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November 4, 2019

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2019-Nov-04 (PDF)

L122 - Mon 4 Nov 2019 / Lun 4 nov 2019

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 4 November 2019 Lundi 4 novembre 2019

Introduction of Visitors

Oral Questions

Long-term care

Long-term care

Education funding

Fire safety

Government appointments

Hospital funding

Ontario economy

Water quality

Military families

Education funding

Skilled trades

Environmental protection

Fur industry

Poverty

Skilled trades

Public health

Nuclear energy

Edward Shaw

Members’ Statements

Tenant protection

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab

Supportive housing

Chatham Coloured All-Stars

Consumer protection

Remembrance Day

Lois James

Affordable housing

Skilled trades

Job creation

Consideration of Bill 124

Introduction of Bills

598968 Ontario Limited Act, 2019

Petitions

Equal opportunity

Fish and wildlife management

Public sector compensation

Taxation

Public sector compensation

Food safety

Long-term care

Food safety

Winter highway maintenance

Infrastructure funding

Climate change

Addiction services

Opposition Day

Hospital funding

Orders of the Day

Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, 2019 / Loi de 2019 pour mieux servir la population et faciliter les affaires

The House met at 1030.

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

Prayers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I wish to acknowledge this territory as a traditional gathering place for many Indigenous nations, most recently the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

This being the first Monday of the month, we are going to sing O Canada. I am going to ask the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to lead us off.

Singing of O Canada.

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

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I wish to introduce two guests from Wellington–Halton Hills who are here today: Dean Broadfoot and Wayne Booth. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I am very proud to welcome a friend and guest from the amazing riding of Humber River–Black Creek: Farooq Ali Khan. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Will Bouma: It’s my pleasure to welcome to the House today Crystal Kuan, mother of page Christian Kuan from my riding. Welcome to our House.

Mr. Michael Mantha: A good friend of mine, along with many of the guests, is from the fur traders’ association. I want to welcome Robin Horwath, and I look forward to talking with you in a very little bit.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: I want to recognize my friend Howard Noseworthy, from North Bay. He’s with the Fur Harvesters Auction.

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: I would like to welcome Talia Bronstein, who is here with the Daily Bread Food Bank. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Deepak Anand: I would like to welcome the proud parents, Zuber Gangat and Zulekhabibi Gangat, along with Zakariyya Gangat and Zaheerah Gangat, the family of my page, Zakiyya Gangat. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: I’d like to introduce Joe Hill, president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario; Eric Schwindt, chair of Ontario Pork; and Judy Dirksen, director for Veal Farmers of Ontario. They’re here as part of the agriculture sustainability coalition, an organization that promotes the economic importance of agriculture and food. They will be hosting a lunch reception in room 228. Everyone is invited.

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I’d like to welcome the family of page captain Madison Booth, who is from my riding of Essex: Julie Love, Michael Booth, Alexandra Booth, Parker Booth, David Love, Brianna Booth and Morgan Love. Welcome to Queen’s Park today.

Mr. Randy Hillier: I’d like to introduce three people to the Legislature today. We have Walt Freeman, who owns a fur farm in my riding, joining us today. As well, Michael McSweeney, from the Cement Association of Canada, is here. Last but not least, a terrific, wonderful constituency employee, Rae Ann Litle, is here. She’s at the royal winter fair showing her horses this week. It’s lovely to have her at Queen’s Park today as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would ask the members to keep their introductions brief and non-political.

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I would like to welcome Suresh Joachim, from Mississauga, founder and creator of World Peace Marathon. Suresh holds 72 Guinness World Records and has run across six continents, 72 countries, and is the number one record-holder in Canada. His campaign aims to raise awareness for poverty, disease and war. He is joined by David Gold. Welcome, Suresh, to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ian Arthur: Well, it’s Queen’s at Queen’s Park day, so it is absolutely my pleasure to introduce, from the greatest post-secondary institution in all the land, Patrick Deane, principal and vice-chancellor; Alex da Silva, the rector; Michael Fraser, vice-principal; Kim Woodhouse, vice-principal; Ann Tierney, vice-provost and dean of student affairs; and Craig Leroux, associate director.

Mr. Daryl Kramp: I’d like to welcome the administration from Lennox and Addington County General Hospital: Wayne Coveyduck and Allan MacGregor.

Ms. Jill Andrew: I’m proud to welcome once again to Queen’s Park Amy, Michael and all the fantastic folks who are here to support autism awareness.

Hon. John Yakabuski: I would like to welcome to Queen’s Park this morning Clifford Meness, who is here with the Ontario Fur Managers Federation. Clifford is also a former chief of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.

Hon. Christine Elliott: I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome the Ontario Association of Radiologists to Queen’s Park. We have association president Dr. Mark Prieditis and executive director Ray Foley with us today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Jim McDonell: I wanted to welcome a good friend of mine, and MP for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, Eric Duncan—highest percentage in Ontario in the last election.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I want to welcome Melanie and Adelaide Minor, and thank them for all the good work they do for SickKids hospital. Welcome.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I’m thrilled to welcome four talented and outstanding Ontario youth to Queen’s Park today, who will be representing Canada at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards on November 20, in Los Angeles, California. This is the first time we have six Ontarians representing Canada. Please join me to welcome Selena Rosatone, Liron Menahem, Alessandra Marianne Paonessa and Carla Sacco to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Lindsey Park: I would like to welcome constituents I have sitting in the east members’ gallery: Mr. Robert Schwirtz and his sister, Petra Schwirtz.

We also have, in the public gallery, Bill Asselstine and Ruben Plaza from St. Marys Cement. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: From Springbrook Fur Farm in St. Agatha, Ontario, I would like to welcome Rob Dietrich and a fourth-generation fur farmer, his son, Matthew Dietrich.

Mr. Mike Harris: The member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington pre-emptively announced some members from my riding who are here today as well: the Dietrichs. I would love to welcome them here to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Ross Romano: I also want to welcome Queen’s University to Queen’s Park here today for question period. To my friend Patrick Deane, the principal and vice-chancellor at Queen’s University, I want to say welcome and thanks again. We had a great breakfast earlier this summer at Morrison’s in Kingston, which I’m told is an institution in Kingston. And to the rest of your team, Alex, Kim, Michael and Ann—welcome to question period and to Queen’s Park.

I also want to invite everyone to the Queen’s reception happening after the proceedings today in room 228, starting at 5 p.m.

Mr. Toby Barrett: I also join members here in welcoming those who work in Ontario’s historic fur industry, and particularly my neighbour up the road, Robert Bollert.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: I would like to welcome Mr. Charlie Lyons in the public gallery. Thank you for joining us.

Oral Questions

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my first question is to the Acting Premier. Last week, Ontario families heard concerning news about the growing wait-lists for long-term care and that the hallway medicine crisis that started under the Liberals is going from bad to worse under the Ford government.

Only 21 new long-term-care beds have actually been created after the Ford government’s first year in office. The Premier claims his government has allocated over 7,500 beds. Can the Acting Premier tell us how many of those beds were announced, but not built, by another government?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I would like to start by thanking the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario for his very thorough report. The report states that between 2011 and 2018, the number of long-term-care beds in Ontario increased by only 0.8% while the over-75-year-old age group grew by 20%. That 0.8% means that they only built 611 beds over that many years, while the seniors population grew by 176,211—many, many, many times more than the beds that were allocated.

Our government, in contrast, is investing $1.75 billion to create 15,000 new beds and redevelop another 15,000 in five years. Additionally, our government has added $72 million this year more than last year. We’ve already got almost 8,000 beds allocated this year so far, 50% of the requirement.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, what I was asking was how many of those beds that they claim they’ve allocated were actually announced and not built by the previous government. The answer is 5,000. Of the 7,500 beds that are proudly being announced by the Ford government, over 5,000 of those beds had been announced before by the previous Liberal government, yet over the last year, only 21 beds appeared.

Under the Liberals and Conservatives, long-term-care beds have been announced and reannounced. Why are they not being built?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I can tell you that for the first time in Ontario’s history, we are prioritizing long-term care and putting our seniors and long-term-care residents and caregivers first.

Our government has been working with the sector to understand their needs, and we are well on our way to the allocations and to meet that 15,000 long-term-care commitment that we made through our government. In fact, the FAO has also said it’s the first meaningful investment in long-term care in many, many years.

We know that we’re heading in the right direction. We’re collaborating with our sector, and we are creating a 21st-century long-term-care system that will put our residents at the centre and treat our residents with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

We are well on our way to creating those beds and creating the capacity that is so long overdue and that our previous Liberal government ignored while the NDP supported it for 15 long years.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, in the last year, over 2,800 seniors joined the list of people waiting for a long-term-care bed, but only 21 beds were created. Instead of addressing the crisis, the Ford government was recycling press conferences.

On October 5 last year, the Ford Conservative MPP for Durham announced 53 new long-term-care beds in Port Perry, the same announcement that her Liberal predecessor made, almost word for word, six months earlier, in April 2018.

The Durham region has some of the longest wait-lists for long-term-care beds. Is the Ford government actually creating new beds, or are they, like the Liberals before them, just reannouncing the same projects while the wait-list continues to grow and grow and grow?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for your remarks. We recognize that Ontario has an aging population. We’ve known this for many, many years, and the previous government ignored it.

We are looking at making sure that we have innovative programs, as well as building capacity. We know that, on average, an approved long-term-care bed takes about 36 months to establish and get to fruition, from the allocation. This is absolutely clear to us, and we’ve been working with the sector to make sure that we streamline processes, reduce red tape and reduce administrative burden to get those beds open.

We’re well on our way to doing that, with almost 8,000 beds allocated. It does take time. It’s not just add water and up pop long-term-care beds. The previous government had 15 years and they ignored it, and you supported them.

We are looking at—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The House will come to order. Restart the clock.

The next question.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Acting Premier. It’s not just happening in Durham. Last October, the Minister of Transportation announced 12 new beds in Keswick, the same 12 beds that had been announced in March by a Liberal MPP.

This July, the Minister of Long-Term Care joined Ford Conservative MPPs in Brampton to announce 40 new beds at the Faith Manor home, but those same beds had also been announced a year before. And on and on it goes.

Of the 7,500 beds the government claims to have allocated, over 5,000 have been allocated before. When will they actually get built?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. We are working actively with our sector to understand their issues. We have addressed the high wage transition fund and the structural compliance fund. We wanted to create certainty for our sector by confirming those allocations, and we’ve actually put money behind them: $1.75 billion for long-term care, 15,000 new beds, 15,000 beds to be redeveloped.

We’re also creating more capacity with innovative programs. The Minister of Health—I’m very pleased to be able to work with her—$155 million more for community care.

