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November 28, 2024

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2024-Nov-28 vol. A (PDF)

L188A - Thu 28 Nov 2024 / Jeu 28 nov 2024

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 28 November 2024 Jeudi 28 novembre 2024

Orders of the Day

Resource Management and Safety Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la gestion des ressources et la sécurité

Members’ Statements

Birthdays

CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon

Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists

Cost of living

Best of the Bay awards

Joseph Brant Hospital

Cost of living

Beverage alcohol sales

Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics

Mississauga Board of Trade

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

University and college funding

Housing

ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐤ ᒥᓄ ᒪᒪᐤ ᐏᒋᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ / Indigenous relations and reconciliation

Transportation infrastructure

Tenant protection

Public safety

Health care

Health care

Labour legislation

Tenant protection

Public safety

Mental health and addiction services

Highway tolls

Small business

Business of the House

Visitors

American Thanksgiving

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Introduction of Visitors

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

Petitions

Youth justice system funding

Sécurité routière

Transportation infrastructure

Labour legislation

Housing

Land use planning

Economic development

Highway maintenance

Social assistance

Health care

Taxation

Mental health services

Land use planning

Tenant protection

Orders of the Day

Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à accroître la sécurité dans les rues et à renforcer les collectivités

Cutting Red Tape, Building Ontario Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à réduire les formalités administratives et à favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario

Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à œuvrer pour les travailleurs, six

The House met at 0900.

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

Prières.

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

Orders of the Day

Resource Management and Safety Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la gestion des ressources et la sécurité

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 27, 2024, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 228,

An Act to enact the Geologic Carbon Storage Act, 2024 and to amend various Acts with respect to wildfires, resource safety and surveyors / Projet de loi 228, Loi édictant la Loi de 2024 sur le stockage géologique de carbone et modifiant diverses lois concernant les incendies de végétation, la sécurité des ressources et les arpenteurs-géomètres.

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

Mr. Deepak Anand: Today, I rise to speak on a piece of legislation that addresses some of the most pressing challenges of our time while creating transformative opportunities for Ontario’s communities, including my constituents of Mississauga–Malton.

As always, before I start giving my remarks, I want to start by saying thank you to supreme God for giving me the ability to stand here and give my remarks. Today is a very special day—a special day because it tells me nothing in this world is immortal. Five years back, today, I lost my father, a young man of 79—left us in less than 10 minutes and I spoke to him just before he left us. That tells us we should be thankful to God for giving us an opportunity of what we enjoy today and are able to serve the communities. It’s a blessing. Thank you to the residents of Mississauga–Malton for giving me the opportunity.

Bill 228, the Resource Management and Safety Act, embodies our government’s unwavering commitment to fostering a safer, more resilient and economically vibrant Ontario. This act is not just another legislative proposal, it is a proactive and comprehensive response to issues affecting our environment, economy and public safety.

Let’s talk about, first of all, our natural resources. Ontario is home to an impressive 174 million acres of forest. You know what that equals to—it’s great news—each family in Ontario, if we all take this forest and divide it among each other, each family will get 31 acres of land. That’s how much vast resources we have in our Ontario, and we can’t thank God enough for giving us this. This vast expanse of natural beauty represents approximately 20% of Canada’s forest land, underscoring our province’s critical role in global environmental health and sustainability.

As we speak, our province stands as a global leader in the mining industry, as well, with some of the world’s largest mining companies operating right here in Ontario. These operations account for over 40% of Canada’s gold production, one third of its nickel production and one quarter of its copper production. The economic contributions of Ontario’s mining sector is remarkable. Mineral production directly supports 31,000 jobs in our province and creates an additional 47,000 indirect jobs in mineral processing, mining supply and related services.

These numbers reflect the natural resources empowering Ontario’s economy, creating opportunity for workers and sustaining the communities that depend on these industries.

Through this legislation, we are making and taking bold steps—thanks to the Minister of Natural Resources for his advocacy, for his hard work, along with the PA—to tackle something which is very important to our government: climate challenges, supporting essential industries, modernizing critical frameworks and ensuring that Ontario remains at the forefront of both innovation and environmental stewardship. This is a bill that reflects our values: protecting our environment, supporting our workers, empowering businesses and fostering a sustainable future. The word “sustainable” is extremely important for us.

Let me begin by discussing one of the most urgent aspects of the legislation, which is wildland fire management. We all know the escalating threat of wildfires, with climate change fuelling increasingly severe and frequent wildland fires. As the minister said in his remarks, Ontario is not immune to their devastating effects. During the 2024 season, over 480 fires burned nearly 90,000 hectares of forest. These events highlight the growing need of robust wildfire prevention. And by the way, this year is not one of the bad years, which in fact tells us things can change and we need to be prepared.

Ontario’s forests not only clean our air, regulate our climate and support our biodiversity, they also provide us with the resources essential to industries like forestry, tourism and recreation, serving the communities like Mississauga–Malton. This legislation proposes renaming the Forest Fires Prevention Act to the Wildland Fire Management Act, and introduces crucial updates that will enhance prevention, mitigation and response efforts. By requiring municipalities and industries to implement robust wildland fire management plans, this will strengthen Ontario’s capacity to safeguard communities, infrastructure and the economy from the growing risks associated with the wildfires.

The amendments also include stricter enforcement measures, ensuring compliance with fire prevention laws. These measures not only help reduce human-caused wildfires, but also promote shared responsibility between government, industries and local communities.

Another groundbreaking element of Bill 228 is the introduction of Geologic Carbon Storage Act, which aims to support Ontario’s ambitious climate goals while securing jobs in key industries. I actually got my education, my undergrad degree, in chemical engineering. One of the key areas which I worked on was environmental stewardship. I do remember every time we talked about the new technology, you will instantly see somebody coming up and challenging it, which is normal. No new technology has ever not been challenged, but that doesn’t mean that the technology is not good or it’s not going to help.

This technology, for example, is over 45 years old. It’s just not something which is new, which just came yesterday and the government decided to invest into it. By taking on an understanding, the government started, they initiated, this process of consultation in 2022, almost two years back. Thanks to the minister, the peers and the whole team’s advocacy, we see it’s coming to light where we can start making sure it benefits us.

But you know what? I want to talk a little bit about the economic partnership. I talked about Ontario, with the resources we have. Then we have our neighbour the United States. Ontario and the United States represent one of the strongest and most mutually beneficial relationships in the world today. I believe there is even greater potential to unlock. Every day, for example, nine million Americans go to work to create goods and services that are sold here in Canada, and this underscores the deep economic integration that binds two nations together.

As we see, I always talk about how not even two fingers are alike. It’s the same as leadership: No two leaders are alike. But thankfully, we have a leader in the province of Ontario wherein—leadership is not just about holding a title, it is about making tough decisions, facing challenges head-on and working tirelessly to serve the people who trust you. It is a great honour to stand here to talk about our leader, Premier Doug Ford.

As we know, true leadership is measured by action, especially in times of uncertainty, and Premier Ford has exemplified this time and time again. Today as we talk about the uncertainty, we know there is an uncertainty because of the new regime across the border. But Ontario has always played a vital role in this partnership. We have the critical minerals and energy resources that the US needs to fuel its growing economy, particularly as both nations transition to a greener future. These resources are essential for manufacturing, clean energy, supply chains and economic benefits on both sides.

Considering the new regime in the neighbourhood and the uncertainty that we’re looking at and talking about, there is no better leader than Premier Ford to collaborate with our neighbours. As we always say, we are better together.

While under his leadership we have seen over 850,000 new jobs, $44 billion in new investment, reduction in unnecessary red tape and $1.5 billion in investment in the Skills Development Fund. Along with what we saw, the greatest test of leadership came in the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that shook not only our province but the entire world. During those uncertain times, Premier Ford proved to be a steady and compassionate leader.

Why are we talking about this, Mr. Speaker? We’re talking about this because this bill is another bold step in the right direction. Under his leadership, we’ve seen revenue grow significantly from $154 billion to reaching $206 billion as the government is working to pave for a province that not only thrives today but also for generations to come.

As industries across Ontario strive to make emissions reduction targets, this act enables the safe, permanent storage of carbon dioxide in underground formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and it is again talking about the sustainability. We are able to help two places with one action.

The benefit is simple. The environmental implications of these measures are profound. It has the potential to reduce carbon emissions by 11% to 15%. All the time we talk about this, the members opposite say, “We want to help the environment.” Here is a great example. This government is bringing a bill to invest into technology that will help the environment. And what are we doing? We are making sure it will be helping us to remove almost close to two million cars from roads annually. These restrictions are essential as we work towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

As I always say, Mr. Speaker, anything that we do is not going to happen by itself. We’ll have to invest into it, we’ll have to make sure we put in our effort. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. By adopting the carbon storage technology, we can reduce the carbon footprint, lower the operational costs and increase our competitiveness on a global stage. Why is this important? When we’re going to have competitiveness, the people who are thinking of coming and moving their businesses, their investments, their families look at Ontario as a leader in that field.

And we are not just trying to help the environment with this technology, it is actually going to create close to between 2,000 and 4,000 jobs in construction, technology, infrastructure development as the carbon facilities are developed across the province.

Let’s talk about another benefit this bill is bringing. As we talked about over 800,000 people coming in, we know that people need to live—they need a roof. So infrastructure is the backbone of a growing Ontario and we know that land surveying is its foundation. The Surveyors Act was last updated in 1987. I was in grade 10, I think, then. Since then, it no longer meets the demand of our rapidly expanding infrastructure, so Bill 228 proposes amendments that address the critical shortage of skilled land surveyors.

Madam Speaker, it’s kind of saying, “You want to build, but you don’t have a tool. And if you don’t have a tool, you cannot build.” It’s always important to make sure, if you want to plan something, you should have the tools to achieve that. And that is why Bill 228 is proposing amendments that address the critical shortage of skilled land surveyors, an essential profession for the development of homes, schools, transportation networks and other vital infrastructure.

Streamlining the licensing process and incorporating modern technologies will ensure that vital infrastructure projects can proceed without delays. These measures are crucial for ensuring the projects in Mississauga–Malton, like new housing developments, transit improvements and community facilities, can move forward smoothly and efficiently.

Another issue this bill is going to be talking about is addressing hazardous wells while enhancing public safety. If you really look at this bill, this bill is investing to make sure that our environment is kept well, our economy is doing better and we’re taking care of the safety of the residents of Ontario.

Over the years, tens of thousands of wells have been drilled, many of which are no longer active or have been improperly maintained. The member from Windsor talked about Wheatley: These wells can pose serious safety risks. Again, if you’re not going to do anything, nothing is going to happen—and actually, something adverse can happen at the same time.

This is why Bill 228 empowers the Ministry of Natural Resources to take swift action in cases where operators fail to comply with safety standards, particularly in instances of bankruptcy or non-compliance. While many of these hazardous wells are concentrated in southwestern Ontario, that doesn’t mean they’re the only ones that are going to be impacted. It’s kind of saying, “If you get a fire in your neighbour’s home, your house is safe.” No, your house is not safe as well. The impact of a leak or a failure extends beyond regional borders.

Ensuring that the ministry can respond quickly and effectively will help protect water supplies and public health across the entire province. Though the issue of hazardous wells may seem geographically distant from Mississauga–Malton, the protection of our water and our natural resources affects all of us. Proactively addressing these hazards is essential to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for Ontario’s residents, including those in our urban communities.

And that’s not the only thing we’re doing. Through this bill, we’re making sure that we’re advancing the forestry and aggregate industries. We’re making sure we are supporting building a stronger Ontario.

So what is this bill about? This bill is a bold and visionary piece of legislation. It creates tangible pathways for prosperity by addressing key environmental challenges, while driving economic growth.

