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April 21, 2026

44th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2026-Apr-21 vol. A (PDF)

L065A - Tue 21 Apr 2026 / Mar 21 avr 2026

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 21 April 2026 Mardi 21 avril 2026

Orders of the Day

Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026 / Loi de 2026 pour protéger les travailleurs et la résilience économique de l’Ontario

Members’ Statements

Valley Heritage Radio

Ontario Mine Rescue

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Water and sewage infrastructure

Government jet

Grand River Malayalee Association

Freedom of information

Collinda Joseph

Philip Gosling

Paralympic curling team

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government jet

Government jet

Government jet

Public safety

Highway safety

Crime prevention

Ring of Fire

Assistance to flood victims

Public safety

Tenant protection

Housing

Laboratory services

Public safety

Seniors’ services

Notice of dissatisfaction

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Notice of dissatisfaction

Introduction of Visitors

Introduction of Bills

Protecting Ontario by Upholding Honesty and Integrity Act, 2026 / Loi de 2026 pour protéger l’Ontario en respectant les principes d’honnêteté et d’intégrité

Petitions

Highway 69

Autoroute 69

Post-secondary funding

Health care workers

Health care workers

Pharmacare

Ontario economy

Health care workers

Ontario economy

Health care services

Entretien hivernal des routes

Orders of the Day

Better Regional Governance Act, 2026 / Loi de 2026 pour une meilleure gouvernance régionale

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): And now a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026 / Loi de 2026 pour protéger les travailleurs et la résilience économique de l’Ontario

Ms. Khanjin moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 105,

An Act to enact the Strengthening Talent Agency Regulation Act, 2026 and to amend various Acts / Projet de loi 105, Loi édictant la Loi de 2026 visant à renforcer la réglementation des agences artistiques et modifiant diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the minister.

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: Before I begin, I just want to state I will be sharing my time with the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, who will be joining us shortly, but is most likely talking to workers like he does every single day.

Speaker, what brings me here today is to represent my constituents of Barrie–Innisfil but also, to the great extent, all Ontarians. Today we’re talking about the Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026, also known as the POWER Act—and, Speaker, this is a powerful act to get the economy moving.

It wouldn’t have been possible, this act, without our whole team Ontario approach, whether it’s Captain Canada, Premier Ford, whether it’s the parliamentary assistants that I get to work with, from my colleague from Wellington county to my colleague in Markham to, of course, my deputy minister, Maud Murray, her whole team—and Shaloma, who has moved on to another ministry, but I want to thank her again in this House for her exceptional work to get the permit review moving. It’s exciting to see the progress we’ve made to date, the fact that we are ahead of schedule, and we can deliver results for Ontarians.

Because that is what they expect, Speaker: Since day one, our government made it clear to Ontarians that we need to reduce red tape and make it a priority, because we understand that regulatory burdens and slow productivity discourage investment and hold back economic growth.

Speaker, capital is portable, and the last thing this province, this country, needs is for that capital to leave this great nation, to leave Ontario, and go elsewhere. So we need to seize the moment to do everything we can to reshore that investment, bring those businesses here and make it easier to do business, hire workers, start an idea, raise a family and work in this province.

That is why our government has heard clearly from businesses, employers and employees alike. They need more certainty in an uncertain economy. They need convenience, not red tape and delays and bureaucracy. They need a government that moves faster. They need a government that moves as fast as the people ready to seize opportunities. That is what protecting Ontario means, and that is what the POWER Act delivers.

Protecting Ontario means being clear-eyed about the world around us. Global uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and economic pressures beyond our borders have real consequences here at home. And we’ve listened, Speaker—we’ve listened to all Ontarians when it comes to representing what is in this bill. They know that when our closest trading partner imposes illegal tariffs, Ontario families, workers and businesses feel impacted. This is why our government is focused on certainty—protecting jobs, supporting investment and ensuring Ontario remains a competitive and a reliable place to work, do business, raise a family and be competitive.

We’re fortifying our economy by eliminating needless red tape, boosting our competitive advantage and strengthening our economic resilience in the face of global uncertainty. This bill is about removing barriers that hold people back. It’s about giving Ontario the tools it needs to respond decisively to global economic headwinds. Red tape reduction is about building modern, resilient systems that can support growth over the long-term and keep pace with how businesses, industry and workers operate today.

Since 2018, close to 700 actions taken across government to cut red tape have generated approximately $1.3 billion in cost savings and have resulted in 1.8 million hours—that’s 1.8 million hours that we have eliminated—of administrative burden saved.

I know our minister of small businesses has been working hard talking with small businesses in terms of what they need. Not only do they need our government to continue on its red tape reduction agenda, but we also need to keep on our plan to reduce taxes. Since this government got elected in 2018, there’s not a single tax we have raised. Instead, we have lowered the small business tax thanks to her leadership, thanks to Premier Ford, and now it’s a 30% reduction.

What does this mean for the economy, Speaker? Less red tape, more money in the pockets of our small businesses. It means they can grow their business, hire more workers, grow our economy, spend in their community and really celebrate the power of supporting local.

Let’s compare ourselves to others around our nation. Here in Ontario, we now have the lowest regulatory burden per capita compared to other provinces. Those are real results, and they are the result of many Ontarians who have brought ideas to us. This bill is an example. In this bill, we see measures that are brought to us first-hand by Ontarians, ones that are tired of regulation, that want to compete globally and want to hit the ground running. They don’t want to have their capital stuck in burdensome red tape.

The results speak for themselves. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said that Canada is losing businesses faster than they can create new ones. This is a national problem, but here in Ontario, we recognize this problem. We’re boosting up and celebrating our small businesses, but also, we’re reducing that red tape. As a result, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has upgraded our province in terms of our red tape reduction excellence. We went from a C- under the Liberal government to an A- under Premier Ford’s government.

And now, as of a few months ago, Ontario received, thanks to the leadership of Premier Ford and this government, the first ever A grade from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business for reducing red tape.

I want to thank my colleagues, because they’ve also contributed to red tape reduction ideas while hosting different types of community events, round tables and really speaking to their constituents about what impacts them and how government can get out of the way and let businesses do what they do best, which is run their local shop, run their local manufacturing economy, run innovation, start a new business and really embrace that entrepreneurial spirit that has always been a fabric of our Canadian identity.

That’s why we’re bringing forward the Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act. The POWER Act, if passed, is the next

chapter in our mission to protect Ontario. This bill is built around two complementary pillars. The first is streamlining permits and approvals; and strengthening the support for workers is the second. It shows that our government is focused on supporting stability and strengthening protections, and doing it all while protecting worker safety and ensuring Ontario remains a competitive and attractive place to live, work and invest.

At its core, the POWER Act recognizes a simple truth: Protecting workers and supporting economic growth go hand in hand. Strong worker protection gives people security and confidence and a competitive economy gives workers opportunity. Together, they give Ontario the power to grow.

The POWER Act would help important projects move forward faster by reducing unnecessary delays and regulatory burdens, and without actually weakening protections.

This bill is focused squarely on improving outcomes—for job creators, for businesses large and small and for workers who are the engine of Ontario’s economy. It’s about ensuring regulations are focused, effective and easy to understand and navigate so that good projects are not stalled by paperwork that adds cost but no value.

The proposed changes in the POWER Act are designed to protect Ontario by making us the most competitive in the G7.

I will elaborate on the first pillar, the streamlining permits and approvals pillar. It focuses on reducing duplication and accelerating approvals to support economic growth. The work the government has been doing on streamlining permits and approvals has been recognized nationally by the Prime Minister. For example, they are now embarking on their own review on how to get projects off the ground faster, to build Ontario, to create one economy. That’s because Ontario has always been a leader. We’ve always set the bar high in terms of examples we need to keep the economy roaring on all cylinders.

It’s because we’ve heard from the people of Ontario. They’ve told us the system often moves too slowly. It’s fragmented, it’s unpredictable and it limits economic opportunity. We heard them, we saw them, we embraced their ideas, and we’ve created the POWER Act. They expect to see measurable progress.

Right now, businesses still face longer approval times than peer jurisdictions for key areas of economic activity, including advanced manufacturing and resource development. These delays increase risk, raise costs and can make Ontario less competitive.

It’s a simple concept, Speaker. This bill, and our government’s agenda, is going to continue to give businesses what they need, and that is certainty. When costs and timelines are known, investors and job creators can make decisions with great confidence. It means they can hire more and create jobs.

Businesses also have to navigate a web of overlapping requirements across multiple government ministries and bodies, which creates confusion and inefficiency. That is unacceptable. When people pay taxes, they expect outcomes. They don’t expect complexity, burdensome red tape and things that mire them from keeping progress moving.

Not only are we working with Ontarians, we’re working with all our partners. We also recognize Indigenous communities, who are engaged repeatedly with our government across different regulatory processes. They’ve also said that it’s a siloed approach. We’re breaking down those silos and listening first-hand to all of our partners across this great nation.

Compounding this challenge, of course, is what we’ve heard from many Ontarians: the lack of accessible, comprehensive digital tools to help businesses clearly understand and navigate approval pathways. Simply put, too many things are still done on paper in a digital world. That takes up time, it takes up resources and it makes our system fragmented.

There’s also a lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to approval timelines and requirements. Many businesses, when they’re dealing across different, multiple—when you’re a small business and you have multiple franchises, it’s easier for you to talk to one another. But we’ve heard that when it’s time to talk to government, it’s too fragmented. Things are slow and progress is slow, so it’s time to embrace technologies and time to embrace modernization.

Red tape reduction has embarked on that modernization with our partners across government, across the enterprise, and with many ministries involved. Getting digital, Speaker, is one of our first approaches to reducing red tape, with ways that we can look at what is being done on paper-based applications, what we can do to digitalize them, and the work is ongoing.

I want to thank the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, who is going to be embarking on great work when it comes to allowing more people to review things digitally.

For instance, if you have a great project, you have a great idea in this province and you want to get it off the ground, you know you have to get a certain amount of permits. But there is no way, there is no platform right now where you can go and actually look up to see where you are in the process. This stagnates their ambition, it stagnates their certainty, it stagnates capital and, frankly, it may mean they move somewhere else where it’s easier to do business and there’s more predictability.

That is now changing under this government. We’re creating a platform where any person—just like you would look up your driver’s licence status or your passport status, a system where investors, businesses and small businesses alike can see where they are in the process on permits. This is the certainty that they’ve asked for. This is the certainty our government will deliver.

That is why we’re continuously working on our permit modernization work that we started back in 2025. That work helped us identify over 150 permits that are economically driven permits in this province. Before that exercise, the government did not know how many economic permits they had. Similar jurisdictions like Alberta have done a similar exercise.

But what do we do with that information? This information armed us with the ability to look at those 150 permits and transform how we interact with businesses. Whether it’s improving service delivery standards, whether it’s getting rid of permit duplications, whether it’s putting in guarantees or using policy tools, like shot clock or “permit by rule” or code of practice—all things that have been done in other countries—we’re borrowing great ideas and bringing them here to Ontario. This will help make our economy more agile and help us respond quickly to global challenges and emerging opportunities.

