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May 31, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-May-31 (PDF)

L083 - Wed 31 May 2023 / Mer 31 mai 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 31 May 2023 Mercredi 31 mai 2023

House sittings

Orders of the Day

Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à aider les acheteurs et à protéger les locataires

Members’ Statements

Boyd Heritage Museum / Lindsay Lions Club

Anti-discrimination activities

Girls Inc. of York Region

Gun violence

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children

Paramedic services

Wellesley AppleJacks hockey team

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s Gutsy Walk

Steven Tourangeau

Steven Tourangeau / David Stewart

Introduction of Visitors

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

Question Period

Hospital services

Anti-discrimination activities

Health care

Economic development

Employment standards

Transportation infrastructure / Public transit

Assistance to persons with disabilities

Northern Ontario development

Missing persons

Agri-food industry

Injured workers

Anti-racism and anti-discrimination activities

Environmental protection

Victims of crime

Reception

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à mettre fin au harcèlement et aux abus commis par les dirigeants locaux

Less Red Tape, Stronger Economy Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à réduire les formalités administratives pour une économie plus forte

Introduction of Visitors

Introduction of Bills

Health Protection and Promotion Amendment Act (Sodium Content), 2023 / Loi de 2023 modifiant la

Loi sur la protection et la promotion de la santé (teneur en sodium)

Skilled Trades Week Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la Semaine des métiers spécialisés

Injured Workers Day Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la Journée des travailleurs blessés

Provincial Day Against Gun Violence in Ontario Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la Journée provinciale contre la violence armée en Ontario

Petitions

Education funding

Police funding

Municipal restructuring

Municipal planning

Police funding

Education funding

Social assistance

Police funding

Education funding

Police services

Orders of the Day

Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à aider les acheteurs et à protéger les locataires

Private Members’ Public Business

Police funding

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

House sittings

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Point of order, Speaker.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Barrie–Innisfil has a point of order.

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

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

Hon. Steve Clark: I could have done that, took the credit and been everybody’s friend too, Speaker.

Orders of the Day

Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à aider les acheteurs et à protéger les locataires

Mr. Clark moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 97,

An Act to amend various statutes with respect to housing and development / Projet de loi 97, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne le logement et l’aménagement.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I look to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to lead off the debate.

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, it’s a pleasure to rise for third reading of our government’s proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act. Right off the top, I want to indicate I’m going to be sharing the government’s leadoff time with a number of my colleagues: the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, the Associate Minister of Housing and the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Interjections.

Hon. Steve Clark: That’s good. Give them a big round of applause because my colleagues are going to use their time to really go into the details and the advantages of the proposed legislation. For members who are here this morning, the proposed changes that we’re debating are responses to market conditions that have really continued far too long in our province.

Decades of inaction, combined with layers of red tape and NIMBYism, have created our province’s housing supply crisis. But our government has been working extremely hard, and we’re going to continue to work hard to correct this. We’re doing this for the many Ontarians who have literally been priced out of the market through no fault of their own. And we’re doing this for those Ontarians who rent homes and need some relief.

The legislation before us is designed to support a greater package. The package is our government’s most recent housing supply action plan, which also—and I want to stress this—contains some non-legislative items. I’ll get to those at the end of my proposal. It’s the latest in a series of steps that our government is taking to our ultimate goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031.

Our plan also aims to make life easier and more affordable for people across our great province. That’s why this action plan looks at, really, four different aspects of housing: rental units, home ownership, cost to build and land supply. If passed, the proposed legislative changes, along with our corresponding housing supply action plan, would make life easier for renters, would strengthen homebuyer protections, would reduce the costs of building a new home and would streamline the rules around land use planning and encourage the development of more housing.

Speaker, since introducing the bill earlier this spring, we’ve received support from across the province from a variety of sectors, and I’ll highlight a few of them this morning. The Ontario Real Estate Association, OREA, commended our government on bringing forward several proposed solutions to address the housing supply and affordability crisis to support future homebuyers, tenants and landlords across the province.

Another stakeholder, the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario, or FRPO, supports the new Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act and “the measures it introduces to protect residents from illegal evictions and to punish bad actors.”

AMO, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario—a great stakeholder—acknowledges that we have proposed changes that are in direct response to municipal feedback, including flexibility for site plan control and giving municipalities extra time to adjust to changes regarding both site plan and zoning refunds.

Of course, Speaker, we wouldn’t be standing here today without the bold initiatives that our government has taken so far and has already put into place. In May 2019, our government released our first housing supply action plan, More Homes, More Choice. That plan cut red tape and made it quicker and simpler to build the right type of housing in the right places. The aim was to help make housing less expensive to build and to help taxpayers keep more of their hard-earned dollars.

Then, after that, in the spring of 2022, we released our second action plan, More Homes for Everyone. That action plan was based on extensive consultations, including the province’s first-ever Ontario-Municipal housing summit. We received even more feedback from mayors, reeves and wardens of Ontario’s smaller, rural, northern and remote municipalities at our Rural Housing Roundtable. In addition, the Housing Affordability Task Force consulted with municipalities, with experts and with industry. More Homes for Everyone included targeted policies to help speed up approvals and it took steps to gradually refund fees if municipal decisions weren’t made within a legislated time frame.

Speaker, those first two action plans did a lot, but we recognized that there was much more the government needed to do. So last fall, we came out with our third housing supply action plan, More Homes Built Faster. It built on the successful initiatives that the government had previously put forward in both legislation and regulation by taking more actions to ensure that Ontarians across the province can access a home that truly meets their needs and their budgets. In addition, we bolstered our action plans through legislation that the House passed that gave the mayors of Ontario’s two biggest cities, Toronto and Ottawa, more powers to help address local barriers to building more homes.

Speaker, all of these steps—every single one of them—shared one overall goal and that was to build more homes in our province.

Interjection.

Hon. Steve Clark: Thank you. We also wanted, as a government, to make sure that those action plans were as effective as possible. To ensure that, our government created the Housing Supply Action Plan Implementation Team. The team, chaired by Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens and vice-chaired by Hornepayne mayor Cheryl Fort, is made up of municipal leaders and experts as well from across the province and our non-profit sectors, with perspectives that reflect the diversity of housing needs across our great province. The team will monitor the effectiveness and progress of our action plans.

It will also provide advice to the government on how best to implement the action plans so that we can continue to successfully respond to Ontario’s housing supply crisis.

Speaker, the action plans and the measures that we’ve taken are having an extremely positive effect in our province. In fact, we’re seeing historic results in increasing housing supply. People in the House have heard me say this many times in the last two years: We’ve reached consecutive 30-year highs in terms of housing starts. In fact, in rental starts, we saw an all-time high for starts last year in 2022, and I’m happy to tell people—

Interjections.

Hon. Steve Clark: Yes, let’s hear it for the housing starts.

We’re also, Speaker, seeing very, very encouraging numbers for 2023. In early 2023, for the same period last year, Ontario saw an increase of over 3,700 housing starts. It’s about a 16% rise over 2022. Purpose-built rentals, for the same year: more than double a year ago at this time.

So, Speaker, why are the numbers up? Well, it’s pretty simple. They’re up because of the results of what our government has accomplished because of our housing supply action plans. They’re a direct result of the measures that this government has put in place to ensure that we can get shovels in the ground faster. That’s why the government is going to continue to move forward. We’re going to continue to champion new proposals to further help increase supply.

I want to again emphasize, Speaker, that the proposed changes that we’re debating today, changes that form the basis of the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants plan, build upon the government’s actions that I’ve outlined in my remarks. In addition to new rental housing units, which our past policies are helping to bolster, our new proposed changes would help make other aspects of life easier for renters.

First, our proposed legislation would clarify and enhance a tenant’s right to install portable or window air conditioning in their unit. Second, our proposed changes will, if passed, further strengthen renter protections against evictions due to renovations or repairs, and evictions for landlord’s own use of the unit. We also propose to double the maximum fines on offences under the Residential Tenancies Act: $100,000 for individuals, half a million dollars for corporations.

We’re also—I want to do a shout-out to our fantastic Attorney General, Doug Downey. As well, outside of this bill—again, I want to talk about some things that are outside of this bill but have direct, positive impact to our housing supply action plan—is the decision that the Attorney General made to make that historic investment: $6.5 million to increase the Landlord and Tenant Board, to effectively double the amount of adjudicators. We’re adding 40 new adjudicators, five additional support staff to deal with the backlog.

I don’t care what side of the LTB hearing you’re at, whether you’re a landlord or a tenant, this is going to be transformational for the LTB. Again, I want to thank Attorney General Downey for his commitment to working with us and adding this critical piece to our housing supply action plan. Thanks to the Attorney General.

Speaker, our plan would also better protect homebuyers and their financial investments. In March, I was pleased to join Minister Rasheed and Associate Minister Tangri for the announcement that our government is expanding deposit insurance for credit union members saving for the purchase of their first home. First home savings accounts were introduced by the federal government, and credit union members can use them to save for that purchase of their first home. Now the money in a first home savings account is fully protected through the province’s deposit insurance regime, just like RRSPs and TFSAs.

We also have two other initiatives outside of Bill 97 that the government is exploring to support the buyers of new homes. First, we’re looking at a cooling-off period on the purchases of new freehold homes, and second, we’re exploring a requirement that purchasers of all new homes receive legal advice on their purchase agreements. The minister is going to outline more details on those proposals later on in our government’s leadoff.

Speaker, our proposals in this new action plan would continue to support greater intensification, while at the same time making sure sufficient land is available to accommodate the new homes our province needs. As I announced very clearly when we first tabled this bill, there are some measures that are outside of Bill 97, and I’m carefully clarifying that because there’s been some miscategorization of this.

Part of what we announced at the same time we tabled this bill was our intention to integrate key elements of two documents, the provincial policy statement and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The reason this is so important is it would create a single, province-wide, housing-focused, land use planning policy document.