From construction jobs linked to carbon storage facilities, to opportunities in land surveying and manufacturing, this bill supports a diverse range of industries that are essential to Ontario’s future. By improving wildfire management, reducing emissions and creating a safer and more sustainable environment, we are directly benefiting communities like mine, Mississauga–Malton. Modernizing the outdated framework accelerates infrastructure projects, ensuring that our region can meet the growing demand for housing, transportation and public services.

Whenever we talk about, “What do we do here,” everything we do here, one way or the other, comes from the suggestions made by the people of Ontario, because those are the people we are here to serve. This is the government that listens and acts. I’ll give you a small example—I’m saying this to all my colleagues and everyone who’s watching here. Soon we’re going to go into a budget consultation. That is a perfect time for anyone who has a great idea, with the cost and benefit, of how we can improve our Ontario, how we can serve our Ontario better, how we can give back to our Ontario, how we can make our Ontario bigger and better and prosperous.

I highly encourage all members to reach out to your stakeholders. And to everyone who’s watching, reach out to your MPP’s office, and if you have a great idea, bring them forward. Through budget consultation—it’s not going to go into a hole. It’s actually going to be looked at, cost and benefit, and who knows next? Your idea, your suggestion could become and create benefit for everyone in Ontario.

So, Speaker, this bill represents a forward-thinking approach to building a stronger, more resilient Ontario, one that invests in its people, its industries and its future. It’s more than just a collection of updates—it’s a vision of Ontario’s future. It protects our natural resources, bolsters our economy and safeguards our environment for generations to come. This is a key step towards building a stronger, most sustainable and more prosperous Ontario that benefits every community, thankfully including mine, of Mississauga–Malton.

For Ontarians, this bill represents progress, safety and hope, so I urge all the members of this House to support this vital piece of legislation, ensuring that Ontario remains a global leader in innovation, sustainability and economic opportunity, especially at a time when uncertainty is the only certain thing, as we look forward to working with our US neighbour’s new regime.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I want to thank the government member for his presentation on this bill. I have concerns around

schedule 2 of this piece of legislation. It’s a significant piece of policy,

schedule 2, and effectively sets up a new industry. I think that this

schedule alone needs extensive public consultation and study.

So my question to the member is, will the government be rushing through this bill, like they have all of the bills this session, or will they do the due diligence that’s required, the extensive public consultation that this bill needs and make sure that we are getting it right?

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to the member for that question. I think as we’re talking about the Geologic Carbon Storage Act, the technology—yes, absolutely, I agree with you. Anything that we need, we need to have consultation. And I just want to assure the member, consultation actually started in 2022. We’ve done the consultation.

And it’s not just the consultation we’ve done; this technology is 45 years old. Yes, I understand—and change is never easy. When there is a change, there is—I won’t call it opposition, but I’ll call it that we are worried about the change. This Geologic Carbon Storage Act has already been the technology used for over 45 years, and this is the technology that’s actually going to save and make sure that we become an even more environmentally friendly province in the world. So I hope you will embrace this and will vote in support of this bill.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Natalie Pierre: Thank you to my colleague for their remarks this morning.

My question is around amendments to the Surveyors Act. Speaker, the government is working hard to build the economy of today and tomorrow. We have a strong growth agenda, so Ontario is investing historic billions in infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, public transit, roads and bridges, and the government aims to build some 1.5 million homes by 2031. We’ve assigned the province’s 50 largest municipalities housing targets to help us meet this goal.

Ontario’s professional land surveyors are essential to getting that job done. Can the member please tell us more about the amendments in the Surveyors Act that are proposed in this bill that would help increase the supply of surveyor services?

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to my good friend from Burlington for that question and thank you for your advocacy for your residents as well.

It’s all about leadership, as I said earlier. We have a government in Ontario whose action is to create economic growth and prosperity in Ontario. That new demand speaks to our forward progress. We’re meeting this new demand head-on by proposing changes that, if passed, would attract more surveyors to support Ontario’s growth, and it’s simple.

Madam Speaker, we know there is a need, and when there is demand, we need the supply to fulfill that demand, and if you’re not able to fulfill the demand, we will not be having surveyors. If we do not have surveyors, we will not be able to build those homes. If you want to build homes for the people of Ontario we need to take action, and one of the actions we are taking is making amendments to the Surveyors Act.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Jennifer K. French: As we are discussing the Resource Management and Safety Act, some interesting new technologies and interesting conversations around carbon dioxide, carbon storage, underground voids—but this government is the ramming this through without community consultation.

I’m interested most in the language in the bill about adequate consultation with First Nations. Rather than saying “adequate consultation,” it should say “free, prior and informed consent with First Nations” as we’re talking about a very significant environmental initiative.

I guess my question is, with the ramming through without community consultation, what assurances do we have that this government has indeed—as it is supposed to—conducted free, prior and informed consent with First Nations? Why are they cheaping out and calling it “adequate” because that isn’t adequate?

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to the member for that question that has two parts to it. The first question is the concern over carbon storage technology. I just want to start with that and I’ll answer the second one as well—time permitting.

Carbon storage technology has been in use for over 50 years and around 300 million tonnes of carbon dioxide have already been successfully captured globally and injected underground. According to the panel on climate change, there is no credible path to net zero if we do not use this technology. That was the first part of it, and I will encourage every member to read through the technology and get familiarized with it.

On the second part about the approval, the ministry says they would only be approving permits for carbon storage projects once the necessary consultation and assessment are completed, ensuring that the interest of the local communities, agriculture and environment are fully considered.

This is the government who listens to the people of Ontario, works with the people of Ontario and delivers to the people of Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. John Fraser: I’d like to thank the member from Mississauga–Malton for his presentation. Yes, we have a lot to be grateful for, and what I heard him speak about was sustainability. Why are we talking about sustainability and the environment? We’re trying to keep people healthy. In that spirit, if we’re trying to keep people healthy, how is it that 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor and 28,000 of those people live in his riding and three million people are at risk of losing their family doctor?

I don’t understand why there’s not the same sense of urgency that this government has for things like booze and bike lanes and the speed that we’re doing this bill right now. Would the member not agree that it would make things more sustainable if everybody had a family doctor?

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to the member for that question. I think you’re absolutely right. We need to have prosperous Ontarians. Everybody should be healthier. Everyone should be happy in Ontario. That is why we have a government who is progressing through economic prosperity, making sure we’re bringing investments from the world in this uncertain time when we have a new regime, we are the only ones who have a leader who’s going to stand up, take bold action, work collaboratively and will make Ontario even stronger, and we’ll be proud of it.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Aislinn Clancy: So carbon capture—there’s been tens of billions of dollars spent. It only has sequestered 0.1% of carbon, and that’s just from the processing—nothing from the emissions of the actual oil and gas that gets burned when you sell the product.

There’s a thing called a “just transition.” You talk a lot about labour. Just transition is a concept that people can have good-paying industry jobs in the renewable energy sector.

For some reason, we want to spend money and create jobs in an industry where there is no data to support successful outcomes. I don’t see consultation with environmental groups. This is an environmental project. I don’t see support from them.

So can you explain to me what a just transition is, if you know what it is, and how we could maybe consider moving jobs into the renewable energy sector, which would reduce the actual product of petroleum products and then we don’t have those emissions? They’ve been proven to work.

Mr. Deepak Anand: As I started my conversation, I said that I actually—

Interruption.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Can we recess for five minutes?

The House recessed from 0932 to 0938.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): I recognize the member for Mississauga–Malton. I think you had a few seconds left on the clock.

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

I have very few seconds left so I want to take an opportunity again to thank the minister and the PA for the incredible work. And I want to say thank you to all the stakeholders who participated in this bill. It’s because of your suggestions, it’s because of your hard work and effort we are able to make our Ontario bigger, better, stronger and prosperous.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s always an honour to speak in this House on behalf of the residents of Timiskaming–Cochrane—and most of the time on behalf of my party.

Today, we’re talking about

An Act to enact the Geologic Carbon Storage Act, 2024 and to amend various Acts with respect to wildfires, resource safety and surveyors. The majority of this act is about carbon storage. Basically, the government is trying to promote a whole new industry in Ontario, and whether it’s actually going to work or not, I’m not the judge of that. If you’re going to leave that up to me to be the judge, we’ve got some severe problems. But I do hope that the government actually listens to people who actually do know what the best way to capture carbon is, what the best way is to decarbonize our society.

I really hope that the government does take the time to do that. Listening to people from all sides has not been their forte, I’ve got to say, especially in the last little while where they don’t even do committee. That hasn’t been their forte so, quite frankly, I don’t hold out a lot of hope.

In the majority of my time, I’m going to talk about something that’s very, very close to our hearts in Timiskaming–Cochrane, and that’s the threat of wildfire. It is very close to our hearts. Before I get too far into the emotional part—it is truly emotional for people in Timiskaming–Cochrane—I’d like to quote, if I can, something from a cartoon series. My latest quotes come from the Wizard of Id from 1972. If you’re familiar with the Wizard of Id—and if you’re not, there’s a wizard and tyrannical king, and he’s got a knight. Anyway, there are all the parts.

The king sends the knight, Sir Rodney, out into the forest to spy on the enemy, and they disguise Sir Rodney as a tree. He has got branches, he has got a bird’s nest on his head, and they send him out to spy on the enemy. Rodney comes back the next day and he is completely beat up. He’s in rough shape, incredibly rough shape. The king says, “Rodney, did the enemy discover you?” Rodney said, “No, sire. I was on a smoke break and some crazy bear in a ranger hat beat me up with a shovel.”

Laughter.

Mr. John Vanthof: At least somebody was paying attention.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: We’ll clap for you.

Applause.

Mr. John Vanthof: Okay. Now that I’ve actually woken you up—hopefully—we’re going to talk about the bill.

One of the things the bill has is, in

section 14, it says that every municipality must have a wildland fire plan. That’s good. When you first look at it, what could be wrong with that? In itself, there’s nothing wrong with it. But I live in place where, since I’ve been an MPP, we’ve had two major forest fires—we’ve had many more, but two that have directly threatened towns. When I first got elected, Kirkland Lake was directly threatened by a forest fire. We saw the flames. You could see the flames from the edge of town. If you think of Fort Mac, it was like that. Emergency Measures Ontario was there—they did a fantastic job. We met every morning.

Until you have seen that and felt that, this seems, quite frankly, a bit performative.

I was a municipal councillor for years. We are also supposed to have an asset management plan—great idea. We all made one. We spent lots of money. Now you actually have to hire a third party to do your asset management plan, to cost even more money, and you know what? The province doesn’t pay attention to any of them—any of them. In many of my municipalities, we can’t afford to fix bridges, culverts, roads. They’re all listed in the asset management plan, but what good is the plan? No one listens to it.

So now we’re going to have a wildland fire plan. Great. So small municipalities that have large areas—my part of the world; large geographical areas—have to come up with a wildland fire plan. Who is going to pay for it? In the last three years, I believe we have something else that the government wants to—something about wildfires; they put a million bucks into it. So now they’re going to prescribe that everyone has to have a plan. If you don’t have a plan, it sucks to be you.

But the people who actually have to deal with this stuff, who know what it’s like to deal with wildfires, won’t have the resources to—they’ll spend more time trying to come up with the plan than they will when a wildfire actually hits.

You want to know who I would call—and I don’t often call? If there is a wildfire in our area, I’d call up Terry Fiset and the Elk Lake Volunteer Fire Department. They know what you need to do to protect yourself from wildfire—and sometimes you can’t. Sometimes it just grows too quick. I am kind of sure that Terry Fiset is going to be the last one who’s going to sign up to draft a fire plan.