People want to stay in their homes longer. They want to stay in their community as long as they can. We’re creating those innovative programs, and building not only capacity in long-term care but also in the community.

We are hard at work creating capacity that the previous government ignored.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s a pretty sad day in Ontario when innovation means actually building the homes that the previous Liberal government didn’t bother to build for 15 years. But while the Liberals and Conservatives re-announce the same beds, the list of seniors waiting for beds keeps growing and growing. The list doubled over seven years of Liberal government, and 2,800 seniors waiting for care joined that list in just this last year. Yet under the Ford government, only 21 new beds have been created. And under the Liberals, the record was even worse: 611 beds over seven years.

Over 40,000 seniors will be waiting for long-term care next year. Is this the best that the government can do?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. Our government takes the issue of long-term-care wait times extremely seriously. That’s why our government is prioritizing 15,000 new beds and redeveloping another 15,000, and is working with our sector to address issues surrounding the alternate-level-of-care—ALC—issues in hospitals. This is an issue that has been building for a long time. Population growth, the aging of our population and the neglect by the previous government—with your support—allowed this to happen.

That means we are working harder than ever to hit the ground running, making sure that our allocations are up and confirming certainty with our sector. We are creating more capacity than ever before over the last 15 years.

We’re doing it. We’re working hard. The previous government neglected this area. We have a lot of catch-up to do. We’re getting this done, in conjunction with other ministries—a government-wide, ministry-wide effort.

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

Final supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, here’s what families see: a crisis in hallway medicine, where hospitals are operating at over 100% capacity; a long-term-care crisis, where an estimated 40,000 seniors will be waiting for a home; and governments, first Liberals and now Conservatives, that have left our hospitals scrambling, announcing and re-announcing the same projects while nothing happens.

Does the Acting Premier think that that’s good enough?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. This year alone, we have allocated 1,814 new beds and reaffirmed our commitment towards building 6,085 previously allocated beds. We are committed to this. We are dedicated to making sure that we catch up to where the previous government dropped the ball. As part of our commitment, we are adding more dollars: $72 million more this year than last year, and another $1.75 billion to get this done.

Our government is prioritizing projects and working with our sector, and we know that we can get to 15,000 beds with the funding, with our commitment—something the previous government ignored, supported by the NDP—1,814 new beds allocated, with our commitment to 15,000 new beds. The previous government, over an entire span of many years, only built about 600, while—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. I will remind the members that the standing orders prohibit interjections. They’re always out of order.

Start the clock. Next question?

Education funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is to the Acting Premier. For months, the Premier insisted, against overwhelming evidence, that his decision to cut classroom funding, to dramatically expand high school class sizes and to cut support for after-school programs wouldn’t hurt kids in the classroom or lead to job loss. Is this government ready to admit that they were wrong?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite. What the government is committed to doing is investing in front-line services to improve student outcomes for the young people of this province. It is why our government undertook an initiative to invest over $700 million, the largest investment ever expended in provincial history in public education in the province of Ontario. It is why, today, we’re moving forth with new initiatives.

The fact that today CUPE ratified a deal with this government shows that we can get deals that keep kids in class. It is that proposal alone that helped ensure parents have the predictability they deserve while knowing that our government will continue to invest in a modernized curriculum, updating our schools and giving every student the ability to reach their full potential.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The fact is, the Ford government is scrambling to run away from damage they caused by their own cuts.

A new independent report confirms what the Financial Accountability Office has already told us: Ontario will be losing 10,000 teaching positions due to the Ford government’s cuts. In Toronto, over 1,000 positions will disappear. In Ottawa, nearly 400 will vanish. But worse, the courses these teachers offered will also vanish, and the quality of our kids’ education will suffer.

If the Ford government is now admitting that their education cuts are hurting students and leading to layoffs, why won’t they simply admit that they got it wrong and reverse tracks?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Our focus, under the leadership of the Premier, is to invest in and defend public education. That’s why we’re investing more than any other government in our history.

But in addition to that public expenditure, it’s also about what we’re doing to modernize our curriculum to ensure it is aligned with our labour market needs. It’s also about ensuring we have positive mental health supports. It is this government—it will be in the report that came out today—that more than doubled our funding allocation to ensure young people have the strength, the resilience and the capacity to go through school knowing that the system will be responsive and proactive to their needs.

It is why our government is investing more than $3.1 billion in special education funding, given the report last week from our autism task force, to ensure that every child knows that they have the dignity and the support to get through school and, ultimately, one day maybe even get the dignity of work.

Mr. Speaker, we’re going to continue to invest in education. We’ve proposed reasonable options to our unions that will help incent them to stay at the table and get them to deal with our government.

Fire safety

Mrs. Robin Martin: My question is to the Solicitor General. Over the weekend, members of the Toronto Fire Services battled an intense, three-alarm fire near Shuter and Mutual Streets. I understand that two of our Toronto Fire Services members were seriously injured due to a fall from the roof of that building. Thankfully, they were quickly rushed to St. Michael’s Hospital but, as of last night, one remains in the intensive care unit and in critical condition.

Can the Solicitor General tell this House about the incredible bravery and selfless service demonstrated by Ontario’s first responders?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Unfortunately, this weekend’s incident is another example of why we have to support and empower our first responders.

To the two injured firefighters: I know that I speak for everyone in this chamber, that we are praying and hoping for a speedy recovery. I am sure they are getting excellent care at St. Mike’s. It really shows how valuable these individuals are who choose to work in our emergency services and as first responders. They put themselves in harm’s way in a very real way every time that fire bell goes off.

To the Toronto Fire Services: I echo Chief Pegg’s sentiments that if those family members, if those colleagues need help, please reach out. This is a challenging time for the service, and I know we’re all thinking of them.

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

Mrs. Robin Martin: Speaker, through you, I’d like to thank the Solicitor General for her touching words about our first responders. I’m sure that everyone in this House is grateful for their tireless work to keep Ontario safe.

Thankfully, in the case of this weekend’s fire in Toronto, the building in question appears to have been abandoned. However, in many cases, that is not always so. Fire poses a very real danger to life, home and property, often coming when we least expect it.

Can the Solicitor General tell this House how our government is strengthening fire protection and what Ontarians can do to keep themselves fire-safe?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence and for her interest in this. It is unfortunately a very strong reminder for all of us to encourage our constituents, our friends and neighbours to make sure that they have a fire safety plan, an escape route, if you may, if the very unfortunate situation happens, if the building that you are working in or living in does have a fire emergency.

Emergency measures do an excellent job educating us, but we also all have a responsibility to make sure that we echo and respond and react, and remind people in our constituencies and in our communities that fire safety plans really, truly can save lives.

Government appointments

Mr. Taras Natyshak: My question is to the Acting Premier. Last week, the government announced that they had established new procedures for vetting government appointments. My question to the Acting Premier is this: Under this new process, will the former PC Party president, who was handed a lucrative job in Dallas, or the former PC campaign tour director, who was handed a lucrative job in Washington, or the former chief of staff of the Premier’s brother, who was handed a lucrative job in Chicago, or the Premier’s family lawyer, whose part-time government appointment nets him $166,000 a year—will any of these appointments be rescinded or even reviewed at any time?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the question from the honourable member.

As was highlighted last week, we are making changes to the public appointments process. The President of the Treasury Board has been working closely with the Public Appointments Secretariat to make sure that appointments are in the best interests of the people of Ontario. We’ve taken a number of the recommendations that the Auditor General has put forward and put them in a more open and transparent process. We’re referring some of these appointments, as we increase the conflict-of-interest screens, to the Integrity Commissioner.

These are good changes that we’re making, but we’ll continue to work on this process because we want to make it better. We want to make it more open. These are people who do a lot of good work for the people of Ontario, and I suspect all members of the House want these people to be doing it in the best interests of the people of Ontario. I appreciate the question.

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

Mr. Taras Natyshak: A simple “no” would have sufficed. That was a long way to get to “no.”

The Premier spent his first year on the job rewarding friends and insiders with lucrative government appointments. He and other Conservative MPPs have blocked efforts to the government agencies committee actually reviewing appointments. If he is even remotely serious about clearing things up, he would make any review of the process public, or better yet, allow an all-party committee, like the government agencies committee, to do a genuine bipartisan review. Will the Premier do this?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I thank the honourable member for the question.

The committee, of course, are masters of their own work process. I know that when the committee meets, the members will bring forward a number of suggestions, and we’re prepared for that.

But when he talks about what the Premier has been doing for the last year, I think we all know what the Premier has been doing for the last year: He has been helping to create the conditions that have created 272,000 jobs in the province of Ontario.

He has been working on a new transit plan to unleash the potential across the entire GTA, where gridlock has been the hallmark of the previous 15 years of Liberal government. We now have a transit plan that will bring real change and get people moving in the province of Ontario.

The Minister of Long-Term Care has highlighted today a number of times that we are also building long-term-care beds. For the first time in 15 years, we’re making progress on long-term-care beds.

The Minister of Finance, of course, has been working very hard to make sure that our budget is in balance, and we’re making great progress on that.

All of the members on this side of the House—

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

Hospital funding

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is for the Minister of Health. Minister, since I last asked you about the redevelopments of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital and Stevenson Memorial Hospital in Alliston, nothing much appears to have happened. The hospitals feel that they’re no further ahead than they were during the 15 years under the Liberals.

The hospitals were told by health ministry bureaucrats to keep planning for their redevelopments but at their own expense and with no approvals in sight. In fact, these same bureaucrats tell the hospitals that they are waiting for political direction. So, Minister, will you please give that political direction today so that we can move forward with these redevelopments?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question.

We have been working both with respect to Stevenson and Collingwood at the Ministry of Health. With respect to Collingwood, we have been working closely with the Collingwood hospital team to review their proposed hospital redevelopment project. We are committed to making investments in this area, because I know they’re very important to the people within your riding. The ministry has provided Collingwood with a $500,000 planning grant to support planning in 2018-19. We are continuing to work with the hospital on the stage one submission and hope to have some more particular news very shortly.

With respect to Stevenson, we are, again, working closely with Stevenson on their project as well. The project is going to expand the emergency department and make key updates to in-patient, surgical and diagnostic services. We expect to provide the hospital with approval of their stage one master plan in the coming days.

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

Mr. Jim Wilson: Back to the minister: That’s great news. Thank you, Minister, for the answer. I just want you to know that it pains me to ask these questions, because I like you so much.

The last time I did ask in this House about the two hospitals, you also mentioned that perhaps you would like to tour, or you might tour, each of the hospitals. I was just wondering if that offer still stands. It would be great for morale and great to help move the redevelopments forward.