We believe it’s very important for us to simplify existing policies, to refocus on achieving the housing outcomes that this government has indicated on many occasions we want to get to by 2031, and it would give large and fast-growing municipalities the tools they need to deliver housing. A single planning document would reflect our government’s belief that all of Ontario, not just the greater Golden Horseshoe, should be a place to grow.

The other item that we announced, again, outside of the actual legislation is our intention to reduce the cost of building housing. We’re planning on freezing 74 provincial fees at their current level. This is something that came as a direct result of our first housing summit, where big-city mayors told us and regional chairs said that it can’t just be fees at the municipal level. So in response to direct municipal feedback, those 74 provincial fees are going to be kept at their current levels.

These include several fees related to Tribunals Ontario, the Ontario Land Tribunal and the building code, and we’re consulting on implementation of the fee freezes through Ontario’s Regulatory Registry.

Speaker, I just want to deviate from my notes a bit, because there has been significant confusion about some of the things that are in Bill 97 and some of those consultation pieces that I spoke of. For example, today, my local Green Party president has told all the media that he’s protesting the severance issues in Bill 97. Well, as members of the government know, there aren’t any severance provisions in Bill 97. Again, one of the things I learned when I first came to the Legislature was that I wanted to read bills before I decided to take an aggressive stance.

So I say to the leader of the Green Party and his local president, I’ve got a couple of copies of Bill 97 waiting at the constituency office today, so I hope you’ll pick it up when you’re there.

But I also encourage Ontarians, no matter whether it’s the provincial policy statement and our growth plan consultation, whether it’s the consultations of the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery—I encourage all Ontarians to use the opportunities that the government is affording to them to give us real feedback. Some of the things I spoke about today that are in Bill 97 came as a direct result of feedback we received from stakeholders, like our municipal partners.

Speaker, I want to conclude by again emphasizing that our proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act builds upon previous actions put in place by the government, which I’ve detailed to the House this morning. These are all actions aimed to support homeowners, renters, landlords, non-profits, private sector builders and our municipal partners across Ontario. By working together, and with the tools and the support of the housing supply action plans, we can realize that goal of creating 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.

Speaker, I want to thank you. It’s great to see you in the chair this morning and, at this point, I’m going to yield the floor to the Associate Minister of Housing, the Honourable Nina Tangri.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): The Associate Minister of Housing.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I want to thank the minister for his earlier remarks.

Speaker, it really is my privilege to speak today on further details of the proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act. I want to thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for providing a very concise overview of this bill. You will be hearing later from the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery for a detailed exploration of the advantages of this proposed legislation for new home buyers.

But let me remind the members of this House about the work our government has done to help those Ontarians who rent their homes and what we’re proposing to continue to make life better for tenants across this province.

Our government recognizes that rentals make up a big part of Ontario’s overall housing market. That’s why our previous housing supply action plans have included initiatives to enable the construction of new rental housing. Since 2019, we’ve made changes to boost the supply of rental housing to help increase affordability and choice for Ontarians. And we’re seeing progress. New rental construction is at a record high, with almost 7,200 starts so far this year. That’s more than double the number of rental starts from the same period last year.

But we’re doing more than just working to increase rental housing supply. Protecting tenants remains a top priority for our government. Since our government was elected in 2018, we’ve introduced and implemented numerous measures to help tenants. We’ve changed the rules to enable the construction of more rental units. We’ve implemented measures to protect against bad-faith evictions while clamping down on bad landlords. We’ve made ongoing investments in the Landlord and Tenant Board to modernize their processes.

When renters were facing challenges during the height of the pandemic, we froze 2021 rents and we temporarily suspended the enforcement of evictions so tenants could remain safe in their homes.

The Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act and the plan now represent our government’s latest efforts to make life better for tenants. According to Statistics Canada data, the growth in the number of renter households has outpaced the growth in homeowner households, from 2011 to 2021, in Canada’s 41 large urban centres. The time for this House to pass our government’s proposed legislation that will improve the lives of so many of Ontario’s renters is now.

Speaker, through you, let me give the members of this House some examples of how our bill would help renters.

Our proposed legislation would clarify and enhance the rules regarding air conditioning in rental units. We propose to amend the Residential Tenancies Act so that when a landlord does not provide air conditioning, tenants would be permitted to install a window-mounted or portable air conditioning unit. Of course, this would be subject to some rules. A tenant would need to give written notice to the landlord of their intention to install an air conditioning unit prior to its installation.

In addition, the air conditioning unit would need to be installed safely and securely, without causing damage, while complying with any applicable laws. Renters would pay for the air conditioner, the installation and the maintenance. And tenants who have electricity included in their rent could be charged a seasonal fee by the landlord, based on the actual electricity cost to the landlord or a reasonable estimate.

Our bill has even more advantages for renters. At a time when renters are faced with uncertain economic forces like inflation, our government is acting.

Our proposed legislation, if passed—along with future regulations—would increase tenant protections against evictions due to renovations or repairs, as well as evictions for a landlord’s own use of a unit. We intend to do this by giving tenants greater access to remedies and by increasing the reporting requirements that landlords must follow. If passed, this bill would require a landlord who is ending a tenancy to do renovations or repairs to provide a report stating that the rental unit needs to be vacant while that work is taking place.

A future regulation would outline the details that must be included in that report. Regulations would also set out the required qualifications of the persons who could provide this report. Once these regulations are made, this document must be provided to the tenant along with an eviction notice; otherwise, the eviction notice would be considered invalid.

In situations where tenants have indicated they want to return to their old unit, our proposed changes would require landlords to provide written notification, without delay, of the estimated date when the unit will be ready for occupancy after the renovations or repairs are completed. In addition, written notification would again be required for any changes to that expected completion date and would need to include a new estimated completion date. And finally, when the unit is ready for occupancy, the landlord would be required to give the tenant a minimum 60-day grace period to move back in.

This grace period is intended to accommodate the tenant’s requirement to provide 60-day notice to end their tenancy in their temporary accommodation if they are renting elsewhere while renovations are completed. If the tenant does move back in, the landlord would be required—as is the case currently—to charge the tenant a rent similar to what was charged before the renovations.

Speaker, as the law now stands, if a landlord fails to give the right of first refusal to an evicted tenant after renovations or repairs are completed, the tenant has two years within which to file a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board. Our proposed legislation would change the Residential Tenancies Act so that a tenant would have two years after moving out or six months after the renovations are complete, whichever is longer, to file their complaint. This would extend the tenant’s access to justice.

Our proposed legislation and related regulations would also tighten the rules regarding evictions when a landlord wishes to use a rental unit for their own use or for one of their family members. To help ensure these types of evictions are genuine, our proposed changes would set a time frame, to be prescribed in the regulation, within which a landlord or their family member must move into the unit after the unit becomes vacant. If the move is not made by that deadline, the landlord would be presumed to have acted in bad faith.

The tenant could then apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for a remedy, and the landlord would have the onus to prove to the board that the eviction was not in bad faith. The amount of time that a landlord would have to move in would be set at a future date, once our government has consulted on a fair and reasonable time period.

Our proposed legislation would also increase the maximum fines for offences under the Residential Tenancies Act. If passed, our legislation would amend the Residential Tenancies Act to double the fines under this act. The maximum fines would rise to $100,000 from $50,000 for individuals, and to $500,000 from $250,000 for corporations. We believe that increasing these fines would help deter rental housing offences such as unlawful evictions. Our government knows it is critical that tenants be protected from this type of behaviour.

Speaker, I’ve mentioned the Landlord and Tenant Board several times in regard to renovictions and own-use situations. However, there are many kinds of landlord-tenant disputes that get resolved through the Landlord and Tenant Board, and it is essential that the LTB be ready to adjudicate these disputes. That’s why our government is doubling the number of adjudicators to eliminate the backlog of cases at the LTB and reduce wait times for landlords and for tenants.

Our proposed legislation would also introduce other welcome improvements. It would amend the Residential Tenancies Act to mandate the use of the Landlord and Tenant Board’s form for rent repayment agreements. These agreements are used when a landlord has applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board to evict a tenant for owed rent, and the landlord and the tenant agree to a repayment plan. The LTB’s rent repayment agreement form is a legal document that sets out the terms of payment. Currently, there is no requirement for a specific form or format to be used for a repayment agreement.

This would standardize these agreements, setting out in plain language the rights and obligations of both renters and landlords and the potential consequences if the agreement is breached.

Speaker, our government knows it is crucially important to protect and increase our province’s stock of rental housing. Building on More Homes Built Faster, one of our government’s earlier housing supply action plans which I mentioned earlier, our proposed legislation would make changes to the Municipal Act and the City of Toronto Act. These changes would be necessary to give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the regulation-making authority necessary to create a balanced regulatory framework governing municipal rental replacement bylaws. This would help streamline the construction and revitalization of rental housing, while protecting tenants.

Speaker, as things stand, rental replacement bylaws vary amongst municipalities. This includes requirements that municipalities impose around number, size, height and cost of rental units, as well as right of first refusal for existing tenants.

Our government envisions a regulatory framework where any municipality that establishes a bylaw must require that replacement units contain the same core features as the units they are replacing. By this we mean features such as the same number of bedrooms. We’re also considering permitting some flexibility when it comes to the overall size of the unit and the size of, for example, the bedrooms.

This regulatory framework could also require municipalities to impose a requirement on landowners to provide existing tenants with the right to move back into the replacement unit at similar rent levels. Our government is consulting on future regulations that would help ensure a balanced package of rules for these replacement bylaws.

I’ve outlined how our government’s proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act would strengthen protections and new rights for tenants. This legislation represents our government’s latest efforts to make life better for tenants and homebuyers across this great province. We have a responsibility to the people of Ontario to ensure that they have access to safe, affordable housing. This bill, if passed, will help us achieve that goal by strengthening protections and providing new rights for tenants, while also encouraging the construction of new rental housing.

