

Anti-racism activities

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Today, I rise to address an issue affecting Jewish constituents and members of my chosen family. They shared their growing fears watching the rise of anti-Semitic hate. Their experiences are not just troubling, they are a call to action.

No Ontarian should live in fear, yet hate crimes have more than doubled since 2018, shaking the foundation of inclusivity and safety that every Ontarian deserves. The fear among Jewish Ontarians echoes the horrors and living memories of the Holocaust. From knowing what broken glass to graffiti of swastikas or echoes of the blood libel means, Jewish people have survived by recognizing anti-Semitism. Now this pain exists alongside a rise in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim hate that has all increased with the taking of hostages by Hamas and the bombing of Gaza.

Ontarians need compassionate leadership that heals wounds and fosters a province where everyone feels safe. Ontarians need more than words of solidarity; they need a funded and community-informed province-wide hate strategy to build deep social unity. This plan must include robust education to combat anti-Semitism and enhanced coordination between law enforcement to tackle actual hate crimes.

This Legislature must ask itself two questions: What can we do to effectively stop anti-Semitism and hate crimes in Ontario? And how can our divided communities start talking again and heal together?

Combatting anti-Semitism and all forms of hate requires everyone and every order of government to do their part. Let us rise to this challenge together.

Health care funding

Mr. Robert Bailey: It’s an honour once again to rise in the Ontario Legislature to share more good news of an important investment by this government in Sarnia–Lambton.

Mr. Speaker, just this past Friday, I was honoured to join Paula Reaume-Zimmer, the CEO of Bluewater Health Foundation; Mark Braet, the chair of the Bluewater Health Foundation; and Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley to announce that the Bluewater Health Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia has been given the green light by the Ministry of Health to move forward with a multi-million-dollar upgrade and expansion of this hospital, including the long-awaited expansion of the emergency and radiology department. Friday’s announcement means that Bluewater Health will immediately begin the final detailed design work for the hospital expansion, with construction beginning as early as 2025.

As a hard-oiler and lifelong resident of the town of Petrolia, I can’t overstate how important the redevelopment of the CEE Hospital project is to the residents of Petrolia and central Lambton. I am so proud that our government is making such a historic investment in CEE Hospital, ensuring its future for generations to come. I want to thank the government and the Ministry of Health for this important investment in Sarnia–Lambton.

H.O.M.E. Program

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Speaker, I want to shine a light on a remarkable initiative in our community, the H.O.M.E. Program from London InterCommunity Health Centre. H.O.M.E., which stands for health outreach mobile engagement, is a lifeline for individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are insecurely housed or are clients rostered at the centre. H.O.M.E. started with a wagon and a few dedicated staff. The idea continued to grow, and now they operate from a specialized bus equipped to handle the needs of their patients. In its first year alone, H.O.M.E. served 3,000 individuals just operating two days a week.

What makes H.O.M.E. truly special is a dedicated team behind it: nurses and social workers who go above and beyond, building meaningful relationships with those who they serve. This program meets a real need in our community. Accessing health care can be a nightmare for many, exacerbated by primary care physician shortages and long ER wait times.

London’s housing crisis has been at the forefront of many conversations, from politicians to service providers, concerned citizens and those struggling to find stable housing. This issue affects everyone in our community. Often, the ability to receive health care means you have to be housed. Housing is linked to health care. That’s why the H.O.M.E. Program is so important.

I want to thank the amazing team who work so hard to make the H.O.M.E. Program possible. Because of your work, you improve the health outcomes and health equity for the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our community.

Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame

Mr. Rick Byers: Colleagues, last Saturday, I had the pleasure of attending the banquet for the 2024 Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame inductees. It was an amazing night honouring local athletes, builders and teams. Formed in 1981, the Owen Sound Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to the people who have participated in local sports, either as participants or as builders.

This year’s inductees were an amazing group of local sports heroes. Athletes included pioneering lacrosse and hockey star Richelle McMann, three-time Canadian lacrosse champion Ted Abbott, star softball pitcher and coach Jamie Simpson, National Lacrosse League player Adam Jones, 600-game NHL hockey player Adam Mair and Owen Sound Greys MVP James McLellan.

Builder inductees were soccer builder, coach and referee Colin Hodson; minor sport player, coach, referee, umpire, league administrator and fundraiser Norm Long; and minor hockey, baseball, lacrosse and bowling coach Jim Tennant.

Team inductees were the 1966 Owen Sound Crescent Club softball champions; the 1981 Owen Sound Kinsmen Junior A box lacrosse team; and the 2018 Shark Tank APA world champions.

Thank you and congratulations to all inductees for your great success and your great contribution to the Owen Sound community.

Health care

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: When Premier Ford announced his government’s plans to privatize surgeries and diagnostics, he promised that Ontarians would never have to pay with their credit card, only their OHIP card. We knew the promises were empty words. When you open the door to profit, care takes a backseat. The reality is that more Ontarians are paying out of their pocket for health care services that are covered under OHIP.

Kate, a small business owner in Toronto, had to pay close to $8,000 for extra tests and eye surgery at a private clinic. She says, “At no time ever was I told that any of this was covered under OHIP. This was not a cosmetic procedure. This was a necessity. I could not function without it.”

Maureen from London was told she would have to wait years unless she paid out of pocket for her surgery. She paid $7,000. She says, “Being a senior on a fixed income, I am still trying to catch up with bills from this surgery.”

Mike’s wife was also told she would have to wait years for her surgery. Get this, when the clinic called to

schedule the appointment, it turned out to be the same surgeon that did her first operation in the hospital four years earlier. He now had a private clinic. Mike says, “My wife got the surgery done at the for-profit clinic and it cost $3,000 more than when it was done at the hospital. We have one question: Who is supposed to protect us from such scams?”

The race to the bottom of health care continues under this Ford government. Care should be based on need, not on ability to pay.

Education funding

Ms. Jess Dixon: I’m standing today to talk about the rather exciting past few weeks I’ve had from the perspective of culmination of personal projects. I’ve said many times that I came here because of my focus on crime prevention, and I’ve really seen that recognized in the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago, we saw a $150,000 investment in The Fourth R out of the faculty of education in Western, which puts a curriculum module into Ontario high schools that allows students—and middle schools—to focus on building healthy relationships, with a particular focus on gender-based violence.

Then, just last Friday, the Minister of Education and myself were at the Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton to announce what I think is safe to say is a groundbreaking investment: $875,000 into the Coaching Boys Into Men program, which will allow 23 separate violence-against-women agencies throughout the province to certify 400 coaches and teachers at over 200 high schools on, basically, how to give young men and boys the tools that they need to become willing allies in the fight to combat violence against women.

It was an incredibly exciting announcement. This has been a lot of personal advocacy on my part. I couldn’t have done it without, at education, Justin and Kennan, but also, thank you so much to Sue Taylor, Dr. Peter Jaffe, Dr. Claire Crooks, Dr. David Wolfe and Ray Hughes. I’m looking forward to continuing working with all of you. Thank you so much again.

Civics education

Mrs. Karen McCrimmon: Speaker, I had the pleasure to meet with civics classes at All Saints and Earl of March secondary schools in my riding. It’s such a pleasure to meet such smart young people learning about the democracy that will affect the rest of their lives. They asked such good questions.

Students today are informed, active, and they know that what is happening in government is important. They know that asking the right questions is the first step to making change. Only with smart people asking smart questions do we get a government that is accountable, that is responsive to our needs and that invests in people for a better future for all.

There are people who intentionally make politics ugly because they don’t want people paying attention. So please, like I told those students: Stay informed, stay active, keep asking those good question and, when the time comes, vote like your life depends upon it, because it does.

Battle of the Atlantic / Dutch liberation anniversary

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: Mr. Speaker, each year on the first Sunday in May, Canadians come together to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic. Lasting from September 1939 until April 1945, the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous battle of the Second World War.

Canada played a critical role in this battle, which ultimately helped secure the Allied victory. Though Canada entered the war a small country with an even smaller navy, we quickly grew into a major fleet. Canadian ships escorted hundreds of convoys that set off from Nova Scotia and hunted U-boats in the Atlantic. Over 4,000 Canadian sailors, merchant mariners and airmen lost their lives in the battle along with over 100 civilians.

On May 5, I had the honour of attending the Battle of the Atlantic parade and commemoration ceremony, hosted by the Oxford County Naval Veterans Association. Unfortunately, it was looking like rain, so the parade didn’t take place, but I was grateful to be there to commemorate those who lost their lives in this grueling battle.

May 5 also happens to be Dutch Liberation Day. This day marks the liberation of the Netherlands by the Allied forces, made mostly of Canadian troops. Events like these encourage us to reflect on Canadian involvement in World War II and remember the courageous sacrifices of those who served to secure our freedom.

I’d like to express my gratitude to the Oxford County Naval Veterans Association for hosting this event in honour of our brave Canadian forces and veterans.

Home Hardware

Mr. Mike Harris: It is my pleasure today to rise to congratulate Home Hardware as they mark 60 years of serving communities across Canada. In fact, the Premier recently joined me to visit their headquarters in St. Jacob’s—after we picked up apple fritters from the farmers’ market, of course.

So how did that single store in St. Jacob’s grow to become a national symbol? Well, here’s how. They kept their commitment to help build their communities with helpful advice, quality products and great customer service.

“This milestone is a testament to over six decades of dedication and hard work by our dealers and team members across the country,” said Kevin Macnab, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd.

Since opening in St. Jacob’s, they now have more than 1,000 stores providing good jobs across the country. It’s hard to picture small towns in Ontario without a Home Hardware. They have become a part of the fabric of our community and country. Home Hardware is consistently chosen as one of Canada’s top employers and received the honour from Forbes again in 2024.

Congratulations on 60 years and thank you for the positive contributions to our community, Ontario and Canada.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us some very special guests in the Speaker’s gallery today: His Excellency Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz, the ambassador of Cuba to Canada, and Mr. Jorge Yanier Castellanos Orta, consul general of Cuba in Toronto. Please join me in welcoming our guests to the Legislature today.

Miss Monique Taylor: I would like to first of all congratulate our Hamilton Mountain page on being the page captain today. Joining her to watch her performance are her parents. Stephen Hillen and Heather Lambert-Hillen are with us up in the gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Mike Harris: I also have a very important guest in your Speaker’s gallery this morning. My wife, Kim, is visiting us all the way from Kitchener today.

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s a pleasure for me to welcome a representative from the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, Dr. Joanna Thiessen, from George Street Naturopathic Medicine. Welcome to Queen’s Park, Joanna.