Will you please tour the hospitals?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Yes, I would be very happy to. Thank you. I appreciate the offer. I know these hospitals are very important to you and to the people in your communities, and that they are anxious to see things move forward.

I know for all of us, some of these projects seem to take a lot longer to get started than any of us would want, but that is the approval process that is in place within the ministry. That said, we do hope to be able to provide approvals to move forward very shortly in the coming days. I’d like to give you a particular date, but I can say that that is coming very soon.

I hope to be able to tour both hospitals with you very soon. Thank you.

Ontario economy

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: My question is for the outstanding minister responsible for small business and red tape reduction. Minister, some people I’ve spoken to in my community don’t have a clear understanding of what red tape is or why we need to address Ontario’s regulatory problems. Can you tell me why addressing red tape and regulatory burdens is particularly important to Ontario and our future?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you to the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore for his advocacy and leadership on behalf of small businesses across the province.

Mr. Speaker, our open-for-jobs, open-for-business policies, under the leadership of the Premier and the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, have helped create an environment for over 270,000 new jobs in the past 16 months.

Our competitiveness in both the Canadian and global markets has suffered because red tape hurts Ontario’s investment climate. The province has seen report after report, whether it’s the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the University of Toronto’s global Ontario 360 institute or Deloitte’s chief economist this past month, speaking to how Ontario and Canada’s regulatory burden is out of step with other provinces and US states that we compete with for good jobs and higher wages.

Mr. Speaker, Canada ranks 38th in the world on regulatory efficiency. Our government is looking to fix that.

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

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Thank you very much, Minister. We know that Ontario has lost standing and risked our competitiveness because of cumbersome regulations that are ineffective and outdated. Can you tell me why the Better for People, Smarter for Business Act is so important for Colossus on Lakeshore, and Lorenzo’s hair salon in Mississauga–Lakeshore?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Our bill, if passed, will help protect seniors and families from drug shortages and expand access to lower-cost generic drugs. It will help safeguard our environment for future generations by creating strong, clear penalties for environmental violations.

With this new bill, we’re ensuring Ontario’s regulations are targeted, effective and focused while maintaining Ontario’s high standards. Our goal is to make Ontario better for people and smarter for business, and to continue on the path of economic prosperity and growing jobs in Ontario, increasing the number from 270,000 to many more.

Mr. Speaker, under the previous government, we lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs. Building on our open-for-jobs policies will make Ontario more competitive and the economic engine of Canada once again.

Water quality

Mr. Jeff Burch: My question is to the Acting Premier. A new report shows tap water across Canada could have high levels of lead, with potentially dangerous health repercussions. Ontarians are rightly concerned about water quality. The Walkerton disaster shows how precious clean water really is, and our neighbours in Flint, Michigan, know we can’t take our drinking water for granted.

Should Ontarians be worried about the safety of their drinking water supply?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you very much for the question opposite. The member opposite should know that Ontario’s water is in great shape. In fact, 99% of municipal residential drinking water systems met Ontario’s drinking water standards; 95% of schools and children’s centres, with over 87,000 test results, met Ontario’s standard for lead in drinking water.

Our government is committed to continuing to take strong action to protect water and ensure the health and safety of Ontarians.

As noted in the media recently, Ontario has the best reporting structure across the entire country with regard to lead standards. We are going to continue to monitor and ensure that water safety is key in our government’s position. We’ll continue to look forward to working with municipalities to ensure the ongoing systems of clean water continually flow to residents and businesses throughout Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan, supplementary.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: To the Acting Premier: The Toronto Star investigation found that in my community of Thunder Bay, lead in the water is still a problem. Our water is pristine, but the pipes, not so much. Even after treating the water, investigators found high levels of lead in people’s drinking water in over 100 failed tests.

What will this government do to partner with municipalities like Thunder Bay to ensure people have access to safe and clean drinking water?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Again, thanks to the member opposite for that question. I do have to reiterate that 99% of the drinking water tested in the province of Ontario was meeting our standards.

We continue to work with municipalities to ensure that drinking water is clear of lead. We have specific criteria which are defined within the regulation. We do two types of testing in this province: the actual plumbing at homes and businesses and schools, at the site where water comes out of the tap, and also through distribution throughout municipalities, such as taking fire hydrants and testing that water. We can say it’s kind of a backup to the system.

We have put in over $1.4 billion in renovations in our school system. Schools can take the opportunity to replace their water systems if they so please.

We have the green stream, which we have announced through the Ministry of Infrastructure, with the federal government. Municipalities can look to revamping the systems in their municipalities. The hard part for municipalities, though, is actually locating where those lead pipes are within the municipalities. We’re—

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

Military families

Mr. Michael Parsa: My question is for the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. As members of this House know, today marks the beginning of Veterans’ Week. Our government has been clear on the commitment that we have made to providing services and support to active and former members of the Canadian Armed Forces.

As I’m sure all members of this House can appreciate, Canadian Armed Forces members and their families can find it challenging when moving to a new province. Last Veterans’ Week, our government also announced that it will establish a telephone hotline for Canadian Armed Forces members and their families, to help them get information and services more easily when transferring to Ontario. We know that relocation is a major cause of strain for services members, their spouses and their children.

Would the minister provide an update on last year’s military hotline announcement?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Thank you to the great member from Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill for your thoughtful question.

It’s a very thoughtful question, because as we kick off Veterans’ Week, I think it’s fair to say that Ontarians across this province join all of us in this House when we express our gratitude and our thankfulness for the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in our Canadian Armed Forces.

I’d like to share with everyone today that last week, during this same Veterans’ Week, our Premier, along with Minister Smith and Minister Walker, kicked off an extensive consultation with military families to learn what it is like moving across provinces, and how hard it is to get re-established in a community. We really received valuable input, not only through our online surveys, but also with in-depth, one-on-one conversations.

Canadian military heroes and their families told us that getting timely and affordable access to government service was a significant concern. Speaker, today I’m pleased to share with you that we’re acting on those concerns and improving access—

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

Mr. Michael Parsa: Speaker, I want to thank the minister for her response. I know that many service members and their families will appreciate the additional resources that our government has made available to them.

For many military families, especially those relocating to Ontario, busy schedules make it difficult to find a time to access many of the services offered by our government. Even with the new dedicated phone line that connects families with subject matter experts within the Ontario government, it can be difficult for service members and their families to find a time to get a new provincial health card or register their vehicle.

Can the minister tell this House what our government is doing to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces members and their families are able to use the resources available to them in a timely and accessible way?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Again, thank you very much for that question. Our government made a promise to the people of Ontario, as well as to our brave Canadian Armed Forces service members, that we would enable the adoption of digital practices across government to make it easier for accessing the top services through Service Ontario, so that they can easily work through transactions that are involved in moving from community to community.

For military personnel and their families, we’ve established an online portal, ontario.ca/militaryfamilies, for up-to-date information about health care, education and schools, child care, driver and vehicle licensing, as well as job opportunities—because it’s so important to connect those families quickly into their communities.

To Ontarians who prefer accessing government services in person, I’m pleased to say we continue to offer all of our Service Ontario services in person throughout our communities across Ontario.

We’re committed to giving Ontarians great access—

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

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning. My question is to the Acting Premier.

In a matter of months, Ontario’s students will be forced into mandatory online learning courses, but the government still can’t tell us how the program is going to be structured, who’s developing the curriculum or who will teach it. They can’t even share with us another jurisdiction that requires four mandatory online classes to graduate—because there aren’t any.

When pushed at estimates committee to justify this very reckless decision to ram through mandatory online learning, the education minister cited the state of Alabama. Does the Acting Premier believe that Ontarians should be following the lead of Alabama, a state that ranks among the worst in the US when it comes to education?

Hon. Christine Elliott: To the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I thank the member for the question.

Mr. Speaker, what I affirmed at committee, what my predecessor and what we believe today, is that we want to build an online learning platform which is made in Ontario, made for the students of this province, that embraces the ingenuity of the people of this province. I committed to that at committee. I regret that the member opposite was not able to hear that message, but I want to reaffirm it today: Our government is going to move forward with a plan that embraces modern learning, that embraces technological fluidity and that gives our young people the ability to learn new skills, have more course offerings and embrace the technology that exists in a disruptive economy.

This is part of our plan to modernize our education system and to invest in the public education system for the people of this province.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Again to the Acting Premier: Look, Ontarians don’t want a made-in-Ontario online learning model; they don’t want it at all. They don’t want it at all and they are right to be afraid.

Students are no strangers to life online, but they are already reeling from the government’s cuts. They are struggling to make up credits as their courses and their teachers disappear—courses like economics and college physics. Now they are left wondering if they’re going to fall further behind, thanks to this untested e-learning scheme.

Speaker, there is still time to do the right thing. Will the Acting Premier put this reckless decision on ice and stop the cuts to our kids’ classrooms?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: What I also affirmed to the member when I had the benefit of meeting with her over the summer is that—she raised the question of exceptions for children online. I want to make clear for parents in the province, particularly those who have children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, that there will be exceptions built into our program, because I accept the premise that not every child should be learning through e-learning. So we’ve committed to that.

I’ve done it at committee; I’m doing it again today, because I want families to know that we’re going to build a plan that has the flexibility to make sure that every child can get ahead and every child can get the course offerings that they otherwise could not have.

Mr. Speaker, this plan will allow more students to access more courses in the province. Some 60,000 students utilize online learning today, a 17% increase since 2011 year over year. We’re going to build the promise of a made-in-Ontario plan that strengthens the course offerings and gives young people the ability to compete in the global marketplace.

Skilled trades

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: My question is for the minister who is skilling up Ontario, the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. In the first half of 2019, Ontario employers had, on average, 200,000 job openings across all occupations and industries. The construction sector alone had 13,000 of them.

In 2016, 31% of skilled trades journeypeople were age 55 and over. As more and more of these hard-working individuals retire, Ontario needs to attract and train the skilled workers we need for tomorrow. Can the minister please tell us how the government is addressing the issues of building Ontario together?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Thank you to the honourable member from Barrie–Innisfil for that question, and for her being a true champion of the skilled trades and for all young people in Ontario. Thank you for that.

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem on Ontario’s horizon: Our province is facing a shortage of workers in the skilled trades. But the solution is clear: We need to let young people and their parents know that a career in the skilled trades is exciting, fulfilling and great-paying.

I am proud today to kick off National Skilled Trades and Technology Week. Over the coming days, our government will be promoting the rewarding and vibrant career opportunities in the skilled trades. We’re putting the people at the centre of every single decision, and this week they have the opportunity to learn about these many exciting careers.