We’ve heard clearly and consistently from businesses of every size in every sector on the need for a clearer and more coordinated approach to permitting. We listened. Ontario now has an ambitious, structured plan to read permits in bundles, reducing duplication, accelerating timelines and creating consistency across ministries. This approach gives businesses and project proponents a clear road map, with permits that have been reviewed and modernized on a defined schedule.

We are moving permits online, starting with mining, to create a modern, single-window digital system that is easier to navigate and faster to use. Before, as we talked about “one project, one process”—it has become a success story that also has been borrowed by the national government. Many permits were not digitalized, as I mentioned earlier. So this is the work going forward: making sure it’s a seamless approach, a single window, and we’re using technology to our advantage and to the advantage of Ontarians.

By the end of 2028, every economic development-focused permit will be reviewed. Our goal is to eliminate or streamline at least 35% of over 350 permits, focusing on those with the greatest impact. Again, this is about modernizing the system, so it’s guided by consistency. It’s evidence-based analysis, and it balances risk and opportunity and ensures clear service standards when operational.

As I mentioned, we’re seeing early success. “One project, one process” is a coordinated approach on advanced exploration, mine development and cutting timelines, while also maintaining environmental safeguards. We’ve also seen special economic zones in effect since January 1, 2026, which establishes clear criteria for trusted proponents in eligible projects. We’ve seen the work of species-at-risk permitting: Timelines have been reduced significantly from roughly one year to an average of three months, without compromising the environment.

And a new duty to consult coordination division is strengthening consistency and accountability across our government, so we continue to work and coordinate with all partners.

Today, we are bringing forward additional initiatives to build on that momentum. Together, these measures modernize outdated permitting processes, strengthen safeguards and create a more responsive and competitive regulatory environment.

Under the streamlined permits and approvals pillar, the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks proposes to further modernize Ontario’s environmental assessment framework. These changes are designed to shorten timelines and improve efficiency while preserving strong environmental oversight. This is about ensuring environmental protections remain robust while also ensuring good projects are not stalled unnecessarily.

It gives Ontario the power to grow responsibly. Environmental assessments play a critical role in protecting Ontario’s air, land, water and communities, but over time, the process has become more complex, longer and harder to navigate, without always delivering better environmental outcomes. That is why Ontario is proposing targeted legislative regulatory changes to modernize the comprehensive environmental assessment process, so projects that are environmentally sound can move forward faster while strong oversight is maintained. These changes are designed to remove unnecessary or duplicative steps, shorten timelines and improve efficiency without weakening environmental safeguards.

Speaker, the proposed changes would streamline the comprehensive environmental assessment process. Let me tell you how: for starters, removing the requirement to publish and consult at the ministry review stage, where feedback rarely changes outcomes, while preserving public and Indigenous engagement at earlier and more meaningful points in the process. This is feedback we got directly from people, directly from Indigenous communities, who said they want to be engaged earlier in the process—at the beginning—and that is what we’re doing.

Rather than duplicating steps, adding burden to many communities, our resolve is to consult early, at the beginning, and ensure everyone is heard and projects can move forward.

We’re also removing the requirement for cabinet approval of a minister’s environmental assessment decision. Speaker, we shouldn’t have bureaucratic delays delaying projects from moving off the ground just to duplicate paperwork—another stamp from another level of government. So as a result, the minister will still maintain the ability to refer applications to cabinet, where broader consideration is appropriate, but we’re not going to mire the work in red tape and more delays and bureaucracy.

We’re also removing the automatic public ability to request a tribunal hearing while preserving the minister’s discretion to refer applications or specific matters to the tribunal where warranted. Speaker, matters can still be given to the tribunal, but straightforward applications—ones that are very, very low risk—can keep moving in their progress and trajectory.

Across all these changes, the focus is clear: We’re removing procedural delay, not environmental protection. Indigenous communities, stakeholders and the public will continue to have multiple opportunities to provide input, from the development of terms of reference, for instance, to consulting during the EA preparation, to a full public comment period on the environmental assessment itself. This is where the meaningful engagement will happen. This is the feedback we’ve received.

The POWER Act also proposes changes to streamline approvals for waste disposal sites, and I can go into that in length later in my speech.

We’re also considering complementary changes under the environment act and Clean Water Act to allow septic systems for on-farm worker housing to be established more quickly and more predictably. This is something I’ve heard across the province over the summer months and over the years where, if we’re going to get more of our goods, more of our food to market—we just had the Ontario Federation of Agriculture here the other day—they need to actually house the workers on site. That cannot happen without this particular amendment that we heard directly from the farmers who feed our cities.

Many of us drive around, whether it’s in Toronto or across the province, and we gloriously advocate: “Farmers feed cities.” But farmers can’t feed cities if they don’t have a place to house their workers. Farmers can’t feed cities if capital is fleeing this province. Farmers can’t feed cities if they are stuck and mired in red tape.

So we’ve heard, whether it’s from the manufacturing floor to the farmer to the agricultural workers to everyone across this province—we’ve heard them loud and clear that these are red tape reduction measures that will help them not only get their products and goods faster to market but also eliminate burdens that they’ve encountered and help them grow this great province and create more opportunities.

Of course, Speaker, by reducing approval timelines, Ontario is not only supporting our farmers’ ability to house these workers safely and appropriately, but we’re also strengthening food production and the agricultural food supply chain, which has never been more important than it is now. This will help us reduce operational delays and help ensure Ontario’s agricultural sector remains competitive and resilient. This is specifically important at a time when supply chain stability and domestic food production are more critical than ever.

Health, environmental integrity and neighbouring property interests remain central to this approach, but overcrowded or inadequate housing, as well as insufficient sewage treatment, are recognized as risk factors for public health outcomes. That is why safer housing is necessary; proper design of a septic system is necessary. That and stronger compliance are all part of protecting the dignity, health and well-being of the people who contribute so much to Ontario’s food supply. This is yet another example of how the POWER Act gives Ontario the power to grow responsibly.

Speaker, another important proposal under this pillar is focusing on making it faster and easier for businesses to obtain permissions to take water, while maintaining strong environmental oversight. Together, many projects require both an environmental compliance approval and a permit to take water. This is duplication. While it does serve important purposes, we have two separate processes that result in duplication, in longer timelines and add administrative burden for proponents without actually delivering stronger environmental outcomes—in fact, it confuses those environmental outcomes.

That is why Ontario is exploring targeted changes under the Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act and the Ontario bill of rights to enable a more streamlined, coordinated approach when both approvals are required. These proposals would allow for a consolidated approval process for the environmental compliance approvals, which has strong and rigorous oversight, and the permit to take water.

Rather than navigating actually two parallel systems, this approach will reduce administrative burden and cost for businesses; support faster project delivery; make requirements easier to understand and comply with; and allow for more coordinated public and Indigenous engagement, rather than fragmented consultation across processes.

Speaker, there’s a theme to all these changes, as I’m sure you’ve noted: The system is fragmented, and we need to make sure that we are aligned across all the different processes.

There’s no denying access to water is critical for many sectors of our Ontario economy, including manufacturing, agriculture, food processing and resource development. When approval processes are slow or duplicative, timelines stretch, costs increase and investment decisions can be delayed or, frankly, lost. I don’t know about you, Speaker, but I’d rather have these jobs here in Ontario—growing our local food, growing our local economy—rather than losing them to other jurisdictions.

That is why we’re doing what we’re doing in this particular bill. We’re going to be reviewing not only the permissions that I’ve currently outlined, but we have a broader commitment to modernize the regulatory system so we stop that fragmentation. These changes that we’re proposing, as I mentioned, will bring clear service standards that are fair and within the ministry’s oversight.

I also want to turn to how we’re streamlining the At Your Service Act reporting, moving it from quarterly to biannual reporting. This might seem like a small change, Speaker, but it actually will help the government and businesses move with more predictability, so that we have permitting timelines that we can actually publish and outline to the greater public. It will help us clarify when service standards apply, and we’re ensuring transparency without creating unrealistic expectations or unintended pressure on the consultation process.

This means we’re publishing timelines on terms of what the government of Ontario can control, and we’re eliminating those timelines that are out of our hands or that we cannot control. Frankly speaking, it’s actually giving more autonomy to the public, but also expectations of how we get projects moving. This is clarity that is needed. It will clearly improve the system, and it will not change how applications are assessed. It will not reduce transparency. In fact, it will increase it to be more accurate on an annual basis rather than biannual.

The government will continue to publish reports in terms of ministry performances and will move to clear communication. I’ll emphasize that reporting continues, timelines are accurate, and it aligns with broader modernization efforts. This work supports a more transparent, efficient and accountable permitting system that aligns with modern realities.

Next, Speaker, I want to turn to the changes that are going to be done by the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. They are proposing a series of service delivery improvements to the heritage framework transformation. Speaker, this minister has actually cleared the heritage backlog from something like 330,000 applications to zero. He’s continuing that important work. The important work he’s doing is to improve accountability and transparency while delivering faster, more predictable approvals to support housing, infrastructure and economic development projects.

This work recognizes Ontario’s archaeological framework, which has not undergone actual significant review or updates in more than a decade. That’s what we’re doing here. We’re modernizing the process to better reflect the current environment, development realities and expectations around this province.

Speaker, there is so much in this bill that I would need another half an hour to explain our framework, but I know I did say I was going to share my time with the Minister of Labour. So let me just highlight a few other last items before I turn it to my colleague to talk about the second pillar of this bill.

Overall, transforming the permitting process is about results. It’s about driving our economy so we do not lose capital and we do not lose jobs that could flee our province because of economic uncertainty.

We’re also strengthening the ability to recruit more doctors and medical students here in Ontario by doing some changes when it comes to having access to medical residency spots.

We’re also recognizing the strong francophone fabric of our province when it comes to the Ombudsman, ensuring there is a component that recognizes that that position needs to be bilingual. Again, this actually does help with red tape reduction since we have someone who is able to communicate in both languages so there’s no confusion or misinterpretation in terms of the needs of the Ombudsman.

I want to thank the Minister of Francophone Affairs, who has advocated for that community and has brought this change forward.

In everything we do and everything we build, we may speed up the processes to help businesses get off the ground, we may provide certainty when it comes to the permitting process—none of that would be possible without skilled labour. I will turn to the second pillar of this bill, the POWER Act, in terms of what we’re doing to strengthen our labour force, bring them the certainty they need and the protections they need and build on this government’s work to protect Ontario.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): I recognize the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Hon. David Piccini: It’s an honour to rise, as always, to represent the good people of Northumberland–Peterborough South. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken, so I really appreciate the opportunity to speak today in support of the Protecting Ontario’s Workers and Economic Resilience Act, 2026.

I want to just first start by thanking my colleague Minister Khanjin—my first seatmate in this place—who I had the privilege of working so closely with on this piece of legislation that really encompasses a whole suite of measures we’re putting in place to support workers in Ontario.