I urge each and every one of the members here today to consider the impacts this legislation will have on the lives of so many Ontarians. Let us come together and pass this bill so that we can continue to make life better for renters and landlords across Ontario. We have done so much already, and yet there is still so much more to be done as we work towards our goal of building 1.5 million homes to ensure that every Ontarian has a safe and affordable place to call home.

Speaker, I would now like to turn the floor over to the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): The member from Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and our great associate minister, as well, for their remarks this morning. I’m pleased to speak on our government’s proposed Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act and its corresponding plan.

Specifically, Speaker, I’ll be speaking on our proposed changes regarding the future of land use planning in our province. They would support our government’s initiatives to produce a single land use planning document for the province. This would be a great improvement over the current situation we have with the provincial planning statement and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

This layer upon layer of planning rules is inefficient, Speaker. It causes great delays, which many government colleagues have heard through a variety of stakeholders: municipalities, builders and everyone else in Ontario. It’s not helping us get more homes, which Ontarians desperately need built. That is why our government launched consultations on April 6 seeking opinions, advice and ideas on how key elements of these two sets of planning rules should be combined into one overall land use planning document for all of Ontario.

I want to emphasize that we are paying close attention to the consultations that we are hearing and we appreciate the interest of the public so far. This is crucial to our government’s efforts to get the housing built that Ontarians desperately need. That’s why we’ve made great headway in tackling Ontario’s housing crisis. But, as the minister and associate minister have said, more needs to be done. A streamlined set of land use planning rules will go a long way in helping our partners in the municipal sector and the building industry to reach approval on new housing projects in a much more rapid manner.

What I also want to emphasize is that a single set of planning rules will benefit all of Ontario, not just the greater Golden Horseshoe. When proponents of a new housing project have one set of rules to follow, no matter where they are in Ontario, that translates into a simpler, quicker and less costly housing project. But right now, that is not the case. All of Ontario is subject to a set of planning rules detailed in the provincial policy statement, often referred to as the PPS. However, in the greater Golden Horseshoe, there is an additional set of rules contained in A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.

The greater Toronto area, which is just one area of the greater Golden Horseshoe, is expected to grow by 2.9 million people by 2046. And I want to say that again: We need more housing to accommodate the additional 2.9 million people in the next—Speaker, this is not just a housing issue; it’s an economic problem that can affect the entire country. The greater Golden Horseshoe generates more than 25% of Canada’s gross domestic product. It is literally the economic engine of Ontario and the country. But this economic engine needs workers who in turn have a place to live.

It is crucial that we get land use planning right so that new housing can be built quickly and without unnecessary costs and delays. Compound those demands with the current situation we have in planning rules on top of planning rules which builders must navigate on their own, and it’s easy to see how delays and costs end up adding up. A streamlined set of planning rules will help us meet all of those challenges more quickly with less cost.

That’s why we plan to integrate the provincial policy statement and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe into a new province-wide streamlined and housing-focused land use planning policy instrument. This new simplified and streamlined planning policy document would be called the provincial planning statement—still PPS, Speaker. It would give direction to all of Ontario and give specific direction tailored to the needs of Ontario’s 29 fastest-growing communities.

Our proposed new provincial planning statement would be based on five pillars.

The first pillar is generating an appropriate housing supply. For this, our new PPS would give specific direction to 29 of Ontario’s largest and fastest-growing municipalities with regard to planning for major transit station areas and greenfield lands. This will help us ensure an adequate supply of housing. Simpler and more flexible policies would apply to all other municipalities to accommodate more local conditions but would still encourage growth, Speaker. For example, our proposed policies would promote more rural housing by allowing greater flexibility in smaller communities.

Smaller and rural municipalities would also engage with the private sector to provide the infrastructure needed for new housing. As well, municipalities would be encouraged to establish density targets for undeveloped land.

The second pillar, Speaker, on which our new PPS is based is making land available for new homes. This is part of our plan to build homes for Ontarians in urban and suburban areas, as well as rural parts of the province, while still maintaining strong environmental protections across Ontario. We would require municipalities to have enough land with water and sewer access ready to meet their communities’ forecasted housing needs for three years into the future.

We would also require municipalities to adhere to an at least 25-year planning horizon, and we would continue to encourage municipalities to build where it makes sense, such as locating office, institutional and residential development near transit, and mix retail and commercial areas with housing, schools and other community uses to create complete communities, Speaker. At the same time, we recognize that housing needs must be balanced against other necessities.

That’s why we would require that large parcels of land be preserved for agriculture and heavy industry that are best separated from residential areas to lessen the effects of noise and odours that may result from their operations.

The third pillar, Speaker, is focused on the need for infrastructure to support residential development. This means, for example, that school boards and municipalities should work together—I know, Speaker, in your role, you are very well aware of that need—and be innovative in finding new ways to integrate schools into new developments.

Infrastructure corridors are an important consideration that must be protected for hydro, transit and transportation to build the housing we need for the future and the industries that we continue to attract to our province. However, we recognize the growth demands being placed on large and fast-growing municipalities, so our proposed PPS would give special direction to them to offer some flexibility.

The fourth pillar is balancing housing with the need to protect resources. For example, we would require municipalities to designate prime agricultural areas to support our province’s productive and valuable agri-food network. We would also maintain all greenbelt protections, including policies on environmental and agricultural lands. Water resources must be protected, so municipalities would be encouraged to adopt watershed planning approaches, rather than requiring watershed plans. Similarly, aggregate resources must be protected to ensure we have the supplies we need to continue to build Ontario.

If we’re to make it easier and less costly to build housing, we must protect these aggregate resources, such as the sand and gravel that goes into making cement. We must also allow access to these deposits in more cost-efficient locations and streamline the approval process needed to extract these deposits.

Lastly, but certainly not least, our proposed PPS would encourage municipalities to focus on improving air quality and consider the impacts of climate change.

I now want to speak about the legislative measures in our bill that will support our aim to create housing-focused, land use planning systems. Our proposal is to enable the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to require landlords to enter into agreements for projects assigned to the Provincial Land and Development Facilitator. I know we hear this a lot from the opposition members on requiring landlords to enter these agreements for these projects, and so we are putting that in this bill right now.

Our goal is to help ensure that commitments made by property owners are fulfilled, and they honour those commitments. A good example is in cases where a ministerial zoning order may be contemplated.

We’re also proposing two changes to the City of Toronto Act and the Planning Act regarding site plan control. The first change would delay the date on which municipalities must begin to refund at least a portion of zoning bylaw and site plan application fees if they don’t make a decision within a specific period of time. This process was set to begin on January 1 this year, as set out in the More Homes for Everyone housing supply action plan.

However, we propose to move that date to July 1 of this year to better align with municipal processes and it’s also, as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing mentioned, something we heard from our municipal colleagues at AMO and ROMA around these changes in Bill 23, and so we continue to listen to our municipal partners and work with them in adjusting these timelines to ensure, really, Speaker, that we get more housing built quicker.

Our second proposed change would enable municipalities to use site plan control for residential developments of 10 units or less in specific circumstances. More Homes Built Faster, our housing supply action plan released last fall includes changes to the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act to limit municipalities’ ability to use site plan control for residential developments with 10 units or less.

We now propose further changes to the Planning Act and the City of Toronto Act that would give the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the authority to make regulations to permit municipalities to use site plan control for residential developments of 10 or fewer units on a single lot in specific circumstances. If our bill is passed—and the minister did make regulations—those regulations would outline specific conditions where site plan control could be used for residential development of 10 units or less. These conditions are proposed to be circumstances where the site is near a shoreline or near a railway.

Speaker, I know the minister has mentioned—we’ve heard a lot mentioned around our proposed provincial planning statement, and it’s great to hear that feedback and those important proposals we are making to get more housing built in Ontario in all communities: rural Ontario, suburban Ontario and downtown Toronto, and we’ll continue to work with our municipal colleagues and our industry and home-building colleagues and all stakeholders to get more housing built. Our policies and proposed legislation changes are necessary if Ontario is to solve its housing supply crisis and also meet future demand for even more housing.

Speaker, before I conclude, I want to again mention our government’s proposed consultation on our proposed planning statement. That consultation began on April 6 and has been extended—again, hearing from stakeholders across Ontario, extending that consultation period by another 60 days. August 4 now, I believe, is the deadline for submissions. I encourage anyone who is watching this morning and I encouraged all those who reached out to my office to submit feedback through the Environmental Registry of Ontario, and that feedback is very well regarded and read.

The plan, as I’ve outlined in my remarks, is—and of this legislation is to support our ambitious goal to build 1.5 million homes by 2031. I know our government has an all-of-government approach to get those homes built in Ontario—again, communities across Ontario. As I mentioned in my remarks, the economic value is also something that is overlooked sometimes.

Many, many employers in my riding of Perth–Wellington are looking for workers. They’ve been looking for workers since the pandemic has subsided, whether that’s in advanced manufacturing, in our growing agribusinesses, in home construction, in skilled trades, even in health care.

But the number one need is housing. The nurses and the doctors need a place to live, as well; the accountants need a place to live—and ensuring that we have the mixed range of housing in communities across Ontario to meet those growing needs.

The Minister of Economic Development and the Premier continue to attract many, many businesses to Ontario, and I know one of the second questions they most likely get in their deliberations is, “Where are we going to find the employees?” So our government is proposing ambitious proposals to meet that and build more homes to ensure that Ontario continues to grow and continues to be a great place to live, work and raise a family, to ensure that our economy continues to grow. As I mentioned in my remarks, it is the economic engine of Canada.

And ensuring that the many, many new Canadians coming to our shores are welcomed and have a place to grow and have a place to—if they choose to own a place, to rent a place, but a place to call their own and to raise their family and to contribute, as so many before them have contributed to our society and our communities across Ontario.

In conclusion, again, I encourage everyone to submit a comment through the provincial planning statement, PPS, by August 4; we’ve extended it by 60 days based on the feedback we’ve heard from stakeholders across Ontario.

Our government continues to listen to Ontarians on a variety of issues, especially our ambitious goal to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

Now, Speaker, it’s my pleasure to turn it over to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, or the minister of peanut butter sandwiches, as I like to call him.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): The Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to my honourable colleague for reminding everyone of the acronym for my ministry—peanut butter sandwich delivery.