That’s part of what the problem is. Often in northern Ontario, you say all the right things and you put no money behind it and no common sense. I hate to use a word like this because the Tories kind of—you know, the Common Sense Revolution. But actually, we do need a common-sense revolution—a real one, not one about firing people. Actually, we need to look at this and say, “Okay, great; it’s great.” Would I vote against having a wildlife fire plan? Of course not, but if we’re going to do it, let’s make sure that the government actually puts—I’m a farmer—some horsepower behind it.

We changed the Police Services Act for police services boards. We haven’t even gotten that off the ground in northern Ontario. We haven’t even gotten that off the ground. Did you know this government is now talking about how we’re going to have enhanced 911 in the province? Did you know that in many of the places that I represent, places where people live, we don’t have any 911? Forget about enhanced 911, there is no 911. So where I live, in my home, there is 911. I have a little fishing cabin, right? But there are people with full-time houses on that same lake—no 911.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: What happens if you dial 911?

Mr. John Vanthof: Nothing. When you dial 911, nothing happens. That’s what happens.

So I get people who come and use my camp. I try to get people who I work with because until you have been there, you don’t really understand northern Ontario, right? So people come, and then I have a nice thing on my fridge—we do have electricity in my camp—and if you have an emergency, you call—I don’t know, it’s a 1-800 number. We haven’t even got that—and I don’t live in Tuktoyaktuk. I live six hours north of here. It’s not the end of the world. I’m a farmer. I grow things, the food that people eat.

But I have seen when the sky turns black. It’s a beautiful sunny day; the sky turns black from smoke; you can’t breathe. And that fire was in Temagami and that was maybe half an hour away from my house. But the sky over my house was black—and you wait for the call. Again, I am not criticizing Emergency Management Ontario. I have never seen people who knew their stuff like Emergency Management Ontario—ever, ever, ever.

But a municipal fire plan—we’ll take Temagami, for example. The municipality of Temagami is maybe 1,000 people—I’m sure I’ll get a call from the mayor if I’m wrong—but 1,000 people in the wintertime, maybe under 1,000, and probably 10,000 in the summertime. It is a beautiful, beautiful area. But it’s big. It’s not like five miles—I’m still an Imperial guy. It’s not five kilometres by five kilometres; it’s hundreds of square kilometres. Do you know how much it’s going to take to make a municipal fire plan for the municipality of Temagami? Really?

So it sounds just great, but you know what? In northern Ontario we’ve heard this song and dance before. The community safety plan—great. And if you’ve got a reasonably sized community, great. But if you’ve got a community with way more square miles than you have people, it’s kind of tough. Is it doable? Yes, if you have the resources. If you don’t put the resources behind it, it actually makes it worse, because people just scoff, and the people—like Terry Fiset, like the people at Elk Lake Fire Department—who actually know their stuff shake their head.

Actually, this is a controversial subject, but the training for firefighters—and it’s a kind of example, where volunteer firefighters have to have specific training. Who doesn’t want better-trained firefighters? Everybody. And volunteer firefighters do a lot of training. But when you make it mandatory that they have to have X, Y and Z, and they already work 40 or 50 hours a week at their regular job, and they already give up—they just go, “You know what? I think I’m going to take up curling.” I’m not being facetious. Some of our best firefighters, volunteer firefighters, have left the profession. It’s not a profession; it’s their calling, right?

Something that other people don’t know—and I bet you not very many people in this House know this. The Trans-Canada Highway, when it goes through my riding, when it goes through much of northern Ontario, if you have an accident on the Trans-Canada Highway—and I hope it never happens to anyone here. But if you have an accident on the Trans-Canada Highway and you or someone you love needs to be extricated with the jaws of life, you know who does that? Volunteer firefighters.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I did not know that.

Mr. John Vanthof: Yes, a lot of people don’t know that. So do they need to be trained? Yes. Do they have the training for those jaws of life? Yes, they wouldn’t do it if they didn’t. But do they have the training to run a pumper truck for something else? Maybe not. So then they can’t be a volunteer firefighter. What happens then? You don’t have somebody for the jaws of life.

It’s that kind of stuff. This government, they claim that they don’t like red tape and they don’t—and I’m actually talking about removing red tape. I’m talking about making regulations that work.

So setting up that every municipality has to have a wildland fire plan? Great. Make sure it works. Make sure that you’re not putting undue responsibility on municipalities that in the end won’t have the resources to fight the fires by themselves anyway. Because, believe me, when I was in Kirkland Lake and when you see the flames at the edge of town, you know this isn’t—the local fire department is not going to be able to stop this one. What happened in Kirkland Lake is the wind turned. They did all kinds of things to mitigate, to try and stop it, but at the end of the day that’s what happened.

So we need to make sure that we actually have the capacity to actually fight fire, save lives at a provincial level and at a local level. But make sure if we’re going to say something like a wildland fire plan for municipalities, that we actually do more than just this.

I don’t want to be completely critical of the government. I’m not. I don’t think I’ve been that critical at all yet. So,

section 11 gives the minister the power to declare a wildland fire, that any time of year to be fire season. Actually, that’s good. It’s not often the government actually admits that climate change is happening.

This is an admission because we know it used to be, in my part of the world, that April or May wasn’t fire season because there was lots of snow in the bush. That’s not always the case anymore. It used to be October, November or December, you don’t have to worry about fire season because that’s not—right? The people will tell me, “Yes, but climate change isn’t a thing”—no, they won’t say that because they know my position on climate change. But it’s not that this has never happened before.

Another thing I have never talked about in the House: I think the day is October 4, 1922. Even then they had fire seasons, the province had, and they had fire crews locally. The start of October was going to be the end of fire season, and they pulled everybody out. On October 4, 1922, in Timiskaming, they had a raging wildfire, and many people died. The town of Haileybury burned down, largely. The town of Charlton burned down. Other parts of the region were burned. I just thought about talking about this now. I don’t have the exact numbers in front of me. But where I farmed, actually, the land in Timiskaming was discovered—or helped the farmers a lot when all the trees were burned off.

Actually, farmers caused that fire because, in 1922, the way to clear land is they pushed scrub together—it was really dry that fall and they used that opportunity. But that was farmers over 10, 15 or 20 miles, and those fires became one. They just roared through our valley. It happened in 1916, the Porcupine fire, and 1922 was us.

But those types of fires are still possible, maybe in different places. We need to make sure that we actually have the capability to—I don’t even know, in many cases, to fight the fire, but to save as many people, or to save people. I’m not sure that having every municipality have a wildland fire plan is going to be as constructive as they think it is.

That’s what the people of Timiskaming–Cochrane—I’m their spokesman and that’s what I am saying. If we’re actually going to do this, make sure that you actually work with the people locally who have dealt with this, who know how to fight fires, and not just say, “Oh, yes, we in Toronto know this is how this is done and thou shalt do this,” because that’s not going to help anyone.

I really thank you for the opportunity. There are other things about the bill I would like to talk about but I’m running out of time.

I measure people by their sense of humour, and everybody who laughed at my Wizard of Id joke gets a check mark in my book, including you, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you to the member.

Questions?

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member for his remarks. I’ll confess—and with the colour of my hair you can tell I’m not a young fellow—I didn’t know who the minister of Id is, or whatever.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Wizard.

Mr. John Vanthof: You’re missing something. You’ve got to read up.

Mr. Rick Byers: Yes, okay. I’ll look forward to learning.

I was interested in the member’s comments on wildfires and understand that we’ve all seen dramatically more evidence of it in recent years. I think that what I like about this bill is that there’s, if passed, a plan in place to develop remedies and an action plan to combat them, including on municipalities.

I’m curious: With this new, important change, isn’t that something that the member could support with this bill?

Mr. John Vanthof: Thanks very much for that question; I appreciate it. I’ve got a Wizard of Id book in my desk. I’m happy to lend it out.

I said that there was a good step. There are good steps in this bill, but on wildfire, it’s basically a plan to make a plan. Actually, it’s legislation to make someone else make a plan. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; I just want to make sure they actually have the resources to make a realistic, workable plan because that has not been the case in the past when governments say, “Thou shall do this in northern Ontario.” It just doesn’t work.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Thank you again to the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane. Not only do you make us laugh, but you teach us things we didn’t know, so thank you for that.

I want to talk a little bit about air quality. Now the government has clearly indicated that climate change is fuelling these unprecedented forest fire events, that it’s going to be a year-long event. I think when you talk about seeing the smoke and the black smoke, what we need to know is how toxic that smoke is. That smoke contains ozone, methane, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide. It also contains fine particulate matter. You can’t see or smell that, but it goes deep into people’s lungs. There’s no acceptable, safe level of exposure to fine particulate matter.

Every province in Canada except Ontario, basically, and the—Canada has updated the air quality index to include reference to small particulate matter. Do you think that that would be important information the government should update, the air quality index, to incorporate air quality index plus, which will track this fine particulate matter?

Mr. John Vanthof: Thank you very much for that question. It’s a very good question.

I’m not actually qualified to answer it, but I can tell you my experience. When the sky turns black and I’m still miles from the fire, you can’t breathe that air. So the people who are actually fighting the fires, they need maximum protection.

If maximum protection means upgrading the standard for particulates and—we’re not reinventing the wheel; we’re just following other jurisdictions who have actually taken that step. It’s kind of surprising that they’re not. It’s kind of surprising that we’ve had to fight the government to actually pay wildland firefighters enough. That’s kind of surprising because they go through hell.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I really appreciate the member from Timiskaming–Cochrane’s joke to start off his debate. It certainly woke us up.

I know the member wanted to talk about carbon capture and storage. We ran out of time. I want to draw on his expertise as a farmer.

We know that some of the best ways to store carbon free of charge is wetlands, peatlands and farmlands, especially no-till agriculture. I’m proud to say our farm was one of the first to actually engage in no-till agriculture.

Does the member want to comment on, when we pave over 319 acres of farmland each and every day, how much that negatively affects nature’s ability to be store carbon?

Mr. John Vanthof: I would like to thank the member for that question. We do lose—those are the OFA’s numbers, brought through from the census—319 or 320 acres a day of farmland.

Farmland is a carbon sink. It’s a natural carbon sink. You don’t need to change the world to do it right. You can actually use nature to help fix the climate.

Perhaps we should focus a bit more on that. I can’t agree with the member on everything. Where I live, we practise minimum till because true no-till—our season isn’t quite long enough yet, so we need the earth to be dark in the spring to collect the sun. It actually makes a little bit of difference. So we practise minimum till and not no-till.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further question?

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: I want to thank the wizard of Queen’s Park for his speech. He had some great comments about municipalities. I remember growing up, firefighters—there were a lot more crews. We know this year we were 71 crews short. To fight forest fires, you need boots on the ground, a lot of boots on the ground. These wildland fire plans will have to recognize that to be able to do that, we all maybe need to recognize that we need more wildfire firefighters. That means more boots. Because like you, I’ve got communities surrounded by forests. I’m from northern Ontario.

In fact, my riding has a big forest industry component. It’s an industry that is a major industry. So I want to hear from you: How do we fix this? Because we need more firefighters and they have to be full-time and not seasonal.

Mr. John Vanthof: Thank you for that question from my colleague. He brings up a point that I hadn’t really thought of. Well, there’s lots of things I don’t really think of yet.

So you make your wildland fire plan in your municipality, but part of that plan is going to be: If we get hit by a big one, we need to be able to call up Emergency Management Ontario, call up the MNR and we need to be assured that the resources are there, because otherwise, the fire plan is worthless. It’s worthless. You can cut your weeds down and you can do this and that. But if a big one hits, let’s not kid ourselves, your municipal fire plan is not going to stop what I saw in Kirkland Lake and what I saw in Temagami. It’s not.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further question?