This one, for me, is a real personal one, Speaker, because there are a number of measures that we have in this that we’ve been working for quite some time on. Again, thank you, Minister Khanjin, for bringing forward this package of legislative and regulatory changes that are truly reflective of what we’ve heard from Ontarians.

It recognizes that worker protection and economic resilience are not competing goals, but mutually reinforcing ones. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we’re confronting the real challenges facing Ontario’s economy—from global economic pressures and supply chain disruptions to rising costs and trade uncertainty.

This package speaks to a broader expectation that Ontarians have of their government, that we respond to economic challenges with clarity, stability and fairness. People want to know that the rules reflect today’s realities, that protections keep pace with how work is changing. They want to know that the economy we are building is one that works for everyone, not just during times of growth but during times of uncertainty as well.

We believe in a simple yet powerful idea: that Ontario’s economic backbone is really a measure of the strength of its workers. At a time when families, businesses and entire sectors are being tested by economic challenges, it’s our responsibility to ensure that workers are protected, supported and, most importantly, treated fairly.

The reality is that we’re living through a period of unprecedented change. We know that for employers it means tighter margins and difficulty planning ahead. It means government needs to act decisively. In times like these, people look to their government not for words but for action, and they look for practical measures that protect their paycheques, their safety and their ability to keep contributing to their communities and our economy. That’s exactly what this package is designed to do. It’s a comprehensive plan that would ensure Ontario workers are protected, supported and equipped for opportunity and I’m proud to speak in support of it today, Speaker.

I want to start by thanking the incredible team at the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development who have worked on this. I want to say a special thank you to the team in my ministerial office. I have the privilege of working with them every day and they have to put up with me, which is not an easy task—something we can all agree on. They’ve worked with incredible professionalism and diligence many a late night, working with various sectors of our economy to implement these measures. I’m grateful for them and the work that they do every day.

We recognize that when workers are protected, businesses are stronger, and when businesses are strong, Ontario grows. This is an approach we’ve taken from day one. This package focuses on three key pillars: protecting workers’ paycheques, supporting injured workers and strengthening worker protections and economic resilience.

I’ve sat down with workers and I’ve sat down with employers, and the message has been consistent: The system needs to work better. Workers are asking for fairness, for clarity and for a system that they can rely on. This is what good public policy looks like: identifying gaps, closing them and evolving systems so that they work better for everyone. That’s exactly what these measures do.

Let’s start with the principle that guides much of what we do: Work should pay, and pay should be protected. You’ll recall we implemented a number of measures in previous Working for Workers bills that helped workers take home more of their hard-earned paycheques, from making sure they take home their tips to making tips in instances like dine-and-dash that workers aren’t footing the bill for that irresponsible patron.

For too many employees, especially those in lower-wage or precarious jobs, the ability to take home a full paycheque can mean the difference between stability and stress. For many families, a single reduced paycheque can trigger serious consequences: late rent, unpaid bills and possible choices between essentials. These pressures are felt most acutely by employees who already have the least margin for error.

Our responsibility as legislators is to ensure that employment standards evolve with today’s economy and reflect the realities people face. No employee should have to pay out of pocket just to show up for work, Speaker. Yet, for far too long, that has been the reality. Think about the server at your favourite restaurant, a hotel housekeeper or a retail worker stocking shelves. Right now, some of these workers are being asked to pay out of pocket for a uniform that they’re required to wear on the job, clothing they can’t use anywhere else. No one should have to pay to go to work.

That’s money coming directly out of their paycheque before they’ve even settled into their job. As one worker put it to me, “If I’m required to wear it, my employer should be paying for it.” That’s why we’re taking action, Speaker.

I recall one of my first jobs. I was a university student, and I had settled in at the University of Ottawa. I worked long before it. But when I was off on my own, I got a job at a local deli, La Bottega in the ByWard Market. I had the opportunity to slice prosciutto—no stereotype there, with the vowel at the end of my last name, but I got to do that. I got to work with an incredible team. I remember they’re a fantastic small employer. They gave me the first T-shirt we had to wear, a La Bottega T-shirt, and they paid for it.

That’s what we’re doing here: standardizing that, a good practice that a good small business like La Bottega already does, enshrining it across Ontario, Speaker—simple changes. It means no more deductions for branded or employer-specific uniforms, and no more employees effectively paying to start earning a living. These are common-sense, simple changes that have a real reality for people trying to crack into the job market. For young people today, with record youth unemployment, every dollar, every cent matters. We want to make sure they take home more of their hard-earned dollars.

Speaker, this is reflective of a measured approach that protects employees while recognizing the realities facing employers. Work should not come with an upfront price tag.

Beyond that, we’re ensuring that employees are receiving what they are owed, because that money is not theoretical. Time and time again in this place members have brought up the issue of unpaid wages. This is something that this government has taken action on—

Interruption.

Hon. David Piccini: You seem so excited; there’s a ghost there moving things around—because this is an issue that I’ve heard from members opposite and members on this side of the House as well. We’ve brought in place in previous Working for Workers acts some of the toughest fines for bad-actor employers who withhold wages from their employees. We’ve protected some of the most vulnerable workers through regulating temporary help agencies, among the number of things that we’ve done.

This bill is taking it yet another step forward in the right direction by making sure that those wages we do recover, Speaker—I acknowledge that government constantly has to strive to do better, to recuperate those unpaid wages. But when we do recuperate them—I didn’t realize this—there’s an administrative charge that goes to the government first, so the first person to settle on that is government, not the worker, and that’s wrong.

That’s why a common-sense measure in this bill makes sure—that has existed through successive governments, and it’s crazy that we haven’t fixed that, but this government is taking action to fix it so that when unpaid wages are recuperated, we make sure an employee is whole first. It’s a common-sense change, Speaker.

I mentioned temporary help agencies just a moment ago. One of the measures we’re implementing here is the Strengthening Talent Agency Regulation Act, known as the STAR Act. We know that Ontario’s arts, culture and creative industries are a major economic driver, generating more than $26 billion annually and supporting tens of thousands of good jobs, but for too long they have operated without clear and consistent protections.

Here’s what I’ve been hearing when I sit down with the people who actually make this industry run, who bring it to life, who tell our stories, who bring that story to life on screen or in a theatre, just to name a few. These are some of our fondest moments. Mine, growing up, was sitting down and enjoying a film, going to our local theatre. Now, having the opportunity to take on this portfolio—it really shouldn’t become taking on the labour portfolio, but I truly have a profound sense of the challenges that this talent, our creative industry, has to endure, and so I’m really proud of one of the measures that we’ve implemented in this bill.

Performers who complete their work, who brought the role to life, wait weeks or sometimes months for a paycheque, or sometimes they’re never paid at all. In one case, a talent agency, a real scumbag—Compass? I don’t even know the name; the guy is a real bad actor—left more than 60 performers stranded, a cumulative owing of over $1 million for workers.

ACTRA brought in those workers to our ministry, and I had the chance to sit around a table with them. I heard a story of a bright young woman, cracking in to become an actor who worked hard, who had a gig and whose talent agent promised them they had work. They got work, and they did the work, had a bit of savings from that work and had made plans to purchase a home, but they never got paid, Speaker. They never got paid for that work that they did. Imagine the instability of those life plans—starting a family, buying a home. That’s just one of the many stories I heard from the actors who were not paid for the work they did.

Full stop, and a principle I think we can all agree on, is that you should be paid for the work you do. I really valued and appreciated the opportunity I had to sit down with those workers because I’ve always said, at its core, our legislation should speak to the stories of the people we have the privilege of meeting in this role. That’s what keeps getting me up in the morning: getting to see them every day and hearing different stories, different vignettes of what is the real life that everyday Ontarians live. We’re fleeting; politicians come in and out of it, but it’s what you do with that, and I think we’ve had the opportunity to work collaboratively to act.

Right now, talent agencies in Ontario are unregulated—no requirements for how they handle performers’ money, no deadlines for when they have to pay, no stability for that creative sector. For an industry of this size, this importance to our economy, to the Canadian economy, it’s simply not good enough. When we see what’s going on in the world, we cannot and will not lose our creative industries; we can’t. As a country, it’s so important that we take measures to protect it. Our province is a global destination for film and television production because of our talent, our infrastructure and our world-class reputation.

We have the best performers and entertainment workers in the world, and I think clear and transparent rules don’t just protect them; they protect their paycheques and strengthen that reputation, making Ontario an even more attractive place for productions to invest, grow and create good-paying jobs. The good actors in this industry—and there are many—want a level playing field as well: rules to ensure everyone is playing fair.

We had TAMAC at our announcement the other day. This is codifying and enshrining many good practices that already exist in the industry.

If passed, this new act would include a cap on agency commissions and a ban on any other fees on top of that; a 10-day business guarantee for agencies to pay performers, subject to regulations; and a requirement to hold performers’ funds in a separate bank account in trust for those workers, bringing transparency and accountability to a previously unregulated sector. These are the kinds of protections that will positively impact tens of thousands of performers across Ontario.

At its core, it’s about protecting workers. Performers deserve the same basic protections as any other worker. They deserve to know when they’ll be paid and that money that they earn isn’t misused or delayed. And that separate bank account provision, I think, is common sense. It makes sure that there is clear accounting and clear numbers behind what they’ve earned. The talent agent deducts whatever that fee is—again, we’re regulating and providing some assurances around that, but making sure that creative professional gets paid, because if you did the work, you should get paid.

I want to take a moment to acknowledge some pretty amazing people. We, as I said, hold these roles for a fleeting moment, but if you can do the work with them—and they fought. They’ve been in this chamber before—they’re no strangers—and that’s ACTRA members who are here today: the Toronto president, Kate Ziegler, she’s here with us today. Thank you, Kate, for being here.

Paul Constable—thank you, Paul, for being here today as well.

I know we have our executive director, Rob Halpin, who’s here today. Welcome and congratulations, Rob, on your new role. We’ve had the privilege of getting to know each other in a prior capacity, and I know this role is even better, so I can’t wait to keep working with you, Rob.

I’m not sure if Amy, Mercedes, Jinny, Jameson and Elana are here as well—yes, they are up there. They’re all from ACTRA, and vice-presidents who are here. Thank you all for being here today. I really value the opportunity to work with you.

Kate, I appreciate you bringing those creative professionals into my office and sharing those stories. I appreciate their advocacy. I think this is what happens—good public policy—when you work together and collaboratively. I look forward to continuing to work with creative professionals as we continue to grow that sector and strengthen worker protections for those workers. It’s my hope—and I know from the member opposite who went up that this is surely something we can all wrap our arms around and support, this piece of legislation.

The second theme I’d like to cover is something even more fundamental to worker safety: It’s the principle that every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day.

On top of job sites that we see across Ontario, I had the privilege of being at the Coleman mine site with steel workers just last week: up early, down the mine shaft at 5 in the morning—the opportunity to speak with Dave Lisi and a number of others. Dave and Sean have been strong advocates for USW 6500.

We had the opportunity, just prior to that day in the mine, to speak with widows. I sat around the table, and they put pictures of lost loved ones on the table. It’s real chilling to see that. There’s a real price to be paid for economic prosperity and for what we do, and I think it’s our role as public policy-makers to make sure that their stories are heard and that they’re told.