Good morning, and thank you, Speaker, for this great opportunity to speak on such a wonderful bill, and it’s all about housing.

I’m pleased to speak in the House today in support of the third reading of our government’s Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023.

Together with my esteemed colleagues the Honourable Steve Clark, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Nina Tangri; and their parliamentary assistant, PA Rae, we have been working relentlessly to address Ontario’s housing supply challenges.

Our great province is filled with hard-working Ontarians seeking the perfect place to call home and one that fits both their needs and their budget. We are dedicated to helping them achieve their dream of home ownership and ensuring they can confidently spend their hard-earned money. Using every tool at our disposal, we support Ontarians in making informed choices when it comes to finding a forever home in our province.

Speaker, we are all aware of the housing crisis in Ontario, and we recognize the immense economic impact of home building. Our goal is to construct 1.5 million homes by 2031, effectively addressing the housing supply crisis.

A strong residential construction industry is crucial for the prosperity of our province.

Under our Premier’s leadership, we have focused on cutting red tape and modernizing processes to accelerate home construction. That’s why our government introduced Ontario’s first-ever housing supply action plan in 2019, and look how far we have come since 2019. I believe this is our housing supply action plan 4.0. Speaker, I want to acknowledge my colleague the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for his hard work on these initiatives. It seems like a movie or one of those dramas: season 1, season 2, season 3.

So I will say this is season number 4, and I’m sure the minister will say soon there will be season 5, season 6, season 7 of the housing supply action plan—not that I’m saying anything, but just wanted to mention: hint, hint.

Speaker, housing supply action plan 4.0, recently announced by Minister Clark, includes our plan to strengthen protections for buyers and enhance their confidence in purchasing a new home. As the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery, we oversee Ontario’s legislation for new homes, including the New Home Construction Licensing Act, and the builder regulator, the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, or the HCRA.

We are committed to innovating and strengthening our protections for homebuyers, and here’s how we plan to do it: In the coming weeks, we will consult with the public, consumer groups and the homebuilding sector. Through the Ontario Regulatory Registry, we aim to explore the possibility of a cooling-off period for buyers of new freehold homes and whether to create new requirements that buyers of all new homes receive legal advice on their purchase agreements.

Speaker, we will explore whether a purchaser of a new freehold home should be able to cancel their purchase agreement within a specific time frame and how builders could be required to disclose a cooling-off period to purchasers. Additionally, we intend to consult on issues related to price escalation in the new home construction sector. These proposed changes would enhance consumers’ understanding of their rights and obligations, and empower all new home buyers to make confident decisions in the most significant purchase of their lives.

Our government is committed to strengthening consumer confidence in the new home sector and protecting Ontarians from unethical practices in the home-building marketplace. Speaker, just in 2021, we established the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, the HCRA, an independent not-for-profit corporation that administers and enforces the New Home Construction Licensing Act, 2017, and licensing act regulations. The HCRA’s mandate includes upholding professional standards for new home builders, protecting the public interest and educating consumers to make informed decisions.

It is also to regulate builders of new homes and ensure compliance with a mandatory code of ethics. The HCRA has the authority to enforce compliance through education, warnings, placing conditions on a builder’s licence or by suspending or revoking a builder’s licence, and the HCRA has taken such steps to better protect consumers.

Speaker, just last fall, in fact, I believe our government passed changes to the licensing act that crack down on predatory actions by builders of new homes in Ontario. These changes increase the existing maximum financial penalties against unethical builders who unfairly cancel a contract. Those bad actors now face the risk of permanently losing their licence.

Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, through the housing supply action plan 4.0, our government is taking bold actions to tackle Ontario’s housing supply crisis. We have introduced various measures to increase the supply of housing, accelerate construction and strengthen consumer protection. We will continue to execute housing supply action plans every year of our current mandate, as we promised, to reach our goal of building 1.5 million new homes by 2031.

In 2021, we witnessed the highest number of new housing starts in Ontario in over three decades, and the credit goes to Premier Ford as well as the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, and our entire government, all government members, for making sure that Ontarians can have their dream homes. I’m sure all of us are working to make sure that we continue to make that dream a reality. As a government, Speaker, we are proud of this achievement, but we also know that it is just the beginning.

I must also address the rapidly growing condominium sector in Ontario and our ongoing efforts to enhance protections for condo owners and residents. I want to start with something that affects more than a million of our fellow Ontarians’ condo living. Condos are not just homes. They play a major role as a housing option for millions of individuals and families, and are a testament to the strength and growth of our province, accounting for half of all new homes being built.

This robust expansion of the condo sector, which is valued at nearly $45 billion and provides jobs for over 300,000 Ontarians, is something we can all be proud of, but it means we must constantly re-evaluate our laws and consumer protections. While most condos are well run and satisfy their owners and residents, we are aware that there are challenges. Therefore, we will continue to assess the potential future expansion of the Condominium Authority Tribunal’s jurisdiction to support Ontario’s valued condo communities.

Speaker, it is no secret that buying or selling a home is a significant milestone. As such, Ontarians should feel confident in the professionals who guide them through this process. That is why we are doubling down on protections for Ontarians navigating the real estate market.

The Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2020, or as we say, TRESA 2020, makes important changes to how real estate professionals interact with the public, ensuring their practices reflects the changing realities of the industry. In the first phase of TRESA 2020, changes were made to allow registrants and brokers to incorporate and be paid through a personal real estate corporation. This first phase has also allowed registrants to use more recognizable terms, such as real estate agent and realtor, to describe brokers and salespersons in their advertisements.

The second phase of legislative and associated regulation changes, once in force, will also encourage transparency and ethical practices by introducing a new code of ethics regulation, strengthening disclosure requirements and other registrants’ obligations, to better protect the public. In addition, the changes will allow a registrant to conduct an open offer process and disclose the details of competing offers, of course without divulging personal or identifying information contained in the offers at the seller’s direction. These changes, backed by the stakeholders and the Real Estate Council of Ontario, are all part of our commitment to Ontarians.

Speaker, we also want to speed up residential home construction. Our partnership with Ontario One Call is crucial in achieving this. It aims to increase the efficiency, timeliness and coordination of digging activities by excavators and promote safe digging practices. Their role in coordinating excavation work and promoting safe digging practices is a cornerstone of our construction projects.

We are actively improving the locate delivery system to ensure businesses can start their projects quicker, avoiding unnecessary delays. In particular, we are looking at innovative models for locate delivery through a dedicated-locator model, which is currently in place for all broadband projects. This means a faster rollout of critical infrastructure commitments like new homes, improved public transit and expanded broadband services in underserved areas.

These changes will help businesses get shovels in the ground faster and reduce delays in obtaining necessary information about the location of underground infrastructure, such as telecommunications, gas, electrical and water lines, helping the province deliver on the many infrastructure projects that are, in turn, helping Ontarians and fuelling our economic growth.

Speaker, our efforts don’t stop here. We are also creating new data standards that support e-permitting for planning and development applications. Working with municipalities and home builders, the new data standard will provide clear, uniform rules and guidance about how data should be captured, shared and used.

I know I only have 50 seconds, but, Speaker, let’s make our shared vision of a bright and prosperous future for all Ontarians a reality. The quicker we get shovels in the ground, the faster we can help Ontarians realize their dream of home ownership, or as my grandfather says, the Canadian dream.

I know you all will have valuable feedback on the proposed amendments. We definitely encourage everyone to give us your feedback, and I look forward to a productive debate conversation.

But in the end, I just want to say thank you to the minister, Premier, associate minister, PA and everyone—all my colleagues—for all the great work they are doing in making sure that Ontarians can have a home they all can enjoy with their families.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the member for Mississauga East–Cooksville. We have been contacted by many prospective homeowners—people in Durham region, in the Ottawa West–Nepean area, in the area of Stayner—who bought homes at pre-construction, put up hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases in deposit money, and years later, they’re waiting for their home to be built. The developer isn’t building it unless they turn around and pay a whole lot more. They have contacted the Home Construction Regulatory Authority again and again and again, and they’re not getting the answers that they want.

They’re stressed. They’re worried they’re going to lose their life savings. They want this government to take action. What is this government going to do to ensure these people get the homes they purchased at the price they agreed to?

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to my honourable colleague for the question. As my colleague mentioned, Speaker, we are actually taking actions. That’s why, as mentioned in my remarks about the Home Construction Regulatory Authority, fines are being implemented right now as I speak. HCRA has already fined a few construction companies and developers. Again, we encourage individuals, if they come across a situation, to please reach out to HCRA. As a ministry, we have given the tools to HCRA to use those tools to make sure that bad actors are accountable for their actions.

But what I would appreciate is that my honourable colleagues would, I hope, vote for this bill to make sure, when we talk about a cooling-off period, that they support the cooling-off period by voting in favour of this bill and make sure—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. Question?

Mr. Mike Harris: My question is to the member from Perth–Wellington. We are riding neighbours, and I was just wondering if he would be able to elaborate a little bit more on what this bill will do for our connected and shared communities, and especially how this can help in rural Ontario.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to my great colleague from Kitchener–Conestoga for his question. Yes, I’m happy to talk about Bill 97. Obviously, we have a lot of renters in our riding, so it’s protecting the renters there as well in rural Ontario but also, as I alluded to in my remarks—the proposed PPS—giving the flexibility. As the member from Kitchener–Conestoga knows, what works in downtown Toronto—no offence to my colleagues in downtown Toronto—will not work in Elmira or Milverton or Listowel, in our respective areas.