Mr. John Fraser: I did enjoy the member from Timiskaming’s presentation. I stayed here just to listen to you, and I liked the reference to the Wizard of Id.

So you talked about making a plan to make a plan, or having somebody else make that plan that you’re planning to make. Anyway, I don’t want to get confused.

But what I didn’t see in that plan, and you did talk about it, were the pressures on volunteer firefighters, but we also know we have wildland firefighters. We’ve been talking about extension of presumptive diseases—a legislation to those wildland firefighters. Do you think there would have been an opportunity to do that now as well?

Mr. John Vanthof: Thank you to my colleague. Yes, this would have been a great time to actually make the rules so that wildland firefighters are protected under the same rules, under the same regulations, as other firefighters. If you’ve seen wildland fires, they are just as dangerous to the human health of anyone fighting them than any other, or perhaps more. I don’t claim to be an expert on this, but having seen those conditions, they are fighting in hell. I’m not trying to raise or lower the bar, but they are.

I just need to make an apology for one second. I didn’t know I was supposed to speak this morning until very late last night. I don’t mind that, but I would have had much better numbers for what happened for the great Timiskaming fire. We have a museum in our area dedicated to it. I’ve been to lots of their events. It shaped our whole area. I would have had the exact numbers, how many people died, how many—I just don’t want to minimize what happened, right? I really appreciate the opportunity.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): We move on to further debate.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: It’s always an honour to rise to speak in this House, today on Bill 228. I’m going to focus my remarks on

schedule 1 and

schedule 2.

Starting with

schedule 1, when it comes to forest fires, it is refreshing to see in

section 11 of this

schedule that the minister will give him the power to expand wildfire season from April to October to year-round, which to me is finally this government admitting that climate change is real and that we need to act on it. Unfortunately, the government’s actions undermine that.

If you look at federal reporting data, 60% of the increase in climate pollution in Canada happened in the province of Ontario according to their latest report. We know that their ramping up of fossil gas plants has meant that our grid is now 10% dirtier than it used to be when they took office. Under their current plan, we’ll see a 700% increase in climate pollution in Ontario’s electricity sector, undermining half of what the province achieved with the coal phase-out.

I wish their climate action would reflect their climate emission, especially when we recognize that a couple of years ago, when we had such a horrible forest fire season, in just four days, toxic air pollution from forest fires in northern Ontario and Quebec cost our health care system $1.2 billion.

But here’s the rub, Speaker: How do you declare a year-round fire season when wildland firefighters are part-time workers? They’re seasonally employed. How do we make sure we’re prepared when, in 2005, there were 214 wildland firefighting crews and this year there were 143? In my conversations with wildland firefighters, their crew numbers are down 33% because they’re losing members because they’re not being classified as firefighters, giving them the respect, the pay and the benefits they deserve. So the government’s actions need to keep up with what they’re actually proposing in this bill.

I do want to talk briefly about the plan to have municipalities have wildfire plans. In 2022, when the Auditor General did a damming report on the government’s mismanagement of wildland firefighters, they noted that in Ontario, there was one FireSmart community in the entire province. In British Columbia, there are 150 because they adequately finance the ability of municipalities to have plans and to be FireSmart. So if the government is not going to back this up with financial resources, then it’s not going to work.

I want to move to

schedule 2 of the bill, which is the

schedule to open things up to carbon capture and storage. To me, the government is opening the province up to a fiscal disaster. It’s not going to work. A recent study in the US shows that 80% of the carbon capture and storage projects simply did not work at all. And despite, over the last decade, tens of billions of dollars being spent on carbon capture and storage projects, only 0.1% of the emissions that could be captured and stored were actually captured and stored.

So I don’t understand why the government, unless they’re in the pockets of big oil and gas and they want to give big oil and gas an excuse to keep polluting, is opening us up to technology that simply doesn’t work when we have technology that actually does work.

Hon. Mike Harris: Like what?

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Like nature. Nature stores massive amounts of carbon, particularly in our wetlands, in our peatlands, in our farmlands. We have huge opportunities for Ontario to store carbon.

Let’s just put some numbers on the table here, Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind members question period hasn’t started yet. The member for Guelph has the floor.

Hon. Graham McGregor: I was quiet, Speaker. I didn’t say nothing.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Okay. I won’t say who was not speaking nothing.

Start the clock. I apologize to the member for Guelph.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: No problem, Speaker. The truth hurts sometimes.

Our soils are massive carbon sinks that store carbon for decades—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I have to interrupt the member because it is now 10:15. I must now ask for members’ statements.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Birthdays

Mr. Dave Smith: Today is my last scheduled member’s statement before we rise for Christmas. Although it may seem a bit premature, I do have a couple things I’d like to talk about. I want to talk about some birthdays of friends and family that happen around Christmas.

I’ll start with my son Jacob. Jake’s birthday is December 18, just a week before Christmas. The house is always decorated for Christmas, there are Christmas presents under the tree, and when he was younger, growing up, we actually had to move his birthday to January for him so that people would come to the birthday party, because quite frankly, it was too close to Christmas.

Next, we have my father, Ron Smith. Dad’s birthday is December 21, only four days before Christmas, and as a kid, I never truly understood how he could have his birthday so close to Christmas; why I had to buy two presents in the month of December for him; and why didn’t I get to open up my Christmas presents on the 21st, because he was opening presents on the 21st, and it was Christmas—that’s how a kid thought. Dad, I’m sorry that you got rooked all those years about your birthday.

Finally, my executive assistant, Sally. If there was anyone who gets the short end of the birthday stick, it’s Sally. Her birthday is on December 25, and she could never have a birthday party on her actual birthday, because all of her friends were busy celebrating Christmas.

It’s a bit early, but happy birthday to Jake, Sally, and my father, because you can’t celebrate your birthday that close to Christmas.

CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon

MPP Jamie West: I’m excited to share with you that the annual CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon will be returning for its 76th anniversary on Saturday, December 7. This is one of Sudbury’s warmest holiday traditions. It’s a live nine-hour televised event where local celebrities, musicians, singers and artists join with community, and they raise funds for Christmas gifts so that children in need can experience the magic of the holidays.

Since 1949, the children’s Christmas telethon has brought Christmas joy to countless children across northern Ontario. For example, in 2022 alone, more than $320,000 was raised, and over 18,000 toys were distributed. The true magic of Christmas is that giving means giving. I’ve volunteered for this many times, and I can’t tell you the number of donors who have told me, “I’m calling you today because if it wasn’t for this telethon, I wouldn’t have had a Christmas growing up.”

This year, the CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon starts on December 7th at 2 p.m. until 11 p.m. Sudburians can watch it in person at Place des Arts du Grand Sudbury, or you can watch on CTV or online, or a variety of other ways, and people do watch in a variety of ways. Last year, the CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon reached viewers in 18 countries. We had donations coming in from as far away as the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and Barbados.

For nearly 40 years, Lion Sam Khoury has been the face of this telethon. Sam is the long-time chairperson of the Minnow Lake Lions Club, and when I asked what keeps him engaged with the CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon, Sam said the answer is simple: “It’s the joy of helping others.”

Thank you to the CTV Lions Children’s Christmas Telethon for spreading the holiday spirit to children in Sudbury and beyond.

Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists

Ms. Patrice Barnes: This week, we recognize national engineering technologies week, otherwise known as NEAT, a time to celebrate the incredible contributions of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists, or OACETT.

OACETT-certified professionals are an integral part of Ontario’s skilled force, with over 21,000 certified engineering technologists and certified engineering technicians working across various sectors in our economy.

We have 175 members who live in my riding of Ajax that belong to the Durham chapter. Their members work for advanced manufacturing companies in Ajax, including Safran, Autodyne Machinery Inc. and E.I. Williams Industries. These highly skilled individuals play essential roles in fields such as advanced technology, robotics, design, project management and infrastructure maintenance, as well as being small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Their expertise helps drive Ontario’s economy forward. OACETT has been forward-thinking in their recognition of internationally educated professionals, which has helped hundreds of skilled workers secure certifications needed to continue their careers in Ontario, fulfilling vital roles while supporting their families.

Thank you to all members of OACETT, especially Cheryl Farrow and David Terlizzi—I think they’re here today—for your ongoing contributions.

Cost of living

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I rise today to talk about the crushing cost-of-living crisis. People are struggling and their dreams are becoming further and further out of reach, yet this government is dropping millions and millions into ads which tell us to imagine a place—I agree, you’d have to imagine Ontario as a place people could actually afford.

It’s also jarring to see the government spending hundreds of millions on luxury Austrian spas, carving up the greenbelt and farmland, filling the pockets of their insiders and then having the audacity to tell people everything is just fine.

Conservatives know life is getting harder and more expensive, and that’s why they all gave themselves raises. It’s no wonder the RCMP is investigating corruption. Under this government, you are not getting what you paid for.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the member to be judicious with his choice of words.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Taxes are going up 30% in London because of Premier Ford. I was proud to call for a new deal for municipalities so that the province actually paid its own bills and didn’t dump a 30% increase onto Londoners. I was also proud to introduce Homes Ontario, the biggest housing program in this province’s history. I was also proud to vote so that everyone would have a family doctor. But what did the Conservatives say to a new deal, building more homes and ensuring everyone had a family doctor? They said no.

To everyone who is frustrated, to everyone who is angry, to everyone who feels left behind, it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault you feel this way. You’ve done everything right, and the government has done scarcely little to support you. You deserve a wage that pays the bills; a home you can afford; to retire with safety, security and dignity; a world-class education; and health care from caring people when and where you need it.

This is not a dream, not a place you have to close your eyes to imagine. This is Ontario with an NDP government—a government that listens and puts you first.

Best of the Bay awards

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: I rise today to highlight the Best of the Bay awards put on by the Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board. I’d like to give a shout-out to Dug, Anna, Jen, Trevor and Jack for all the great work that they do to promote our area.

The Best of the Bay awards honour the businesses, events, locations and services that make our community the vibrant, thriving area that we all enjoy. So, without further ado, here are some of the incredible winners this year, as nominated and voted by the community.

For food and drink, the best coffee shop is the Grind and Vine. The Local Social House was named best patio. Best chicken wings went to Slapshot Bar and Grill. The best Caribbean food went to Caribbean Jerk Spot. Best restaurant overall went to Tomasso’s Italian Grille in Trenton.

For shop and service: best home decor, Wish Home Interiors; best adventure business, DedEye Axe Throwing; Feminink was named best tattoo shop; Dahlia May Flower Farm was the best flower shop; and the best bike shop went to Doug’s Bicycle Sales and Service.

For the category of regionscape: the best beach was Sandbanks, the best corn maze went to Cricklewood Farm and the best farm stand went to Nansan Farms again this year.

Our best historic site was Glanmore National Historical Site, and for the best golf course, Black Bear Ridge.

Speaker, these are just a few of the must-visit Best of the Bay businesses and locations in our area. If you live in the Bay of Quinte or are planning a trip, please check out bayofquinte.ca for the full list of winners and to plan your next adventure.

Once again, congratulations to all the winners and thank you for everything that you’re doing to make our area so special.

Joseph Brant Hospital

Ms. Natalie Pierre: This past Monday, I was honoured to attend a monumental announcement at Joseph Brant Hospital in my riding of Burlington. It was a privilege to stand alongside Premier Ford, Minister Jones and Associate Minister Tibollo to announce a new mental health and addictions unit at Joseph Brant Hospital.