So two measures in this bill that I believe are really paramount, that are reflective of the will of those workers and so many more, are to make sure that we protect workers, and this act proposes significant changes to Ontario’s workplace safety and insurance system.

First, we’re proposing to increase the WSIB, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, loss of earnings benefit from 85% of pre-injury earnings, to 90% of a worker’s lost income. This is the first substantive increase in 30 years—30 years, we’ve been talking about bumping it up. This government did it.

Speaker, for nearly three decades, as I said, hard-working Ontarians were ignored when they brought that forward. This change is long, long overdue. It will provide greater income security, fewer impossible trade-offs between recovery and paying the bills and greater piece of mind during recovery.

We’re also proposing an additional measure with the WSIB: the discretion of loss of income earnings benefits beyond age 65 and getting rid of that age cap. This is something that many members of this Legislature have spoken to, getting rid of that age cap beyond 65 for workers who are going to continue working. We know there’s almost half a million workers, and there’s probably more—but half a million we know, according to Statistics Canada, who work beyond the age of 65. Speaker, the dangers faced by those miners, by many others, don’t just stop at 65 if you’re working, so those protections should continue with them. I’m proud that we’re doing that.

To give you an example of the measures that we’re introducing—I’ve spoken about Sandee Green’s story, the story of so many here today. Sandee is a worker at Choices, and Sandee’s been fighting for 30-some-odd years to extend WSIB protections for workers in congregate care settings, for workers in long-term care, retirement homes etc. This is what this bill is also doing for workers like Sandee.

We had her here yesterday for lunch with SEIU union, Ty Downey and the incredible team there who’ve been amazing. Good things can happen when you sit down at the table with government and find solutions. I had the privilege of sitting down with Ty and with those workers, and then Sandee said, “We fought for this, but I just realized I’m over 65. I’m about to be”—and I don’t want to get into the weeds on her age, but she said, “I’m not going to be covered.”

Surprise—in this bill, we’re also extending those benefits beyond the age of 65. And so, what a nice conversation that was with Minister Khanjin yesterday and a number of other ministers and some members opposite that popped in to say hi too. I really value that collaborative relationship.

These changes wouldn’t be made possible without a financially healthy WSIB. I recall a time when it was an underfunded liability, yet we’re in a strong position today where premiums are among their lowest in the last 50 years. We’re working hard with the WSIB to make sure it’s in a strong fiscal position, and—I think this is something that’s reflective of some of the conversations I’ve heard—a WSIB where the culture is there to support workers. It’s not there to deny a claim but to support those workers.

MPP Wayne Gates: What about deeming?

Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, to the member opposite: You’ll have a chance to ask questions. Just let me finish my speech and then you’ll have a chance.

This package also addresses a long-standing gap in worker protections. As I said, under the current system, publicly run residential care facilities and group homes require WSIB coverage, yet those protections aren’t extended to many private and not-for-profit facilities. That’s simply not right, and we’re fixing that wrong that’s existed for far too long. A member opposite spoke yesterday about pushing for that with previous labour ministers, but we’re getting the job done, Speaker.

I again want to thank Sandee Green, who works at a residential care facility. I want to thank Sandee for her advocacy. This measure is for you, Sandee, and the countless other workers like you who deserve that protection.

Speaker, we know that today, giving those workers clarity, dignity and the support they need to care for others is going to have an impact. That’s approximately just shy of 30,000 workers who will be impacted by this measure. This change recognizes the essential work that these caregivers perform every day supporting some of the most vulnerable in our community and caring for them. And I think many of us would admit that in our own lives and in the lives of those we’ve cared about, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of those care workers and the incredible work that they do.

One of the measures I also wanted to talk about, and there’s so many in this bill, was targeted regulatory improvements to modernize Ontario’s health and safety framework. Some of these measures in this bill also include recognizing CSA-approved respirators in regulation to cut red tape and make it easier to use respirators made to a Canadian standard. A great example: I had workers at LIUNA 183 reach out to me in the tunnels, talking to me. They do incredible work in tunnels. They were talking to me about an employer requirement relative to respirators.

This is what happens when our regulations don’t make sense and when we don’t harmonize to national standards. Well, that’s what we’re doing here with this measure on CSA-approved respirators, giving workers the confidence to know that what they’re using to keep them safe is CSA-certified and is held to a high standard cross Canada. Certainly we want to adopt that and I value the work that the CSA team do each and every day to make sure workers are safe on the job site.

We’re also improving workers’ ability to keep track of their exposure through the occupational exposure registry. This is a Canadian first. Government is not traditionally very good with technology. Yet in this instance we’ve worked hard as a team—the great officials in our ministry—to launch this exposure registry to empower workers with reporting, because I’ve heard from injured workers groups about clustered exposures, and the ability for us to empower workers with documenting those exposures is only going to help us in the long run. Again, I appreciate the work that countless injured workers groups—unions, worker advocates—have done on that exposure registry.

In addition, we’re mandating type 2 hard hats on construction projects where workers, we know, are exposed to side impacts. Working at heights continues to be one of the leading causes of fatalities and worker injuries. Many of our large general contractors are already going that way, and I think responsible government is at times to come in in a strong way, as we’ve done with the Employment Standards Act changes in the past for fatalities on job sites, to really target bad actors. But also, I believe in limited government that comes along and nudges folks in the right direction.

As I said, general contractors are already going that way on some of the largest job sites today. From Union Station to the new nuclear plant that we’re going to be building in Wesleyville, these will already be the requirements with many of our large GCs.

In fact, all of the large GCs came together on that, supported by Canada’s building trades unions and Ontario’s building trades: Marc Arsenault and Jim Hogarth, who are going to join me later today for lunch, and Sean Strickland, who was there and who advocated for this. We brought all the labour ministers together in Quebec City the other day on health and safety harmonization for working at heights, for mobile elevated work platforms, for hoisting and rigging.

And we really finally—instead of the pithy, nebulous language that happens at these FPT meetings, where you really just argue on verbs and don’t actually agree to much, we did. Labour ministers united on a common path and vision for action to keep high standards across Canada, to make sure workers are trained to that standard and that they can move from province to province to work on nation-building projects in a far more expeditious manner. Rising tides raise all ships. That’s what we’re doing.

In addition to this, type 2 hard hats—I’ve been going back and forth on some of the measures we’re doing, and type 2 hard hats are a step in the right direction. It builds on previous work that we’ve already done.

Defibrillators on job sites: We met that GFL worker who woke up lying on the street, had had chest pains, was going to drive himself to the hospital, didn’t make it across the street. Thankfully an ambulance was going by and he woke up with a defibrillator on him. Now that’s on large construction sites, where we know we have an elevated risk of cardiac events.

What’s really exciting is we’re going to train workers in how to use those defibrillators. That’s just one of the many things we’re doing in this bill—

Interruption.

Hon. David Piccini: I’m getting the look, I think. I thought I had three minutes, but I think we have to wrap up, Speaker—or it’s my phone, sorry. They’re buzzing me.

The defibrillators: Those measures are important measures that we’ve put in place to support workers in this province. The type 2 hard hats, harmonizing health and safety standards, clearer rules on the job site are better for everyone.

Speaker, we know that, as I mentioned, when we set our sights to building at a national level—as we’ve seen unanimity between this Premier, who’s working collaboratively with Premiers of all different party stripes and our Prime Minister, to really set our sights on nation-building. I’ve often reflected on my grandfather’s journey immigrating here. He was very much part of a generation who prided themselves in building this country. That’s the case for so many of us. Whether it’s starting a convenience store—or a shoe store, in my grandparents’ case—or working in the steel factories in Hamilton, this is nation-building and this is the fabric for a strong Canada.

We lost our way, Speaker. We stopped building in the past, and this government is setting our sights—$220 billion to infrastructure. That means a new hospital in Campbellford for people in my community. That means a new school in Newcastle in my own community. That means a new long-term-care facility in Brighton, in Norwood. In every corner of our riding, we’re investing after decades of neglect in the past.

But to do that, you’ve got to protect workers. As we set our sights on new nuclear, on pipelines, on Churchill, on so many large projects, we want to make sure workers are able to move freely. We were the first province to pass as-of-right legislation, letting workers work as a right in over 50 regulated professions and countless other certification bodies, and now we’ve added health and safety harmonization to that to make sure workers are safe as they move.

Again, I want to thank the incredible work of our ministry team, who have worked hard on that. We worked with other ministers at a national level—the minister from Nova Scotia, federal Minister Zerucelli, who’s been really collaborative, all working together to make sure we have high standards for training for our workers as they build Canada. We’re uncompromising in that—and that we get the job done and we build.

Every year, we’ve introduced progressive pieces of legislation that recognize that none of that happens without people. From what’s on our TV screens, in our theatres, our buildings, none of that happens without people, and I’m proud to introduce measures today that would better protect those people.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Questions?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Minister of Labour. I was really struck by the contrast between the measures included in this bill and the Premier’s decision to spend $30 million on a luxury private jet, which is just so completely out of touch with the needs of Ontario workers, and low-wage workers, in particular, that the minister talked about. We know that everyone in the province is struggling with cost of living, worried about paying the bills, whether they’ll have a job to keep going to, and it’s astonishing that the government decided that purchasing a luxury jet was an appropriate use of public dollars.

Can the minister tell us if he supported the Premier’s decision to buy a $30-million luxury private jet?

Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, I’m glad the member spoke about low wages and protections. We’ve introduced countless pieces of legislation to support retail workers, to support hospitality workers keeping their tips, to get rid of the practice of dining and dashing that is on the backs of workers. We actually indexed our minimum wage to provide guaranteed increases instead of the previous practice of that party when they held the balance of power, which was to use that as a political tool to target low-wage workers at election time with over-the-top increases without consulting business or workers.

We’ve annualized that, providing stability for low-wage workers, enshrining protections in legislation like we’ve introduced today. None of that would happen without the leadership of this Premier.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Questions?

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: My question is about

schedule 6 in this bill. I’m wondering: If French proficiency is so important to this government, why, at the end of April, are you bringing this legislation,

schedule 6, the Ombudsman Act—why are you bringing it forward, when the process began, when the selection committee began and was formed in November? Shortly thereafter, job advertisements went out. In December, résumés were received, and in January, interviews started. Currently, as you know, the current Ombudsman retired.

So why the urgency? Why now? Why is French proficiency important to you at the end of this process?

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: I really want to thank that member opposite for her great question. It sounds to me like we have support for this change in this legislation. I hope she supports the entire bill as we do make this change to the Ombudsman for French proficiency, which actually builds on this government’s investment when it comes to the francophone community.

I look at Collège Boréal in my riding of Barrie and how they’ve actually strengthened the francophone community in Simcoe county. But also, it was this government that stepped up to actually make the francophone flag an Ontario national symbol for that community.

I see here a lot of words, but I hope they’re measured with actions when it comes to supporting the Franco-Ontarian community here in Ontario by supporting this change.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Questions?