Giving those municipalities the flexibility to decide settlement areas and settlement boundaries, again—and reducing duplication, Speaker, because what I hear and I’m sure all of my colleagues in government hear from our builders and others, even from municipalities, is the amount of duplication in the planning process and the site-control planning process, for example. We’re ensuring we reduce that so we get more homes built faster in all parts of Ontario.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

In committee, ACTO, the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, summarized how broken our illegal-eviction protection laws are. They did a review of how many tenants get back into their home after a bad-faith eviction: essentially none. And then they did a review of what the average fine is that a bad landlord gets if they illegally evict a tenant: It’s between $500 and $3,000. How do you expect Bill 97 to be effective if the Landlord and Tenant Board is not issuing significant fines to landlords that illegally evict?

Hon. Steve Clark: Listen, I know that the member opposite doesn’t support the $6.5 million that the government is spending to effectively double the amount of adjudicators and also add those very important staff administrative positions to the tribunal. In my speech, I mentioned the Attorney General; he’s looked at this measure very much in detail. We believe, as a government, that having that significant influx of dollars in the Landlord and Tenant Board to effectively double adjudication services with staff support is going to go a long way toward creating that balance. To have a tribunal, it’s all about the balance in terms of the process.

I appreciate that there are a number of voices, both on the tenant side and from the landlord side, that are a little apprehensive because the measures have not been fully implemented, but I have great faith in the Attorney General in making sure that those improvements will result in a fair system.

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

Ms. Laura Smith: I truly appreciated listening to everyone contribute to this conversation this morning. I really tuned in to the member from Perth–Wellington. He talked about partnerships with municipalities who will create homes for Ontarians that need these homes today, tomorrow and the next day.

I used to sit on school council, and we were constantly dealing with matters: There were too many kids in the school, or there were fewer than we needed, just because of a fluctuation in the developments and what was being developed in my neighbourhood.

My question is, we’ve always said that transformational change is necessary. Can the member—either the minister or the member from Perth–Wellington—please outline how this plan aligns with the commitments we made for the people of Ontario?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Response? The member from Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Thank you to my colleague from Thornhill. As we made very clear almost a year—Friday’s a year. In the election last year, we made a very clear commitment to build 1.5 million homes, and I’d also like to highlight the two other major parties in this place also committed to doing that.

We’re actually taking action on that, Speaker, which this housing supply action plan bill does in Bill 97 through our protections for tenants and homebuyers, but also, again, the proposed provincial planning statement and those aspects, even in the city of Thornhill, reducing duplication and ensuring that there’s one planning document. Right now, there are two, and that causes confusion and extra red tape for housing construction. So working with—whether that’s mixed use, whether that’s condos, whether that’s semi-detached housing, ensuring those houses get built in all communities across Ontario.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. We are working with tenants across the city of Toronto whose purpose-built rentals are slated to be demolished. They’re terrified because they’re worried they’re never going to be able to get back into their homes once the construction of the new, bigger building is complete.

This government is looking at creating new rental replacement laws, and this is my question: When I look at the Residential Tenancies Act, there’s no guaranteed right of return for a tenant who’s evicted because of demolition. There’s no guaranteed right of return. In this government’s new rental replacement bylaw, are you going to allow cities to guarantee a tenant’s right to return to their home?

Hon. Steve Clark: Well, the government has been clear, Speaker. Despite the mischaracterizations by the NDP about our consultation on rental replacement, we’ve listened to our municipal partners, and we’ve also been straight-up with Ontarians. At the end of the day, when the process is completed, the tenant should still be allowed to move back into an apartment at the same rental rate, with the similar features to the unit they had vacated.

It’s a process we’ll continue to collaborate on with municipalities. They’ve been very helpful throughout this process. They’ve given us some great suggestions and great advice, and it’s been some of that advice, through consultation, that’s helped inform the government on the path moving forward.

Again, the opposition is always going to see a ghost around every corner when it comes to government policy. We’re going to continue to stand up with our municipal partners and listen to them.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Quick question and a quick response.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: [ Inaudible ] by Jon, and Jon is an owner of farmland. He is struggling to find housing for his family members, and he asked, what is this government doing to support his family? I just wanted to ask the minister—he’s probably had many such emails—what he would say to Jon about creating more housing in Ontario.

Hon. Steve Clark: We’re going to continue to work. As has been said in the consultation, we’re going to extend the PPS into August so that we can hear some of those voices. I encourage everyone who lives in rural Ontario to use that consultation period and let us know.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. The time for questions and answers has come to an end.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Boyd Heritage Museum / Lindsay Lions Club

Ms. Laurie Scott: Last week, I had the opportunity to celebrate the anniversaries of two amazing organizations in my riding of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock. In Bobcaygeon, the Boyd Heritage Museum celebrated their 25th anniversary. They’ve spent over two decades working to preserve the economic, social and political legacy of Mossom Boyd, who arrived in Upper Canada in 1833 and became known as the lumber king of the Trent Valley.

The history of he and his family are catalogued in artifacts from all significant points in his life, from humble beginnings to national and international success, from tools and log shanties to gorgeous 19th century gowns and dresses. The collections are so exquisite, the exhibit is known as the Downton Abbey of Bobcaygeon. Barb has been at the helm of this fantastic museum which has allowed the community of Bobcaygeon in the Kawartha Lakes region to remain connected to their history.

In the town of Lindsay, the Lindsay Lions Club celebrated their 70th anniversary. The Lions are made up of dedicated men and women who commit their time to help those less fortunate by working with local organizations such as the Ross Memorial Hospital, the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Salvation Army food banks, Five Counties Children’s Centre and more to deliver help to those in need.

It was heartwarming to see so many volunteers of the community passionate about their service. With their youngest Lioness, Ellie, the future of this wonderful program is in good and capable hands. I’d like to wish them 70 more years of success.

Anti-discrimination activities

Ms. Catherine Fife: On the day before Pride Month, my message is simple: The Pride flag should fly in every school board in Ontario tomorrow. We’re hearing from queer organizers and communities that they are braced for the possibility of violent protests and demonstrations linked to the rising hate targeting the 2SLGBTQ+ community across Canada. In Ontario, we don’t have to look far to find examples of this, as the York Catholic board decided this week to not fly the Pride flag this June.

And this backlash is not just about Pride and queer rights. School boards across the province, including in Waterloo, are facing pushback as they work to accomplish equity work—work, I might add, that is not only important in terms of student success, but is also mandated by the ministry. Every student in Ontario deserves to feel safe and welcome, and they deserve access to visibility and support.

Yesterday, the Premier offered a no comment on this issue. The minister himself—the Minister of Education—expressed his disappointment. I want to tell the minister; your disappointment does not help queer kids feel safer at school.

I’ll reiterate: The Pride flag should fly in every school board in Ontario tomorrow. In fact, with the rising tide of hate directed at the queer community by a vocal minority, displays of visibility like flying the Pride flag are particularly important this year. The Ontario NDP is proud to stand with the 2SLGBTQ+ community in solidarity.

Girls Inc. of York Region

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: I’d like to talk about having the honour of attending Girls Inc. of York Region Spirit of the Girl breakfast last Friday in my riding in Newmarket. Girls Inc. of York Region focuses on supporting the resilience of young girls and women and has served my community for over 40 years. Their research-based programs encourage girls to thrive socially, academically and emotionally in an affirming environment, providing gender-specific support to girls of all backgrounds.

It was my privilege to announce at the breakfast on Friday that our government has funded this meaningful work with two grants totalling over $400,000 through the Ontario Trillium Foundation. This will help expand their innovative after-school programs to three new schools as well as help increase capacity to support girls and young women in York region. Specifically, this funding will enable them to expand staff training, provide a social worker for counselling and wellness checks and expand fundraising efforts.

I am so happy to see Girls Inc. of York Region empowering girls and young women to meet emotional and academic challenges with resilience, especially those who face various barriers. I am proud that our government will help them expand this crucial work. Thank you to Girls Inc. for making sure no girl is left behind.

Gun violence

Mr. Chris Glover: The federal government has declared the first Friday in June the National Day Against Gun Violence, but we need to work to stop gun violence at the provincial level as well. Today, I will be tabling a bill to also declare the first Friday in June the provincial day against gun violence in Ontario.

Gun violence shatters lives and traumatizes communities. The number of shootings is rising, from 251 in 2005, which was dubbed the “year of the gun,” to 365 last year—and these are only Toronto statistics. Gun violence, like a virus, is spreading across the province.

On Friday, a number of community groups will be at Queen’s Park to ask the Ontario government to address gun violence through a program of prevention, intervention and healing.

Prevention begins with addressing the root cause of gun and other community violence, which is poverty and the growing gap between rich and poor. We’re calling on the government to raise the minimum wage, double ODSP and OW rates and build affordable housing so everyone has a home.

Intervention requires the police, but as the police say themselves, they alone cannot solve this issue. You cannot arrest your way out of gun violence.

Healing means we must deal with the trauma coming out of each episode of gun violence before it spirals into a vicious cycle of revenge. We need to prevent, intervene and help communities to heal.

I hope the Legislature will support my call to declare the first Friday in June the provincial day against gun violence in Ontario.

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I want to congratulate the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, which is based in Barrie, Ontario, who received the 2022-23 Attorney General’s Victim Services Award of Distinction from our Attorney General, Minister Doug Downey.

The Seasons Centre for Grieving Children offers services at no cost to families and opens its doors to participants aged five to 24. The centre relies totally on fundraising and generous corporate and personal donations.

The Seasons Centre for Grieving Children is extremely pleased that they have received this award, and I am pleased to welcome them here today. They’re joined today by Hope from Seasons Centre, their mascot. She has been travelling around many places and hopes to raise awareness of childhood grief. The Seasons Centre has done a lot of work, and this afternoon, I hope many people will be able to meet Hope to spread the word for children experiencing grief and learn more of how they can bring these great services to their own community.

Today, we have members in the gallery, Rowley Ramey and Johanna Stockley, who do so much work for the centre, helping families and children. I hope everyone here can join me for a round of applause to thank them for all the work they and their team do.

Paramedic services

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: One code red, black or zero is one too many. That means few or no ambulances or paramedics are available to respond to emergencies. Another code black was called in my community again just last night.