The new unit will include a state-of-the-art adult in-patient and outpatient space, improved adult psychiatric intensive care space and enhanced child and youth programming. This project will make a tangible difference in the lives of patients and families in my community, ensuring that individuals and families receive the care and support they need close to home. It means early interventions, timely achievements and best-in-class mental health and addictions care that allows people to heal, thrive and lead fulfilling lives. Our hospital will be better equipped to deliver high-quality, patient-centred mental health care in a safe and comfortable setting.

As someone deeply committed to increasing mental health supports, I’m incredibly proud to be part of a government that prioritizes the health and well-being of our residents through initiatives like this.

Cost of living

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, Ontario is in the midst of an unprecedented affordability crisis. People are struggling—to find decent jobs, to make ends meet. No matter how hard you try, it’s just not enough.

Students share heartbreaking stories of skipping meals or cutting back on healthy groceries just to afford rent. Even after graduation, many cannot find jobs in their field or that pay enough.

Seniors are struggling to afford basic necessities, with some forced to keep working because their income is just above the cut-off for Ontario programs like the seniors’ dental plan.

I have met skilled immigrants who came to Canada with dreams of a better future, who are ready to contribute to this economy, yet they’re stuck in survival mode because they cannot find adequate employment. Some of these folks are turning to gig work, desperate for income, only to earn as little as $7 an hour.

Speaker, these are real people who are hurting. Ontario is hurting.

We need a government that truly cares—a government that will truly listen and create real opportunities for meaningful employment so everyone can live with dignity.

Beverage alcohol sales

Mr. Michael Mantha: Speaker, last summer, the Premier announced he was going to spend $225 million to end Ontario’s contract with the Beer Store a year early. At the time, we were told that this quarter of a million dollars was going to ensure that Beer Stores in communities across Ontario would stay open and workers would be protected.

Dennis Barbeiro, a resident of Chapleau, informed me that the Beer Store in their community is scheduled to close. Customers are being told that when cases of certain products run out, they will not be restocked.

A resident wrote to my office stating that now, at the same corner store, that same case of beer cost them 40% more than at the Beer Store.

Across Algoma–Manitoulin, people are gearing up for the Premier’s new alcohol policy to be a disaster. In communities with a Beer Store like Wawa, Little Current, Espanola and Elliot Lake, there is concern that soon those locations will be shuttered and customers will be forced to pay more at another location. Where those stores do end up closing, residents may lose access to the container return program and have nowhere to take their empties.

The Premier billed this massive taxpayer-funded pre-election project as a cost-saving measure for Ontarians. In the north, we know that we aren’t included in that promise. Like so many other policies under this government, northerners will end up paying more for less under this Premier.

Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Speaker, today I rise to highlight an inspiring initiative in our community that is making a tangible difference in the lives of Black youth and young professionals.

Last Sunday, I visited the Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics, located in Etobicoke–Lakeshore, one of over 30 organizations across Ontario supported by our government’s $16.5-million investment in the Black youth action plan’s economic empowerment stream. The college received $600,000 in funding to provide essential upskilling and career placements for Black youth in fields such as medical diagnostics, clinical research and business analytics in the health care sector.

During my visit, I witnessed first-hand their commitment towards equipping nurses and paramedics with the tools and confidence needed to launch meaningful careers in an industry that is so vital to our province. They go above and beyond by offering classes on weekends, giving students the flexibility to study when they have to work on the weekdays. Additionally, they travel to recreational centres to host training sessions around the province, making their programs more accessible to all.

This investment is about more than skills training, it’s about breaking down barriers and empowering the next generation of Black leaders.

Speaker, I want to thank the Canadian College of Healthcare and Pharmaceutics for their extraordinary work and for hosting me last weekend.

Together, we are creating career pathways to success while strengthening our health care system and our economy.

Mississauga Board of Trade

Mr. Deepak Anand: Speaker, recently I had the opportunity to visit organizations like Objex Unlimited, Genpact and First Choice Beverage from Mississauga–Malton. What’s common in these organizations? These companies represent the innovation and the entrepreneurship that define Mississauga’s job-creator community, and these organizations are members of the Mississauga Board of Trade, a cornerstone of support to the residents and business community in Mississauga.

Since its establishment in 1961, MBOT proudly represents over 800 members, including several Fortune 500 companies. As one of Canada’s most influential chambers of commerce, MBOT’s mission is to connect, champion and advance job creators to shine through their commitment to advocacy and diverse programming. These initiatives include professional development, opportunities for networking and support for businesses of all sizes.

I would like to acknowledge the exceptional leadership of Trevor, MBOT’s president and CEO, and Brett McDermott, the director of government relations and stakeholder relationships. Brett’s effort has been instrumental in helping me engage with local businesses in Mississauga–Malton during the summer, strengthening connections and fostering growth.

MBOT’s advocacy extends beyond its members, addressing critical issues like economic development and fostering Ontario’s life sciences strategy. I commend MBOT for its unwavering dedication to economic prosperity and invaluable contributions to Ontario. Keep doing great work.

Introduction of Visitors

M. Guy Bourgouin: J’aimerais vous présenter Linda Godin, directrice, stratégiste et relations gouvernementales; et Michelle Séguin, directrice générale de l’AFO. Bienvenue dans votre Chambre.

M. Stéphane Sarrazin: J’aimerais aussi souhaiter la bienvenue à M me Michelle Séguin, la directrice générale du TFO qui est ici avec nous, et sa collègue, Linda Godin.

Je voulais juste prendre quelques instants pour dire que M me Séguin prendra sa retraite à la fin de son mandat en février, puis j’aimerais la remercier pour le travail incroyable qu’elle a fait auprès de la communauté franco-ontarienne.

Merci pour votre beau travail, madame Séguin.

Mr. David Smith: It is with great pride that I introduce an outstanding young leader from my riding of Scarborough Centre, Dawson Kwan. Dawson, a bright and dedicated student from Buchanan Public School, was selected to serve as a legislative page here this session in the Ontario Legislature. Today is a significant day for Dawson, taking on the prestigious role of page captain, a recognition of high excellency, leadership and commitment.

In addition, I’d like to also acknowledge his proud parents, Kaileigh Kwan and Dave Kwan, who join us today to celebrate. Welcome to your House, and I expect to see you at lunch.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Good morning, colleagues. I am very pleased to rise to introduce into this House friends of the Legislature. They are the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. Joining us this morning is Sandev Purewal, who is the president; Mary-Anne Strong, president-elect; Jay Ralston, vice-president; John Karapita, CEO; and Matt Di Maio, director of public affairs.

Ms. Jess Dixon: It gives me great pleasure to welcome students from Jacob Hespeler high school to the House today, accompanied by their dedicated teachers Kelly Main, Dave Lambert, Ethan Gill, Ashley Pederson and Tom O’Connor. Guys, just remember what I said about question period.

MPP Jill Andrew: I am very proud to welcome Roni Framovitch, one of our community members in St. Paul’s and an avid tenants’ advocate. Welcome to your House, Roni.

Hon. Michael Parsa: I’d like to welcome some very dear friends from Sport Aurora here: John Reich, Stephen Forsey, Alan Dean, Lisa Perron, Wallace Pidgeon, Ron Kellman, Laurie Mueller, Aurora councillor, Ron Weese and former mayor of Aurora, Geoffrey Dawe. Welcome to Queen’s Park, my friends. Thank you so much for everything you do. I look forward to meeting with you after question period.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It gives me great pleasure to welcome students and educators from école secondaire Monseigneur-Bruyère. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I hope you enjoy your visit.

Ms. Patrice Barnes: I just want to take a minute to welcome Pickering High School here from my riding—I know it says “Pickering,” but it really belongs in Ajax—and their teacher, Matthew Thomas.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I had a very informative meeting this morning with the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. I’d like to welcome Sandev Purewal, president; Mary-Anne Strong, president-elect; Jay Ralston, vice-president; and Matt Di Maio, director of public affairs. Welcome to the Legislature.

Hon. Stephen Crawford: Good morning. I’d like to welcome to the Legislature, Ben-Schoeman Geldenhuys from Oakville. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

MPP Jill Andrew: I’d also like to welcome all of the wonderful students from Fairbank Public School—also from St. Paul’s, our community—alongside their caring adults: Cynthia Kaarto, who is revolutionizing music education at Fairbank and, I’d argue, across the province; Idelta Pimentel; and David Rogers. Welcome to your House.

The students are going to be performing today—actually, at 12:15—a whole ton of holiday carols. I welcome any MPP who is interested to come and check out our wonderful vocalists.

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

Ms. Doly Begum: It is an honour to welcome everyone who joined this morning at our press conference. I’d like to welcome: Darrell Boissoneau, Anishinaabe elder and knowledge keeper from Ketegaunseebee, Garden River First Nation; Cassandra Spade, a human rights activist and third-year law student from Mishkeegogamang First Nation; as well as Dr. Jerry Fontaine, Ojibway-Anishinabe, better known as just a guy from Sagkeeng First Nation.

With Nishnawbe Aski Nation, we also have Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum and we have Ryann Okeese, Anishinaabe from Eabametoong First Nation and a NAN staff member.

I also want to acknowledge Angus Chapman and John Cutfeet, who are here today helping with

interpretation and translation—a historic day—and Erika Lougheed, who works with us for outreach.

Meegwetch to everyone for your support today.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Algoma–Manitoulin has informed me he has a point of order he’d like to raise.

Mr. Michael Mantha: On a point of order: I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), an additional five minutes be allotted to the member for Algoma–Manitoulin to speak during private members’ public business today, Bill 221, in the name of the member for Kiiwetinoong.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Mantha is seeking the unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), an additional five minutes be allotted to the member for Algoma–Manitoulin to speak during private members’ public business today, Bill 221, in the name of the member for Kiiwetinoong. Agreed? I heard a no.

And the member for Algoma–Manitoulin has a second point of order he’d like to raise.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I rise again on a point of order. I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today on Bill 221, in the name of the member for Kiiwetinoong.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Mantha is seeking the unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding standing order 100(a)(iv), five minutes be allotted to the independent members as a group to speak during private members’ public business today on Bill 221, in the name of the member for Kiiwetinoong. Agreed? I heard a no.

Question Period

University and college funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. This week, we learned that Sheridan College will have to cut almost a third of their programs because of chronic underfunding from this provincial government. Forty programs at Sheridan will stop new enrolment immediately. They’ll have to lay off 30% of their workers just to keep the lights on. This is going to have a huge impact on communities like Brampton and Mississauga Oakville, but really, all across the province.

Why is it that when it comes to the Premier’s vanity projects, the sky is the limit, but when it comes to our students and future workforce, the government is willing to let them fall through the cracks?

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

Hon. Nolan Quinn: Funding for the post-secondary sector is the highest it has ever been. Earlier this year, we invested $1.3 billion into the sector, and that’s on top of our $5 billion we give the sector annually.

Understanding that there are less international students, there will be a rebalancing. Unfortunately, the federal government did their unilateral decision and pulled back on the international students.

We’ve been hearing crystal clear from industry that they are concerned, but we will stand by our post-secondary institutions and ensure that we have the best world-class post-secondary, as we have for decades. All across Canada, post-secondary institutions are rebalancing their workforce because of the federal government’s decision.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: It’s amazing how it’s always somebody else’s fault with this government, right? Always.

It’s not just Sheridan College. Algonquin, Fleming, Mohawk and St. Lawrence colleges are facing layoffs and program cuts. Ontario is in last place in the entire country when it comes to funding for colleges and universities—last place in the entire country, all because of this government. Last month, Seneca announced it was going to close its Markham campus at the end of the fall term.

Is the Premier concerned at all about the impact that this government’s short-sighted decisions are going to have on Ontario’s future workforce and our economy?