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

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you, Minister. It’s great to hear our government recognizes that Ontario’s skilled trades are vital to the health and growth of our economy. Just this morning, the President of the Treasury Board, addressing the Barrie chamber, talked to that exact fact. Many people around the table were talking about the need to work together to solve this problem, as we expect that one in five jobs will be in the skilled trades and related professions. This means there are tremendous opportunities available in the skilled trades in this province that are left empty.

People who enter Ontario’s skilled trades choose important careers that lead to secure jobs, rewarding and quality work and quality of life. These are tremendous, driven individuals who help build and boost up our economy. So I’d like the minister to tell us more about all the things that our government is doing to make sure that these people succeed.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Thank you again to the member for that question. Mr. Speaker, today we’re launching a new website: ontario.ca/trades. At this new hub, people can explore the trades and learn how to become a tradesperson. For employers and current tradespeople, they can get help with hiring and learn about changes to the skilled trades and Ontario’s apprenticeship system. We’ve now got a one-stop shop that makes it easier for people to explore career opportunities in the skilled trades and for employers to hire apprentices and tradespeople.

Mr. Speaker, our government is building the workforce Ontario needs. We’re making the province open for business and open for jobs.

Environmental protection

Mr. Ian Arthur: Mr. Speaker, through you to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: Bill 132 is the government’s latest attack on Ontario’s beautiful environment. The bill dramatically cuts fines that polluters would pay for violating environmental protections, lowering those fines from a maximum of $6 million to $200,000. The worst offenders are simply going to factor these insignificant fines into the cost of doing business.

Why is this government claiming that it is doing more to hold polluters accountable when it is actually cutting the penalties producers face?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks for that question. I only wish the member opposite actually read the legislation and really understood it. Perhaps he needs to take a technical briefing.

Right now, only 140 facilities in this province can be fined through monetary penalties. We’re opening it up to 150,000 different facilities in this province. We are adding a new tool. In fact, we’re also changing the rules so that if a company is breaking the rules and making an economic benefit out of breaking the rules, not only will they be fined under this new system; they will be charged for that economic benefit as well; and it can go further to prosecution. We’ve made it much tougher on those businesses.

What we are doing right now—it’s another tool for the environmental officers in the province of Ontario. Not only will they be able to fine with these monetary penalties, but if they need to, they’ll continue with investigation and take it to the court.

Mr. Speaker, we are improving the environmental standards of this province, and we are forcing the people behind it who are being paid—

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

Mr. Ian Arthur: Speaker, through you to the minister: I assure him I have read the bill in great detail.

Again to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks: Environmental protections are not red tape. They are critically important to protecting the health and well-being of all Ontarians. According to Environmental Defence, these proposed changes “will make it easier and cheaper for industry in Ontario to illegally dump sewage in our water, use toxic pesticides and pollute the air.” They warn that reducing the fines polluters will pay “will lead to severe consequences” for both the environment and our health.

Will the minister commit to reversing this callous decision today?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is just wrong and doesn’t really understand the situation going forward.

What is currently happening today, before these AMPs are put out there, is that in only 140 different facilities in this province can an environmental officer lay a monetary charge. Otherwise, there is a huge gap where those people who were violating or causing damage to the environment were going scot-free. They couldn’t be charged. Right now, we’re going to expand it to 150,000 different facilities across this province.

Not only that, but if a company is violating the law and hurting the environment, and they’re gaining some economic benefit, the changes we are making—not only will they have a fine, but they’ll also be charged for the economic benefit they have received, and it can go further to prosecution.

Mr. Speaker, we are strengthening the laws in this province. We are expanding what can be covered. We are making polluters pay. We are going to continue going forward to protect our land, air and water—which is creating a balanced, healthy economy and a healthy environment.

Fur industry

Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry: Today is fur managers day at Queen’s Park, and we’re privileged to have trappers here in the audience. Many members are meeting with them today.

For generations, the trapping and harvesting of fur has been an integral part of our heritage. The industry in Ontario is comprised of thousands of people who contribute both to the economy and to proper wildlife management.

The Ontario Fur Managers Federation represents over 6,000 people who ensure that this important part of our heritage continues to thrive. They are leaders in protecting and managing Ontario’s sensitive and important ecosystem.

Speaker, will the minister please tell this House what measures our government is taking to support those who work in this industry?

Hon. John Yakabuski: I thank the great member from Haldimand–Norfolk for that question.

I want to acknowledge the work being done by the Ontario Fur Managers Federation. Their dedication and passion for the industry are truly inspiring to see. One example of our continued partnership is the training and licensing of trappers in Ontario, which the Fur Managers Federation has the expertise to run and administer. Our government recognizes the value of their first-hand experience and recently renewed their contract to continue administering this program on behalf of our government.

Their efforts in wildlife management have been a tremendous asset in maintaining the rich biodiversity that Ontarians enjoy today. I’m happy to say that I have met with them on a number of occasions, and their understanding of the industry has been of great assistance in my role as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Toby Barrett: Thank you to the minister. I couldn’t agree more that this organization has been doing an excellent job for over 20 years. Ontario has benefited from their hard work. I’m glad to hear of our government’s continued support from MNRF.

Management of predators, such as wolves, is key to protecting moose populations. The volunteers with the Fur Managers Federation have been working to ensure a scientific approach to wildlife management. We need more of this mentality, to ensure experts are given the tools to get the job done and to get the job done properly.

Back to the minister: What actions is he taking to ensure wildlife management is based on science rather than ideology?

Hon. John Yakabuski: Thanks again to the member for his question and also for his tremendous advocacy for many, many years on behalf of the Fur Managers Federation.

The member is absolutely correct, and our government takes this issue very seriously. I’ve been working with the fur managers to ensure they have a seat at the table when it comes to managing Ontario’s ecosystem. We need to continue utilizing their knowledge and to work with them as partners to ensure that this province and its many resources are there to enjoy for future generations.

Conservation in this province must be guided by facts, not ideology. That’s why, as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, I’m committed to ensuring wildlife management decisions will be determined by science, now and into the future.

Poverty

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: My question is for the Acting Premier. Food bank use in Toronto is up 4% over last year. That is twice the population growth—over a million visits in the GTA alone. As Who’s Hungry?, the just-released profile of hunger in Toronto, states, “Hunger is a symptom of poverty. It” is “a public policy issue that cannot be outsourced to charity.”

What is the government going to do about dramatically rising rates of poverty on its watch?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks to the member opposite for the question. It’s a very, very important question for all of our communities, and we’re actually doing quite a bit, Mr. Speaker.

I can tell you that, just last week, I was at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School with the Minister of Health and our Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, where we were talking about reducing red tape for food banks like the Daily Bread Food Bank, who released their report this morning. We appreciate the good work that organizations like the Daily Bread Food Bank are doing in our community, along with many churches and gurdwaras and synagogues and temples, in making sure those most needy in our community are getting fed—and that we’re not burying them in red tape. That was just one announcement.

I can tell you that last week I was at Ontario 360 with the Munk school, hearing their report, and we thanked them for the good work that they’ve been doing. We’re implementing a number of their recommendations as well. You may have read about those in the Toronto Star over the weekend.

I’ll have more to say in the supplementary, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: Poverty costs Ontario between $27 billion and $33 billion a year. It is the result of systems that push people into poverty and make it hard for them to get out. That is why Black families are twice as likely as white ones to experience food insecurity. Unaffordable housing and unavailable mental health supports are also part of those systems. So are the cancelled basic income pilot, a minimum wage that didn’t rise to $15 an hour and unaffordable child care.

When is the government going to take a systems perspective to eradicate poverty? It would be good for the people of Ontario and good for Ontario’s economy.

Hon. Todd Smith: I appreciate that. We have made a significant investment, I can tell you, in the Ontario Child Benefit in the last year—a $31-million increase in the Ontario Child Benefit.

I can tell you that the main thing that we’re doing on this side of the House, though, is to try and lift people out of poverty by getting them into employment, and we’re doing that. There are 900,000 people in Ontario today that are living on one form of social assistance or another: Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program. Many of those individuals want to work, and they have the ability to work. That’s why, with programs like the one that the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development was talking about earlier during question period, we will be able to move people from social assistance into employment.

And I can tell you that we have seen great success in creating jobs in Ontario since this government has taken office, Mr. Speaker. Some 273,000 new jobs have been created in Ontario since we’ve taken office. We’re taking this very—

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

Skilled trades

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: My question is to the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, who leads by example. Speaker, I am very excited that this week is skilled trades week. On this side of the House, we understand the fundamental appreciation for the role that skilled trades play in our society. But we know that despite skilled trades being so important, women only hold 4% of the jobs. This is unacceptable. I think we can all agree in this House that we need to do more to work towards the goal to have more women in skilled trades.

So I ask the minister: Can the minister explain to this House why it’s so important to get more women and more girls into skilled trades?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Barrie–Innisfil for that great question. It’s such an honour for me to rise for the first time as the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Speaker, for such a large sector of our economy, skilled trades need more women. As a woman who grew up in a skilled trades family, I know the value of skilled trades in our province. It provides individuals with lifelong, transferable skills, and is a rewarding experience. We also know in this House that when women in our society and economy succeed, we are all stronger. When we promote women’s full economic participation in all sectors, we support Ontario’s growth and prosperity. I am proud to be part of a government that values women and encourages them to enter into the skilled trades.

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

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you, Minister, for that excellent answer. I know your passion really shows, from the examples and the work that you have done in your file.

Speaker, we all know many women in our lives who have contributed to their communities in the skilled trades. The Premier was in Barrie to visit Brotech Precision CNC in my riding—where it’s women like Crystel Sampson, who is a machinist; it’s women like Cathlena Beaudet, who is a machinist; it’s people and women like Mellissa Cave, who is an inspector; and Krystal Fisher, who is an inspector. If it wasn’t for them, Brotech would not be as successful today, as it will be tomorrow and the next day.

This is an example of how we can get more women into skilled trades and give more women hope, like Abigail Brito, a15-year-old student who is looking to get into the skilled trades, who is at St. Joseph’s high school, but she needs the resources and examples.

So I ask the minister: What more are we doing as a government to lead women into skilled trades?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for your question.

Speaker, one of my priorities as minister is to work with my ministerial colleagues to encourage all Ontarians, but especially women, to get into the skilled trades sector. I was honoured to stand with the Minister of Education, the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development and the member from Niagara West last week, when we announced the expansion of the province’s Specialist High Skills Major program. As my colleague the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development said, we need to get the word out that jobs in skilled trades are stable, fulfilling, exciting and pay good money.

Through commitments like the SHSM program and the 17 projects our government funds that provide employment, pre-employment, pre-apprenticeship and entrepreneurship training for low-income women, we can bring more women into the workforce, into the skilled trades, and increase their earnings. I am so excited to work in this House and with all sectors to get more women into skilled trades.