Mr. Steve Clark: The Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors are here, and I want to introduce my friend Shawn Yakimovich from North Grenville.

Later on today, there will be a delegation here from the united counties of Leeds and Grenville: Warden Nancy Peckford, CAO Ray Callery and Alison Tutak.

But I also have three of my constituents in the public gallery above. I want to introduce Randy Hopkins, Doug Brooks and Alex Kelly. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: I’d like to join colleagues in welcoming the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, and in particular, Yousuf Siddiqui, Harsimranjeet Bhatia, Emma Pollon-MacLeod and Natalie Pond. I’m looking forward to our meeting later today. Thank you for being here.

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: I have the honour of welcoming 13 members of the Men’s Probus Club of Newmarket from my riding, who have come to visit Queen’s Park today: William McTavish, Paul Bath, Richard Biggs, David Brisley, Grant Campbell, Art Darnbrough, William Docherty, David Elms, Richard Furlong, Brian Keddy, Peter Vanderploeg, John Vanderwielen and Warren MacRobie. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Jeff Burch: I’d like to welcome Mayor Bill Steele from Port Colborne, Mayor Frank Campion from Welland, Mayor Terry Ugulini from my hometown of Thorold and all of the politicians that are here from Niagara for Niagara Week.

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, I just want to wish our great House leader a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Pauly.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: As mentioned before, it’s Niagara Week at Queen’s Park, so we have a lot of politicians here. Welcome.

I also have a lot of constituents from St. Catharines. I’d like to welcome Melinda Chartrand first, and also Ann-Marie Zammit and Sabrina Hill from St. Catharines. They’re also representing ACTRA today.

And no stranger to this House, but a former St. Catharines MPP for 42 years, now Niagara regional chair, making his way in: Jim Bradley. Welcome.

Mrs. Karen McCrimmon: Mr. Speaker, it’s a great pleasure to introduce Harsimranjeet Bhatia from the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors. Harsimranjeet practises in my riding, and I look forward to meeting with them and the association later today. Welcome to your House.

Mr. Brian Saunderson: It’s my great pleasure to welcome Aranka Jones, a constituent of Simcoe–Grey and a member of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, to the House.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I’d like to welcome my intern, Winston Lee, who is here visiting with his mother, from Vancouver, Wini Yeung. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I’m pleased to honour and introduce Melinda Chartrand, a trustee who is with us from the Centre Jules-Léger Consortium. Welcome to Queen’s Park. Bienvenue and thank you for leadership for francophone students.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): With the indulgence of the House, I’d like to continue with introduction of visitors. Agreed? Okay.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. It gives me great pleasure to welcome some fantastic members of ACTRA Toronto who are here with us today in the gallery. I’m going to only name a couple here, but I know that my colleagues are going to name some others. I do want to make mention of Amy Matysio and Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto vice-presidents, and Alistair Hepburn, executive director. It is wonderful to see so many of my former colleagues here with us today. Welcome to your House.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: A beautiful day—everyone here, it’s always a pleasure to be with you.

I’d like to welcome the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, specifically dynamite Daniella Remy, optimistic Odette Bulaong and awesome Aranka Jones, my superb sister-in-law, who’s here in the House today. Looking forward to meeting you.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Good morning. I would like to introduce two of my constituents from Simcoe North who are here visiting at Queen’s Park today and joining me for lunch: Dr. Douglas Donald and his wife, Anne Donald. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

MPP Jill Andrew: There are over a hundred ACTRA Toronto members here today. I want to welcome them to Queen’s Park. Some of them include Kate Ziegler, ACTRA Toronto vice-president and actor; Asante Tracey, ACTRA Toronto member and actor; Alistair Hepburn, executive director, ACTRA Toronto; and, of course, we see Theresa Tova here. We want to welcome you to your House. Thank you so much for your hard work in Ontario’s creative industries.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: As a parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health, I’d like to introduce the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, who have their lobby day today at Queen’s Park and who—this evening, in the legislative dining room at 5 p.m.

Also, a warm welcome to the CEO of OAND, Christine Charnock, and the board chair, Audrey Sasson, along with other executive members and staff. I’m looking forward to our meeting today.

Mr. Wayne Gates: It’s Niagara Week here at Queen’s Park this week. I want to welcome Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa from the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. He is the only Lord Mayor in all of Canada.

Interjection.

Mr. Wayne Gates: Yes, that’s quite the honour.

Tim Jennings, executive director of the Shaw Festival, and his team; April Jeffs from Brock University; Zach Dadson from Brock University—and I want to welcome all the wine and craft brewers who are here today.

Get out and enjoy Niagara wine and craft beer. It’s the best in the province of Ontario.

Hon. Graydon Smith: I just want to welcome three of the most very important people in my life who I could not love more: my wife, Melissa; my mom, Barb Smith; and my sister Gwen Smales, in the Speaker’s gallery. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I, too, would like to welcome members of ACTRA in the galleries today.

It has been two years. It’s time to end the lockout.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We don’t permit political statements during introduction of visitors; I’ll remind the members.

The Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: I would like to welcome to the House today Trevor Appleton, a great and dedicated local community citizen from my riding of Durham. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome members of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization. They will be putting on a health technology adaptation lunch today in 228.

Also, welcome to the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, who will be in the dining room at 5 o’clock.

Also, we have members of the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario here today.

Welcome to your House.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I want to introduce Mitchell Brum and Emily Carlucci, interns in my office who are visiting here today.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: To use a scientific term, we’ve got a whole whack of visitors from the Niagara region here this week—far too many to name, but I want to welcome them all to Queen’s Park.

I encourage all members to come out this evening, from 5 to 7 p.m., for an amazing reception in honour of Niagara Week. You’re going to have some of the best that Niagara has to offer.

I especially want to acknowledge Melinda Chartrand, who is here with Csc MonAvenir; also, April Jeffs, who is joining us; as well as the regional chair, Jim Bradley.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, everyone.

MPP Jill Andrew: How in the heck could I forget John Cleland, ACTRA member, ACTRA national councillor, executive committee member, and my friend. Thank you so much for being here, John.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I’d like to welcome Dr. Campbell from the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization and her team for their health tech adoption lunch today in 228-230. So please join.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, as I’m sitting here, I’m realizing there are so many familiar faces in the room, I can’t even keep up. But I would really be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the presence of the long-time national president of ACTRA, Ferne Downey, a dear friend of mine who’s in the room today too.

Stand up, Ferne.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I apologize; I’m going up for the second time, but I noticed Daniel Grubb from Brock University came in with April Jeffs as well as Zach Dadson.

I just want to welcome you, as well, today. Thank you for coming.

And Niagara Week—come on down to the reception, 5 to 7, down in the legislative committee room, and enjoy some Niagara craft beer and wines.

Question Period

Health care

Ms. Marit Stiles: Last week, I was shocked to hear the Minister of Health say that the recruitment and retention of family doctors was “not a major concern.” That’s her quote: “not a major concern.”

A quarter of patients in Sault Ste. Marie without a family doctor—not a major concern? Thirty thousand patients in Kingston without access to primary care—not a major concern? These comments are not only insensitive, considering the 2.2 million people in this province without a family physician; they are dangerous.

I will ask the Premier, will he stand by the minister’s dangerous and insensitive comments?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant and member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: Since 2018, we’ve registered over 12,500 new physicians in Ontario, with almost 10% of those being family physicians. We’ve also registered 80,000 new nurses and 2,400 new doctors last year alone.

Speaker, last year was a record-breaking year for nurses. We registered over 17,500 new nurses last year. We’ve registered over 33,000 new nurses in the last two years, and we have another 30,000 nurses that are enrolled and studying at a university or college in Ontario.

But we are not stopping there. We want this year to be another record year. We’re investing another $740 million to address the immediate staffing needs, supporting the expansion of over 3,000 new nursing seats at Ontario colleges and universities.

Speaker, we’ll continue to do what’s needed to ensure that the people of Ontario have the best publicly funded health care when and where they need it.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, people are being diagnosed with cancer these days not in the comfort and safety of their family doctor’s office but in an overcrowded emergency room. Emergency room physicians are diagnosing cancers more and more often because they are facing so many patients coming to emergency rooms who don’t have access to primary care at all.

Imagine—imagine—being in an emergency room. You go there because you’ve had these problems; you’ve been putting it off because you don’t have a family doctor. And then you sit there and you’re told not only do you have cancer but that it’s metastasized—in an emergency room.

I want to ask the Premier again to stand in this place and tell us whether he is going to continue to stand by his health minister’s insensitive comments.

Interjections.

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

The member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: Speaker, Ontario is leading the way when it comes to cancer care in the nation, but we know there is more to be done. Ontario is also leading the country, with almost 90% of Ontarians having access to a primary doctor or primary health care provider. We do know there’s more to be done. Since 2018, as we’ve stated many times in this House, we’ve registered 12,500 new physicians, with 10% of those being family doctors.

Just one year after our government launched our Your Health plan, we’re making steady progress to connect more people to convenient care. We started the year with an investment of $110 million to create 78 new and expanded interprofessional primary care teams. And in this year’s budget, we expanded that to $546 million over the next three years to ensure that 600,000 Ontarians have access to primary care.

We’ll continue to make the investments that are needed to ensure that all people of Ontario have access to the care that they need when they need it.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, follow along, I’d say to the government member opposite. Follow along: 2.3 million Ontarians without a family physician in this province. People are going to emergency rooms and finding out that they have cancer—not only that they have cancer but that it has metastasized. People are showing up in our emergency rooms—when they’re open—sicker than ever before.

This government, if they are recruiting any physicians, we can’t keep them. They are leaving faster than we can recruit them.

The Minister of Health said last week this is not a major concern for her government. I want to hear from the Premier himself, who is sitting right here today. I want to hear him speak to this. Do you stand by your comments? Do you stand by your minister’s comments, or are you going to remove her from her role? Are you going to remove this Minister of Health from her role for those insensitive comments?

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

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, the opposition leader wants to hear from me; I’ll tell the opposition leader, as she sat in this House with the support of the Liberals, fired—let me repeat that: fired—1,700 people, and you support it: 1,700 nurses.

Again, as our great member said, we have put in over $300 million in investment for not only pediatric care but $546 million for 600,000 Ontarians, to match them up with primary care. But that’s not all we did. We’re making sure we’re building medical universities that, again, neither of your parties have ever built in 30 years. York University, they’re going to graduate primary care doctors. The Brampton university, they’re going to focus on primary care doctors. University of Toronto is going to focus on primary care doctors.