Hon. Nolan Quinn: I want to clarify the Leader of the Opposition’s comments. We’re actually second across Canada when it comes to overall funding for the post-secondary sector. Facts hurt, I know; I understand that.

Speaker, we will continually meet with all of our post-secondary institutions to ensure that we do have the world-class institutions that we know and we understand that we have. We are currently going through strategic mandate agreements that will bring us forward for the next four years and we are meeting with all of our institutions to truly understand their financial stability.

The unilateral decision by the federal government, which is propped up by your federal counterparts—the NDP could have really spoken up and actually done something about it, but they sit back and prop up that government because it’s better for them. Unfortunately, the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t understand that we are second in Canada when it comes to overall funding for our post-secondary institutions.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor.

Final supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: That’s some creative math, right, because Ontario is last in per-student funding. They know perfectly well that that’s the case. Ten Ontario universities are facing massive layoffs and cuts for student programming in the next year. Instead of bolstering our world-class institutions, the government has doubled down this year and slashed funding for post-secondary by $425 million.

We are going to be facing the consequences of this, not just for years but for generations to come. We are still facing the consequences of failed short-term decisions by Liberal governments in health care and education. Now our workforce is in jeopardy because this government is satisfied with being in last place every time.

Why has this Premier given up on Ontario’s future workforce again?

Hon. Nolan Quinn: Only the opposition would look at a $1.3-billion investment and say that we slashed funding. Over the next three years, that $1.3 billion is going to ensure that we get through the uncertainty that the federal government has created upon the post-secondary sector right across Canada. We’re not the only jurisdiction that is rebalancing their workforce. It’s just like in business: If there are less customers, there’s less staffing that’s needed for that.

It’s unfortunate that our federal government did not consult with the provinces or with the stakeholders, including all of our world-class post-secondary institutions. Industry has been clear: Our short-sighted federal government is creating chaos when it’s not needed.

Housing

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaking of being in last place, let’s talk about Ontario’s housing starts, shall we? The lowest since 1955. While the Premier should have been focused on building homes and getting us out of this housing crisis, all we see are distractions, schemes, scandals and RCMP criminal investigations. Housing starts are down almost 20% this year just compared to last year. The government is missing on every single housing target that they set, but it’s Ontarians that are left paying the price: higher rents, skyrocketing home prices.

Does the Premier really think that he can distract people from his total failure on housing?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I said yesterday, we’re at some of the highest levels in recorded history in the province when it comes to purpose-built rentals. That’s because of the hard work of this government to remove obstacles.

But I will acknowledge, as the Leader of the Opposition has said, we are seeing some really big challenges when it comes to the single-family, detached segment of the market. Those are at lower levels than I would like to see them at, but at the same time, the Leader of the Opposition has stood in the way of every single policy that would expand or make it easier to build single-family homes. So I find it kind of ironic that now she’s standing in this place encouraging us to get more single-family, detached homes built. I welcome her and her party to being on the same page that we are. We know that interest rates have an impact on that.

Let me say this to the Leader of the Opposition: I will gladly be bringing forward some additional measures to build more single-family, detached homes in the province of Ontario. I look forward to her support of those measures, and I welcome that support.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, of course we don’t support their policies; they’re terrible and they’re not working.

Even their own fall economic statement showed that they are not serious about getting affordable homes built in the province of Ontario. They’re nowhere near being on track to that target of 1.5 million homes by 2031, and that’s not even if they use their creative math again and pad the numbers with student dorms and long-term-care beds. Projections are worsening every year. It is time for the government to get back in the business of building real housing—permanently affordable housing.

Will the Premier stop playing with people’s lives and start investing in affordable, non-profit and co-op homes.

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: That was very informative from the Leader of the Opposition, wasn’t it, colleagues? They don’t support policies to build more homes. She wants us to believe that the NDP construction company is going to build homes across the province of Ontario. We’ve seen this from the federal Liberals, right? They’re spending over $1 billion to build 2,000 homes in the city of Toronto. That is a measure of failure that only the NDP can put on the table for the people of the province of Ontario.

She doesn’t support our policies? That’s right she doesn’t. She didn’t support the removal of development charges on affordable housing. When I was in Ottawa, community housing told me that the removal of development charges on that segment has led to the construction of more affordable housing units than at any other time over the last decade and a half. She’s against that. When we removed the GST and the HST, she voted against it. When we put in place infrastructure, they voted against it.

I know, Speaker. They vote against every policy to make housing cheaper, to get shovels in the ground faster and to put people in—

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

Final supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, 1955—the worst housing record of any government in Ontario since 1955.

Let’s take a look at this Premier’s record on housing. He rejected the recommendations of his own task force. He cut community housing by 70%. He’s going to miss his housing target by 40,000 new homes this year alone, and his government is nowhere near to reaching the 1.5-million-homes target. This Premier is why people can’t afford to buy the home in the neighbourhood where they want to live, this Premier is why rents are skyrocketing and this Premier is why there are people sleeping in tents in every park in this province.

Why is this Premier so ideologically opposed to building the homes that people need?

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: The reason why we are where we are right now on single-family, detached housing, the reason why we’re building as many homes now as we did in the 1950s is because for 15 years, the Liberals, supported by the NDP, made it almost impossible to build single-family, detached homes in the province of Ontario.

Now, when they were doing that, at no time did they ever think that they had to unlock or unleash the ability to make more homes in those areas where we had infrastructure. Did they remove targets in our urban areas? No. Did they remove obstacles in the urban areas? No. They made it impossible to build single-family, detached homes in communities that needed it. They made it impossible to build homes in the cities in the urban areas of the province, where we had infrastructure. And now, her answer is to have the NDP construction party build homes for people in the province of Ontario at 14 times the cost—

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

The government House leader will come to order. The member for St. Catharines will come to order. The member for Beaches–East York will come to order.

Start the clock. The next question.

ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐤ ᒥᓄ ᒪᒪᐤ ᐏᒋᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ / Indigenous relations and reconciliation

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: ᐅᒪ ᐃᓯᐏᓇᐣ ᐅᐦᐍ ᐅᑭᒪᐏ ᑭᐦᑭᓄᐦᐊᒪᑎᐏᑲᒥᑯᐣ ᐅᑫᓄᐘᐠ ᐘᓂᔑᓂᓄ ᐊᐘᔑᔕᐠ ᑲᑭᔕᐘᐨ

ᑭᔭᐸᐨ ᐱᒥᓭᐘᐣ ᐅᑫᓂᐘᐣ ᐃᓯᓭᐏᓇᐣ. ᐅᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᑲᔭᔭᐱᑕᐃᓭᐠ ᐅᑵᓂᐘᐣ ᑭᒋᓯᓭᐏᓇᐣ ᐁᑿ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑭᓇ ᒥᔑᐣ ᐅᑵᓂᐘᐠ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᐘᐠ ᑭᔭᐸᐨ ᐁᓇᓇᑎᓈᐘᐨ ᐃᑵᓂᐘᐣ ᐁᑿ ᑲᑭᐅᒋᐱᑭᐍᐘᐨ ᐅᐘᑯᒪᑲᓄᐘ.

ᐅᒪ ᑲᑭᔭᑭᐘᐠ 2015 ᒥᐍ ᑌᐯᐏᐣ ᐁᑿ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐍ ᒥᓄᐃᒋᐏᑎᐏᐣ ᓇᓈᑲᒋᒋᑫᐏᐣ ᑭᐸᑭᑎᓂᑲᑌ ᓴᐣᑲᓱᒥᑕ ᓂᐏᐣ ᑐᑕᒧᓇᐣ ᐅᐍ ᐁᑭᑕᑯᓂᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᑵᓄᐘᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᐏᓇᐣ ᒋᒪᒋᑲᓇᐘᐸᑕᒧᐘᐨ.

ᐁᑿ ᓂᑲᑵᒋᒪ ᐅᒪ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪ ᑳᐊᔭᐨ

ᐊᓂᐣ ᐁᑐᑕᐣᐠ ᐊᐦᐊᐍᑎ ᑭᑐᑭᒪᒪᐠ ᐅᐦᐅᐍ ᐊᐦᐸᐣ ᒋᒪᒋᐊᓄᑲᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᐦᐅᐍ ᑭᐍ ᒥᓄᐏᒋᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ ᐅᐍ ᑲᑭᔭᑭᐘᐠ?

ᐅᐦᐅᐍ ᑌᐻᐃᐣ ᐁᑿ ᒥᓇ ᑭᐍᒥᓄᐏᒋᐏᑐᐏᐣ ᐊᓄᑭᐏᐣ ᓇᓇᐠᒋᒋᑫᐏᐣ ᑲᑭᑐᑕᒧᐘᐨ ᐅᒪ ᐁᐃᓇᓀᒥᑕᓇ ᐃᐍ ᑐᑕᒧᐏᐣ ᑭᑭᑎᐸᓂᐠ ᐅᐦᐅᐍ ᐊᐦᐃ ᒋᔭᓊᐱᓇᓂᐘᐠ ᐯᔑᑯᑭᔑᑲ. ᐊᐦᐸᐣ ᒋᓇᓇᑲᒋᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐃᐦᐃᐍ ᐅᐣᒋ ᑌᐻᐏᐣ ᐁᑿ ᒪᓇ ᐃᐍ ᑭᐍᒥᓄᐏᒋᐏᑐᐏᐣ. ᐃᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᒋᒥᑲᐏᑕᐏᑢ ᐅᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᑲᑭ ᐃᔑᓂᔕᐏᑢ ᐃᒪ ᐅᑭᒪᐏ ᐃᓑᑯᓄᑲᒥᑯᐣ. ᐁᑿ ᒥᓇ ᑲᑮᐊ ᐁᑲ ᐃᑵᓂᐘᐠ ᑲᔦ ᒋᒥᑲᐏᑕᐏᑢ ᐁᑿ ᑲᑭᐅᐣᒋ ᐱᑭᐍᐘᐨ.

ᐊᐦᐊᐍ ᒥᓯᐍ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭᒪᐏᐣ ᐅᑭ ᑐᑕᒧᐘᐠ ᒋᔭᓊᐱᓇᓂᐘᐠ ᐁᑿ ᒥᓇ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᐅᑵᐠᓄᐘᐠ ᒥᓯᐍ ᑲᓇᑕ ᐅᑭ ᑭᐱᒋᐘᐠ ᐁᔭᑭᑕᒧᐘᐨ ᐯᔑᑯᑭᔑᑲ ᒋᑭᐱᒋᓇᓄᐘᐠ ᒋᔭᓊᐱᓇᓄᐘᐠ.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Meegwetch.

To reply for the government, the government House leader.

Mr. Steve Clark: Thanks, Speaker, and through you to the member, I know you’re looking forward to debating Bill 221 this afternoon in private members’ business. On behalf of the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation, I know he will be here, and he looks forward to speaking to your bill.

From the outset, our province has led the nation in response to the Indian residential school legacy. To date, as you know, the minister and the ministry has committed almost $92.5 million in funding to establish Indian residential school burial investigation programs, but more importantly, culturally appropriate mental health supports.