Public health

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Acting Premier. We recently learned that the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit was forced to lay off nine registered nurses from the healthy families and schools program, a crucial program that provides immunizations to children in schools, support for newborns and maternal care, and education about healthy living. The health unit and the president of ONA Local 8 say that these front-line layoffs are happening because of this Conservative government’s sweeping cut to public health.

Our health care system was left hanging by a thread thanks to consistent underfunding at the hands of the Liberals, but now the Conservatives are dragging us further backwards.

Does the Acting Premier think that cutting public health and firing front-line nurses is good for our children and our communities?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, what we are doing is strengthening our public health system. This is something that goes back several years to comments that were made by the Auditor General in a report in 2017, where she indicated that our public health units were duplicating work, that they were not well coordinated, and that they were having difficulty attracting the trained professionals that they needed to have a strong, healthy unit in each of our locations across the province.

There was a subsequent committee that came forward that recommended a number of things, but also recommended reducing the number of public health units from 35 to a smaller number. We are following up on that because we know it’s important in each geographic area in Ontario to have a strong public health unit that’s going to be able to take up the issues in their area, to make sure that immunization rates are reached, to make sure that students are healthy in schools, and to make sure that our seniors are protected.

This is done to protect people and to strengthen our public health units, which are going to become even more important as we integrate care for patients as a result of our transformation of our health care system.

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

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: To the Acting Premier: Just in case you didn’t hear it, there were nine public health nurses laid off in Windsor, who provide immunization to schoolchildren and who provide care to newborns and to new parents. That is not strengthening health care.

Back to the Acting Premier: The Conservatives have wasted no time cutting the critical public health services that people rely on, yet just recently they hired another special adviser to hold consultations on their plan to overhaul public health and emergency services. Many stakeholders have told us that they haven’t been consulted yet, and it’s unclear why the Premier continues to cut first and consult later. I’m sure the public health nurses in Windsor would have appreciated the opportunity to be consulted before they were laid off.

Why is the Acting Premier holding these consultations if they are already plowing through with plans to cut public health? Again, nine public health nurses in Windsor—that’s a huge blow to our community. That is not providing care to schoolchildren. That is not providing maternal care. That is not providing support for newborns.

Hon. Christine Elliott: It is important to understand the facts. The facts are that we are strengthening our public health care system. In fact, the funding has been maintained for this year. There are no retroactive changes. There are some changes that are happening as of January 1, but we are making sure that there will not be more than a 10% increase for any one public health care unit. So it is something that we are working on. We want to make our system is even stronger than it actually is now.

Nuclear energy

Ms. Lindsey Park: My question is for the Associate Minister of Energy. Our nuclear industry in Ontario is an example for the whole world. It’s energy that’s clean, it’s low-cost, and it’s reliable.

It is also responsible for 60,000 high-paying jobs all across the province—in Durham region at Darlington, in Pickering and also at Bruce Power, which I know the associate minister actually used to work at in the beginning of his career.

Can the minister please tell me what we’re doing as a government to support our nuclear industry?

Hon. Bill Walker: I want to thank the honourable member from Durham for that great question and all the great work she does on behalf of the people of Durham.

The member is absolutely correct. Safety, affordability and reliability are at the core of what Ontarians expect when it comes to our province’s electricity system, expectations that our nuclear producers more than meet.

At a time when global leaders are looking to nuclear energy for innovative solutions, the NDP sadly continues to resist and deny the true benefits of nuclear power. All they have to do, Speaker, is listen to leaders like Bill Gates, who said, “Nuclear is ideal for dealing with climate change, because it is the only carbon-free, scalable energy source that’s available 24 hours a day.” Leaders like Gates understand that nuclear is the most viable option to reduce global carbon emissions while producing safe and reliable energy.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the benefits of investing in nuclear energy, and we will always stand with Ontario’s outstanding nuclear producers.

Edward Shaw

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand there’s a point of order by the member for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Mr. Speaker, I really do appreciate the opportunity to recognize the 84th birthday of my father, Edward Shaw. He couldn’t be here today. I know he’s watching, so happy birthday, Dad.

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

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1145 to 1300.

Members’ Statements

Tenant protection

Ms. Suze Morrison: Today, I rise in the Legislature to highlight the struggle that tenants across this province, especially in my riding of Toronto Centre, are facing to maintain affordable housing.

In particular, I want to congratulate the tenants’ association at 140 Carlton Street, whose hard work paid off last week when they spoke out at the Landlord and Tenant Board and successfully negotiated to reduce an above-the-guideline rent increase.

The Carlton Street tenants’ association’s leadership did an excellent job organizing and educating tenants on how to collectively assert their rights; but Speaker, despite this outcome, the tenants are still facing a significant rent increase. Many of them are still worried about how they’re going to keep a roof over their heads as their rent becomes more and more unaffordable.

Many of them left that Landlord and Tenant Board meeting feeling like the law, as it stands, is imbalanced in favour of the landlord, and they’re not wrong. As a tenant myself and as a representative for tenants, I strongly believe that this needs to change. Tenants should never have to be in this situation. The Landlord and Tenant Board has favoured landlords for far too long.

Housing is a human right, and that includes having safe, reliable housing without the fear of being priced out by predatory landlords whose only concern is their bottom lines. My office and I have been working hard to support tenant associations across Toronto Centre, and I encourage all of my colleagues to do the same in their respective ridings.

The system should be fair and balanced, and the tenants in my riding and across Ontario deserve better.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurpurab

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: This year on November 12, we’re celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji—the founder of Sikhism—in Canada, India and around the world as Guru Nanak Gurpurab.

In his life, Guru Nanak Dev Ji sought to teach us that there is one fundamental barrier that we each must overcome: haumai, literally meaning “I myself.” His is a message that says that we are not individuals who should struggle against one another, but a global community that has a duty to each other to fight division and injustice, and promote harmony, equality and peace. His teachings uphold the key Sikh principle of egalitarianism, which rejects discrimination in any form whatsoever.

Coming from a Sikh family, I am extremely proud of the achievements of generations of activists and campaigners who have come before me, and the visionaries like Guru Nanak Dev Ji who espoused this principle of equality before its time.

I’m sure Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s life and his teachings will continue to be an inspiration for millions of Sikhs and non-Sikhs across the world.

Supportive housing

Mr. Taras Natyshak: I’d like to use my time today to talk about Murchadha House in my riding of Essex. Murchadha House is a not-for-profit charity started by Sandy and Darrin Murphy.

Sandy and Darrin recognized the need for more supportive housing in our region when they realized that their son Joshua could wait as long as two decades for placement into a group home in our region. Sandy and Darrin established the charity and began raising money. In April of this year, they broke ground on their first location, in Cottam. I’m happy to report that soon, Murchadha House will open and provide supportive housing for up to four people and will be operated by Community Living Essex County.

I’d like to recognize Sandy, Darrin and Joshua for their hard work and for stepping up to fill a gap in our community. I also want to thank the corporate and private sponsors who gave so generously to see this project completed.

This is also a challenge to all of my colleagues here in the Legislature. We have an obligation to work every bit as hard as the Murphy family has. We all have a responsibility to ensure that every Ontarian has a safe and secure home. The wait-lists for supportive housing in Ontario are a shame, but we can solve this problem by making better choices and by having priorities that reflect the values of Ontarians.

Two-decades-long wait-lists are not acceptable to families in my riding, and they should not be acceptable to us here at Queen’s Park.

Chatham Coloured All-Stars

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I recently had the pleasure of celebrating the 85th anniversary of the Chatham Coloured All-Stars baseball team. “Coloured” was the predominant term for Black Canadians in the 1930s, and Chatham was home to a vibrant Black community ever since the Underground Railroad had made Chatham one of its end destinations for freed slaves in the 1800s.

In the 1930s, however, there were still many obstacles rooted in racism and bigotry that Black Canadians faced. That is why the story of this baseball team is so momentous. In 1933, they toured the province in exhibition games, then made history by joining the Chatham City League as an official team, becoming part of the Ontario Baseball Amateur Association. They went on to win the OBAA Intermediate B championship in 1934, becoming the first Black team to win a baseball title.

It was great to see relatives of these former all-stars. Among them was Dorothy Wright Wallace, an incredible leader in Chatham with the Chatham–Kent Black Historical Society.

So far, the only Canadian to be inducted into Major League Baseball’s hall of fame is Ferguson Jenkins, as we all know. He must have gotten some of his playing ability from his father, Ferguson Jenkins Sr., who played on this team.

I’ve been privileged to play ball over the years with relatives of members of this very special team.

Thank you to the Sons of Kent brewery for hosting this very well-attended event, and thank you for this time, Mr. Speaker.

Consumer protection

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: A new home is the single largest investment most people will ever make in their lives. New homeowners need to know that the government has their back when it comes to their rights being protected, and that their warranties are honoured. But for 15 long years under the previous Ontario Liberal government, this was simply not the case, and Tarion was left to self-regulate without any real government oversight.

For years, NDP opposition MPPs raised this issue here in the Legislature, but the Liberal government of the time would repeatedly side with Tarion and their developer friends, even ignoring changes recommended by Justice Cunningham to strengthen consumer protection and improve warranties.

Last year, a successful NDP amendment in committee finally granted the Auditor General the authority to audit Tarion and figure out what was really going on. The results of this audit were shocking and revealed a culture at Tarion that appeared to view consumer protection as secondary to the needs of developers, and a corporate structure whose primary goal was to maximize its own profits.

While nearly 10,000 claims by new homeowners were rejected simply for missing convoluted deadlines, Tarion paid its own senior executives up to 60% in salary bonuses. This is so wrong.

This summer, I visited the riding of Orléans and attended a packed meeting of homeowners of the Cardinal Creek Village development, who were outraged about major defects in their new homes and about either delayed or non-existent help in having their claims fulfilled.

None of this, of course, appears in the Ontario Builder Directory, which is supposed to allow consumers to make an informed choice.

The time for action is now. The Auditor General has laid out a number of key recommendations to help fix this broken system. Let’s get it done.

Remembrance Day

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: Next Monday, all over Ontario and across Canada, we will recognize the sacrifice of veterans and their families, from past generations to the present day. In every community in this province, memories of loved ones and memories of the terror of war live on in the hearts of veterans themselves and in their families.