As our great member said, over 12,500 doctors have been hired and registered and working here in Ontario since we’ve been in office; 80,000 nurses—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Waterloo will come to order. The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will come to order.

The next question.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: The Premier may want to talk to the family doctors who have a petition going right now to have that health minister fired.

Speaker, in spite of this government’s claim of historic spending in education, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has said that this year’s funding is the lowest level of per-student funding in more than a decade. They warn that these funding shortfalls are going to be felt in classrooms.

Since this government came into office, it’s not only family physicians and nurses and PSWs that we’re losing, we are also losing and we have lost 5,000 educators.

My question to the Premier is, will he commit today to reversing these historic cuts to education?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, we have hired 3,000 additional educators under our Premier’s leadership and 9,000 additional education workers, as confirmed by the school boards in the province of Ontario. We’ve added a 22% increase in funding when compared to the former Liberals, billions of additional dollars in public expenditure.

But, Speaker, this goes back to the refrain of the Leader of the Opposition: In order to achieve—according to her, the benchmark of success is investing dollars, as if that is the only way by which we can improve outcomes for kids—one of which was delivering stability for four years of peace for children in Ontario. That delivers a better outcome for our kids.

Mr. Speaker, we reverted to merit-based hiring. Common sense should prevail, making sure the best educator is hired for when we teach our kids. We made a variety of curriculum reforms to instill math and literacy and core fundamental skills back into the curriculum. That’s how we lift standards in Ontario.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the minister should do the math. His budget doesn’t take inflation into account.

So, my question again to the Premier is, how much more support are our kids supposed to give up?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, we are increasing funding for the coming school year by $745 million, another example of our government’s long-standing commitment to invest more but also to expect more from our school boards—though we actually lift standards on reading, writing and math.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve added thousands of additional educators—thousands; 9,000, no less, additional education workers, even though the student population has largely been flat. Having said that, Speaker, funding per pupil is up to $13,852. In our rural communities, it’s over $15,000. In our northern communities, it’s over $19,000 per child. In our French school boards, it’s over $22,000 per child.

We are increasing investments, but we’re also holding school boards to account to demand better outcomes on the fundamental skills. That’s what parents expect in this province.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, it has never been this bad in the province of Ontario before. That is the fact. That is a reality.

When schools face cuts, it’s the kids who are the most vulnerable who are going to suffer the most. That’s the truth. Westdale in Hamilton lost their breakfast program. That’s on this government.

These supports are not just add-ons; they play an absolutely essential role in our children’s mental health, in their confidence. A kid who goes to school hungry is not going to be able to do as well. They’re not going to be able to concentrate in class. We all know that as parents.

We’re going to debate a motion later on today to get things right. Will the Premier, sitting right there, support our opposition day motion today to ensure that every child receives the high-quality education they deserve, regardless of their family’s income?

Interjections.

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

Interjection: Oh, come on.

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

The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Michael Parsa: Thanks to the Leader of the Opposition for the question. Mr. Speaker, with the rising costs of—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Michael Parsa: Mr. Speaker, with the rise of the cost of everything in our province, it’s this Premier and this government that showed leadership. We increased the investment into the Student Nutrition Program by more than $6 million across the province. That brings the total investment to more than $38 million. That is an increase of more than 20%, for the leader of the official opposition.

The lead agency that provides the Student Nutrition Program in the city of Hamilton received an additional allocation of $525,000 this year, bringing their total investment to more than $3 million. We’ve also worked with other partners, and those partners are also stepping up.

Mr. Speaker, it was this Premier, it was this government—because the previous government, supported by the NDP, never supported students, never—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will please take his seat. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order.

Please stop the clock. I have to interrupt question period to say once again that it has long been the established practice of this House the members should not use props, signage or accessories that are intended to express a political message or are likely to cause disorder. This also extends to members’ attire, where logos, symbols, slogans and other political messaging are not permitted unless the House grants unanimous consent. This Legislature is a forum for debate and the expectations in the chamber are that political statements should be made during debate rather than through the use of props or symbols.

I must ask the member for Hamilton Centre to come to order.

I must warn the member for Hamilton Centre.

I will now name the member. Sarah Jama, you are named.

The member is currently not eligible to be recognized in the House, pursuant to the order adopted on October 23, 2023. As a result of being named, for the remainder of the day today, the member is ineligible to vote on matters before the assembly, attend and participate in any committee proceedings, use the media studio, and table notices of motion, written questions and petitions.

Sarah Jama, you must leave the chamber for the day.

Ms. Jama left the chamber.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Start the clock. The next question.

Labour dispute

MPP Jill Andrew: It has been over two years since 28,000 ACTRA members have been locked out of the national commercial agreement by the ICA. ICA walked out on negotiations. This illegal lockout has been propped up by this government’s hiring of union-busting ad agencies to create ads that further stab ACTRA members in the back by using non-unionized replacement workers, pitting workers against one another.

Speaker, there are over 100 ACTRA members here today advocating. They’re actually fighting for their livelihood. The question is to the Premier. Will the Premier and Ministers of Labour and Culture attend the We Rise Up Rally here at Queen’s Park and hear how their illegal lockout is affecting ACTRA workers, help get ICA back to the table to negotiate, stop using union-busting ad agencies and support our Bill 90 to protect these workers, some of the most precarious workers in Ontario?

Stand up and save the workers.

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

The Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Hon. David Piccini: I want to thank the ACTRA members who are here today. I had a good conversation with a number of them prior to question period. Speaker, I think it’s important to note—while I did mention to them, and I will say to the members opposite—this dispute is currently before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which is a quasi-judicial body, and I know that that member wouldn’t ask me to interfere in that work.

Having said that—

Interjection.

Hon. David Piccini: If she’d let me finish, I’d get to my next point.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you, Speaker—and that is, I recognize that Destination Ontario, Metrolinx and OLG do seek advertising services. I’m going to be calling, after question period, the heads of all three agencies, and I look forward to having a conversation with them, because I recognize that government does have a role here.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Supplementary question? The member for Sudbury.

MPP Jamie West: The question is also for the Premier.

Speaker, for more than two years, thousands of ACTRA Toronto performers have been locked out by the Institute of Canadian Agencies. For more than two years, the Conservative government has continued to use taxpayer dollars to buy government ads from the advertising agencies who have locked out these workers. And for more than two years, I have asked the Premier, several times, to stand with these workers and stop buying these ads. He keeps failing them.

It has been 25 months, more than two years. Enough is enough.

My question is, will the Premier finally side with the thousands of ACTRA commercial workers, stop buying government-funded ads from the advertising agencies who have locked out these workers—not just a phone call, but stop buying them, stop supporting them, get on the side of these workers?

Hon. David Piccini: Again, Speaker, I think it is very important to maintain the independence of the Ontario Labour Relations Board. I’m the arbiter of the system, not the adjudicator.

However, I recognize, as I’ve said in my first answer, that government and the subsequent agencies and the ads that they’re hiring are having an impact, and that’s why I’m going to be calling all three agencies following question period. We want a deal here between both bodies. I recognize the important work that Chair O’Byrne and the OLRB are doing, but I also recognize the perception here with these three agencies, and so we’ll be speaking with them after question period.

Taxation

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is for the Minister of Energy. During a period of rising costs and high interest rates, it’s important for all governments to make life more affordable for the people of Ontario. But the Liberal carbon tax is making life more difficult for Ontarians.

I keep hearing from people in my riding of Oakville about how much their gas and grocery bills have increased on a regular basis since the implementation of this tax. They’re concerned about how much more it will cost to feed their families and whether they can continue to take their kids to hockey, baseball or soccer practice. That’s simply unacceptable.

The federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts need to listen to what we’ve been saying from day one and stop the carbon tax.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the Liberal carbon tax is creating financial hardship for everyone here in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: Speaker, it’s no surprise to anyone, especially the member from Oakville, that the federal Liberal government’s carbon tax is making life more expensive for the people of Ontario and the people of Canada. That’s why we’re taking a different route. We’re procuring clean energy.

Just last week, I was down at the Power of Water Canada conference in Niagara, announcing a new small hydro program, a new northern hydro program, for 10-megawatt facilities and larger. It’s why I was in Cornwall with the great member from Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry on Friday, announcing that we were refurbishing the Saunders dam, a huge facility connecting Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes system to the Atlantic Ocean and providing clean electricity for over a million homes in our province. That work has started to refurbish that facility. Last week was a busy week when it comes to procuring clean energy for our province.

The one thing that our Powering Ontario’s Growth plan doesn’t include is a carbon tax because we don’t need it. All it does is punish the people of Ontario.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you very much, Minister, for the response. I really appreciate it.

The carbon tax is burdening Ontario families that are already struggling to make ends meet. But the Liberals in this Legislature, much like their federal counterparts, want to see this tax hike even higher. Ontario families and businesses need relief, and they need it now.

Unlike the carbon tax queen, Bonnie Crombie, and her minivan caucus, our government is focused on making life more affordable for the people of Ontario. It’s time the federal government do their part to get rid of the carbon tax once and for all.

Speaker, can the minister explain what our government is doing to protect the people of this province from the costly carbon tax?

Hon. Todd Smith: We’re not imposing a carbon tax. The NDP and the queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, the leader of the Liberal Party, and Mr. Schreiner here, the leader of the Green Party, they’re all in support of a carbon tax.

There’s only one party in this Legislature that’s opposed to a carbon tax, and that’s Premier Ford and our team. Instead, we’re doing the kinds of things that I talked about earlier: procuring new clean, non-emitting generation. That includes refurbishing our nuclear facilities that we have across the province, including at Pickering and at Darlington and at Bruce, and building small modular reactors at Darlington.

Last week, we had the largest procurement in Canada’s history for clean energy storage. Another 1,800 megawatts are being added right across our province to ensure that our system remains clean and reliable. Our plan, Powering Ontario’s Growth, which is working—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The member will take his seat.

I’ll remind the members to refer to each other by our riding name or ministerial title, as applicable.

The next question.

Health care

M me France Gélinas: Members of the nurse practitioner association came to Queen’s Park today. They came to share solutions with the Minister of Health for the 2.3 million Ontarians without access to primary care. They are ready, willing and able to care for thousands of orphan patients. Unfortunately, although all 24 nurse practitioner-led clinics are willing to help, they represent only four of the 78 teams announced by the minister.