Under this Conservative government, code blacks, reds and zeroes are becoming normal, and that is not acceptable. Ontarians deserve to have the confidence that if they have the medical emergency, they can call 911 and receive help quickly.

Paramedics are burning out at an alarming rate, and this government isn’t taking the necessary steps to help our crumbling health care system. In fact, they are actively making the situation worse. The staffing crisis in hospitals leads to longer wait times to transfer patients to the care of nurses and doctors. Paramedics are held up in the hospitals instead of being on the road to save more lives. Bill 124 must be repealed today.

Last week was Paramedic Services Week. I thank every paramedic in Windsor-Essex and across the province for their dedication to serving their communities.

In October 2022, my NDP colleague MPP Shaw tabled a motion calling on the Conservative government to provide necessary funding to end instances when ambulances are unavailable to respond to an emergency. The motion passed unanimously. However, in March 2023, the Financial Accountability Officer reported the government is withholding $6.4 billion in much-needed support. The Conservative government must honour their promise, properly fund the public health care system, support front-line health care workers so they aren’t doing their jobs without adequate support, and ensure code reds, blacks and zeroes are not the normal in Ontario, because lives depend on it.

Wellesley AppleJacks hockey team

Mr. Mike Harris: It is of course with great pride that I rise today, and for the first time in franchise history, the Wellesley AppleJacks are the Schmalz Cup champions. Wellesley willed their way to the Ontario Junior C championship with a 3-to-2 win over the Clarington Eagles earlier this month.

Noah Bender, a rookie goalie for the AppleJacks, was named tournament MVP.

Congratulations to coach Ryan Gerber and the rest of the staff, and of course, their great leadership.

Thank you for the players, fans, volunteers and sponsors that made this historic season possible.

They had a heroes’ welcome in Wellesley earlier this week, complete with a fire truck escort through the streets for their championship parade.

We have a lot to celebrate in Wellesley as we are set to open a new and improved Wellesley arena next year. The community centre will feature a hockey rink, two soccer pitches, spaces for a youth drop-in centre and seniors’ centre, a walking track and a gymnasium. The province is contributing over $16 million to the roughly $22-million facility. We got the arena built together, but you guys got us a banner to raise.

Speaker, I have one question for you: How do you like them AppleJacks?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Love ’em.

Members’ statements.

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s Gutsy Walk

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and a wonderful Wednesday, everyone. There is nothing gutsier than a gutsy walk. The Crohn’s and colitis society of Ontario does amazing work supporting people suffering from this chronic illness. Over 300,000 Canadians already have it, with someone new being diagnosed with Crohn’s or colitis every hour in Canada. There are no known cures for Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, and that is why we need to walk.

For my family, this debilitating disease is quite personal, as my powerful and passionate daughter Becca was first diagnosed with Crohn’s at 16. She has learned to live with this diagnosis, navigating health care systems both in Ontario and British Columbia, travelling through Asia, working, studying and trying to live a full life. She is now 23 and realizes that she will never fully be able to plan ahead in life as Crohn’s has a way of flaring up just when you least expect it. Becca McMahon, like others, puts on a brave face and tackles the world with courage every single day.

Today, I would like to encourage my fine-feathered colleagues to take

part in this tremendously important crusade this Sunday, June 4, 10 a.m., all over Ontario. Be gutsy. Join the gutsy walk.

Steven Tourangeau

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Mr. Speaker, today I have a very sad statement. Today, I’m paying tribute to deceased OPP officer Steven Tourangeau who was killed in an automobile accident this week. Steven Tourangeau was a native of Essex county. He entered law enforcement and last held the rank of detective constable with the Huron county OPP. He was 35. He is survived by his wife, Danikah, and his three sons, Everett, Luke and Drew.

My wife Jackie and Steven were first cousins. Steven’s mother and my wife’s mother are sisters. And I know this family very well. Steven’s father, Marcel Tourangeau, is a loving pépé with a big heart. Steven’s mother, Kathy Tourangeau, is a dedicated mémé with a heart of gold. They are good people, beautiful people, and this is a tragic loss.

Today, my heart goes out to the family and to all the grieving parents who have lost a child before their time.

Steven Tourangeau / David Stewart

Mr. Matthew Rae: On Monday, May 29, Steven Tourangeau donned the uniform of the Ontario Provincial Police, ready to serve and safeguard our rural communities. Regrettably, Speaker, Steven’s return home was not to be. Detective Constable Tourangeau, a valued member of the OPP Perth county detachment and an integral part of the Huron-Perth community street crimes unit, met a tragic fate. His life was abruptly cut short in a devastating collision between his police cruiser and a school bus in Zorra township.

At the age of 35, we mourn the untimely loss of Constable Tourangeau—a loss that reverberates deeply throughout our community and the entire Perth County OPP Detachment. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Danikah, and their three young boys.

Speaker, it’s incumbent upon us to acknowledge that we can never fully repay the debt we owe to our first responders—those stalwart individuals who place themselves in harm’s way each and every day to safeguard our well-being.

Let us also remember the tragic fate of David Stewart, the school bus driver, who met an untimely end. For over a decade, David dedicated his days to driving a school bus, his second act following a successful career as a motorcycle and small engine mechanic. He leaves behind his cherished wife and best friend, Wendy, whom he shared 47 years with. David was a loving father to four daughters and a source of immense pride as a grandfather.

My thoughts and prayers go out to both families, burdened with unimaginable grief during this difficult time. I want to let them know that the people of Ontario stand united, offering our support and unwavering solidarity.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: It is with great pride that I introduce to the assembly, and welcome to Queen’s Park, Jonathan van Bilsen, Port Perry’s own award-winning photographer, patron of the arts, columnist, author, keynote speaker and host of the Jonathan van Bilsen television show on the Rogers television network. He is joined by his granddaughter Sophia. Welcome to the House.

Mr. John Vanthof: On behalf of the official opposition, I’d like to welcome the board and staff of Dairy Farmers of Ontario, the people who produce wonderful dairy products in our province, and invite everyone to their reception this evening.

Hon. Michael D. Ford: Good morning, everyone. It is my pleasure to welcome to the House a delegation from Spain that I met with this morning: His Excellency the Spanish ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martinez Serrano; as well as the Honourable Luis Garcia Montero, president of the Cervantes institute; as well as Philippe Robertet and Sonia Perez Marco. Welcome to Ontario and welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Ms. Catherine Fife: It is my pleasure to introduce members from my Waterloo riding association and the newly formed University of Waterloo NDP Club. Janice Jim is here, Mason Fitzpatrick, Damian Mikhail, Kevin Nguyen, Luke Marlatt, Craig Porter and Daniel Eskiocak. I want to welcome you to your House.

Hon. Doug Downey: I’d like to introduce Rowley Ramey, the managing director of the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children, along with Johanna Stockley, the office manager. They’re here in the gallery, and they have Hope upstairs on the fourth floor. We hope you come upstairs and see her later.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Speaker, it’s my pleasure to introduce the people from the Canadian Franchise Association. I hope you have wonderful meetings at Queen’s Park today.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: I would like to welcome my mayor and council members from the city of Richmond Hill this morning. Under the leadership of His Worship, I would like to welcome the mayor, David West; deputy mayor, Godwin Chan; and ward 6 councillor, Michael Shiu, as well as chief of staff, Emily Houdi. They are accompanied by my husband, Albert Wai. Welcome, everyone, to Queen’s Park, and I look forward to our meeting after question period.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to welcome Janice Folk-Dawson from the Ontario Federation of Labour; Francis Pineda and Jim Zeng from the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic; Wayne Harris from the Ontario Network of Injured Workers; and from the Industrial Accident Victims’ Group of Ontario, Maryth Yachnin, David Arruda, Aleks Ivovic, Patrick Cowley, Caleb Goff, Jenny Tang, Mohammad Naqvi, Julie Wang, Mark Wang, Alicia Cunningham, Zonia Guerrero and San Hun; and, from United Steelworkers Local 1005, Ron Wells, Jim McColl and Tony McLaughlin. Thank you so much for being here. Welcome to your House.

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very pleased to welcome to Queen’s Park today the Dairy Farmers of Ontario. Representing them, we have Cheryl Smith, Rosa Checchia, Patrice Dubé, Rey Moisan, Murray Sherk, Don Gordon, Brian Burnett, Adam Petherick, George Van Kampen, Vicky Morrison, John Wynands, and, of course, saving the best for last, from Bruce county, Mark Hamel. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I’d like to welcome Ramona Roblin and Alison Kelly from the PEC Period Party to Queen’s Park today. The Prince Edward County Period Party is a grassroots project in Bay of Quinte that successfully advocated for free menstrual products to be made available in public washrooms, resulting in a pilot project rolled out earlier this month. Welcome to your House. We’re so proud to have you here.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: We’re pleased to welcome representatives of the Canadian Franchise Association here for their numerous meetings and a lovely breakfast this morning. We had the pleasure of meeting with Sherry McNeil, the president and CEO, along with members that included John Prittie, Kirk Allan, Clark Harrop and Scott Munnoch, and there are many more.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I’d like to welcome a great Ontarian, a great community advocate, my friend Ashley Steinfeld, husband to Jimmy Steinfeld and father to Brixton and Grayson. Welcome to the Ontario Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our introduction of guests for this morning.

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before I invite oral questions, I beg to inform the House that the following document has been tabled: a report titled Ontario Health Sector: 2023 Budget Spending Plan Review, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Question Period

Hospital services

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. At midnight tonight, this government will oversee the closure of the emergency room in Minden, against the outcry from more than 24,000 people who signed petitions to keep it open; against local families, seniors and kids’ summer camps; against the local businesses and the business owners who feel let down, ignored, by this Conservative government and who are understandably worried about what this means when a loved one has a heart attack, a stroke or an injury that requires emergency care.

Distressed, furious residents; shuttered emergency rooms; no health care when you need it—I want to ask the Premier: Is this the kind of legacy the Conservatives want to leave?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you. I will reiterate again that it is incredibly challenging for local leadership to make these decisions, because they want to ensure that there is capacity within the system. The Haliburton Highlands leadership had made a determination that it is safer for the community to have consolidated two emergency departments into one at the Haliburton site.