In Don Valley West at 11 o’clock on Monday morning, I will attend a service at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre on Bayview Avenue. The Warrior’s Hall will be filled with men and women who served our country in World War II, in Korea and in theatres of conflict around the world. They will be accompanied by their daughters and sons, grandchildren, their wives and husbands and friends. They’ll be joined by fine caregivers, medical staff and hard-working Sunnybrook volunteers. All of us will be there to recognize what veterans have done for us and to offer our respect and gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, my own personal experience with Sunnybrook is that of a little girl visiting her grandpa; he was there. He moved within five minutes of Sunnybrook hospital in 1952 because he’d been gassed in the Battle of the Somme, and he went there to have his lungs cleared. I can still remember the deep, rattling, scary cough from Charlie Wynne. What I know is that Charlie would not have lived that long without Sunnybrook. He died at the age of 77.

Sunnybrook is many things now. It’s a provincial centre of excellence in many aspects of health care. But Sunnybrook began as a place for soldiers to heal, and on November 11, every year, we feel that acutely and are grateful.

Lois James

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: I want to take this opportunity to pay homage to the late Lois James, who recently passed away at the age of 95. She was a passionate fighter for the preservation of Ontario’s biodiversity, nature and environment.

For over half a century, she championed the cause of conservation, founded and led the Save the Rouge Valley System campaign, and fought for environmental and social justice issues. Her work inspired those around her and generations of young people. In 2003, her lifetime of achievement was recognized when she became a member of the Order of Canada. She’s lovingly known as the “Mother of the Rouge,” and her work helped establish Canada’s first national urban park, the Rouge Park, from which my riding takes its name. The Rouge National Urban Park is a testament to her passion, and her legacy still continues to inspire those who desire a better country.

Although she has passed on the torch to the next generation, the work she started has only just begun.

Lois, you will be dearly missed.

Affordable housing

Ms. Peggy Sattler: London is facing one of the worst housing crises we have ever seen. A record-high real estate market is putting new homes out of reach of many first-time buyers, increasing pressure on already limited rental stock. Condo conversions are taking affordable units out of the rental market. Social assistance rates are woefully inadequate to cover market rents, and the failure of both Liberal and Conservative governments to invest in social housing has left London public housing with a $230-million repair backlog.

The lack of supply means that women fleeing domestic violence are staying in shelter longer. Last year, women were turned away from Anova emergency shelter more than 2,500 times. It means almost 5,000 London families on the wait-list for rent-geared-to-income units, an estimated 1,000 Londoners without a place to call home, and thousands more on the brink of homelessness.

I want to commend the efforts of the city of London to address this crisis by holding its first-ever Housing Stability Week. In just five days last week, 70 families facing homelessness were housed and 550 people were provided with immediate supports. I’m proud of the way the city, community partners and private landlords worked together on this unique rapid-response approach. But there is only so much locally we can do. When will this Conservative government step up and provide the leadership and funding for affordable housing that Londoners so desperately need?

Skilled trades

Mr. Lorne Coe: Today is the start of National Skilled Trades and Technology Week. During this week and beyond, the government will continue to modernize skilled trades and apprenticeships in Ontario.

The skilled trades play an important role in making Ontario open for business. Yet, when we formed government, Ontario lagged behind other jurisdictions in apprentice regulations. The Ontario College of Trades contributed to a backlog in the system and created unnecessary red tape for skilled trades employment. The college did not have stakeholder buy-in, it lacked enforcement, and concerns were raised about its excessive membership fees. That’s why the government is winding down the Ontario College of Trades. Renewal fees for apprentices have been eliminated and fees for journeypersons have been reduced by 50%.

It’s time, Speaker, for a system that puts people first. By breaking down the barriers to skilled trades, we are helping young people tap into good, well-paying jobs. We’re building Ontario together.

Job creation

Ms. Donna Skelly: With the recent announcement of the $100-million expansion of DHL Express at Hamilton International Airport, I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the other investments being made and why I believe they indicate our province is on the right economic track.

Earlier this year, KF Aerospace, Canada’s largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility, announced a $30-million investment, also at Hamilton International Airport. This will nearly triple its current workforce, from 150 to 425 employees, and expand its commercial maintenance and repair facility as part of a four-year plan. Moreover, KF Aerospace has partnered with Mohawk College, which will give students access to highly skilled and well-paying jobs.

This approach is also being taken by the Liburdi Group, a leader in the nuclear energy field, which recently moved its Hamilton operation into a new 40,000-square-foot facility.

Mr. Speaker, it doesn’t stop there. Stryker Corp. and L3 Wescam, large companies that require highly skilled workforces, have both, this year, announced they are expanding and moving into larger state-of-the-art facilities in my riding of Flamborough–Glanbrook.

This all speaks to our government’s multi-pronged approach to ensuring our post-secondary institutions offer programs that will fit the jobs of the future, and that businesses see Ontario as an attractive place to invest and grow. Mr. Speaker, this positive economic growth in my hometown of Hamilton is just more evidence that our government is creating jobs, cutting red tape and making sure Ontario is open for business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes the time we have this afternoon for members’ statements.

Consideration of Bill 124

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins has informed me he has a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Yes, Mr. Speaker. I believe we have unanimous consent amongst the parties to be able to move a motion without debate in regard to the time allocation motion on Bill 124.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins is seeking unanimous consent of the House to move a motion without notice with respect to time allocation of Bill 124. Did I get that right?

Agreed? Agreed.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I move that, notwithstanding the order of the House dated October 31, 2019, relating to the allocation of time on Bill 124,

An Act to implement moderation measures in respect of compensation in Ontario’s public sector, the Standing Committee on General Government be authorized to meet until 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2019.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Bisson has moved that, notwithstanding the order of the House dated October 31, 2019, relating to the allocation of time on Bill 124,

An Act to implement moderation measures in respect of compensation in Ontario’s public sector, the Standing Committee on General Government be authorized to meet until 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 4, 2019.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

Introduction of Bills

598968 Ontario Limited Act, 2019

Ms. Sattler moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr11,

An Act to revive 598968 Ontario Limited.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 86, this bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

Petitions

Equal opportunity

Ms. Peggy Sattler: This is a petition to the Ontario Legislative Assembly called “Don’t Take Away Social and Economic Rights for Women and Marginalized People,” and it reads:

“Whereas Bill 47 erased many of the legislative gains achieved through Bill 148, the fairer labour laws and working conditions that had a particularly positive impact on women and marginalized people;

“Whereas statistics show that women, particularly women of colour, are most likely to be employed in precarious work, and the Bill 47 amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and Labour Relations Act, 1995 create conditions that lead to a growth in precarious employment while also eliminating protections for millions of Ontario workers;

“Whereas Bill 66 further erodes women’s and marginalized people’s social and economic rights; and

“Whereas the Ford government continues to remove, cancel or freeze funding for other supports, programs and regulations that would increase women’s equality in the workforce and beyond;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to, at the very least:

“—reinstate paid sick days, the scheduled increase to a $15 minimum wage, legislation to increase pay transparency, regulations that support equal pay for equal work, and all other worker protections gained under the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act;

“—reverse changes to daycare regulations that allow more children per caregiver;

“—reverse the retroactive cuts to funding for the Ontario College of Midwives;

“—reinstate funding increases to sexual assault centres;

“—restore the round table on violence against women; and

“—restore the child and youth advocate commissioner’s office.”

I fully support this petition, affix my signature and I’ll give it to page Nathan to take to the table.

Fish and wildlife management

Mr. Dave Smith: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the ban on hunting and trapping in sections of Ontario to protect the eastern hybrid wolf was put in place without regard for the overall ecosystem;

“Whereas this ban has adversely affected the ability of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), hunters and trappers to properly manage animal populations and Ontario’s ecosystem; and

“Whereas this ban is no longer needed and is in fact causing more damage to Ontario’s ecosystem and increasing unnecessary encounters between wildlife and Ontarians;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry immediately lift the ban on hunting and trapping set in place to protect the eastern hybrid wolf.”

I agree with this petition, will sign it and give it to page Olivia.

Public sector compensation

Ms. Suze Morrison: I have a petition here from CUPE.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the” Conservative government’s “cuts represent an all-out attack on municipalities, health care, schools, universities and social services; and

“Whereas the” Conservative government’s “cuts are harming families, children and the most vulnerable across Ontario, making the services we all rely on less accessible and accountable; and

“Whereas Bill 124 will strip workers of their charter-protected right to free collective bargaining; and

“Whereas Bill 124 will force front-line public sector workers to accept contracts below inflation, compounding cuts that make the delivery of services more difficult;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the government of Ontario stop dismantling our social infrastructure, properly fund our public services, withdraw Bill 124, and support communities, not cuts.”

I fully endorse this petition. I will be affixing my signature to it and providing it to page Owen to deliver to the Clerks.

Taxation

Mr. Will Bouma: This petition is entitled “A Carbon Tax is Not the Only Way to Fight Climate Change.

“Stop Justin Trudeau’s Carbon Tax.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government for the people was elected on a mandate to make life more affordable for Ontarians; and

“Whereas the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan is currently working to reduce targets by the previously agreed upon Paris accord targets without a carbon tax; and

“Whereas Ontario is the only province that is meeting the goals of the 30% reduction rates agreed to in the Paris accord; and

“Whereas the seniors, workers, families and small businesses of Ontario cannot afford another tax burden on every purchase they make;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Fight the federally imposed Justin Trudeau carbon tax with every tool at the government’s disposal.”

Mr. Speaker, I completely endorse this petition, will be placing my signature on it and giving it to page Mackenzie.

Public sector compensation

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I’m going to be reading a petition from CUPE.

“Whereas ... Conservatives’ cuts represent an all-out attack on municipalities, health care, schools, universities and social services; and

“Whereas the ... Conservatives’ cuts are harming families, children and the most vulnerable across Ontario, making the services we all rely on less accessible and accountable; and

“Whereas Bill 124 will strip workers of their charter-protected right to free collective bargaining; and

“Whereas Bill 124 will force front-line public sector workers to accept contracts below inflation, compounding cuts that make the delivery of services more difficult;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“That the government of Ontario stop dismantling our social infrastructure, properly fund our public services, withdraw Bill 124, and support communities, not cuts.”

Speaker, I support this petition, will be signing it and will be giving it to our page Bernat.

Food safety

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontario regulation 493/17

part III,

section 14, states that ‘every room where food is prepared, processed, packaged, served, transported, manufactured, handled, sold, offered for sale or displayed shall be kept free from live birds or animals’; and

“Whereas low-risk food premises serving only beverages and/or only prepackaged or non-hazardous foods have for many years in this province allowed customers to be accompanied by their pet dogs for their convenience and social benefit; and

“Whereas the decision whether or not to allow dogs on site should be driven by the business needs of such premises, so long as sanitary and safe conditions are upheld;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to create an exception to Ontario regulation 493/17

part III,

section 14, for low-risk food premises serving only prepackaged or non-hazardous foods, for the benefit of all Ontario pet owners and the businesses that serve them.”