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to the Minister of Red Tape Reduction and the Minister of Labour for their remarks this morning. My question is to the Minister of Labour.

I know he briefly talked about it on some of the harmonization that our province, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is making across Ontario and Canada. I was wondering if the Minister of Labour can elaborate on that, and why that’s important to make a stronger Ontario and a stronger Canada around some of those labour harmonization initiatives.

Hon. David Piccini: It is really important, Speaker, because this Premier has set his sights on building public transit. We’re actually building the Ontario Line that’s going to move over 400,000 people every day. We’re building highways and roads. Folks that never wanted to build another road again—we actually have to build these roads, these highways. We have to invest in public transit to help better move—to improve our grid of public transit that moves people in the GTHA and beyond, like the Northlander in communities like ours.

But behind all of it and behind massive investments like the Stellantis plant in Windsor—$14 million in payroll a week that was happening there—are workers. Those workers, Speaker, undertake health and safety training, working at heights, mobile elevated work platforms. We’re harmonizing that across Canada so that Ontario workers can work on large nation-building projects in other corners. They can work here, and we’re all held to a high—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further questions?

MPP Wayne Gates: You can’t talk about WSIB without mentioning Willy Noiles, who gave his entire adult life to WSIB.

I could tell you that workers have fought really hard to get the retirement benefits past 65. I’m a firm believer that it should be retroactive. It’s something that we could support, but it should be retroactive.

My question to the labour minister has been clear. You’ve had seven Working for Workers bills. The biggest issue for WSIB is when a worker, through no fault of his own, gets hurt on the job and then WSIB deems them. Then they end up having to live in poverty. About 75% of those workers are living in poverty once they’ve been deemed. That means they lose their family. They lose their homes.

So my question to you is clear: You can continue to do these bills and talk all you want about WSIB—when, and finally when? I’ve talked to you about this many, many times. When are you finally going to eliminate deeming so—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): I recognize the Minister of Labour.

Hon. David Piccini: Speaker, for those injured workers, for 30 years, including when that member held the balance of power, they could have increased loss of earnings. They didn’t; we did. They could have expanded benefits and gotten rid of the discriminatory age cap. They didn’t; we did, Speaker.

You know what we’ll keep doing? We’ll keep looking at issues like deeming to make sure we actually had it done—

Interjection.

Hon. David Piccini: He talks. He shows up for the photo op, Speaker, but we’re the ones actually doing the work. We’re building the hospitals. We’re supporting injured workers. It’s no thanks to the photo op member opposite. We’ll keep fighting for those workers—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): The opposition will come to order.

Hon. David Piccini: —that includes iterative changes that have increased loss-of-income earnings and—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Further questions?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: The Minister of Labour talked about branded uniforms. We all know what those are. We’ve seen them before in workplaces. We go to a workplace and we see an employee wearing a branded uniform, and it’s proudly displaying the enterprise, most commonly a restaurant or a chain or a franchise, and that’s a good thing.

Sometimes the situation arises where there’s a cost associated with that uniform and there’s a question as to who should pay that cost. I think that’s a fair question to ask. So I would like to ask the Minister of Labour is there something in this legislation that’s being proposed which deals with the question of the cost of branded uniforms and how that will be treated going forward?

Hon. David Piccini: I appreciate the question from the member and the work he does to fight and support workers in Windsor—a city where we’re fighting for large investments to create opportunities for workers.

We know that when those workers go to work, they often go to restaurants, for example. I told the story in my speech about one of my first jobs. You get a branded uniform, and you fight hard to get that job. In my case, it was tough paying for school and also working. Those first few dollars shouldn’t go towards paying for that uniform; you should have that branded uniform. That’s really a common-sense change that we’re proposing. Most businesses already do that, Speaker.

I want to be very clear, it’s not multiple; it’s that first uniform, and I—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): A quick question.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: The Minister of Red Tape Reduction spoke about operational delays and competitive resilience, especially in terms of agricultural processing capacity, yet information processing is the only type of processing that shows up in this bill.

It’s nonsensical that our agricultural products are sent to the United States for processing, only for us to have them be purchased back. Does it make sense to the minister that Ontario is not investing in our agricultural processing capacity?

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: That actually addresses the point I made. I talked about capital fleeing this great province and this government’s work to reshore that capital, including investments in our agricultural sector.

Speaker, we need to welcome in these businesses. If you’re a processing plant and you want to start here, we need to be able to roll out the red carpet, not the red tape. Far too often have governments made us the regulatory capital of Canada. We’ve changed that.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Thank you.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ric Bresee): Given the time, we will now move to members’ statements.

Members’ Statements

Valley Heritage Radio

MPP Billy Denault: This past week I had the pleasure of once again joining Ottawa Valley’s voice, Valley Heritage Radio, for their annual Radiothon, alongside Art Jamieson, Andrew Cartwright and station manager Jason Marshall.

Valley Heritage Radio is a staple in our community, broadcasting across the valley and bringing people together every day. A tradition in my own family is to listen with my grandparents every Thursday night for Radio Bingo.

Whether you love gospel, country, bluegrass and fiddle, rock and roll, folk, east coast and much more, Valley Heritage Radio truly has something for everyone.

But more important than the music are the laughs, the characters and the stories that come through the airwaves. Each broadcast leaves a stitch in the fabric of our community, capturing and sharing what it means to truly be from the valley.

A key part of the station’s success is that it truly is a community project. Valley Heritage Radio is supported by its members and listeners, and in turn gives so much back: supporting Hospice Renfrew, promoting community events and sharing all things Ottawa Valley. It is in every sense the people’s radio station.

With its 20th anniversary approaching in 2027, I know it will continue to be a strong voice in our region for many years to come.

Lastly, Speaker, I want to wish station manager Jason Marshall a very happy belated birthday, which was on April 18. Happy birthday, Jason.

Ontario Mine Rescue

MPP Jamie West: Speaker, the most important thing to come out of the mine is the miner, and Ontario Mine Rescue makes that happen. For those who aren’t aware, Ontario Mine Rescue is who miners call when there’s an emergency.

It’s hard to believe, but when things go wrong, a small crew of mine rescue volunteers swings into action. Let me give you an example: In 2021, there were 39 employees trapped 1,800 feet underground at Totten Mine. Vale and USW Local 6500 worked non-stop with Ontario Mine Rescue teams so that 39 miners could safely climb a secondary egress ladder system. That’s a ladder system, Speaker, almost the same height as the tip of the CN Tower.

It wasn’t luck. It was the training and preparedness of the 58 volunteer OMR responders working in shifts over four days to ensure that the miners, the most important thing coming out of the mine, could get to the surface.

The good news, Speaker, is that Ontario has invested $125 million to build a permanent mine rescue training facility in Sudbury. The facility will ensure specialized training such as high-angle rescue, fire response, hazardous materials, confined space and structural collapse. Soon, Sudbury will be training about 540 responders annually. So my thanks to the minister, to Workplace Safety North, to Ontario Mine Rescue for investing in the most valuable thing to come out of Ontario’s mines: our miners.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

MPP Tyler Watt: Today I’m honoured to welcome members from ALS Canada to the gallery and to the Legislature and talk about ALS.

ALS is a disease that has touched far too many lives, and it’s not just a disease to me; it is my father. My father, Randy Watt, was diagnosed with ALS in December 2022, and just two short years later, we lost him. I watched this incredible man—strong, independent, full of life—slowly lose the ability to do the simplest things: to walk, to use his hands, to speak and eventually to breathe.

The hardest

part is, you don’t wait to grieve with this disease. You grieve while they’re still there. You grieve every milestone you know is coming—the last time he walked, the last time he hugged me, the last time I heard his voice—and you carry all of that while still trying to be strong for them.

That’s what active grief feels like. It’s being their loved one, a caregiver, and grieving the inevitable, while knowing you watch them lose their independence piece by piece. Even after they’re gone, that grief stays with you. It shows up in quiet moments, in memories you wish you could relive just one more time, in all the things you left unsaid.

That’s why organizations like ALS Canada mean so much to me: because when families are going through the unimaginable, they don’t have to do it alone. They also give me hope in the research that they do. It gives me hope that one day we will never have to see someone go through this terrible disease.

And to my dad, I carry you with me every single day.

Water and sewage infrastructure

Mr. Will Bouma: Speaker, every day many of us use clean water, and we do so without thinking about it. Fresh water is essential for life. In this province, and especially in my beautiful riding of Brantford–Brant, we are blessed to have an abundance of water. When we waste it or when we take it for granted, we ignore how precious it truly is.

Speaker, my motto has been to leave things better than I found them. That’s why I am so proud to announce that on April 10, our government, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is investing $12.5 million for a new waste water treatment plant upgrade, including a UV disinfection and phosphorus removal system in the city of Brantford. This is a safe and instant sterilization method that occurs without changing water taste or creating by-products. Currently, chemicals such as chlorine treat the effluent that is released back into the Grand River. With this new system, the waste water is even cleaner than at intake.

This upgrade will not only secure clean drinking water, but enable new home construction and attract even more private sector investments and new jobs in our region. Speaker, the mayor of Brantford, Kevin Davis, said it best: “Together, we’re protecting public health and building for the future.”

Government jet

Ms. Jennifer K. French: This Premier set his sights on Billy Bishop airport so jets would be allowed to fly into the Toronto harbour, and now we know why: This PC government bought Doug Ford a private luxury jet for $29 million. Ontario is understandably furious, so the Premier has pulled the chute and now says he’ll sell the plane. This folksy, elitist Premier needs to get his head out of the clouds and do his job, which is governing the province, not jet-setting to the States.

We, the people in Oshawa, have thoughts to share. W.E. says, “It seems to be a very extravagant expense when we should be putting the money to better use, such as in health care.”

Alexander P. says, “If the government is prioritizing luxury air travel while front-line services like education and health care are under strain, the public deserves to see the receipts.”

John is a student in Oshawa who shares, “Students are being told to accept more debt, work harder, struggle more, and somehow be grateful for it. Meanwhile, his government can spend nearly $29 million on a plane for his travel. Students are expected to scrape by, but there always seems to be money when it is for him, his image, or his priorities.”

Clare wants to know, “Who was involved in approving funds for the plane?” Great question, Clare. Since it wasn’t in the budget but had to go through cabinet, it seems these cabinet ministers are enablers who can’t say no when the Premier wants a pony.

While the celebrity Premier is mad he lost his jet plane, the rest of Ontario is mad they have to beg for scraps. Next week, he might want a yacht, but real people want health care and affordable housing. Shame on this Premier.

Grand River Malayalee Association

Ms. Jess Dixon: On Saturday, I went to one of my favourite events, which is any event that is held by the GRMA, the Grand River Malayalee Association. I feel like GRMA events mark my calendar through all the years I’ve been elected: the Spring Show, Onam, the New Year’s show, the South Asian sports day. This is a community that, right after I was elected, I went to one of their events and they welcomed me with open arms in a way that has been distinctive, and I’ve been so connected to them ever since. I love going to all of their events. I’m looking forward to Onam in August. I have been promised a new Onam sari on its way from India, so I’m very excited about that.