I know the government, through the minister, has focused on providing economic resources to First Nations communities that are carrying out this important work as part of the truth and reconciliation report. The ministry and the minister look forward to continuing not only to working with you but working with communities, as we move this forward.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: ᒥᓇᐘ ᓂᑲᑿᑵᒋᒫ ᐊᐦᐊᐍ ᑭᒋᐅᑭᒪ

ᐊᑏ ᐊᐦᐊᐍᑎ ᐏᒋᑲᐸᐏᑕᐣ ᒋᔕᐳᓇᑲᑌᐠ ᐅᐦᐅᐍ ᑲᑭᐅᓇᐘᐣ ᐅᓇᑯᓂᑲᐣ ᓂᔢᒥᑕᓱᒥᓇᓇᐤ ᓂᔑᑕᐣᐯᔑᑯᔕᑊ ᑲᐃᓇᒋᑲᑌᐠ ᐁᑿ ᒍᐏᒋᑲᐸᐏᑕᐅᑵᓂᐘ ᒋᐊᓄᐱᓇᓄᐘᐠ ᐁᑿ ᐅᑵᓂᐊᐠ ᐅᐣᒋ ᐅᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᔭᐦᐊᐠ ᑲᑭ ᐃᓑᑯᓄᐘᐨ ᑲᑭ ᐃᔑᓂᔕᐦᐅᐣᑢ ᐅᑵᓄᐘᐠ ᐊᐘᔑᔕᐠ ᐁᑿ ᐊᐘᔑᒣ ᒋᒥᑲᐏᑌ ᐃᐦᐃᐍ ᑭᔑᑲ. ?

Interjections.

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

The government House leader.

Mr. Steve Clark: As I mentioned, the minister is very eager to speak on behalf of the government this afternoon regarding Bill 221.

But I also know that the minister wanted me to talk about how the government is responding to the Indian residential school legacy. The government’s approach and response is really centred around four key pillars: identification, investigation, protection and commemoration. And one of the fundamental underlying premises that the minister is very concerned about is economic reconciliation. So, on behalf of the minister, we look forward to the debate.

I know that private members’ business is a time where we can put forward ideas for conversation, and I want to thank the member for bringing it up in question period. I know the minister appreciates the ongoing conversation between you and him.

Transportation infrastructure

MPP Zee Hamid: Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Transportation. As communities across Ontario continue to grow, it is critical that we have the necessary infrastructure to support them.

Ontarians remember the legacy of the Liberals: years of inaction, no plan, no result, just excuses.

Speaker, the people of Ontario want results; they want to get things done. They want real action that will reduce gridlock and build for the future. They’re tired of delays, tired of endless traffic and tired of opposition parties that will say no rather than solving problems.

Can the minister please explain how our government is getting it done and tackling gridlock?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington and parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you for the question from the member from Milton. He would know about gridlock. He tells me he has to get up at 5:30 to leave his home in Milton to arrive here. That’s ridiculous.

Speaker, the member, the people of Milton and the people all across this province want to see new infrastructure built, but the Liberals and the NDP just continue to ignore the gridlock crisis. The people of Ontario know that we are the only party that is serious about building for our future. That’s why they re-elected our government with the second-largest majority in Ontario history.

Speaker, our plan invests in new highways such as the Bradford Bypass and the 413, which is going through Milton. Our plan also includes the largest expansion of transit in Canadian history, projects like the new Ontario Line subway and the two-way, all-day GO service will help get cars off our roads.

Speaker, unlike the NDP and the Liberals, we are focused on common-sense solutions to keep Ontario—

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

Supplementary question?

MPP Zee Hamid: Gridlock isn’t just about traffic, it’s about time—time families could spend with each other, time parents could spend at home with their children, time workers could spend earning more for themselves. It’s about small businesses waiting for goods that are stuck in gridlock.

Opposition members talk about helping families, but their actions tell a different story. They oppose projects like building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. These projects will save time and help goods move faster. The Liberals and NDP do not have a plan to fix the problem, just more delays and more excuses, and Ontarians deserve better. They want leadership, they want results and they want a government that will gets things done.

Unlike the opposition, our government is on their side, building a stronger and faster Ontario. Can the minister further explain how our government is making life easier for people of this province?

Mr. Ric Bresee: Again, thank you to the member from Milton.

Gridlock is holding back not just the people on the roads but our economy’s full potential. The reality is that gridlock costs this province’s economy $11 billion a year. That’s why we absolutely have to tackle gridlock to strengthen our economy.

Speaker, projects like the 413 will contribute $350 million to Ontario’s GDP and support over 3,500 jobs every year during construction. The Ontario Line will generate more than $11 billion in economic benefits and support 4,700 good-paying jobs every year during construction. Once complete, that Ontario Line will bring nearly 50,000 jobs within a 45-minute commute to Toronto.

As I’ve said before and have said many times, we are the only party with a plan to tackle gridlock, to create jobs and to keep our economy moving, and we will get it done.

Tenant protection

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Hamilton, like all of Ontario, is struggling with the housing crisis. Sadly, I must share with this House that 80-year-old seniors in Hamilton are facing eviction from their homes with N13s. They’re shocked and in extreme distress. It’s understandable.

This is especially cruel with Christmas just weeks away, but it actually gets worse. The very same landlord who is renovicting these seniors has a YouTube channel with tips on how to renovict people who have been long-term tenants.

Interjections.

Does the Premier agree that when “how to renovict people” is trending on YouTube, it’s time that your government drastically update rental laws to protect seniors in places like Hamilton and across Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And to respond, the Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: As the member knows, there are rules and forums that these things can be challenged. There are significant penalties—significant penalties—for individuals who inappropriately take advantage of tenants. You’ll notice in the red tape bill, Mr. Speaker, continuous change to landlord and tenant rules, how it functions to make it more efficient and make it responsive to people’s needs.

We’ll continue to work with the members opposite on any areas that need work, and we’ll continue to make sure that places are kept up to standard, which is part of what renovations are about. But we will continue to let the independent tribunal board do its job.

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Mr. Speaker, I have to say, that’s cold comfort to these seniors. We know there’s 53,000 backlog cases at that landlord and tenant tribunal. That’s not going to help these seniors before Christmas.

I spoke with some of these seniors, and some of them have been living in these apartments for close to 50 years, and they believed, as we all would, that if they paid their rent on time, they would have a home for the remainder of their lives. But they were wrong.

This government is failing on their basic responsibilities. Renters in this province are clearly not protected. These Hamilton seniors could end up on the street. We’ve seen it happen before; we’re going to see it again. We introduced our Homes Ontario legislation to address the housing crisis in Ontario, but the government voted it down. This government doesn’t even have a concept of a plan. So evidently, evicting 80-year-olds has now become a business in Ontario.

Will the Premier repeal laws that allows seniors on fixed incomes to be cruelly removed from their homes?

Interjections.

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

The Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: I want to correct the record for the member opposite, because we don’t all know there’s 53,000 cases. There are in fact 44,000 cases as of today—

Ms. Sandy Shaw: So much better, so much better.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Interjections.

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

The Attorney General has the floor.

Hon. Doug Downey: I know the concept is hard for some of the members, but there will never be zero cases because there are always some cases in the system.

That means that the backlog is down over 30% from the beginning of this year. We have doubled the number of adjudicators; we have invested a total of $53 million in the Landlord and Tenant Board over the last three years, and the members opposite voted against it at every turn. They get up one day and say that places need to be repaired, and they get up the next day and say we don’t want them repaired because people are in them. It’s very difficult to get a straight answer from the members opposite of what they would actually like us to do with the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Public safety

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is for the Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform. The federal government’s failure to restrict bail access and get tough on crime is making Ontario communities less safe. Cars are stolen from driveways. Families lose their sense of safety. Even worse, serious crimes are being committed by people out on bail. Time and time again, the same offenders are back in court. This isn’t right. People need to know that all levels of government are doing everything they can to keep them safe.

Can the associate minister please share what our government is doing to fight auto theft and keep repeat offenders off our streets?

Hon. Graham McGregor: I want to thank the member for the question. I had the pleasure of being with the police chief for the Durham Regional Police Service, and message one that we heard from them was thank you for the hard work of our PC members for fighting for investments that are helping them keep that community safe.

Violent crime and crime is up across Ontario. One crime that is down in Durham region is auto theft: down 8%, if you listen to the chief’s words, because of this government’s investments to the Preventing Auto Thefts Grant, Project ATTIRE, giving police the tools they need to do their job and keep cars in driveways where they belong.

In order to address the repeat offenders, we’ve invested in hiring more judges, crown prosecutors and support staff to tackle the backlog of criminal cases across Ontario. But despite these efforts that we put forward, one of the messages that we hear from police and from neighbourhoods, from community—a message we continue to deliver—is that the federal Criminal Code is way too lenient and the rights of suspected criminals nowhere near where it needs to be to stand up for victims and hard-working Ontario taxpayers.

That’s why we’ve called on the Liberal government to implement mandatory minimum sentences, restore judicial discretion to impose tough penalties and tighten bail conditions for those committing serious crimes—

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

The supplementary?

Mr. Lorne Coe: Unlike the Liberal members in this House, our government is prioritizing public safety in Ontario and holding the federal government accountable. Thieves are getting bolder and more dangerous in their operations. They’re not just stealing cars, they’re using stolen vehicle identification numbers, or VINs, to commit more serious crimes. This makes it harder for police to track stolen vehicles and makes our communities feel less safe.

Speaker, Ontarians want to see action. They want to know that something is being done to address these crimes, before they happen. Can the associate minister please explain what steps our government is taking to crack down on VIN fraud and hold these criminals accountable.

Hon. Graham McGregor: I appreciate the question. We know auto theft is a lucrative trade for organized crime. The proceeds from auto theft are used to fund gun smuggling, human trafficking, drug trafficking, making communities unsafe all across Canada. The reason organized crime is engaged in this is because it’s lucrative for them. The more of these cars that we find, the more thefts we stop, the less lucrative it will be for organized crime and the more we’ll see crime go down.

We know the majority of vehicles are shipped overseas, but that means there are a minority that are staying here domestically. One of the ways that they do is that through VIN fraud. We have put a bill before the House—

Interjection.

Hon. Graham McGregor: —that I hope the member for Oshawa votes for, since she’s heckling me on the answer. I hope she votes for that measure, because that, if passed, will bring penalties ranging from $50,000 to $75,000 for the first conviction of VIN fraud and $75,000 to $100,000 for subsequent convictions, with the possibility of up to six months in jail.

Speaker, members like to talk a big game. We have a bill before the House. Let’s see them put their money where their mouth is. Stand up for your constituents.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m standing up for my constituents every day, thank you very much. I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

The next question.

Health care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Premier. Premier, I recently met with the Thames Valley Family Health Team. They highlighted that primary care health care staff across Ontario are still being paid at or below 2017 salary rates, and frequently cite that this is the main reason for leaving. This is impacting patient care and increasing reliance on emergency services.

Will the Premier commit to funding Ontario family health teams with the wages they deserve to ensure timely, high-quality primary health care for all?

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

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Of course, every agency negotiates its own separate contracts. But on the subject of primary care, we’re pleased that approximately 90% of all people in the province of Ontario are connected to a primary care provider.

As we all know, part of the vital delivery of primary care involves nurse practitioner-led clinics. Those nurse practitioner-led clinics are obviously staffed by nurse practitioners, who are delivering great client-focused care in a team-based setting. That is a great way to deliver primary care.

This government is committed to continuing delivering primary care in a client-focused setting, in a team-based setting. In fact, we’re expanding that type of primary care in the province of Ontario, and as we continue to do that we’ve engaged Jane Philpott, a recognized expert in the field, to assist us in continuing.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Given that over 129,000 Londoners are currently without a family doctor, we need action now. Primary health care teams tell us that Ontario needs to invest at least $430 million over five years to ensure there are enough fully staffed primary care health teams to connect people to primary care.

Will the Premier guarantee that the upcoming budget will include the necessary investments to address the wage gap and fully staff primary health care teams today?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: In fact, Speaker, we continue to fund primary care health teams across the province of Ontario. One of the finest examples of that is the Thames Valley Family Health Team, which recently received funding to expand its services. They are going to add an additional 7,875 patients to their roster. That’s an additional 7,875 people in the London area that will now have a rostered family health provider, a primary care provider.