Will the minister listen to the solutions brought forward by NPAO, open positions for nurse practitioners and give Ontarians access to primary care?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant, the member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. We have invested significantly into primary care. We invested $110 million, and we’ve topped that investment with another $546 million over the next three years to expand to another 600,000 Ontarians to have primary care.

We’ve also expanded the Learn and Stay grant, which pays for tuition, pays for the books and pays for supplies for nurses and other health care workers who work in underserved areas after graduation.

We’re also funding the largest expansion of medical school spots in over a decade, adding 1,212 undergraduate and 1,637 postgraduate seats across Ontario. Speaker, 60% of these spots will be dedicated to family medicine.

We’re building a new medical school at York University, specialized in training family physicians.

We have a plan to rebuild Ontario’s health care, and we won’t stop until everyone receives the care that they need when and where, Speaker.

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

M me France Gélinas: By the time some of those suggestions are put forward, it will be a decade. By 2026, four million Ontarians won’t have access to primary care. But yet, we have nurse practitioners right here, right now in Ontario. Their scope of practice has increased substantially. They can order diagnostic imaging. They can provide treatment. They have been very successful with that extra work, with these extra responsibilities. Yet, nurse practitioners in primary care, in long-term care, in correctional services have not seen a salary increase since this government has been in power.

When will the minister start showing respect for hard-working nurse practitioners and, at a minimum, close the salary gap between nurse practitioners in hospitals and other care settings?

Mr. Nolan Quinn: With our recent expansion, we already have a nurse practitioner working in the Minto area under MPP Rae’s jurisdiction. We will continue to invest in Ontarians to ensure that they have the care they need. With the $543 million advanced in this year’s budget, we are going to expand it to 600,000 more people.

Speaker, under the Liberals, propped up by the NDP, they cut the amount of residency school spots. We are 1,000 doctors short, combined between the NDP and the Liberals, when they cut their residency school spots by 10% and 50 spots under the Liberals. We will continue to ensure that the people of Ontario have the health care they need, when and where they need it.

Right now, currently, almost 90% of Ontarians have a family care doctor or primary care health team. But we know there’s more that needs to be done, and we will continue doing what needs to be done to ensure that all people of Ontario have the health care they need, whether it’s in the north, east, west or south.

Taxation

Mr. Andrew Dowie: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. The Trudeau Liberals continue to hike taxes and raise costs, despite businesses and workers pleading to them to stop. You would think that when people are struggling to deal with higher costs, governments would act to lower costs and provide relief, as our government has done.

Instead, the Liberal solution to higher costs is to make things even more expensive with their carbon tax. They’re running the same playbook as Ontario’s previous Liberal government, but it seems they haven’t asked them how it worked out for our province, and particularly for my community of Windsor–Tecumseh. Can the minister explain to the Liberals why keeping costs low is crucial for economic growth?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: If the Liberals need any proof that lowering taxes and reducing costs create the conditions for economic growth, they can look right here at Ontario. In April, Ontario led the nation in job creation, adding 25,000 new good-paying jobs, including 5,800 new jobs in our manufacturing sector. Manufacturing employment is now at its highest level in 15 years. That’s what happens when you lower taxes and reduce 500 pieces of red tape.

Can you just imagine if the Liberals came along with us and reduced taxes instead of adding taxes like they’re doing? We are showing the Liberals the way, and we need them to come around to our side and scrap the tax today.

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

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Thank you, Minister, for the response. Ontario’s economy is in a much different place today than it was under the Liberals; 700,000 more men and women are working today than before we took office. But businesses and workers in my riding of Windsor–Tecumseh have not forgotten how devastating the Liberals’ high-tax policies were for our economy.

We need the federal government to recognize that the Liberal experiment of high-tax policies has repeatedly been tested and has failed each and every time. At 17 cents a litre, the carbon tax is already putting a strain on household budgets, while forcing businesses to make difficult choices. Can the minister explain why the Liberals should scrap their carbon tax and focus on measures that reduce costs, not raise them?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, when we took office, we knew we had to lower costs so we could bring back the businesses who left under the Liberals. Companies around the world now know Ontario is open for business.

The new listing of all active cranes in North America just came out, and Toronto is leading North America. We have 221 active cranes. To put it into perspective, that is more cranes than all 12 major US cities combined.

That’s the power of what’s happening here in Ontario, and that’s what happens when you lower taxes. We need the federal Liberals to follow our lead and scrap the carbon tax.

Consumer protection

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: My question is for the Premier. Speaker, the public still remembers the bread price-fixing scandal where grocers reached a secret agreement to inflate the cost of bread for more than 14 years. They said they were sorry, but since then big corporations’ profits continue to reach all-time highs while Ontarians’ monthly budgets get tighter, and shrinkflation means we’re literally getting less for our money.

Speaker, something just doesn’t smell right in Ontario’s grocery stores. Can the Premier tell Ontarians what he’s doing to hold big corporations accountable and put a stop to price gouging?

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

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, through you to the member opposite, for that question. I know the member opposite follows our budgets very closely. That’s why, back in 2022, this government acted early to combat the affordability crisis by cutting the gas tax. With that measure, along with others—10 cents a litre, Mr. Speaker.

And guess what? Cutting the gas tax doesn’t just help all those people who can’t take subways or public transit, who have to take their kids to school or drive to work or get to the hockey rink; it helps the people who grow the food. It helps the people who grow: the great farmers in this great province.

Mr. Speaker, you also have to distribute the food to get to the distribution centres. That costs money, gas money, and we’ve reduced that. In fact, what you should do is go call one—I’ll stop there—but one Jagmeet Singh up in Ottawa and get them to lobby the federal government to cut the carbon tax.

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

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Speaker, this government has been way too close for comfort to the big corporations, but Ontarians are fed up with this government taking the side of mega-corporations that only blame inflation and the carbon tax as the sole reasons for the skyrocketing cost of groceries. The public sees through it.

It’s time to stop cozying up to powerful billionaires and start taking a much closer look at their business practices. Speaker, what is the Premier doing to investigate price gouging and make sure Ontarians aren’t getting ripped off on groceries?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Mr. Speaker, not only has this government got the backs of all of the people working in this province to make life a little bit more affordable, but guess what? This government is not about increasing taxes. This government is about putting more money in the pockets of the hard-working people of Ontario.

This is a government that believes in cutting fees. Do you remember those licence plate stickers? Well, they’re done. They’re gone. Right, Premier? They’re done, they’re gone, putting 120 bucks for those who have to drive.

But it doesn’t stop there. One Fare from this minister, one integrated fare for the daily rider—that’s saving up to $1,600 a year. That’s real money so they can buy groceries, pay the rent, pay the mortgage and, yes, pay for gas, which is now over 10 cents a litre cheaper because this government took action and took action early.

We’re going to be voting on the budget very soon. I would like to implore this member opposite and the whole team to support our—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order. Order.

The next question.

Office of the Premier

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. We all know that we have the most expensive Premier’s office in the history of this province, by far. The Premier has doubled the budget and tripled the number of staff that have six-figure salaries. That’s right, Speaker, tripled. Their average salary is more than double the median family income. That’s right, Speaker, double the median family income.

At a time when Ontario families are just struggling to keep their heads above the water, this Premier and his office, they’re swimming in gravy. Speaker, through you, when will this Premier stop the gravy train that is his office?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, let me tell you, the most expensive Premier’s office in the history of this province was the one that preceded this government, the Kathleen Wynne Premier’s office. You know why? Because it cost us 300,000 jobs. It cost us massive amounts of economic development. It cost us job creation. It cost us trade. It hurt our students.

Remember when our students were discovering math instead of learning math? That was under the previous Liberal government.

You know all of those doctors that aren’t practising right now? That was because they closed the medical schools. Instead of thinking about it 15 years ago, they closed the medical schools. They didn’t hire nurses; they laid them off.

We built long-term-care homes. We’re building more hospitals. We’re building roads, transportation—700,000 people have the dignity of a job who didn’t under the previous Liberal government.

That member can talk about gravy train all he wants, but the only thing we’re doing is building an economy out of the ashes of what was left behind by the previous Liberal government.

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

Mr. John Fraser: Despite that answer, they’re still swimming in gravy.

This gravy train doesn’t actually end in the Premier’s office; it runs right through it. When staff leave, it’s like a return trip, this time as a lobbyist. The Premier’s former chief of staff, Amin Massoudi, he was famous for that Vegas trip. We all remember. We don’t have the story quite straight yet. Here’s the thing: As if that greenbelt gravy wasn’t enough for Mr. Massoudi, we learned last week that he tried to engage the town of Brighton in a lucrative contract to lobby the Premier’s office. It was only after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar that he declined the contract.

If the Premier won’t stop the gravy train that is his office, could he at least stop it from running right through it?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Nepean, come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain, come to order. The member for Ottawa South, come to order.

The Premier can reply.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, I just find it very ironic coming from that member when he bankrupted the province. He lost 300,000 jobs. The largest expense ever—ever—was under Kathleen Wynne.

Just a little FYI, through the Speaker: I’m the only Premier in the history of this province who has never expensed a penny—not one penny. Not a chocolate bar, not a Coca-Cola, nothing. Zero. The only Premier in the history of this province who has never expensed anything.

Taxation

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: My question is for the energetic Minister of Energy. The federal carbon tax is raising the cost of everything: heating, eating, driving and even recreation. Yes, Justin Trudeau and Carbon Crombie want to tax your family for simply having some fun. Unsurprisingly, this is also forcing businesses to pay more taxes. It is clear that the carbon tax is punishing the very people it claims to protect: our families, our businesses and our future generations. That’s simply not acceptable.

Can the minister please tell the House how our government is providing Ontarians with clean, affordable energy as we fight against this disastrous carbon tax?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks very much to the great member from Mississauga Centre for the question today. She’s absolutely right; the federal carbon tax is driving up the price of everything in our province, and the Bank of Canada has confirmed it’s even having an impact on inflation in our province.

The queen of the carbon tax, Bonnie Crombie, the former mayor of Mississauga, supports the federal carbon tax, the NDP want to have the largest carbon tax in the land and the Greens are in full support of a carbon tax as well. We’re not. Premier Ford and our team are making life less expensive by cutting gas taxes, bringing in One Fare for our transit riders in Mississauga and other communities across the GTHA, cutting tolls and cutting taxes. We’re about making life more affordable and making this a friendly business environment.