But thank you so much to this community for always making me feel so incredibly welcome. To the president, Rayees Nishad; we had a wonderful emcee at the Spring Show, Priyanka Madhukar; to Nitin, the secretary; Balu, the director—our relationships just keep growing. One of the secretaries, Jo, his son was a page here just a few weeks ago.

Anyway, thank you so much, again. I’m looking forward to seeing you all at Onam and perhaps finally participating in a cricket practice, which I keep promising to do. Thank you. Nandi. I’m looking forward to seeing you at all the events in the future.

Freedom of information

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Speaker, being an elected official, having the support of my constituents, is the honour of a lifetime. I know you understand this personally and I know you also understand why I’m enraged that the Premier and this government disrespect the same trust that Ontarians have placed in them. They breach that trust by screening themselves from freedom-of-information requests, all in a desperate attempt to keep the Premier’s phone records hidden from public scrutiny.

If the public wants to know what the Premier is doing or who his cabinet is meeting with or which lobbyists are whispering into their ears when they dole out billion-dollar contracts, that is simply now too bad under these newly weakened FOI rules.

FOI requests are the cornerstone of transparency and accountability. Without FOI requests, we would not have uncovered the greenbelt giveaway, the corruption with the Skills Development Fund or the fact that the Ontario Science Centre’s roof was not at risk of imminent collapse. Under the new restrictions on FOIs, unless they’re reversed, we may never know how many inmates will be accidentally released from jails because of this government’s incompetence.

Protecting and strengthening the public’s right to information means defending the public’s right to know. It means ensuring that no government is above scrutiny and that accountability is not optional. Because at its core, freedom of information is about power and accountability, and in a democracy, that power belongs to the people and not any single government, and certainly not Doug Ford.

Collinda Joseph

MPP George Darouze: I rise today to recognize an extraordinary athlete from Stittsville in my riding of Carleton, who is joining us right here in the chamber today: Collinda Joseph, alongside her husband, Euan Mackellar, and her two children, Sara and Hannah, who are watching from home.

Collinda represented Canada on the world stage at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Italy, where she achieved an incredible accomplishment: winning a gold medal in wheelchair curling. This achievement is a reflection of not only her skill and determination, but her resilience, discipline and strong commitment to excellence. Competing at the highest level of sport requires years of dedication, and Collinda has made her community and our entire province and our country proud.

Her success also serves as an inspiration to so many, especially young people and individuals with disabilities, showing that with dedication and passion, anything is possible.

Today, we are honoured to have her here with us at Queen’s Park. I ask all members of this House to join me in congratulating Collinda Joseph on her remarkable achievement and in thanking her for representing Canada and Carleton with pride.

I know Collinda and I will both share the same thing: We’re cheering also for the Senators. Go, Sens, go! Thank you very much for being here.

Philip Gosling

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I rise today to honour the late Philip Gosling, a man who made remarkable contributions to our province and the city of Guelph. Inspired by his deep love of nature, Phil co-founded the Bruce Trail, Canada’s oldest marked footpath, in the early 1960s. As trail director, he organized volunteers and walked hundreds of potential trail routes. In the first year working on the trail, he also met his late first wife Jean.

Phil’s love of nature inspired so many of us, and his philanthropy had a big impact. He and Jean funded the Gosling Wildlife Gardens at the Guelph Arboretum, which opened in 1988. A donation from him and his second wife Susan made it possible to double the size of the Gosling Pollinator Gardens at Hospice Wellington. He and Susan also created the Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation at the University of Guelph, and the Gosling Foundation has funded many organizations to protect and restore biodiversity.

Phil was widely recognized for his work, receiving the Order of Canada, an honorary doctor of law degree from the University of Guelph, and he was named honorary chair of the Bruce Trail Conservancy, among many awards.

My heartfelt condolences to the Gosling family, and I encourage everyone to attend the Bruce Trail Conservancy’s reception here at Queen’s Park on May 5 so that we can celebrate Philip’s legacy together.

Paralympic curling team

Hon. Laurie Scott: We are all aware I love a rhyme theme, so here is a poem about our Paralympic curling team:

They called them the Cardiac Canadians—oh yes, that’s the name—

For the way that they win a heart-stopping game.

Not easy, not breezy, not simple or slow,

But, wow, when they’re in the rink, you’re in for a show.

In March, on the ice with the whole world to see,

Team Canada curled with fiery bravery.

And our very own Jon Thurston—calm, steady and bright—

Made shots that felt like magic, that felt just right.

My friend Carl Rennick, with his watchful eye;

The coach who said, “Jon, let’s give this a try.”

From early days on the grand golden scene,

Carl helped shape this champion team.

Then in a game against Norway, remember that play?

That viral, wild, jaw-dropping day.

A whisper of weight—blink and you might miss,

As the cheers burst out in a moment of bliss.

And up in the stands—oh, what a delight—

Jon’s mom danced with joy. It was a beautiful sight.

She twirled and she smiled. She clapped with such cheer,

You could feel all her pride from far over here.

Back home we were watching, all buzzing with glee,

From couches to schools and on local TVs,

A whole town together, all hoping, all bold,

All dreaming right with them of a bright, shining gold.

And oh, when they won, what a grand feat,

With hearts still racing and joy at its peak.

The Cardiac Canadians did what they do:

They thrilled us, they dazzled us and they made history too.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Today, I would like to welcome Father Lucian Azoitei, a priest and president of the board of directors of the Romanian Orthodox Church of St. Apostle Andrew in Mississauga, as well as Father Sergiu Andrasco, monastic name Corneliu, president and pastor at St. George Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Windsor, as well as my executive assistant Codruta Rosca. Thank you for being here at Queen’s Park today.

Mr. Aris Babikian: I would like to introduce Hagop Gokchenian, today’s page captain who is a resident of Scarborough–Agincourt. Here with Hagop today are his parents, Natalie and Sarkis, and his sister Melanie. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Matthew Rae: I want to introduce someone who’s no stranger to this place, a man from Dublin, Ontario, George Goettler and his partner, Ally, who are in the Speaker’s gallery.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I am so proud to introduce Mark Ideson, who is a resident of London West, here with two other members of Canada’s gold-winning Paralympic curling team.

Mark has been skip of Team Canada since 2018—winner of two Paralympic bronze medals, two gold medals, most recently at the 2026 games in Milan.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

MPP Catherine McKenney: I’d like to introduce and welcome to the House Trulee Love, the constituency assistant to my friend Lisa Lachance, who is a Nova Scotia MLA for Halifax Citadel–Sable Island. Welcome to the Legislature.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I am very happy to be able to introduce Kris Noakes from my riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas, a proud board member for ALS Canada. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

MPP Billy Denault: I want to introduce, in the members’ gallery today, Amy Scholten, a representative from my riding for the Renfrew County Legal Clinic who’s here on business in Toronto. She’s a strong advocate for my community and her clients. Amy, I want to welcome you to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I’d like to welcome CEO Tammy Moore and members of the ALS Society of Canada who are joining us today for their advocacy day. We thank them for their important work and welcome them to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Laurie Scott: Of course, our Olympic curler from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock Jon Thurston is here; Carl Rennick, the coach at home; Larissa Simone, Curling Canada media; Jon’s mum, Marilyn Warner; his stepdad, Roger McCrindle; his uncle, David Warner, former Speaker here; Pat Warner, his aunt; Barb Warner, his cousin; Julian Warner Eaglestaff, his cousin; and Sherri Warner, his cousin. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Minister of Sport.

Hon. Stan Cho: On behalf of Minister Lumsden and I—between us, by the way, we have four Grey Cup rings—I just want to welcome two visitors: first of all, Kevin Vallier and the Agritourism Ontario Association, of course. We had a record-breaking tourism year in Ontario last year, and it’s a lot in part thanks to the hard work of the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association delegation, led by Tony Elenis.

Welcome to the Legislature. See you at the reception tonight.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): My apologies, it was Minister of Tourism—you’re not that athletic.

The member for St. Catharines.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Today, I’d like to welcome Chris May. Chris May is a resident of St. Catharines. He’s here with the ALS society today. Looking forward to meeting you today, Chris, and have a great day—and to all our ALS members in Canada: Thank you.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: It is my pleasure to introduce surveyors from the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors: Seán Hollywood, Mykola Pulnyev, Brandon Roy. My dad was a surveyor, so they’re equally important to me.

Welcome to your House.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: I’d like to introduce Julie Nobert-Demarchi from Fierté Timmins Pride, Kiel Hughes from Hamilton Pride, Callie Metler from Capital Pride, Kojo Modeste from Toronto Pride and Jacob Gal from York Pride. The Pride associations of Ontario are in the House today.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome Tammy Moore, the CEO of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society. I invite everybody to meet them in room 230 at lunch.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the leader of the third party on a point of order.

Mr. John Fraser: Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent of the House that the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be authorized to conduct a study on the mistaken release of prisoners from Ontario correctional facilities and that the Solicitor General and the Deputy Solicitor General, correctional services, be invited to appear before the committee for questions and answers on Monday, May 4, 2026.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The leader of the third party is seeking unanimous consent of the House that the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be authorized to conduct a study on the mistaken release of prisoners from Ontario correctional facilities and that the Solicitor General and the Deputy Solicitor General, correctional services, be invited to appear before the committee for questions and answers on Monday, May 4, 2026. Agreed? I heard a no.

It’s now time for question period.

Question Period

Government jet

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. “No one is as scrutinized as I am.” Those are the words of the Premier of this province yesterday. He could have used the opportunity he had speaking with the media and the public to apologize to the taxpayers of this province for setting their money on fire. Instead, he decided to throw a tantrum. He was very upset, apparently, about having to return his shiny, new toy to the toy store, and then he abandoned his entire cabinet. It looks like maybe he’s doing it again today. He told them, “You guys can take the heat for this.”

He told his caucus they had to stand up and defend his choices, which begs the question, Speaker: Who else knew about this luxury jet? Who signed the paperwork and who compared the fabric samples for the recliners and who decided what kind of caviar and champagne was going to be kept on board? Who curated the Blu-ray selection, Speaker—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Response? I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Steve Clark: Good morning, everyone. Speaker, through you to the Leader of the Opposition, I was very clear yesterday and I will say again today: There’s no government that is 100% perfect. Governments make decisions; governments change their decisions.

I watched the Premier yesterday, and I again compliment the Premier on his leadership. Clearly, Speaker, the Premier heard from Ontarians. He made a decision. And while we won’t be going ahead with the procurement, I can assure the House of what the Premier will do. He will continue to stand up to build relationships across Canada and with the United States. We will continue to grow jobs. That’s the Premier’s commitment to the people of Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I’ve got to say, I think this Premier and this government need to stop feeling sorry for themselves, okay? They are not victims for not getting a free pass to blow taxpayer dollars on a private luxury jet, all right?

We heard the Premier yesterday talk about how he feels overly scrutinized. He said, “If only people didn’t look so closely at my affairs.” If only they just let him do what he wants. If only they let him buy what he wants, spend their money the way he wants. Life is so unfair for the Premier of this province and this government.