But the member opposite talks about legacy, and I want to talk about the legacy that we are leaving future Ontarians when we expand two new medical schools in the province of Ontario in Scarborough and in Brampton. I want to talk about a legacy where, for the first time ever, we have worked with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario to ensure that individuals who practise medicine in the UK, in Ireland, in Australia and in the US are getting their licences expedited because of the work that we’re doing with Bill 60.

I want to talk about—

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: In a statement to local media yesterday, the Minister of Health insisted that the closure of the Minden emergency room is, and I want to quote her here, “not a closure.” I was in Minden on Thursday, where the local hospital board has stationed a giant sign that reads, “Emergency department closed on June 1.” Let me tell you, the closure of the emergency department is effectively the closure of the hospital. The people of Minden know that, and so does this minister.

The same government statement goes on to say that the Conservative MPP for Minden has been in touch with the local hospital board, but residents and local business owners here yesterday said she hasn’t met with them, and when they were here yesterday, she didn’t even raise her head to look at them.

Speaker, why is this government trying to play people for fools, instead of taking some responsibility?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Speaker, I choose to believe that the leader of the NDP understands that hospitals are more than just an emergency department, that Minden hospital will continue to offer services to their communities. The consolidation of the emergency department, while challenging for that leadership, is part of those determinations that the leadership have made.

Again, I will go back to legacy. We talk about Bill 60 and as of right—the first in Canada that ensures that clinicians who have licences in other Canadian jurisdictions can today begin working in the province of Ontario as they go through that licence process here in Ontario. Those are the legacies that will ensure that we have health care capacity and health human resource capacity in decades and future generations.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: That’s cold comfort for the people of Minden. I’ll tell you another thing: A diagnostic machine and doctor’s office do not a hospital make.

Lanark County, Guelph, Hamilton, Perth, Grand River in Kitchener, Windsor, Alexandria, Wingham, Thessalon, Kemptville, Seaforth, Ottawa, Bowmanville, Clinton, Orangeville, Carleton Place, Essex county, Kingston, Waterloo, Credit Valley, Minden, Smith Falls, London, Chesley, Port Colborne, Fort Erie: all communities that have seen either no ambulances available or the closure of services at some point in the last year because of this government’s staffing crisis. Expert after expert has warned the Conservative plan is only going to make it worse; 380,000 Ontarians just made their voices clear in the OHC citizen referendum.

Back to the Premier: Will he listen to experts and Ontarians and keep the hospital open and stop their plan for two-tier health care in this province?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I want to remind the member opposite that the president of the Ontario Hospital Association said, “We’re rushing to make up for lost time and the government has implemented a wide range of well-designed and very constructive programs to recruit and retain....”

Some of those programs of course include the 911 models of care that ensure paramedics have the ability to quickly assess and make sure that individuals go to the most appropriate place. The Dedicated Offload Nurses Program that is in hospitals today in emergency rooms to make sure, again, paramedics can release their patients and get back out on the road; the Emergency Department Peer-to-Peer Program; the Emergency Department Locum Program; the extern program; the nurse preceptors program—all of these programs are available to Ontario hospitals. We have worked very closely to ensure that when it is appropriate, we will be there, and we will keep making those programs available.

Anti-discrimination activities

Ms. Marit Stiles: Ontario is a place that celebrates and draws strength from our diversity. But across the province, a climate of fear is taking hold among 2SLGBTQ+ people as they face increasing threats and hostility from increasingly organized extremist groups. This is manifesting in local municipalities who are banning Pride flags and events, and in school boards like the York Catholic District School Board, who decided this week to not allow the flag to be flown outside of schools.

Yesterday, when the Premier was asked whether or not he agreed with the board’s decision, he said, “I have no comment on that.”

Given the very real and growing hate facing Ontario’s LGBTQ communities, does this Premier really have nothing to say on this?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, Pride is a special time for us to recognize and celebrate Ontario’s LGBTQ+ community. I’ve proved it by going into the York Pride parade. I’m going to be going again this year.

School boards have a responsibility to ensure each and every school in Ontario is a safe and inclusive space for all children.

I’ll always support Ontario’s LGBTQ+ community. I look forward again, for my third or fourth year, going down to the York Pride parade. We’re going to go down there. We’re going to celebrate. We’re going to have fun. That’s where I stand, and I think the Leader of the Opposition knows that.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question: the member for Toronto Centre.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Words are important, but only effective when followed by real action. During Pride Month, rainbow flags will be raised across Queen’s Park, city halls and many other public buildings, but not at the York Catholic District School Board, as six trustees voted against the rainbow flag.

Yesterday, the Minister of Education offered empty words when asked about how he would keep students safe. Hours later, he issued a memo to school boards without even mentioning the rainbow flag. What will this Conservative government actually do to protect students? I would offer him one suggestion: He can issue a ministerial directive to the school boards to ensure that the rainbow flags are flown at every single publicly funded school in Ontario.

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

We will, as a government, be led by our Premier, visible, active, present at York’s Pride parade, as we have done now for three or four years, standing in solidarity with the community that, yes, has faced disproportionate levels of violence and bullying. We stand with these kids, we know they exist and we are going to ensure their safety in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.

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

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: The minister talks about marching in one Pride. There are 60 Pride parades happening in Ontario, with the largest one actually in the city of—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Stop the clock. The member for Toronto Centre made a statement. It was completely parliamentary.

The member for Toronto Centre has the floor.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Thank you, Speaker. The largest Pride parade in the world is actually in the city of Toronto. This is where we actually see security insurance costs for this organization and Prides across Ontario going up, largely due to the risk of violence and threats from right-wing extremists.

Yet the government is cutting funding to Pride organizations. Pride Toronto received $250,000 in 2021, $170,000 less in 2022 and this year they were capped at $125,000, half the money that they received just two years ago. Ipsos has reported that Pride Toronto contributes $589 million to Ontario’s GDP, and $37 million in direct provincial tax revenues last year alone. These cuts couldn’t have come at a worse time.

If you want to show up to march in the Pride parade, I suggest you show up with a cheque. Will the Premier reinstate their funding this year?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats. And I will remind members to make their comments through the Chair.

To reply for the government, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: As mentioned earlier a number of times, we are proud to support Pride Toronto and work towards that celebration to support the 2SLGBTQ2IA+ community and support what they are attempting to do. This Pride festival is so very important.

We have had two meetings with the organizing committee at the Pride festival about a month ago. This is the first time we’ve really heard of a problem with financing. I would like to offer: When this event is over, we can settle down and sit down and talk about exactly what the concerns are. If insurance costs have come up and other things are happening, it would be nice if we could know about it, to show how we could show our support, versus a couple of days before the festival is about to start.

We take this seriously and we do show support through Reconnect Festival and Event Program Ontario cultural attraction funds, so it’s not as if we’ve been—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Take your seat.

The government House leader will withdraw his unparliamentary comment.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I withdraw.

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

Start the clock. The next question.

Health care

Mr. Joel Harden: Speaker, for-profit health care staffing agencies are hurting our hospitals. One of these firms is Canadian Health Labs. This company has convinced hundreds of burnt-out nurses and PSWs to leave their workplaces, offering them double the salaries they normally earn. Their head lobbyist is former Prime Minister Paul Martin. The company made $154 million from 500 nurses and PSWs they’ve hired out of our public health care systems and public workplaces. Their plan is to hire as many as 5,000 people.

Can the Minister of Health confirm if she has met with this company and contracted Canadian Health Labs to work in Ontario?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I just need some confirmation from the member opposite. Is he suggesting that registered nurses in the province of Ontario should not have a choice in where they work, or in which areas they work?

We have, as a government, made a commitment and put money on the table to ensure that we have the largest expansion of nurses in the province of Ontario. It is unprecedented. The Minister of Colleges and Universities and myself visited—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The member for Kitchener-Conestoga will come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Kitchener–Conestoga is warned.

Start the clock. Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Some 12,000 new nurses are registered to work in the province of Ontario just last year. Why? Because we are making the investment; because we have directed the College of Nurses of Ontario to say, “When those internationally educated practitioners want to work and practise in the province of Ontario, you need to expedite the review and ultimately license when appropriate.” We’ve done that work to ensure that we have removed every red tape barrier. That is ensuring people get to practise and work—

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

Supplementary? The member for Nickel Belt.

M me France Gélinas: Let me help the minister. She has met with the staffing agency Canadian Health Labs six times since becoming minister. Fly-by-night staffing agencies are hurting our hospitals. They are hurting the patients in our hospitals. They exist for one reason: to make money for the investor. They take health care workers from our public system and sell them back at huge profits.

How big, Speaker? A whistle-blower showed us: a $154-million profit off the backs of 500 Ontario health care workers. Let that sink in, Speaker. Let that sink in. This is sickening. Why is this minister letting this happen?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Perhaps it would be helpful for the member opposite to also list the number of hospitals that I have visited since becoming the Minister of Health. We learn from what is happening in the field directly with the people impacted.

I can tell you, when I talk to nurses, when I talk to physicians, when I talk to hospital CEOs, they are very, very happy that we are actually making investments to ensure that we have programs like the Learn and Stay program, a program that actually means if you are ready and wanting to stay in an underserviced area, we will cover your tuition and your book costs. In fact, in Owen Sound, when together the Minister of Colleges and Universities and I spoke to that hospital, every single one of those Georgian College nursing students have applied and are part of that program. It is working, Speaker, and we will continue to make those investments.

Economic development

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Ontario holds immense potential for entrepreneurs and businesses in the advanced manufacturing sector. Our province offers a highly skilled workforce and abundant opportunities, making it an ideal location to establish and expand business operations. Yet, to stay ahead of their competition, our businesses and entrepreneurs want to know that our government is committed to helping their businesses invest in the latest technologies and the best talent.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how our government is supporting businesses, particularly manufacturers, in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: By lowering the cost of business by $8 billion every single year, we have made Ontario the most competitive place to invest and grow. This is the case all across the province, including in our rural and regional communities.