The carbon tax: The member talked about the impact that it’s having on businesses. There is $1.3 billion owed to small businesses as a result of the carbon tax in our province. That money has yet to flow to them.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: Thank you to the minister for his response. It is shameful that the opposition NDP and the minivan Liberals continue to support this harmful tax as they see the federal Liberals reach deeper into people’s pockets. They don’t have a plan to improve affordability and the cost of living in Ontario. All they care about is pushing their agenda and raising our taxes, just like Carbon Crombie did every year when she was a mayor. No wonder that Mississauga’s population actually shrunk under Carbon Crombie’s leadership.

Speaker, Ontario families are feeling the squeeze. They want the federal government to scrap the carbon tax now.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to protect Ontarians from the costly carbon tax?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks to the great member, again, from Mississauga for that follow-up question. There’s a reason that we call her the queen of the carbon tax—not that member, but the leader of the Liberal Party, Bonnie Crombie, who has raised taxes in Mississauga, and who is also in full support of a tax that is making life unaffordable for the people of Ontario. The NDP support that tax as well. The Greens support that tax as well. We don’t.

We already have one of the cleanest grids in the entire world, but we can continue to clean that grid, grow that grid, so we can grow businesses in our province by investing in nuclear, which we’re doing at Bruce and at Darlington and at Pickering, but also refurbishing our hydroelectric fleets that we have across the province, energy-efficiency programs—a billion dollars in that program—procuring new energy storage. The largest procurement of energy storage happened here in Ontario last week—another 1,800 megawatts there.

We can get the power that we need, and we don’t need a costly carbon—

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

The next question.

Caregivers

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, on Thursday, I introduced my motion to create a direct financial benefit to unpaid caregivers in the province of Ontario. It has support from several advocacy groups, from the Canadian Cancer Society to the Alzheimer Society to MS Canada.

I’ve heard directly from my constituents, including John, a caregiver for his wife, who lives with dementia. John told me he is going through hell, and he said caregivers deserve the recognition from this government.

Will the Premier and his party support my motion to help John and the other 3.3 million caregivers across the province of Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Parliamentary assistant and member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: Our government is making the investments that Ontarians need to ensure that there are options for home care in Ontario. After years of neglect by previous governments—the Liberal government propped up by the NDP, which that member was a member of the party—we are investing over $1 billion in home care, and in this year’s budget, we’ve added another $2 billion to our home care over the next three years. Our landmark investment in home care will ensure that those who choose to stay in their home will be able to stay longer with the care they need.

Speaker, as we announced this year in our budget, we are also expanding our primary care. We are investing $543 million over the next three years to ensure that over 600,000 Ontarians get the care they need when they need it.

We’ll continue to invest in our hospitals by committing close to $1 billion to ensure that they have the tools they need to supply convenient care close to home.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’ll just say that everybody, including everybody on that side, is affected by caregivers in the province of Ontario. Quite frankly, this isn’t about Wayne Gates; it’s about caregivers.

Back to the Premier: Our office has received support from people right across the province of Ontario on our motion, including Karen from Grimsby, whose sister is the primary caregiver for her husband, who lives with ALS. Because of her caregiving responsibilities, she has lost their job, and now they are burning through their savings and struggling to survive.

I also heard from Nicole from Scarborough Centre, who can’t work because of her caregiving responsibilities, but she is not eligible for financial assistance.

Speaker, again, will the Premier support my motion to help the 3.3 million caregivers with stories like this right across the province of Ontario?

Interjections.

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

The member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry.

Mr. Nolan Quinn: Interestingly enough, yesterday was Mother’s Day, so happy belated Mother’s Day to everyone. I spoke to my mother, Karen, yesterday about her being a caregiver to both her parents and my father’s parents. Those were some of her best years—that she took care of her parents—and she looks back at those years fondly.

Strong home and community care is part of the government’s plan for connected and convenient care. That is why we passed the Convenient Care at Home Act, to streamline the home care system. In partnership with hospitals, primary care and Ontario health teams, Ontario is expanding and improving access to home and community care. We’re investing $2 billion over the next three years in home care. That is on top of $1 billion over three years in the 2023 budget. We are taking bold and innovative action to ensure Ontarians can connect to the care they need, where they need it and when they need it.

Skilled trades

Ms. Laura Smith: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Ontario is seeing a historic labour shortage, with about 300,000 jobs going unfilled. Many of these vacancies are in the skilled trades. Speaker, the labour shortage is impacting the financial well-being of families across Ontario. It increases the cost of items they purchase every day. It disrupts businesses and their supply chains and threatens our economy’s stability.

As our province continues to grow, we need all hands on deck to build Ontario, to ensure that our province stays the best place to live, work, play and raise a family. Our government must continue to show leadership and encourage more people to enter the skilled trades.

Speaker, can the minister please share what our government is doing to address the labour shortages in the skilled trades?

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you to the great member for Thornhill for that really important question. Our economic competitiveness does depend on our ability to address the over 100,000 jobs going unfilled in construction alone.

We also know that we’re facing a silver tsunami. What does that mean? One in three journeypersons are over the age of 55, and we’ve got to do more to attract new workers into the skilled trades.

It’s not only a labour shortage issue, but it also affects our productivity as a province—something we have to work to address, because when we improve our productivity, we improve our competitiveness as a province.

So what are we doing? We’ve launched a $1.5-billion skilled trades strategy. Through our skills development training stream alone, we’ve trained over 500,000 workers into a better job with a bigger paycheque. We’ve taken steps to get properly fitted PPE for women in the trades, leading to one of the highest registration years in Ontario’s history for women into the skilled trades; and tackling barriers for marginalized and racialized Ontarians. We’ve also launched foreign credential recognition, streamlined pathways, and so much more I can’t even fit it into the answer.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you to the minister for his response and his proactive work for the people of Ontario.

The demand for skilled workers in the construction and manufacturing sector is set to grow significantly over the next decade. Many local employers have job vacancies and work opportunities that must be filled. It’s never been more important that our government take action to ensure Ontario has the tradespeople needed to build our province.

While our government is making progress that helps prepare young people for in-demand careers, there’s still more to be done. Speaker, through you, can the Minister of Education please tell the House how our government is making it easier for youth to get on a fast track to well-paying jobs in the skilled trades?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member from Thornhill for this important question. We are excited because this coming September, all students will now be required to take at least one technological education course, the first jurisdiction in the country to do so.

To prepare for that, we’ve expanded co-op placements in education. Compared to the Liberals in 2018, there’s been a 189% increase of students enrolled in co-op education. We are making the difference of trying to infuse working with learning, and that is the future of work.

In partnership with the Minister of Labour, we have announced the Focused Apprenticeship Skills Training program—FAST—which allows students to more than double their amount of co-op placements in grade 11 and 12, getting them an accelerated path in all 144 trades. This is going to meaningfully accelerate and supercharge the next generation of skilled workers in our province, and we’re proud to work together to get the job done.

Ontario Place

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: My question is to the Premier. Amir Remtulla, who was the chief of staff to the late Mayor Ford, is also a registered lobbyist for the Therme Group. Ontarians and accountability watchdogs widely suspect that this government’s Ontario Place plot is just another insider deal. Amir Remtulla has been an insider for so long that he appears on the registry of the Premier’s family furniture. And don’t forget that he also lobbied this government for the De Gasperis greenbelt grab.

So on behalf of everyone wondering—yes or no, simple answer—did lobbying by Amir Remtulla help convince the Premier to subsidize the destruction of Ontario Place with hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the parliamentary assistant and member for Brampton West.

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, we wouldn’t be talking about Ontario Place had the Liberals and NDP not left this historic place in a state of neglect and disrepair.

There is no better time to bring this iconic destination back to life, making it a remarkable, world-class destination for people of all ages to enjoy. Our government believes in getting things done and built, not neglected like the opposition and the Liberals. That is why we remain committed to the people of this province that we will be doing a comprehensive redevelopment of Ontario Place and we will bring it back to life.

Some good news to share is that recently Infrastructure Ontario has issued a request for qualifications to begin the procurement process to identify a team that will design, build, finance and maintain the new state-of-the-art facility for the Ontario Science Centre.

We are getting things done.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Speaker, this government’s transparency on this issue is as thick as fog.

But as a former Toronto city councillor, I want to ask the Premier a question which I know he knows the answer to. When I look at Therme’s Ontario Place plan, I cannot get over that the business model is flawed—something we’ve seen before. It reminds me of another bad plan about reckless development on the waterfront.

When Amir Remtulla worked for then-Mayor Ford, there was a nonsensical plan to build a downtown casino at Ontario Place. Building a downtown mega casino was championed by the mayor and his brother—now the Premier.

Once Ontario Place is rezoned for commercial and entertainment uses, there is little that anyone can do to stop them from flipping the land lease for another use, perhaps a casino operator.

What does this government really hope to see happen at Ontario Place when Therme’s spa deal falls apart?

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: Mr. Speaker, we have been transparent and open to the public when it comes to the future of Ontario Place. The fact is that we have hosted extensive public consultations. I’m pleased to share with the House that over 9,200 people participated in the consultation to share their input and ideas on the future of Ontario Place.

Mr. Speaker, we believe that the government has done its due diligence and now is the time to bring this iconic destination back to life, unlike the Liberals and NDP, who neglected this place.

Ontario Place has a special spot in the hearts and minds of the people of this province, and people only trusted this government because this government is building infrastructure—not only building hospitals, schools and Highway 413; we are bringing remarkable destinations and historic places like Ontario Place and the science centre back to life.

Taxation

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, employing millions of workers across various sectors. I am proud to be a part of a government that has the backs of business owners and stands to support them every step of the way.

But, Speaker, many of our small businesses, including in my riding of Newmarket–Aurora, are facing significant uncertainty and cost pressures due to the impact of the Liberal carbon tax. The recent federal budget only fanned the flames by adding even more taxes to Ontario’s entrepreneurs, and that’s not right.

Speaker, through you, can the associate minister please tell the House what small business owners across Ontario have to say about the costly Liberal carbon tax?

Hon. Nina Tangri: Thank you to the great member from Newmarket–Aurora for the question. Speaker, I’ve taken

part in round tables with entrepreneurs and small business owners across this province, and I can say with certainty that the concerns they’ve expressed about the federal carbon tax are deeply troubling. It’s disappointing to see that the recent federal budget did not take meaningful action to address all of these concerns. Instead, the Liberals have added additional taxes, which only compounded the challenges these small businesses are facing. I’ve heard time and time again that small business owners feel abandoned by the federal government and the Ontario Liberals and NDP, who have refused to stand up for them to their friends in Ottawa.

Speaker, I know Bonnie Crombie and the Liberals have never seen a tax hike they didn’t like, but we’re not standing down. It’s time for Ottawa to scrap the tax.