I affix my name to this petition and hand it to page Alisha.

Long-term care

Ms. Catherine Fife: This petition is entitled “Time to Care.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas quality care for the 78,000 residents of (LTC) homes is a priority for many Ontario families; and

“Whereas the provincial government does not provide adequate funding to ensure care and staffing levels in LTC homes to keep pace with residents’ increasing acuity and the growing number of residents with complex behaviours; and

“Whereas several Ontario coroner’s inquests into LTC homes deaths have recommended an increase in direct hands-on care for residents and staffing levels, and the most reputable studies on this topic recommend 4.1 hours of direct care per day;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To amend the LTC Homes Act (2007) for a legislated minimum care standard of four hours per resident per day, adjusted for acuity level and case mix.”

It’s my pleasure to affix my signature to this petition and give it to page Neil.

Food safety

Ms. Donna Skelly: This petition: “Whereas Ontario regulation 493/17

part III,

section 14, states that ‘every room where food is prepared, processed, packaged, served, transported, manufactured, handled, sold, offered for sale or displayed shall be kept free from live birds or animals’; and

“Whereas low-risk food premises serving only beverages and/or only prepackaged or non-hazardous foods have for many years in this province allowed customers to be accompanied by their pet dogs for their convenience and social benefit; and

“Whereas the decision whether or not to allow dogs on site should be driven by the business needs of such premises, so long as sanitary and safe conditions are upheld;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to create an exception to Ontario regulation 493/17

part III,

section 14, for low-risk food premises serving only prepackaged or non-hazardous foods, for the benefit of all Ontario pet owners and the businesses that serve them.”

I will sign it, Mr. Speaker, and give it to page Ella.

Winter highway maintenance

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: J’ai une pétition intitulée « Improve Winter Road Maintenance on Northern Highways ».

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Highways 11 and 17 play a critical role in the development and prosperity of northern Ontario;

“Whereas the former Liberal government introduced private winter maintenance contracts, and the current Conservative government has failed to improve winter road conditions in northern Ontario;

“Whereas injuries and fatalities are twice more likely to occur on northern highway than on a highway in southern Ontario, per capita;

“Whereas current Ministry of Transportation classification for winter highway maintenance negatively impacts the safety of drivers of northern highways.

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:

“Classify all 400-series highways, the QEW highway and Highways 11 and 17 as class 1 highways;

“Require that the pavement on class 1 highways be bare of snow within eight hours of the end of a snowfall.”

J’endorse cette pétition, et je la signe. Je donne la pétition à Zakiyya.

Infrastructure funding

Mr. Billy Pang: This petition is about public and private infrastructure initiatives.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the past 15 years of provincial mismanagement has resulted in outdated and dilapidated infrastructure across Ontario;

“Whereas the costs of maintaining such infrastructure will be a significant and preventable burden for future Ontarians;

“Whereas current infrastructure is not adequate to efficiently facilitate the movement of goods and individuals across the province;

“Whereas the government has already committed to funding and facilitating Ontario’s largest P3 pipeline infrastructure projects, worth $65 billion, and are driving economic growth and development in Ontario;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To call on the Ontario government to continue to support public and private infrastructure initiatives that will tangibly improve logistical capacity and facilitate travel in Ontario.”

I affix my name to this petition and submit it through page Elizabeth.

Climate change

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I rise to table this petition, and I want to thank the residents of York South–Weston who support the Green New Democratic Deal.

“Whereas Doug Ford is going in the wrong direction on the environment by ignoring our climate emergency and cutting funding to deal with the climate crisis;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to urge the government of Ontario to implement the Green New Democratic Deal to:

“—achieve net zero emissions by 2050, starting by cutting emissions 50% by 2030;

“—create more than a million new jobs;

“—add billions of dollars to Ontario’s economy;

“—embark on the largest building retrofit program in the world by providing homeowners with rebates, interest-free loans and support to retrofit their homes to realize net zero emissions.”

I fully support this petition. I’ll be affixing my signature to it and providing it to page Bernat to deliver to the table.

Addiction services

Mr. Dave Smith: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas currently Peterborough city and county has seen a major increase in the amount of opioid-related overdoses, poisonings, and deaths;

“Whereas in Ontario and across the country it has been deemed that there is a current opioid crisis; and

“Whereas Peterborough currently does not have a consumption and treatment site to help in the reduction of overdoses and deaths in the area;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Work to put forward an application for a treatment and consumption services site to follow the mandatory services, such as:

“

a) supervised drug consumption (injection, intranasal, oral) and overdose prevention services;

“

b) on-site or defined pathways to addiction treatment services;

“

c) on-site or defined pathways to wraparound services: primary care, mental health, housing, other social supports;

“

d) provide proper harm reduction services such as education, first aid/wound care, distribution and safe disposal of needles, and provision of naloxone and oxygen;

“

e) removal of any discarded harm reduction supplies around the consumption and treatment area;

“

f) support ongoing discussions to address local community and neighbourhood concerns on an ongoing basis.”

I have another 50 signatures to give in today. I’ll hand them to page Nathan.

Opposition Day

Hospital funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I move the following opposition day motion:

Whereas the previous Liberal government left Ontario hospitals underfunded and unable to meet patient demand; and

Whereas the current Conservative government has continued with these policies; and

Whereas communities such as Brampton are struggling with long hospital waits and hospitals that are routinely operating well over capacity; and

Whereas the Peel Memorial Centre has been overcrowded, to the extent that for every 100 patients it is funded to see, 500 have walked in the door needing care;

Therefore the Legislative Assembly calls on the government of Ontario to ensure that the fall economic statement provides hospitals across the province with funding that reflects patient need, and allocates necessary funding for the immediate phase II expansion of Peel Memorial Centre, as well as the necessary funding for the immediate construction of a new hospital in Brampton.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Horwath has moved opposition day number 1. I look to the Leader of the Opposition to lead off the debate.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s certainly an honour to rise this afternoon to speak to this motion, but I can tell you, I would much rather not have to do so.

We fought for years to try to get the Liberals to do the right thing by Brampton. Of course, people might remember that when the one Brampton hospital that exists came online, it was a P3 construct. It was the Conservative government of the day that put that together, and we ended up, of course, spending way more money than we should have, as a province, for that hospital and ended up shorting the community by about 100 beds or so. So here we are now, a decade and a half later, and the people of Brampton still do not have their health care needs being taken care of—particularly a lack of opportunity to get the kind of care that they deserve in the hospital system.

Last week, the NDP shared some pretty alarming numbers that we obtained through a freedom-of-information request. Those numbers show that from July 2018 to June 2019, the Peel Memorial urgent care centre in Brampton was over capacity. “Over capacity” means they’re operating with more patients than what it’s funded to operate for. In fact, the overcapacity ranged from 557% more than they had the funding for to 587%. That is pretty serious stuff, Speaker.

That means that for every 100 patients who walked in the door of Peel Memorial that the facility actually had the funding to be able to provide services for, more than 500 more walked in the door needing care but there was no funding for that care.

Of course, the wonderful front-line staff who work at Peel Memorial did everything they could and still, to this moment, are doing everything they can, as the front-line workers at Brampton Civic Hospital are doing everything they can to try to provide service to the people of Brampton. But we’ve seen a Liberal government that failed the fastest-growing community in Ontario, frankly—probably in Canada. The Liberals failed them for years and years on end.

Now we’re well into the Conservative term of government, and again, we’re not hearing anything about their commitment to relieve the pressure in Brampton and provide the good people of Brampton the kind of health care system that they deserve, like every other Ontarian deserves.

The fact that Peel Memorial Centre was at 587% capacity in and of itself is pretty alarming, but the numbers also show that while that was happening, Brampton Civic Hospital and Etobicoke General Hospital have also been over 100% capacity for each and every month. Just to put that into context, the internationally agreed-upon standard for hospital capacity—in other words, what does the international community see as being the amount of occupancy that creates a safe environment for patients and workers in hospitals? Our Ministry of Health has signed on to the same international standard. That standard is 85%.

So when the standard is 85% for safe operation of a hospital for patients and staff, and we have hospitals routinely in our province operating at 100% capacity or greater, we know that we’re in a big crisis. Everybody realizes that the Liberals left hospitals hanging by a string, our health care system hanging by string, but unfortunately this new government, although they like to talk a good game, are not doing what they need to do to start to fix the problem in our hospitals.

What that means for Brampton families, in particular, is that families will go to the emergency ward with a child perhaps who is in pain and crying, and that child and parent will sit in the emergency waiting room for hours and hours on end. That means that patients in Brampton Civic might be left on a gurney in a hallway for literally days.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Brampton hospital a number of times now—at least three, perhaps more—and each and every time I’ve visited, two things have really concerned me: one in a negative way, and maybe the other one is not a concern so much as a realization of the caring work that gets done there. But the thing that’s concerning is just the amount of people in that hospital looking for care: gurney upon gurney upon gurney, emergency rooms overflowing, people desperate for help, people who tell stories about the fact that they can’t get the services they need.

I’ve talked to parents and other family members in Brampton who have told me that they have chosen to drive further distances to hospitals that take them 20 minutes more to get there, just because they’re worried that if they went to Brampton, to their own hospital, they wouldn’t get the services their loved ones needed.

But by the same token, we see that hospital staffed by heroes—literally heroes, Speaker, people who go into work each and every day knowing how stressful it’s going to be, knowing the strain that’s going to be upon them and their colleagues to try to meet the needs of the good people of Brampton.

I can tell you, every time I have visited that hospital, I have been nothing less than impressed by the dedication and the commitment of those workers, who are not getting any help from the provincial government, either now under the Ford Conservatives or before under the Wynne Liberals, when it comes to alleviating that pressure and giving them the opportunity to provide the kind of services, frankly, that they want to provide, which is another big problem that I hear about often across the province.

Our front-line workers in hospitals—and in other health care facilities, but hospitals particularly—are doing their best, but they leave work stressed to the max because they just cannot put out the amount of effort they need to put out because it’s not human to do so. They go to inhuman lengths to do what they have to do already, and some of those folks leave work each and every day just completely stressed out from their inability to do what they know they should be doing and what they really want to do in terms of provision of quality of care.

Look, when those folks are in hospital hallways and when they are sitting in emergency rooms, waiting to be admitted into hospital, they can sit there, as I said, for hours or days. And what happens? You sit either in a chair or on the side of a gurney or lie down on a stretcher, and people are walking by you morning, noon and night. There’s all kinds of activity going on. There are bright lights. There’s all kinds of noises. So it’s not really the kind of place you want to be if you’re really sick. But, of course, that’s why you’re there: because you’re really sick.