That is part of this government’s plan to expand primary care and make sure that as many people as possible receive that care, ideally client-based care and team-based care, which is providing better primary care for people across the province of Ontario, including in the city of London.

Health care

Mrs. Karen McCrimmon: When the Queensway Carleton Hospital was built 50 years ago, it served a population of 100,000. It now serves five times that: 500,000 people. Last month, the Queensway had the third-longest ER wait times in the province.

Also, surrounding communities like Almonte, Arnprior and Carleton Place have all experienced regular ER closures. Delayed ER access can be deadly.

I’ve knocked on thousands of doors in my riding. The people of Kanata–Carleton know that their health care access has seriously deteriorated in the last six years. They’re waiting in ERs. They’re waiting in hallways. They’re waiting for specialists, scans and surgeries.

Speaker, quality health care is the people of Ontario’s number one priority. Why is the Premier keeping them waiting?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Essex and parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Health.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Speaker, I’m pleased to see that the Liberals are finally recognizing the grave error they made when they slashed health care funding. According to the former Liberal Minister of Health, they slashed health care funding to balance the budget. We certainly aren’t going to repeat that Liberal mistake.

We are actually increasing health care funding in the province of Ontario. When this government took office in 2018, the health care budget was $60 billion; it is now $85 billion, for an increase of $25 billion. That is a 41% increase.

That increase assists us in building new hospitals that are being built across the province of Ontario. My favourite example is the one being built in the greater Essex region—which hospital was actually originally proposed by a Liberal government. They reneged on that promise, but then the new Premier of Ontario fulfilled that promise, fulfilling a promise by an original government to actually build a regional hospital in the greater Essex region.

We’re building new hospitals—of course, that’s my favourite example, but there are other examples—across the province of Ontario, and we, of course, are funding that through our expansion of the funding of the public health care system.

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

Mrs. Karen McCrimmon: Speaker, the people of Kanata–Carleton have told me that they’re struggling to access health care. The data clearly shows that over 11,000 people in my riding alone don’t have a family doctor.

In six and a half years, this government hasn’t improved health care; they’ve only made it worse. Emergency room wait times are up. Hallway medicine is up. The number of health care professionals leaving their profession is up.

The underfunding and privatization efforts of this government have made Ontario’s health care system unappealing to the health care workforce. When there are more than 5,000 fully trained doctors not practising in Ontario, you have to ask why. A further 2,300 doctors are expected to retire in the next five years. Action on health care must be a priority.

Why do beer, booze, bike lanes and LCBO bags get instant action, but health care is allowed to worsen year after year?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Once again, I’m glad that the Liberals are finally recognizing the mistakes that they made by decreasing the number of doctors who were being trained in Ontario. We, of course, are reversing that failed policy. We are increasing the number of doctors being trained in Ontario.

In addition to that, we are actually adding new medical schools—a new medical school at York University, and another new medical school—so that we can train more doctors in the province of Ontario.

We’re training more nurses. In fact, since taking office in 2018, we have added approximately 100,000 registered nurses to the province of Ontario, and of course we’re succeeding in that. As we speak right now, there are approximately 30,000 nursing students in our colleges and universities ready to enter the system as a result of this government.

Labour legislation

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Workers are the foundation of Ontario’s economic success. They build our homes, maintain our infrastructure and care for our communities. But for too long, they’ve faced barriers that have stopped them from reaching their full potential.

Since our government was elected in 2018, we’ve taken action to grow Ontario’s workforce, keep costs down for workers and businesses and support the well-being of workers and their families. However, we know that more can be done to support workers and bring even more people into the trades.

Yesterday, the minister introduced our government’s sixth Working for Workers act. Speaker, can the minister explain how this new legislation would support workers, reduce barriers to the skilled trades and build a stronger economy for everyone?

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you to the member for that question. It has been a delight getting to know her out in her riding with operating engineers and inspiring the next generation of young men and women into the trades, along with the member for Oakville. It has been a team effort here on this of this House, and it culminated in Working for Workers, our sixth bill.

I want to highlight two things that we’re doing to put more money back into the pockets of workers. We’ve waived the exam fee—and I want to correct my record from previous days: It’s actually accumulative savings, for apprentices, of $570, an accumulative saving of over $19 million for apprentices.

So we’re doing two things that the previous Liberal government never did: We’re actually building transit, we’re not studying it—we’re actually trying to get shovels in the grounds.

Interjections.

Hon. David Piccini: They laugh because all their friends get rich with the studies.

But we’re going to get workers working in Ontario, we’re going to save them money and we’re going to end Bonnie Crombie’s tax on the trades.

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

Ms. Effie J. Triantafilopoulos: Every worker across Ontario deserves to know that they are safe and supported when they step into their jobs each day. Families rely on the knowledge that their loved ones can access help if they face illness or injury.

Firefighters, in particular, put their health and safety on the line to protect others; they face unique dangers, from fighting fires to handling dangerous materials—their work puts them at risk. These risks can lead to serious long-term health issues like cancer. These brave women and men dedicate their lives to keeping us safe. They deserve strong protections and meaningful support when they need it most.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government’s proposed reforms will enhance safety and support for workers, especially for firefighters?

Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, I want to recognize everybody in this Legislature who has contributed to some meaningful legislation for firefighters, for wildland firefighters. They deserve our support. They deserve support knowing that—because they’re four times more likely to contract an occupational exposure disease like cancer, they deserve to know that they and their families will be supported.

That’s what we’re doing by lowering the required duration of kidney cancer diagnoses’ years of service from 20 to 10—the lowest threshold in Canada—and removing the age cap for colorectal cancer diagnoses. But we’re not stopping there: For episodic illnesses, nobody wears a sign on their shirt that says, “I’m suffering with MS or Crohn’s and colitis.” We’re making sure that we’re aligning with the feds’ EI benefits and proposing 27-week critical illness leave protections to ensure that their jobs are protected as they’re battling these illnesses.

Tenant protection

MPP Jill Andrew: Corporate landlords file almost 90% of above-guideline rent increases while only 0.5% of AGI applications are filed by individuals, yet this government continues to ignore the crisis caused by corporate landlords racing to maximize their profits at the expense of tenants.

My community members at 40 Delisle, represented today by Roni, told me that they were left in overheated, uncooled units during summer renovations. Imagine being treated like that and then getting slapped with an AGI. Imagine being a senior on a fixed income, maybe with a toilet that doesn’t work, being slapped with an AGI.

Speaker, I’ve asked this government for years to ban abusive AGIs. Will this government ban abusive above-guideline rent increases today?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Attorney General.

Hon. Doug Downey: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for a second opportunity to talk about the Landlord and Tenant Board and the independent work that it does. When a landlord wants to propose an above-guideline increase, they have to file an application and they go through a process, so they can be turned down. Absolutely, they can be turned down. That is effectively what the member is asking for, that they be banned, that they be stopped, that they not be allowed.

There are rules and there are reasons why above-guideline increases can be granted, Mr. Speaker. But we’ll leave that to the independent Landlord and Tenant Board to make those determinations, as they have for years.

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

MPP Jill Andrew: It’s not independent; it’s yours.

Back to the government: Premier—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members are reminded to make their comments through the Chair.

MPP Jill Andrew: Speaker, I must emphasize that these aren’t mom-and-pop operations screwing tenants over. In reality, corporate landlords are eating up more and more of the purpose-built rental housing stock. And because this government is failing at their own housing targets and are failing to create real, affordable homes, refusing to bring back rent control and end vacancy decontrol, corporate landlords decide Ontario’s rental prices. They are propped up by this government, and they get to use the AGI loophole. It’s the gift that keeps on giving from this Conservative government to predatory landlords.

Again, my question: We are in an affordability crisis, Speaker. We’re in a housing crisis. When will this government ban AGIs, legislate rent control and end vacancy decontrol? When will they stand up for tenants in St. Paul’s and across our province of Ontario? Today’s the—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. I caution the member on her choice of words.

The Attorney General can reply.

Hon. Doug Downey: As I was saying, the independent Landlord and Tenant board—which is truly independent, the adjudicators make decisions with the evidence put in front of them.

It’s suggested that it’s my Landlord and Tenant Board, Mr. Speaker. It’s the people of Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board and it’s independent.

It does fantastic work, and I look forward to seeing more progress as we reduce the backlog. We’re down over 30% already, Mr. Speaker, and more progress to come.

Public safety

Mr. Vincent Ke: My question is for the Solicitor General. Speaker, the people of Ontario are profoundly troubled by the escalating crime rates. Just last week, our communities were shaken when a stolen BMW was recklessly driven and collided with a TTC vehicle, leaving several innocent people injured. This incident underlines the urgent need for decisive action to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.

Speaker, protecting Ontarians is not just about addressing individual acts of crime but ensuring that our communities remain places where everyone can live, work and travel without fear.

Speaker, can the Solicitor General tell this House what actions this government will take to address this surge in crime and restore safety and confidence in our communities?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I appreciate the question because our inherent right to live safely in our own homes and communities belongs to everyone equally.

Mr. Speaker, let me highlight what our government under Premier Ford has done: $51 million to fight auto theft and fight it hard, $112 million to get those violent and repeat offenders off our streets, $130 million to get new state-of-the-art helicopters for the greater Toronto area police services—Toronto and Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, we brought in a new piece of legislation that the opposition couldn’t—the Community Safety and Policing Act earlier this year, that sets a new standard of public safety. Mr. Speaker, we’ve reimagined the Ontario Police College, doubled what spaces were there when the opposition were in power. Now, 2,080 new people in Ontario will graduate annually to keep us safe.

Mr. Speaker, We are treating public safety across our province with priority morning, noon and night.

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

Mr. Vincent Ke: Car theft and carjackings continue to plague Ontarians, but this is only a part of the larger issue of the rise of violent crimes, including gun violence. According to the Toronto Police Service Public Safety Data Portal, there has been an increase in gun-related theft this year compared to the same period in 2023. Most of these illegal guns are coming in through our borders.

Stolen vehicles ending up overseas and firearms often linked to violent crimes are being smuggled across our borders by organized crime groups. Speaker, can the Solicitor General tell this House what specific measures the Ontario government is taking with the federal government to secure our borders and therefore our communities?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Yesterday, the Premier and myself met with US representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration, joined by the OPP and CBSA. We discussed the urgency of the federal government taking measures at the border to stop illegal guns from coming in, to stop—

Interruption.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask the LPS to remove the protesters from the gallery.

Interruption.

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

Start the clock. The Solicitor General.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Mr. Speaker, we spoke at the meeting yesterday to discuss the urgent need of the federal government taking action immediately to improve inspections at the borders and to have proper resources there, not just because President Trump thinks it’s necessary but because we all know it’s necessary.

Ontarians and Canadians are looking to Premier Ford for leadership. He will lead because the federal government won’t.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Matthew Rae: My question is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Every Ontarian deserves to have access to the services and resources they need to manage their mental health and live fulfilling lives.

Under the previous Liberal government, our health care system was strained and neglected when it came to meeting the rising needs for mental health care in Ontario. In contrast, our government is making sure Ontarians have the resources they need to make a meaningful difference in their lives.

We’ve heard about the new initiatives like the treatment beds and HART hubs. Can the associate minister please tell us how these programs are making a difference for Ontarians struggling with addictions and mental health in Ontario?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member from Perth–Wellington for this very important question.

He is right that addiction is a disease. When someone has a disease, our job is to get them better. We do that by providing evidence-based treatment and recovery services and by promoting healthy and appropriate behaviour. Since we published the Roadmap to Wellnes