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

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Thank you to the associate minister for her response. I know that people in my riding appreciate our government’s continued advocacy for Ontario’s small business owners. Now more than ever, entrepreneurs and innovators are looking to governments to help them, not hinder them, as they continue driving innovation, job creation and economic growth. But it seems like the federal Liberals are copying the high-tax environment which saw their provincial counterparts wiped out from party status in 2018.

Speaker, through you, can the associate minister explain why the federal carbon tax is hurting entrepreneurs’ and innovators’ ability to start, grow and invest in their businesses?

Hon. Nina Tangri: Thank you again to the member for her question. The recent federal budget was terrible for entrepreneurs, with measures like increased taxes drawing harsh criticism from groups like the Council of Canadian Innovators.

Our job creators tell me these tax hikes will “stifle growth” and “demotivate Canadians from getting into business in the first place.” They’re telling me that they’re grateful that our government is pushing back against these job-killing measures and supporting our province’s job creators. But with gas prices, interest rates, fuel costs and energy rates going up because of the carbon tax, they’re having to make tough decisions when looking to start a business.

So, Speaker, you can thank the Liberals the next time a young, bright mind has a groundbreaking idea, a solid business plan and support from our province, but then decides it’s too expensive to get their business off the ground. Still, this Premier and our government will continue to stand—

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

The next question.

Consumer protection

Ms. Chandra Pasma: It’s been six years now since my constituents paid deposits to Greatwise Developments for new homes, and construction has still not started. A year ago, I raised this issue in the House and the government responded that they were putting bad developers on notice, making them think twice before taking advantage of homebuyers. And yet, while homes are going up all over Ottawa right now, this developer hasn’t even prepared the land to start construction.

Why is the Premier allowing a bad developer to hold homebuyers hostage with no consequences at all?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: The question raises the important role of both Tarion, which provides deposit protection for new homebuyers of freehold homes, and, of course, the other administrative agency, which our government created in its first term, after inheriting a broken administrative authority system for new homebuyers from the Liberal government, supported by the NDP.

With the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, we can regulate home builders. We can weed out the bad actors. We can protect consumers. The combination of the two administrative authorities demonstrates that the system definitely works. It’s about consumer protection specifically for those freehold homebuyers, making sure their deposits are protected and the bad actors are put out of business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Chandra Pasma: The Home Construction Regulatory Authority has done nothing 34 months after my constituents in my riding first filed a complaint. The Premier has refused a meeting request from my constituents. If this is what consequences look like for behaving badly, then no wonder developers are brazenly refusing to build, years after collecting deposits.

When will we finally see real action, not just words, from this government to hold bad developers accountable, so families like my constituents finally get a home in Ontario?

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: Our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, continues to lead this province toward the goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031, and yet we had to act quickly. We inherited from the Liberals a system condemned by the Auditor General. It was a system that favoured the interests of developers over homeowners.

It was this government that acted, that stopped the sponsored industry dinners. It was this government that created HCRA, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, and it was this government that limited Tarion’s board to incorporate no more than a third of developers. We’re getting it done for the people and consumers of Ontario, Mr. Speaker.

Taxation

Mr. Kevin Holland: My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development. The carbon tax is exacerbating financial strain for all Ontarians. Communities across northern Ontario continue to face heightened economic challenges, notably at the gas pumps as a result of this punitive tax. The cost of transporting goods is already much higher in northern Ontario and these costs are being passed on to the consumer.

But, Speaker, the federal Liberals are not listening. In fact, they just increased the carbon tax last month by 23%, with plans to hike the tax an additional six times by 2030. That’s simply unacceptable.

Speaker, could the minister provide further details about how the carbon tax adversely impacts residents in northern Ontario?

Hon. Greg Rickford: The carbon tax royal love story keeps getting more and more complicated, and frankly, the king of the carbon tax Prime Minister Trudeau needs to rein it in. Now, we know he’s got the support of the queen of the carbon tax over there and Jagmeet Singh continues to vacillate, but there’s a new player, Mr. Speaker: Prince Carney, otherwise known as Mark Carney, has decided that this tax has run its course. Now, I suspect that that lines up perfectly with how Canadians feel about the tax and his prospect of replacing the Prime Minister.

Mr. Speaker, simply put, we have a more irenic solution, and that is to scrap the tax.

Notice of dissatisfaction

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 36(a), the member for Ottawa South has given notice of their dissatisfaction with the answer to their question given by the government House leader regarding the Premier’s office spending. This matter will be debated tomorrow following private members’ public business.

Deferred Votes

Caregivers

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on private member’s notice of motion number 94.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1147 to 1152.

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

Mr. Gates has moved private member’s notice of motion number 94.

All those in favour, please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Bell, Jessica

Bourgouin, Guy

Bowman, Stephanie

Burch, Jeff

Clancy, Aislinn

Fife, Catherine

Fraser, John

French, Jennifer K.

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Harden, Joel

Hazell, Andrea

Hsu, Ted

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Mamakwa, Sol

McCrimmon, Karen

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Pasma, Chandra

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Schreiner, Mike

Shamji, Adil

Shaw, Sandy

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

Vaugeois, Lise

West, Jamie

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

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

Nays

Anand, Deepak

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Fedeli, Victor

Flack, Rob

Ford, Doug

Ford, Michael D.

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Ghamari, Goldie

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hardeman, Ernie

Harris, Mike

Hogarth, Christine

Holland, Kevin

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Ke, Vincent

Kerzner, Michael S.

Khanjin, Andrea

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

MacLeod, Lisa

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

Mulroney, Caroline

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Piccini, David

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rae, Matthew

Rickford, Greg

Riddell, Brian

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Saunderson, Brian

Scott, Laurie

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Smith, Todd

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Williams, Charmaine A.

Yakabuski, John

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 34; the nays are 71.

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

Motion negatived.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Two members have informed me they have a point of order they wish to raise. We’ll start with the member for Sudbury.

MPP Jamie West: Just a reminder to all my colleagues that the ACTRA rally will be starting at noon on the front lawn.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It’s one thing to remind members of a reception, it’s another to remind members of a rally on the front lawn. Not a valid point of order.

The member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: Point of order, Speaker: In keeping with beating my head against the wall, I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 45(b)(iv), the time for debate on opposition day motion number 5 be apportioned as followed: 56 minutes to each of the recognized parties and eight minutes to the independent members as a group.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South is seeking unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 45(b)(iv), the time for debate on opposition day motion number 5 be apportioned as followed: 56 minutes to each of the recognized parties and eight minutes to the independent members as a group. Agreed? I heard a no.

Correction of record

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I just wanted to correct the record: Earlier today, in question period, I used the number 2.2 million Ontarians that don’t have a family physician. The number is actually 2.3 million.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members are allowed to correct their record.

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

The House recessed from 1158 to 1300.

House sittings

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington has a point of order.

Mr. Trevor Jones: I do, yes; Speaker, thank you.

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

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

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Chandra Pasma: I have the pleasure of welcoming to the House this afternoon: from the OECTA, Vice-President Chris Cowley and Peter MacDonald; and from the OSSTF, President Karen Littlewood and Dan Earle.

I’d also like to say hello and welcome to folks from AEFO, ETFO, the trustee organizations and the Toronto Schools Caregiver Coalition who are joining us online this afternoon to watch the debate on education.

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: I wish to welcome to the House this afternoon, from the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery, Deputy Minister Renu Kulendran, the associate deputy minister John Roberts and the entire team from the ministry, including Daniela Spagnolo and Melissa Kittmer. Thank you very much for being here.

Introduction of Government Bills

Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à renforcer la cybersécurité et la confiance dans le secteur public

Mr. McCarthy moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 194,

An Act to enact the Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act, 2024 and to make amendments to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act respecting privacy protection measures / Projet de loi 194, Loi édictant la Loi de 2024 visant à renforcer la sécurité et la confiance en matière de numérique et modifiant la

Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée en ce qui concerne les mesures de protection de la vie privée.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Would the minister like to briefly explain his bill?

Hon. Todd J. McCarthy: Protecting people in today’s increasingly digital world is of vital importance throughout the province of Ontario. The Strengthening Cyber Security and Building Trust in the Public Sector Act, 2024, would amend the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to establish and mandate the requirements of institutions under that act to submit privacy breach notifications and conduct privacy impact assessments and provide the Information and Privacy Commissioner with additional oversight.

The act would also enact the Enhancing Digital Security and Trust Act, 2024, to establish new regulation-making authorities to set requirements for cyber security, artificial intelligence, and children’s data protections for applicable public sector institutions.

The act would also provide the ability for the minister to issue directives for cyber security and children’s data protections to applicable public sector institutions.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank my deputy minister and her team, and my chief of staff, Michelle Stock, and her team.

Petitions

Social assistance

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: It’s my great pleasure to be able to present this petition titled “To Raise Social Assistance Rates” to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. I want to thank Sally Palmer for getting these names collected from the residents of Grimsby.

In

summary of the petition: It’s basically about, the rates for Ontario Works have been frozen since 2018, and a small increase to the Ontario Disability Support Program—have left recipients struggling well, well below the poverty line.

We on this side of the House advocate for doubling the rates of OW and ODSP—as well as the individuals who are on this petition. There was an open letter, also, to the Premier and two cabinet ministers, with signatures—over 230 organizations that recommend that social assistance rates be doubled, both with OW and ODSP.

I cannot think of a better petition to affix my name to, and I’m going to be sending it down to the table with Glynnis.

Tuition

MPP Jamie West: This petition is entitled “Fight the Fees.” In a nutshell, they talk about how expensive it has gotten to go to school. Rates for undergraduate students have gone up by 215%—and grad students have gone up by 247%. It basically makes it unaffordable for students to go to school—especially students in need, who are trying to get that bigger paycheque and better jobs in life. They also talk about how changes to OSAP and student finance have basically equated to about a $1-billion cut in financial assistance.

So they have three requests. They want education to be free and accessible to everyone. They want a return to grants, and not loans, to reduce that amount of debt. They also want to ensure that these student union groups have the right to organize, like they fought for and won in the courts.

I support this petition. I’ll affix my signature and provide it to page Aaldrian.

Land use planning

Ms. Catherine Fife: It’s my pleasure to talk briefly about a petition that I have regarding protecting farmland and sustainable growth in Waterloo region. We do know that the province of Ontario is losing 319 acres every day.