So those hallways and those emergency wards are not the optimal place to be housing patients in the first place, but they are there and they don’t have the quality of care that they should have. They have no call bells for nurses. They have no easy access to a private place to use the washroom. Often their medical situation and their state of being at any given time is being described to one health care professional or another for everyone to hear, so there’s a complete lack of privacy in terms of their condition and their prognosis, what might be happening in terms of their stay in the hospital.

On top of all of that, there’s no dignity to that. I mean, if you don’t have any privacy, you also don’t have any dignity. You’re basically sitting on a stretcher in a space while the world goes by, and people can quite obviously have a look and see how you’re doing.

I heard horror stories of people having dressings changed behind makeshift curtains that other people are holding up in hallways. That wasn’t in Brampto; that happened to be in London, but, nonetheless, this a horrifying situation for people in Ontario, and it’s because the Liberal government underfunded hospitals for years. Unfortunately, the same track that the Liberals were on is the track that the Conservatives have jumped on as well. They’re chronically underfunding hospitals, and, in the case of Brampton, what the people of Brampton have been having to deal with for years and years now is beyond the pale.

What we do know as well is that there is a way to make this stop, that we can take the kind of action that will make this untenable situation end in Brampton. It is quite clear that hallway medicine was where the Liberals left us after years of underfunding. Hallway medicine is what we have now, and that hallway medicine comes from frozen budgets, as I’ve already mentioned, and from underfunding our health care system.

But 15 years they were in office, the Liberals—15 years—and Brampton was growing during that time, growing by leaps and bound, and continues to grow today, and all that time the Liberals insisted that a singular hospital was all that was needed for Brampton. They turned their backs, frankly, on the people of Brampton. After 15 long years in charge, they left our health care system, as I said, hanging by a thread, with hallway medicine as something that they’ve left the rest of us now to deal with.

The crisis was raging when the Liberals were voted out of office, and the crisis continues to rage with the Ford government in office. Premier Ford, of course, famously claimed—maybe infamously claimed—about a year ago that he would end hallway medicine by next summer. But it looks like once again he was just talking out of his hat, because that is absolutely not going to happen. In fact, what this government is doing is taking hallway medicine from bad to worse. That is something that I think everybody in this province is worried about.

The Premier isn’t giving hospitals enough funding to keep up with rising costs, and his government’s first budget sets the stage for health care spending to plunge by $2.7 billion over the next two years. Now, you’re going to hear through the course of this debate, Speaker, I’m sure, Conservatives get up and say, “No, it isn’t so.” But what we’re talking about is the evidence provided by the Financial Accountability Officer, an independent officer of the Legislature, who pegs the shorting of our health care system by $2.7 billion in the next two years by this government.

I don’t know how the Liberals can underfund health care and hospitals for 15 years, get kicked out of office because the hospitals and the health care system are hanging by a string, and then this Ford government can get elected and think that they can take $2.7 billion out of a system that’s already in crisis and expect people to be happy about that or expect people to be able to get better services. Well, that’s absolutely not going happen. They are cutting hospital budgets and they’re cutting hundreds of jobs out of the health care system.

They’re laying off nurses and laying off hundreds of health care workers throughout the province. That is not a prescription for fixing the hallway medicine crisis. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

So the motion that we are debating today will mean that Bramptonians can have some hope—hope that the long, painful waits and overcrowding will get better, and get better not at some point down the road, but get better soon.

I was really disappointed that this government didn’t stand up for Brampton in the 2019 budget. It was a no-brainer. It was an obvious crisis that needed to be fixed, and I was quite clearly expecting that they would take that on in the 2019 budget. I was shocked to not see that commitment in the 2019 budget. There should have been money there for a new Brampton hospital. There absolutely should have been money there. It’s shameful, in fact, that the members for that area, from Brampton South and Brampton West, failed to fight for that funding to be in the budget—at least, that’s what appears to be the case.

What I think needs to happen now is that the government needs to stop ignoring the needs of the people of Brampton. We know what they’ve already done to Brampton as a government in their short term so far, just over a year now. What is it? Fourteen months in office so far, with this government. They cancelled—

Interjection.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Sixteen months.

They cancelled the university that was the hopes and dreams of Brampton. I don’t know how many times I was in Brampton meeting with young people and with entrepreneurs and with community leaders, all excited and talking about the bringing of a university into Brampton and about how kids who are in university now sometimes travel two and a half hours to get to school and two and a half hours to get back from school on transit, but they’re doing it because they’re dedicated and they want to build a great life for themselves.

Those young people could have an opportunity to go to university much closer to home and spend those hours and hours, instead of being on transit, on their studies and on building their life. But, no, this government says, “We don’t care about that for Brampton. We don’t worry too much about this growing community and all of the young people there and their costs of travelling back and forth to school. We’re just going to pull that dream of a university right out from under them.” And that’s, of course, what the government did. So Brampton’s university—gone.

They’re making deep cuts in Brampton schools, like they’re making cuts around the rest of the province.

What’s happening is, the people of Brampton are seeing their community being punished by this Conservative government, and I think what we need to do is turn that around. I think that a good indicator for the people of Brampton that things are being turned around by this Ford government in regard to the way they’ve been treated thus far is to start investing in the future by investing in a new hospital for Brampton. That is something that we can do right now. We can do that today.

So what our motion does today, and what I’m asking everybody to support is to use the fall economic statement, which is the next opportunity for the government to lay out some plans for the future of our province—use that opportunity to make an announcement that the dollars that are needed in Brampton are going to flow, and that those dollars are not only for a brand new hospital to be built in Brampton, but also for the taking of the Peel Memorial centre to a full-service hospital. So there are a couple of pieces that are in this motion that will make a huge difference to the quality of health care and access to hospital services that the people of Brampton should be able to rely on.

What could be a more valuable use of Ontario’s funds than providing health care and hospital beds in a growing community, a very rapidly growing city?

The NDP is going to keep fighting to bring this new hospital to Brampton until the doors of that new hospital are actually opened and the health care workers are at the bedsides of patients in need. We’re going to do that. We fought the Liberals tooth and nail and tried to get them to do the right thing, and 15 years later, they didn’t. So now we’re putting you on notice, as the current government. We’re going to continue to fight for the people of Brampton. They need to have new hospital resources in their community.

They need the Peel Memorial centre to be upgraded to a hospital, and they need a brand new hospital, a third hospital, to be built in their community. We’re going to make sure that fight continues. We’re going to keep fighting for all of the people in Brampton.

And we’re going to make sure that the next opportunity we have to step forward with a motion would be maybe one where we can be celebrating the fact that the pleas of the people of Brampton that have been brought forward to this chamber, not only with the last government, but now with this government, have finally been heard by someone, and that, in fact, the shovels will be getting in the ground as soon as possible. So I hope that at the end of the debate, that’s where we end up—where we see the members on the government side acknowledge and recognize the failure of the Liberal government before them.

But the thing is, when you’re elected and a failing government is kicked out of office, it’s then your job to fix the problems; not to keep doing the same thing over and over that the failed government was doing before you. It might be easy in the first little while after forming government to just keep pointing at those big, bad Liberals. Hey, we’re going to point at them with you, because we agree that they did a terrible job. They left our health care system in an absolute mess.

They created hallway medicine in our hospitals, and they’ve made it really, really difficult for people to get the care that they need. But guess what? Now it’s your job, as the government, as the relatively newly elected government to stop just complaining about the previous government and to actually take steps to fix the problems that the Liberals left all of us with after 15 years in office.

I am hoping that we’ll get a sense from the government today that, in fact, they are going to support us—especially the members from Brampton—in this motion, and that not only will that happen, but then hopefully next week—sorry, not next week; the day after tomorrow—when the fall economic statement is unveiled, we will see a wonderful announcement that includes the funding not only at Peel Memorial to be expanded to a hospital, but the third hospital funding as well in that fall economic statement.

I’m looking forward to hearing the debate.

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I certainly understand that the opposition has concerns about the state of Ontario’s hospitals and the patients that they serve. I take the well-being of Ontarians very seriously, and our government does as well.

It’s in this light that I want to acknowledge the exceptional work done by Minister Elliott in transforming our public health care system. She is putting the needs of our patients front and centre and taking strong measures to integrate services, build capacity and end hallway health care, and I am very appreciative of her partnership in accomplishing this.

In June of this year, the Premier named me the Minister of Long-Term Care and entrusted me with creating a stand-alone ministry dedicated to long-term care in our province. Before I was elected, I spent almost 30 years practising medicine on the front lines as a family doctor in the west end of Ottawa, in Kanata, and I have witnessed at length the challenges inherent in Ontario’s long-term-care system.

It really is worth pointing out that it is the NDP that supported the previous government for 15 years, including during a minority government, when you could have been doing something about this. This has been a long time building. You could have done something about it, and you did not.

Like many other people across the province, I have experienced these challenges first-hand with my own family. The reality of long-term care in Ontario is that homes are operating at 99% occupancy, with over 36,000 people on wait-lists, and this unmet demand has created pressures in hospitals and left many Ontarians unsupported.

As of August 2019, the wait for placement in a long-term-care home is 138 days on average. That’s almost half a year for a member of your family or a loved one, waiting for a safe place to call home. In some cases, it’s even longer. The numbers are jarring, and we know that improvements need to be made.

I repeat that, under the previous government, it was the NDP, including during a minority government—that you supported the whole health care agenda that the Liberals had.

The current mode leaves people unsupported. It leaves families unsupported. We know that it’s creating backups in hospitals. The hospital is not the most appropriate place for patients who should be more appropriately in long-term care. The beds are tied up. The flow through emergency is blocked. We need to be getting people into long-term-care beds as quickly as possible, and we’re working on that.

We also need to address gaps in the system, and we’ve been working with our sector to determine what those are, understand them completely and build capacity and access.

We are creating a modern, 21st-century long-term-care system that will be respectful and treat people in a dignified way, allowing them to get the care they need when they need it.

We are looking at the front line, redirecting money to front-line services, where it belongs, to provide better, faster and more coordinated and integrated public health care.

We’ve committed to adding 15,000 new long-term-care beds and spaces in the next five years, and to upgrading an additional 15,000 long-term-care beds to modern design standards. In just over a year, we have already allocated half of those new beds that we are creating.

We are proud to be giving more seniors, families and caregivers access to the quality care that they deserve.

We will not be satisfied until we fulfill our commitment to Ontarians. That’s why I am pleased to highlight for you several exciting investments that our government is making to modernize the long-term-care sector that has been so sadly neglected over the past 15 years, supported by the NDP.

This summer, we invested in Peel region by allocating 320 new beds to a seniors’ care partnership project between Indus Community Services, Trillium Health Partners and the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care. We allocated an additional 220 beds to the Trillium Health Partners project, and