The reality is, Speaker, I don’t know if he’s the most scrutinized man or that this is most scrutinized government in Canadian history, but they are certainly the most worthy of scrutiny.

So will the Premier apologize and commit to personally paying the difference on any financial loss from this boondoggle?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Good morning.

Interjections.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, colleagues. And good morning, Madam Speaker. Through you, thank you to the member opposite for the question.

You know, what this Premier is not going to apologize for is working every single day to create the conditions for more jobs that will boost the employment in this province and the economy.

When we took power in 2018, the economy was about $800 billion. It’s now over $1.2 trillion. A million more people are working because of the leadership of this Premier and this government. Every single day, every one of us gets up every day so that we work hard for the people of Ontario, set the conditions for good jobs in this province—food on the table, security of an income.

And Madam Speaker, we are not going to relent as we boost the productivity, the economy and good jobs for every single Ontarian.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, what is this? The Premier’s private jet pity party? Please. Making a mistake is like, “I parked in the wrong parking spot.” It is not, “I wasted $30 million on a private luxury jet that I don’t need and the people of this province won’t get any use of.”

I have to say, what I’m hearing from people is very different than what the Minister of Finance is hearing, apparently. Ontarians are wondering why it is that there’s never any money left for the things that they need to make their life better. Yet there is this bottomless wallet when it comes to the Premier’s luxury purchases.

Yesterday he said he should have “made the case” and that he is held to a “double standard”—oh, poor Premier. He is the one who stood here and bragged about never using the Premier’s fancy planes, and now he has been caught with his hands in the people’s pockets.

So, again, will the Premier apologize to the hard-working people of the province of Ontario and admit that he was putting himself first with the purchase of this gravy—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interjection.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Thank you, Minister Parsa.

Do you know what we won’t apologize for? She mentioned our wallet, the $210 billion of infrastructure that we’re using to build this province, putting hundreds of thousands of people to work to build subways so that we can move people faster and where they need to go, to build the highways to move the goods and people, to build the hospitals to take care of 16.2 million Ontarians, to build the schools for our children and our students, to build the long-term-care facilities to help our seniors—all told, $210 billion of infrastructure. That’s what we won’t apologize for.

We’re going to continue to support the workers of this province and build Ontario.

Government jet

Ms. Marit Stiles: Again, yesterday—and I’ll go back to the Premier here—what I heard the Premier say is that he wants people to feel sorry for him. I don’t know. He wants the students—who he cut OSAP for—to feel sorry for him? He wants the burned-out teachers and health care workers to feel sorry for him? He wants parents who can’t afford groceries to feel sorry for him because he doesn’t get his $30-million private luxury jet? Well, boo-hoo. I think that’s why people are so frustrated with the Premier’s decision and with the way that his government is defending this. It is nauseating.

I don’t know how this government—the Premier, the finance minister, the President of the Treasury Board, each of these people who were elected, ostensibly, to be responsible stewards of the public purse—I don’t know how all of them don’t owe us an explanation. So I want to know—maybe I’ll go to the Minister of Finance on this one—did you sign the cheque?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Just look at the budget. I signed the cheque for $227 billion of investments for the people of Ontario, which includes $6.4 billion for the Minister of Colleges and Universities to make sure we have sustainable colleges and universities, $100 billion for the Minister of Health and the Minister of Long-Term Care so they can continue to take care of the good people of Ontario, and another $22 billion for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services so we take care of the most vulnerable people in Ontario.

Madam Speaker, I am not going to apologize for supporting the investments to take care of all Ontarians.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Well, we know that they’re taking care of one specific Ontarian, and that is the Premier.

I will say, I’ve gone through the budget a bunch of times—we’ve all been going through it all—there’s no mention of the Premier’s private luxury jet. I mean, there are other things in there. There are cuts to OSAP. There’s a lot missing; we talked about that before.

On Sunday, I was in Scarborough at a town hall of renters—people who are struggling to make their rent and worrying whether they’re going to lose their homes altogether, parents who talk to me about the really tough choices they are making every day and a lot of families who are telling me that they can’t afford for their kids to go to university or college now because of this government and this finance minister’s plans. What they asked for is a government that was willing to step up, and what they got instead is a private jet for the Premier of this province.

So when will the Premier start putting Ontarians ahead of his own personal interests?

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Madam Speaker, let’s take a look at this budget. We’ve got:

—some $43 billion for our Minister of Education, who’s doing a great job supporting parents, supporting students, supporting teachers, making sure the money that we give flows directly to the teachers and all those supporting our education system;

—the $14 billion by this Minister of Colleges and Universities, including the $6.4 billion to make the colleges and universities sustainable;

—the $64 billion in just health care capital costs to build hospitals, to renovate hospitals, to build long-term care—Madam Speaker, $64 billion—it’s in the budget, which I’m sure the Leader of the Opposition has read, but she fails to mention it, because she knows that is good governance, that is good investments for the people of Ontario.

Our economy has grown. We’re the only province to have attained two credit rating upgrades in an environment where all the others around the world are getting—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Final supplementary?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the week before last, I was in Windsor and I was at a shelter for women and families and children. We were figuring out where they’re going to make cuts next because they can’t even get any kind of increase.

Anyway, I was there, and I met a woman, who came running out to me, actually, in the parking lot to say, “I’m a single mom of three children, and because of this government’s cuts to OSAP, I am going to have to stop going to school. I’ve been going to school so I can make life better for me and my kids.”

Do you know who can’t hold a pity party because life isn’t going her way? That woman. She doesn’t have time to do that. This Premier held a pity party yesterday, made everybody—“Oh, you should feel so bad; I don’t get my private luxury jet.” Are you kidding me? Give me a break.

This is the same Premier who used to stand here and say he was against excessive government spending. He said he was going to stop the gravy train. Remember that? Well, he has actually become—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Madam Speaker, if the Leader of the Opposition really wanted to support the people of Ontario, she would vote for the $12 billion in the budget to support affordability. Let’s examine where that $12 billion is going: It’s going to the most vulnerable by indexing inflation for Ontario disability support payments and low-income seniors—never been done by any government until this government, that is helping the most vulnerable. It’s going to a 30% cut to 375,000 small businesses and helping a lot of our communities right across the province.

It’s an opportunity for this leader to show real leadership by getting her caucus to vote for this budget, by putting money back in the pockets of families and individuals and the great businesses in Ontario.

Government jet

Mr. Stephen Blais: Families in Ontario are cutting back. They’re cancelling vacations, they’re putting groceries back on the shelf and they’re wondering how they’re going to pay the mortgage. What has this tired eight-year-old government been doing? Buying the Premier a $29-million private business jet. The same Premier who said he would end the gravy train is buying a gravy plane.

Now, Madam Speaker, before you make a purchase like that, you might take a test drive or two. So can the President of the Treasury Board tell us how many times she has authorized the Premier to fly private, and did she authorize the purchase of this private plane?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The government House leader.

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through you to the member: There was a time I remember a past Premier said to this House, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.” I think the member opposite knows who I’m talking about in terms of the former Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Our Premier made a decision yesterday in your city. I hope you watched the press conference, because I think the Premier articulated very well, Speaker, the facts of the matter. The government made a decision, and again, governments aren’t right 100% of the time. The Premier took responsibility, and he was responsive to the public.

Speaker, through you: The Premier was incredibly responsive. I felt that he captured in his press conference in the member opposite’s city, and I think we all support the Premier in the decision. It was not in the government’s best interest—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Orléans.

Mr. Stephen Blais: Yes, the Premier was in Ottawa yesterday for a photo op for a news release the government issued almost a year ago for this photo op. This was not a negotiation with the Prime Minister; this was not because of the flooding that’s happening in Ottawa; this was for a one-year-old photo op.

My question for the President of the Treasury Board: How often has she signed off on the Premier flying private? And did the Premier fly to Ottawa yesterday on a government-owned private business jet?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Bay of Quinte.

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: Well, Madam Speaker, I’m not surprised that the party of work from home and the party that mailed it in for 15 years doesn’t understand the importance of a face-to-face meeting. I’m not surprised that the party that can’t run a lemonade stand and the party that chased 300,000 manufacturing jobs out of our province doesn’t understand how to do business in 2026.

Ladies and gentlemen, since we took office, we’ve brought in $222 billion of foreign direct investment, creating over—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I apologize to the member.

The member for Orléans will come to order.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The government side—

Mr. Stephen Blais: I’m not the one who lied, buddy.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): You’ve been warned. The member for Orléans has been warned. I’ll ask you to withdraw.

Mr. Stephen Blais: I withdraw, Madam Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I apologize, and I will let the member have a few extra seconds. I recognize the member for Bay of Quinte.

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: Thank you, Madam Speaker. I was just wrapping up.

Just last year alone, because of our efforts, we attracted 750 international companies that invested $35 billion, creating 64,000 jobs for the people of Ontario. That is the type of travel we were looking to do, that is the justification for the purchase of that jet, and I am thankful that we have a Premier that’s capable of the—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The leader of the third party.

Mr. John Fraser: For eight long years, we’ve been watching the same thing: “I reverse my decision;” “I am only human, I make mistakes;” and, “Boy, do these people ever treat me badly. I’m so hard done by. They’re so tough on me.” I am tired of the schtick.

The Premier bought a jet when there’s half a trillion dollars on the province’s credit card. When people can’t afford groceries and gas, the Premier bought himself a private jet. It’s at some undisclosed location here in Ontario. The thing is, he’s not just the one who made the decision; there are a whole bunch of people over there who did that as well.

So I’m asking the President of the Treasury Board to tell us: Did she approve the Premier buying a private luxury jet?

Mr. Tyler Allsopp: Thank you to the member from Ottawa South for that question.

The member, the other day in debate, referenced the fact that, as he said, he used to be a pack boy for Loblaws. But that wasn’t the only time—you also packed up 300,000 manufacturing jobs and shipped them out of the province of Ontario.

Ladies and gentlemen, the selective outrage on that side of the House is unbelievable. The Prime Minister spends $753 million on six private jets and we hear crickets from that side of the House. You name me six people in the federal government who move the needle like Premier Ford when they show up in person and I’ll buy you lunch at the Legislature today.

We absolutely made the right decision acquiring that jet on every single business case possible, but I appreciate that the Premier went to the people of Ontario, heard directly from them and he understood that maybe, though this was the right decision, it wasn’t, perhaps, the right time.

It’s this Premier who has constantly stood up for the people of Ontario. Maybe you guys should try it sometime.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Your responses through the Speaker.

I recognize the leader of the third party.

Public safety

Mr. John Fraser: Speaker, I know; it’s, “Poor, poor pitiful me. I didn’t get my jet and they’re all so hard on me and I do the best. You can get me on my phone any time.”

My question is for the Solicitor General. Yesterday, the Solicitor General apologized unreservedly for telling us that criminals were apprehended instantaneously and immediately. It shouldn’t take four question periods and a week to get there. Quite frankly, Ontarians, they’re not looking for an apology; they’re looking for answers.