What is happening in Wilmot is that 770 acres of prime farmland are proposed to be expropriated for a large mega-industrial project. There has been no—made public any environmental assessments. No politician at any level is giving any answers or any transparency, in a democracy. This is clearly an early notice that Bill 185 is on the books and boundaries don’t mean anything anymore.

I fully support the petition and call on the Waterloo region and the provincial government to pause this irresponsible and unsustainable use of prime farmland.

Post-secondary education

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I have a petition that calls upon this Legislature to stop Bill 166. The petition notes that this government has made significant cuts to community mental health services and has also effectively dismantled the Anti-Racism Directorate, so this increases the pressure on our post-secondary institutions to provide student mental health services and to effectively tackle racism and hate on campus.

However, at the same time, the government has underfunded post-secondary education to such an extent that the mental health services are being limited and the anti-racism work is difficult to undertake because there are so few staff.

Bill 166 opens the door to unprecedented political interference in our colleges and universities in this province. The protection of universities from political interference is highly regarded as a cornerstone of a democratic society, which is why the petitioners, who include many, many faculty, staff and students from Western University as well as members of the community, are calling on the government to stop Bill 166, to use the powers of the Anti-Racism Act to enable the anti-racism work that critically needs to happen in this province, and to restore funding to post-secondary institutions so that they can provide student mental health services and support from equity offices.

I fully support this petition. I will affix my signature and send it to the table with page Raisa.

Social assistance

MPP Jill Andrew: This petition is titled “To Raise Social Assistance Rates.”

I want to start off by thanking Dr. Sally Palmer, who has been ongoingly sending us petitions to help advocate for people who are on ODSPoverty and OW here in Ontario.

As we know in this Legislature, we are dealing with an affordability crisis.

I can tell you that in St. Paul’s, there are several community members of mine—Cinco and his new wife, Liz, just got married in my community, and they are also folks who depend on ODSP and OW, and they are significantly struggling.

This petition is essentially calling for the government to help people get out of poverty—and that’s what ODSP and OW rates currently are. They are calling for ODSP and OW to be at least doubled, and I stress the “at least” part, because even doubling ODSP can barely get you a one-bedroom with a window in St. Paul’s.

I’m certainly proud to affix my signature on this petition calling for a doubling, at least, of ODSP, OW, so folks can get by—and not just get by, but maybe one day even thrive. And that should include people with disabilities here in Ontario.

Tenant protection

Ms. Jessica Bell: I have a petition here called “Rent Stabilization Now.” This petition is calling on the Ontario government to establish strong rent control on all tenancies—including those first occupied after 2018—as well as vacancy control so there’s a cap on how much the rent can be raised between tenancies.

The purpose of vacancy control and strong rent control is to stabilize rent and reduce the incidence of eviction, which is unfortunately on the increase in Ontario.

I support this petition. I’ll be giving it to page Aaldrian.

Opposition Day

Education funding / Subventions destinées à l’éducation

Ms. Marit Stiles: I want to move the following motion:

Whereas the government has cut education funding by $1,500 per child since 2018; and

Whereas this underfunding is preventing our children from getting the learning and mental health supports they need; and

Whereas this results in a challenging and unsafe learning environment; and

Whereas this has a disproportionate impact on our most vulnerable students; and

Whereas the burden is falling to parents to find and pay for the supplemental mental health and education supports that their children need;

Therefore, in the opinion of this House, the government of Ontario should substantially increase funding for public education in Ontario so that every child receives the high-quality education they deserve, regardless of their family’s income.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): MPP Stiles has moved opposition day number 5.

I recognize the Leader of the Opposition to lead off the debate.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I would say it’s my belief, my hope, that everyone in this House, in this Legislature, fundamentally understands the value of good-quality education for all. I’m sure they would also agree that schools are the building blocks of everything around us. Public schools and good-quality education are the engines of society. Everything starts in the classroom.

It’s also my belief that one of the features that distinguishes Canada is its quality public services, like education and health care. We are considered leaders in the world because of these public services—or we have been. As Ontarians, we’ve been proud that your ability to get the care that you need was never dependent on the size of your wallet or that your children could get one of the best educations in the world no matter what your parents earned. But today, under this government, things are not okay. This government wants Ontario students to settle for basic when our kids deserve so much better than that.

Today, I want to start by setting the record straight on how the Conservatives are really treating education in the province of Ontario. Because in spite of this government’s claim of historic spending in education, the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association has said this year’s funding is the lowest level of per-student funding in more than a decade.

The Minister of Education and the Premier have not, as they like to claim, increased funding for education. It’s simple. In fact, education funding has decreased every single year since they have been in government. In fact, education funding is down by $1,500 per child since 2018. In fact, since 2018, this government has also cut at least 5,000 classroom educators. In fact, the only thing that’s historic about these funding levels is this Minister of Education’s crusade to underfund our schools and send more families into private education. That’s the truth of the matter: replacing our public education with a system where, yes, you, the people of Ontario, the parents, have to pay.

School boards are getting less money year over year. That’s a fact. This government simply doesn’t want to acknowledge all the struggles that our kids, that parents, that teachers, that other staff are dealing with. Well, here’s the reality: Extreme teacher shortages across all the schools in this province; 24% of elementary schools and 35% of secondary schools are reporting teaching staff shortages every single day. There are students who require additional supports that are being sent home from school, because there are not enough staff available to help them.

Every single day, parents are having to find and pay out of pocket for the supplemental mental health and educational supports that their children need. These were things we used to actually be able to count on our schools to provide. More kids today are experiencing depression and anxiety than ever before—ever before. Big school boards; small, rural district school boards: They’re all facing deficits. They’re all looking at having to make cuts—cuts to schools in rural areas, cuts to schools in big cities, everywhere in between.

This government is denying equal learning opportunities for kids everywhere—fact. Cuts are also affecting children’s safety. Violence in schools is on the rise. But the Minister of Education’s student safety allocation is only 14 cents per child per school day. Structural deficits created by this government are forcing everyone—boards, teachers, parents—to make difficult decisions that are going to impact their children, their learning and—you know what?—Ontario at large.

Members opposite like to stand up here every day blaming this and that on the carbon tax. Can they stand up there today and say the carbon tax is why Ontario’s education system is crumbling? Let’s see; we’ll find out. I think it’ll be a bit of a reach, but you never know.

The thing is that when this government says that the education budget for the 2024-25 school year is Ontario’s largest ever—and you’re going to hear them say that in a few minutes, I suspect; they’re going to say it over and over again—they’re not taking into consideration inflation and the role that it plays in budgets. Members on this side will recall that this morning, I laid that out for the government, for the minister. A budget that ignores inflation is a budget that ignores reality.

A computer costs more today than it did a year ago. That’s a shortfall. People know this. We are living it: a $1,500 shortfall for each and every student in this province. When this government says their funding is the largest ever, we only need to read between the lines to see what the numbers are really saying. What they’re saying is that kids and schools are being shortchanged.

The government, I will say, wants us to focus on vaping and cellphones. You know, I’m a parent. We care about these things—we sure do—but they are underestimating parents in Ontario when they think that they don’t know that without investing in the qualified and caring professionals that students need in schools and in classrooms, cellphones will still be there, vaping will still happen and students’ mental health and their well-being will be at greater risk than ever before.

Parents know what’s happening, because along with all those mounting grocery bills and the rising cost of things that this government could actually do something about—the cost of school supplies, the cost of clothing, the cost of food, the cost of everything—now they have to decide, “Do I turn to a private tutor? How do I find support for my child who is struggling so hard with math and with reading in bigger and bigger classrooms with fewer and fewer supports?”

Speaker, yesterday was Mother’s Day. Happy Mother’s Day, belatedly, to all of those and to all the mother figures in our lives. Yesterday, I was thinking a lot myself about the joys of motherhood. I’m the mother of two daughters, now grown. But I was also thinking about the struggles. It’s not easy. It’s complicated being a parent.

I was thinking about all the supports we depend upon, like the nurses who, I will say, held my hand when I was struggling as a new mom; the early childhood educators who—as working parents, my partner and I had to leave our little ones every day, from the time they were less than a year old, at daycare. Every day, it was the trust you put in those people, how much you depend on them and how little they are actually rewarded for that work in our society, everyone who supported my kids.

It is why I ran to be a school board trustee in 2014. I really wanted to make sure that our schools would be stronger. Many of my colleagues have also been school board trustees or educators themselves. I wanted to make sure they were better. I’ve got to tell you, under the previous government, under the Liberals, it wasn’t so great either. Our schools were pretty lean.

As a working parent, you have to put so much trust in those caring adults who you leave your children with. You drop them off when they’re little, in junior kindergarten, and you hope that Mr. Evans is going to make her day great. You say, “If she falls, he’s going to pick her up. If she’s struggling, somebody is going to be there to help her.”

But as they get older, things get even more complicated. Sometimes, as a parent, it can feel like you’re just shouting into a black hole. So I ran because I wanted to ensure that other people, other parents, people who maybe had fewer resources than I did, maybe had more challenges and more obstacles, would have that strong system that they could depend on, that bedrock beneath them. But today, that’s not how it is in Ontario; it’s worse, and it’s getting worse and worse. For families that can’t afford private mental health services, their children simply go without those supports that should be guaranteed in our schools, Speaker. That is the reality.

Some may also recall that I was the education critic for a while for our party, and I have to say that in regular meetings that I have had for years with school board trustees—and I think this is the same for all of my colleagues here. We meet regularly with school board trustees and teachers and staff and parents—man, do we hear from parents—the frustration, the disappointment: “How can I help my child?” “Why can’t somebody help me help my child?” They are so disappointed at this government’s absolutely outrageous claims, and yes, their cuts.

I’ve said this before: All this government has to do is talk to one parent in this province and you will know that the status quo is not working in this province. It is not working. It is not working for our kids in overcrowded classrooms. It is not working for our under-resourced teachers. All that that minister has to do is talk to real people out there in the real world before they pass a budget that doesn’t meet the needs of our kids or educators.

These are not add-ons. These are not extras. These are essential. Our children deserve better than basics. They deserve everything we can give them, no matter how much their families earn, no matter what their parents do. That is the foundation; it is the bedrock of our democracy, of our country and of our province.

Today’s kids—they say this all the time, Speaker—they are tomorrow’s future. If we deny them the good-quality education and services today, we are going to pay for it down the road.

So I ask this government, what do you have against good-quality education? Will you make our children a priority? Will you support this motion?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member opposite for the opportunity to respond and provide a substantive update to this House on the progress we are making to support students.

I want us to start off with a differentiating perspective on the philosophy by which we measure success in this Parliament. For New Democrats and for Liberals, the measurement of success singularly depends on the dollars expended to the ministry. But for real people—as the member opposite encouraged me to dialogue with—the measurement of success is actually benchmarked against outcomes that those investments deliver. I want to speak about the achievements we are making in this province.

Notwithstanding a significant increase of dollars and significant increase of funding, there’s also been non-monetary improvements that lead to better outcomes. The member opposite in her own judgment and experience as a former trustee will know that the single driving indicator of improvement on student achievement in the classroom is the quality of the teacher.

And thus is the thesis for today’s rebuttal to the opposition: that it requires courage to stand up for what’s right, even if it’s difficult.

Case study number 1 where the opposition has failed this test for families and parents who we represent: When the question was posed of who hires educators in the province, was it a recommendation of the NDP to stand up for merit and qualification and experience? Not at all. They were the chief champions and cheerleaders of Kathleen Wynne’s policy to revert to hiring in Ontario exclusively on union seniority, because the members opposite would never even contemplate a moment in their time where they’re on an opposite perspective with their teacher unions, federations.

They are the chief advocates for them in this place, and when they had the opportunity to stand up for merit-based hiring—because Progressive Conservatives believe, if you can believe it, colleagues, the best teacher should get the job in this province, not the person who has been in their union for the longest.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It is illogical for you to be heckling me on this principle, because the parents watching—to the member of the opposition. She just mentioned retired teachers, which is the next example I want to cite, because they talk about absenteeism in this House, and it’s not lost on me—

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Don’t say “absenteeism.” Shame on you.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The House will come to order.

The Minister of Education has the floor.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Leader of the Opposition was most helpful in reminding me about her intervention just minutes ago on the concept of not having a qualified teacher in the front of their class. And yet, when the trustee associations for whom the member opposite claims to be in contact with often, and all their members, all their former trustees—well, did you not get the memo, when the school board association of Ontario, the principals’ association of Ontario wrote a joint letter with the government of Ontario urging the teachers’ federation—a.k.a. the unions—to accept the recommendation to allow expert retired educators to work in class?

Again, the members opposite couldn’t get themselves to the position of standing up for what’s right because they’d rather, in this instance—case study number two of advancing a pension entitlement over a qualified educator.

Who are you standing up for? Honestly, who do you speak for? You stand with the unions instead of standing up for qualified educators, on retired educators, to make sure there is an actual certified member in front of children. You don’t stand up for kids. You do not stand up for parents. You stand with unions instead of standing up for common sense. And that is case study number two.

I want to speak about the measurement of success. I want to speak about how we actually deliver results for children. It starts, of course, with ensuring that we increase the funding. There is no doubt—a 22% increase in funding since 2017, under the former Liberals. That is a proof positive of our investment.

The member opposite speaks about staffing—and yet, this is not the position of the minister. It’s not something subject to debate. Ask school board associations the very same thing we did, who report on hiring and firing, as the employer. There are 9,000 additional education workers. Colleagues, we could disagree on the rate of increase; you cannot debate the fact that there are 9,000 additional education workers and 3,000 net new additional educators. We could disagree with so much; we can’t disagree that there are more people in schools making a difference in our education.

I know members opposite would love to bring forth a different narrative, but these are the facts.

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Bhutila Karpoche): The opposition will come to order.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We can debate the rate of increase; we cannot debate if funding is up in this province. It is at the highest levels ever recorded in provincial history, and that is worth reminding the member opposite, because the Leader of the Opposition, the member from Davenport, has systematically opposed the billions of dollars invested, the thousands of staff hired, the—Bill 98.

Even the Liberal Party in this Legislature, to their credit, had the wisdom of supporting a higher elevation of accountability and improving on governance of school boards.

We talk about effective governance leading to better outcomes for kids. The members opposite—the only measurement of success is the billions of dollars invested, not the accountability we have to place on our school boards to improve the state of schools, to refocus on academics, to end the vexatious complaints and stop the inter-trustee governance beefs and get back to the business of governing and leading and improving outcomes.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that funding is up; I am proud that staffing is up, but I am also proud, most of all—because that isn’t the measurement of success. Kathleen Wynne spent billions of dollars in education—many of you were here—and you will know that the education outcomes in reading and writing and math systematically declined, notwithstanding the enhancement of funds. So we cannot measure by the dollar. We have to measure by the outcome. That’s the difference between a Progressive Conservative and members opposite.

So let’s look at the outcomes.

A 577% increase in mental health funding—that is a critical investment. We added $117 million. Just put that in perspective. The Liberals were spending $16 million to $18 million per year. We’re over $115 million to date because of an ironclad commitment to invest in what matters: the wellness, the success and the health of children.

Mr. Speaker, we added $659 billion to special education since 2017-18.

But beyond the investments—because obviously you cannot persuade a New Democrat; in the abstract, for New Democrats, there’s always an omnipresent need for billions of dollars—we believe there’s a need for accountability, for curriculum reform, and for qualified educators to be in front of the class.

So let’s look at those benchmarks of success. If the members opposite were correct about their theory, that it is just catastrophic in Ontario, then why or how is it that we have increased graduation rates from 87% to 89% under our Progressive Conservative government—89%, from 85%, a significant achievement in the five-year average of graduation. That is how you measure success: Are more kids graduating with skills? Are more kids getting employed in the private economy? Those are the numbers we need to emphasize.

We understand the need to constantly be reforming and improving. It’s why we have updated 80% of the Ontario curriculum in the last four years—80% reformed. We didn’t just reform it; we’ve now mandated future governments to benchmark, or rather to ensure the curricula we teach our kids are no longer reviewed in five-year cycles.

That provision, which would have made sure we have relevant curriculum and skills and competencies for educating young people, was opposed by the NDP. They actually opposed the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act, which elevates the voices of parents and the transparency on school boards. In what world could someone who claims to be an advocate for public education—in what world could the education critic or the Leader of the Opposition, as they heckle—how can they say they want less accountability for school boards? How can they want less empowerment of parents’ voices in their child’s education system?

Honestly, the overwhelming observation for me, as a more generational person in politics, is from a policy perspective. The irrelevance of the opposition is the disconnect between your values and those of real people. There’s a difference between downtown Toronto perspectives and the entire province. For example, on cellphones and vaping and on cannabis, when we announced a plan, the opposition didn’t support the plan. They didn’t actually agree with the premise that there’s a problem. They haven’t said a peep on these issues for months and months and years. Instead of constructive, they opposed it in the abstract. They’ve said nothing really meaningful.

But 86% of parents, in recent public opinion surveys reported by the Star, said to do something about it. And the Leader of the Opposition has the audacity today to proclaim that this is some irrelevant issue, as if the distractions of education aren’t at the core of some of the great difficulties kids are facing when it comes to mental health, bullying and academic achievement. They are not on the side of parents and they never have been.

They will speak up and stand up for the special interests in this province, but they will never speak for the parents of this province who demand better for the children we represent: better outcomes on reading, writing and math and better achievement when it comes to academics. That is what we stand up for today.

Mr. Speaker, we announced early reading screening—every child, the only jurisdiction in Canada. We will screen children and senior kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 for literacy. Opposition from the members opposite—why? How can the members opposite oppose the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read report? When we announced a new language curriculum, they actually opposed it, siding with the teachers’ union instead of with parents, science and data, who urged the government to come up with systemic, evidence-based interventions on literacy because the former government’s language curriculum left some of the most vulnerable kids behind.

Again, is this about public policy, is it about data or is it about blind adherence to ideology? That is your theme. That is your common theme. It isn’t about data. Objectively, how can you look at that and say, “You know, maybe the human rights commission, maybe leading educators in pedagogy, maybe they’re wrong and I”—insert politician from the opposition—“am right. I am the keeper of knowledge”?

It is offensive intellectually to even have a debate. When the human rights commission urged government to act, we did. Within weeks of getting that report, we announced our intention. We introduced the curriculum. We brought it forth this September. It restores phonics, cursive writing, critical thinking skills and screening assessments, opposed by the opposition but supported by all the evidence and all the leaders. We are actually getting ahead of the curve. Most jurisdictions are now going to be catching up with the reforms, having daily systemic instructional literacy and the return of phonics within our schools.

It isn’t about doing what’s right. The mission statement of New Democrats in this House could be, “Going along to get along with all the special interests of Ontario.” They’ve never opposed their primary supporters and donors. They never do what’s right for children. They never stand up for parents in this province, who demand that we eliminate distractions, that we get back to basics in the classroom, that we reform the curriculum and that we invest in modern schools—which is why, weeks ago, with the Minister of Finance, on behalf of our Premier, we more than doubled the funding of the actual brick-and-mortar facilities that educate our kids.

We may have a modern curriculum, but we have to have modern schools too. And we doubled the funding, which was the number one ask of school boards. We more than doubled it: 136%. Again, on the day we did that, the opposition couldn’t say a word. They couldn’t even bring themselves to acknowledge the incrementalism of how that investment makes a difference in our communities.

When we cut the timeline to build by half in Toronto—because it takes 10 years to build in this city, among many other parts of Ontario—do you think that the opposition would have celebrated that, with the New Democratic mayor of Toronto and the Progressive Conservative government of Ontario and school boards of all political associations, we came together with a plan to cut construction timelines by half?

But it wasn’t about getting schools built faster or delivering more schools; it simply is about opposing, because that is the core competence of NDP members instead of standing up for what’s right, instead of even coming together as some other parties in this House have done from time to time.

It reminds me, weeks ago, when I was standing with the Minister of Labour, and we announced a plan to introduce the FAST program, which is the accelerated apprenticeship program in Ontario, private sector unions rallied behind this concept. It is based on the German model. It is literally based on the German model, the leader in global experiential learning, to accelerate paths. They still have to take literacy; they still have to take language and math courses in grades 11 and 12.

But again, do you think the members opposite sit with private sector unions? Did they stand with parents and those that aspire for their kids to get a good job and get out of their basement? No, they did not, because it isn’t about good ideas. It isn’t about results. It isn’t about measuring success according to what improves the life and the quality of a child as they leave our education system. It is singularly about advancing blind ideology over the pragmatic public policy of this government.

Again, there’s a reason why in Milton, in Lambton–Kent–Middlesex—and I say this respectfully—you were in a wholesale rejection: Because your ideas—the downtown New Democratic party of the contemporary NDP is so disconnected. You’ve lost your way from the values of working parents. Frankly, the numbers speak results. My goodness, you lost a seat to the Greens in Kitchener Centre. Why don’t you reflect for a nanosecond on what that means? What