To the Solicitor General: Can he tell us how many prisoners have been mistakenly released since September 2025 until now?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I appreciate the question. I said yesterday, and I’ll repeat it again, that inmates must stay in jail until the date set by the court on their release, and any administrative error is totally unacceptable. I said that too. When an error happens, the police are notified right away.

Madam Speaker, we inherited a system that was broken, and we pledged to Ontarians that we would fix it. We said that we would hire thousands of new correctional officers and we’ve hired now over 3,300. And what does that mean? It means that we now have the additional administrative supports to make sure that these errors do not occur. It means that we have modern technology implemented where the courts speak to our jails in real time to minimize it.

We take this matter seriously and we’re correcting a problem that we inherited, but we’ll correct it.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the leader of the third party.

Mr. John Fraser: The numbers don’t lie. In 2024, the government lost 30 criminals—they lost 30 criminals—and in the first nine months of 2025, they lost 39. So, Minister, by my math, it’s getting worse, but you might want to check that. Maybe ask your office or your deputy.

Speaker, I’ll ask this again—a simple question: How many prisoners have been mistakenly set free since September 2025, and how many are still out there?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: What my colleague opposite doesn’t say is that in the last few years before they were kicked out of office by the voters of Ontario and reduced to just a handful of seats, there were almost 250 improper releases. We are not accepting that as the barometer that we will live by.

We are bringing the number to as close to zero as quickly as possible by making the required investments; by having modern technology; by having the courts speak to the jails in real time; by having additional administrative resources; and by making sure that Ontarians know, as they did in February 2025, when they had a chance to stand up to say, “We want somebody to stand up to protect Ontario”—and do you know who that is? That’s Premier Ford and the PC Party.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the leader of the third party.

Mr. John Fraser: If the minister checked with his ministry, he would know that the problem is twice as bad as it was before, and he would know that they lost more criminals in the first nine months of 2025 than they did in 2024, and by anybody’s math, that means the problem is getting worse.

The Solicitor General said the police are notified—the Deputy Solicitor General is notified and so is the Solicitor General. So he knows how many are out and he’s not telling Ontarians. Why is that? It’s a simple answer to a question. Why can’t he tell us that? What do victims of crimes think when the minister can’t actually tell us how many people they let out of jail and whether any of them are still out? How is it, Speaker, that the Solicitor General still has his job?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Speaker, I’m proud of my record that, for almost four years, I have travelled the province extensively; that I have visited fire halls; that I have visited almost every municipal police service, minus one in Deep River—I’m going to get there; that I have visited First Nations’ police services; that I have travelled and listened.

But when I look across the aisle, when the largest class ever graduated for Ottawa Police Service, the member from Orléans was not there; the member from Nepean was not there; the member from Ottawa–Vanier was not there and the leader of the third party was not there. They don’t stand with our public safety people that keep us safe. They know it. You should be ashamed of yourselves.

Highway safety

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Premier. Last month, the official opposition did a bit of a tour across northern Ontario to talk about what they thought about highways and about highway safety. The one thing that shocked me, kind of, was how fearful people in the north are of some commercial truck drivers—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Natural Resources will come to order.

Mr. John Vanthof: I will use an example: We had several people—including one contractor—who refused to unload a transport because the driver, who was fully licensed and supposedly trained in Ontario, could not back up a truck. How does that happen, that people who can’t drive trucks somehow are licensed in Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Brampton East.

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: Thank you to the member for that question. Our Ministry of Transportation, led by Premier Ford and our great minister, considers road safety as our absolute top priority. When we take a look at our road network across the province, from Highways 401 and 410 and across this province, especially in the north, Highways 11 and 17, we always ensure that we have the necessary number of enforcement officers travelling to ensure that we protect every driver that is on the road.

Especially in the north, we’ve built a new inspection station that I’ve personally visited and saw the great work that our inspection officers do. We’ve increased the number of enforcement officers that are travelling along those roadways, and we’re working to make sure that we continue to do that great work.

Officers now have expanded capacity where they can travel throughout the north. We’ve posted blitzes across that region, Speaker, and we’re going to continue to make sure that we have the best road safety across the province.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Timiskaming–Cochrane.

Mr. John Vanthof: I appreciate the answer. I highly doubt that northerners who fear for their lives on 11 and 17 would agree.

In 2024, 11 was closed 363 times. Many of those times were due to accidents, many of them fatal. That continues to happen now.

Last Thursday, I spoke in this House about an accident, expressed people’s condolences, but I didn’t know it was fatal at that point. Three people died last Thursday on what are supposedly the safest highways in North America.

When is the government going to do their job and actually treat this as the crisis that it is?

Mr. Hardeep Singh Grewal: On behalf of the government of Ontario and alongside the great people of this province, our heartfelt condolences go out to the families who have had to endure the loss of a loved one.

This government will do everything we can to keep motorists and road users safe as they drive through our great province. Our government continues to expand Highways 11 and 17, making the investments necessary to support safety along the corridor. We’ve widened the corridor by more than 50%, and, to date, through the northern highways program, we’ve invested $650 million to support the expansion of Highways 11 and 17.

Our government recognizes that Highways 11 and 17 are not only important to northern Ontario but they’re critical components of the Trans-Canada network that supports the national supply chains and economic growth and development of critical minerals throughout this province. That’s why our Minister of Transportation has written to the federal Minister of Transportation asking them to accelerate the continued widening of Highways 11 and 17.

Road safety is a non-partisan—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

Crime prevention

MPP Andrea Hazell: My question is for the Premier. Today I want to urgently sound the alarm on crime rates with young people in Scarborough. Let me be clear to all the members sitting here today: Scarborough is a strong, resilient community, but we have been consistently overlooked and underinvested since this government took office. Scarborough continues to be grossly underinvested in community programs, jobs and training, and our community centres are on the brink of collapse.

The consequences are now showing up in real time. When a young person ends up in jail no one wins, not the family, not the community, not the future of this province. The only one who benefits from this is the government: “I’ll build as many jails as we need;” “I don’t care if you stack them 10 high.”

Madam Speaker, to the Premier: Why is this government investing $4 billion in building more jail cells instead of investing in youth crime prevention?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Finance.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: Madam Speaker, another highlight of the budget is the record investments that the Solicitor General is making on behalf of expanding correctional facilities in Ontario, providing the resources to make sure that our correctional facilities are properly resourced.

And by the way, every time I hear that member, who is a good member for Scarborough—whenever she gets up, she says, “What have you done for Scarborough lately?” Are you kidding me? What have we done for Scarborough lately? Well, I’ll tell you what wasn’t done for 15 years: building long-term-care beds in Scarborough—virtually none built; building health care and a hospital in Scarborough and adding it to the capacity of acute care beds in Scarborough; and, oh, by the way, getting around Scarborough—a subway for the first time. Talked about it for 50 years—this government’s getting it done.

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member for Scarborough–Guildwood.

MPP Andrea Hazell: To the minister: Transportation does not decrease crime. I’m talking about crime here today.

Let me educate you. In the ridings of the four members from Scarborough sitting across the floor, child poverty is at an average of 34%.

And while this government talks about being tough on crime, crime in Scarborough has significantly increased. A family woke up on April 9 to find their home with bullet holes. Police arrested 10 people, laid 203 charges and seized four guns tied to multiple shootings, including a Scarborough pub—listen to this—mass shooting. A young man was found shot dead in an STC washroom. A student was killed at the University of Toronto. A 16-year-old was shot in his father’s arms—I went to that funeral; I had to face the mother and father. Two 15-year-olds were stabbed and robbed by a group of young people as young as 12 years. An elderly woman in her late eighties was stabbed in her own home.

Through you, Madam Speaker, I ask the Premier again—it’s a simple question—why is this government investing $4 billion in building more jail cells instead of investing in the young people to prevent these crimes?

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Michael Parsa: Speaker, quite the contrary: I think we’re investing in youth in this province, and we’ve made it very clear they’re the future of this province and we will not waver in our commitment to making sure they have every opportunity to succeed and thrive in this province.

If you look at the programs that we’ve enrolled, none existed in the past: the Youth in Policing Initiative, which provides them with the opportunity to not only get that life experience but also an employment opportunity that sets them up for success.

If you look at the Ready, Set, Go Program that we enrolled—of course the opposition didn’t support that initiative that comes with a $170-million investment—in youth starting at 13, Madam Speaker, right up until their 23rd birthday.

Madam Speaker, all of these upstream supports that are available to youth through this government never existed before. So when it comes to the youth—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): I recognize the member for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

Ring of Fire

Mr. Stéphane Sarrazin: My question is for the Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. Speaker, we know that the Ring of Fire is a generational opportunity. With the potential to generate over $22 billion for Ontario’s economy, fortify a made-in-Ontario supply chain and secure a self-reliant economy, the time to act is now. That is why our government continues to advance the Ring of Fire, working in lockstep with First Nations communities every step of the way.

We’ve heard the minister speak about the progress to date and how partnerships with First Nations communities will see the construction on the roads to the Ring of Fire completed ahead of schedule.

Speaker, can the minister explain our accelerated plan for the construction on the roads to the Ring of Fire and what it means for communities in northern Ontario?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I want to thank the member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell for his awesome work in his riding and as part of our caucus.

Listen, these timelines, which have been dramatically sped up, have put First Nations communities in the unique position of putting out requests for proposals and partnering with major road construction companies. This is an important exercise in developing critical mineral supply for the world over, but it also means prosperity. It means economic partnerships with companies that these communities have never known before.

Madam Speaker, across the province, in fact, we are seeing small businesses owned and operated by First Nations. We’re seeing companies from other provinces coming here to understand how they can partner with First Nations and meet the demand of opportunity.

We’re so excited about the kinds of things that are developing—aggregate, accommodations, restaurants, commercial activities—in the region of northern Ontario and particularly the Ring of Fire. There’s lots of—

The Speaker (Hon. Donna Skelly): Back to the member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

Mr. Stéphane Sarrazin: Thank you to the minister for highlighting our accelerated timeline for getting shovels in the ground.

Speaker, beyond infrastructure, we’re also seeing new economic opportunities and development of a skilled workforce take shape in the Ring of Fire region, with First Nation communities playing a central role. The Ring of Fire is about more than just responsible mining and development—it’s about strengthening economies and long-term prosperity. With the potential to create more than 70,000 jobs in industries across Ontario, the Ring of Fire represents an opportunity to provide lasting and meaningful employment to communities throughout this province.

Speaker, can the minister tell us about the exciting economic development opportunities in the Ring of Fire?

Hon. Greg Rickford: The member is right. Look, the community partnership agreements have set a foundation for community assets to be able to support training and daycare for young First Nations people to participate in the kinds of economic activities being contemplated through their community partnerships and their economic partnership agreements.

They’re already coming to fruition, Madam Speaker. As the request for proposals recognized large-scale companies forming businesses with First Nations, we’ve already seen in different parts of northern Ontario attached to legacy resource development some important developments. The Migizi Plaza in Greenstone is partnering with Tim Hortons, A&W and Esso. That may not sound like a big thing to some of the big-city folk, but when that moves into a place like Greenstone