SBS Drivetec in Barrie recently announced a $2-million investment in their auto parts manufacturing plant. Their facility makes components for both combustion and EVs. With a $300,000 investment from our government, they will fully automate their manufacturing process on their assembly line and create new jobs. Speaker, SBS Drivetec adds to the over $1 billion in investments and the 1,800 jobs created through our Regional Development Program, and it builds on the $25 billion in EV investments we’ve attracted to Ontario.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you, Minister, for that response. It’s encouraging to hear that our government is not overlooking workers and businesses, unlike the previous Liberal government. Undoubtedly, programs like the Regional Development Program are vital in driving our province’s economy by empowering businesses to invest. However, in addition to attracting international investments, it is crucial that we create favourable conditions for our local businesses and entrepreneurs to thrive within our communities.

Speaker, can the minister please provide further details on how our government is supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs to expand their ventures?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Our government has reversed decades of economic harm caused by the Liberals and the NDP. Their policies cost the province hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs, and, Speaker, it stifled investment here in Ontario. Instead, we listened to the businesses and to the entrepreneurs, who told us exactly what they needed to succeed: lower hydro costs, lower taxes, less red tape. That’s what they needed, Speaker, and that’s exactly what we did.

It simply changed the trajectory of the previous government, and now our world-class innovation sector is making investments and has created 660,000 jobs since we were elected. Now, more than ever, entrepreneurs are turning their dreams into success stories.

Employment standards

Ms. Doly Begum: My question is to the Minister of Labour, Speaker. Earlier this month, the Naujawan Support Network, a worker support network in Brampton, wrote to the minister to highlight how investigations and enforcement of wage theft complaints to the ministry are dramatically down under this government.

They have asked the minister to reply by June 1 to set up a meeting to discuss this important issue. Will the minister agree to meet with the network to learn of their concerns?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Well, Mr. Speaker, the laws are clear in this province, and we expect every employer to abide by those laws. That’s why I’ve been very clear that breaking the law in Ontario can never be the cost of doing business. That’s why in our Working for Workers legislation, we’ve increased health and safety fines for companies that break the rules. We’re cracking down on temporary help agencies, Mr. Speaker, to be the first government in the province to set up licensing for companies in the province that use temp help workers.

Mr. Speaker, I’m really proud that we announced last week that for the first time we’re recognizing international credentials here in the province of Ontario for those newcomers that come to our province who have been educated elsewhere around the world, that we’re moving to recognize those credentials by eliminating the Canadian work experience requirement. Mr. Speaker, we’re going to continue every single day working for all workers in this province.

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

Ms. Doly Begum: The lack of foresight and enforcement by this ministry is the problem.

This information comes directly from the ministry, the result of a freedom of information request: In 2014, there were 18,000 employment standards investigations. In 2021, that number dropped to 8,000.

Speaker, I want to quote the letter, actually. The workers whose wages are being stolen “regard the ministry as weak and ineffective—an institution that cannot enforce the orders it issues, and that will not prosecute employers who ignore the orders. Some employers are so carefree towards the ministry that they mockingly encourage their workers to file employment standards claims, believing they will never face serious consequences even if those claims are successful.”

Speaker, does the minister think it’s acceptable that millions of dollars—actually, $9 million—owed to workers in Brampton and elsewhere in the last year has been pocketed by greedy employers?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Mr. Speaker, again, employers know the laws in this province, and the Ministry of Labour will ensure that those laws are upheld. But it was under a Progressive Conservative government under Premier Ford that we increased the number of inspectors in this province to the highest in Ontario history. We now have over 500 inspectors inspecting thousands of businesses, including 200 employment standards officers. In fact, in the last five years alone, we’ve recuperated over $110 million in lost wages for workers across this province. We’re going to continue to work every single day for all workers in this province.

Transportation infrastructure / Public transit

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: My question is for the Minister of Transportation. As we approach the summer season, many people are looking forward to visiting some of our province’s top tourism destinations, such as Niagara Falls. However, connecting to the Niagara region by car from other areas in Ontario can be challenging. Traffic congestion and gridlock on highways can lead to delays and frustration. With so much to see, do and enjoy in the Niagara region, there need to be more options for convenient travel to this part of our province. Tourism is vital to Ontario’s economy and our government must do all that we can to encourage more people to visit Niagara.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister please explain what steps our government is taking to make it easier to travel to the Niagara region?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I thank the member for the question. After over a decade of Liberal inaction, it is our Progressive Conservative government that is investing in the Niagara region to unlock its full potential.

Earlier this month, I joined Premier Ford and my colleagues to announce more GO train service between Union Station and Niagara Falls. The expansion of GO train service will connect more people to jobs, housing and to Canada’s top tourist destination. Families across the GTA now have more options to get to the Niagara region, as GO train service has increased by two daily round trips and an additional round trip on weekends. That’s a total of 21 round trips per week. So whether you’re heading to a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake or seeing the falls up close, families have more access to GO Transit to explore the beautiful Niagara region.

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

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Thank you, Minister, for that response. The expansion of GO train service between downtown Toronto and the Niagara region not only supports tourism, it also increases travel options for people that live in areas such as Hamilton and Burlington. It is encouraging to see that our government is taking action to increase transit options that will make travel more convenient and will increase opportunities for jobs and economic growth. It is vital that our government continues to focus on measures that will help to advance economic prosperity for Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is expanding public transit across our province?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: My colleague is correct: Ontario’s population is rapidly growing, and unlike the previous Liberal government, we are taking action. By 2055, GO rail will become one of the busiest railways anywhere in North America, with more than 200 million annual riders. That’s why we’re taking steps that will support our future. Speaker, the additional GO train service means trains will also resume service to the St. Catharines Via station.

Our government is also funding four additional weekday express trains during the busiest hours. Trains will travel in both directions on Lakeshore West and offer more express service between Hamilton, Burlington and Toronto.

Speaker, this investment will not only shorten travel times for everyday commuters, but it also supports tourism and economic growth. And with the $15 weekend travel pass, families can enjoy unlimited travel anywhere on the GO train network. Our government is making it easier to get where you need to go and we will—

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

The next question.

When will the government stop treating disabled people in this province like second-class citizens and get back to making Ontario accessible by 2025?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the parliamentary assistant, the member for Richmond Hill.

I would also like to thank the leadership of the Minister of Labour. Just this morning, we announced over $4 million in the Skills Development Fund. This marvellous fund will support local organizations like the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Geneva autism centre. This makes sure people with disabilities have the right programs and right services to find meaningful training and jobs. When we break down the barriers in our province, we’re helping all Ontarians live in a better—

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

Supplementary question?

Ms. Sarah Jama: Again to the Premier: This government’s focus on employment for disabled people ignores the fact that 23% of the province is disabled, and many disabled people will never be able to work.

Speaker, the worth of a person exists outside of their ability to produce, and in this province, disabled people cannot access public transit, free and fully funded health care, accessible housing, or live lives free of discrimination. As a sitting MPP, I also have struggled with getting trapped in places in Toronto due to inaccessible subways.

Enough is enough, and we are people too. When will this government honour the legacy of David Onley and get back to making Ontario accessible by 2025?

Interjections.

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

Member for Richmond Hill.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: As we say, we are working on this and we are having special funds to do the training for them as well. Every dollar of the historic $60-billion investment into transit is being invested for people with disabilities. Every dollar that the Premier and this government is spending on building Ontario is a dollar spent on making this province more accessible.

Mr. Speaker, project by project, community by community, we are making Ontario more accessible every day.

Assistance to persons with disabilities

M me Lucille Collard: This question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Access to health care professionals has become increasingly challenging for many Ontarians, which is also impacting people on the Ontario Disability Support Program. ODSP recipients have been contacting my office consistently, seeking assistance in finding a doctor to fill out essential forms. These forms are necessary for their special diet needs and to review their eligibility for benefits. The inability to obtain these forms puts them at risk of losing income support and benefits.

Is the minister willing to commit to a temporary pause on medical eligibility reviews and provide extensions to recipients who are unable to find a health care professional to fill out their medical forms until more health professionals become available?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you for the question. It is a very important one, to make sure that we have primary care access across Ontario, which is why in our Your Health plan and under Bill 60, we’ve actually set aside an expansion of 18 new primary care practitioner-led clinics.

Today, right now, of course, as an MPP and an advocate, I would hope that you are also encouraging individuals to seek out those community health centres that are sited in communities across Ontario, to make sure that individuals who need that very important paperwork filled out by their primary care practitioner have that option.

There are a number of investments that we have made, but I would hope that, as an advocate, you would make sure that you talk about and share what is already there and, primarily, community health centres are a perfect example of that service.

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

M me Lucille Collard: I appreciate the answer, but in my riding there’s not sufficient access to a health care professional. That’s a fact.

The province recently announced that it is investing to help people with disabilities find meaningful jobs with businesses in their communities. That’s, undoubtedly, great; however, it is important to consider that many of these individuals will likely need accommodation to successfully integrate into the labour market.

The duty to accommodate under the Ontario Human Rights Code specifically requires that a person with a disability provide to the employer information about relevant restrictions or limitations, including information from health care professionals. Given this requirement, how are they supposed to meet this obligation without access to a medical professional? What is the minister’s plan to effectively remove barriers to employment for people with disabilities?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Michael Parsa: I want to thank my honourable colleague for the very important question. My colleague alluded to the investments we’re making to make sure that every single Ontarian succeeds and thrives in the province—that means every single person across the province. I can tell you through Journey to Belonging, our long-term vision for a province, where every single person—those with disabilities—have a chance to not just succeed and thrive, but make contributions in their communities. That means access to employment.

Thanks to the Minister of Labour, Mr. Speaker, doing great work to make sure we connect those with disabilities across the province to employment. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because they belong in their communities. They’re contributing members. We want to make sure that not only do they do that, but they help us with the jobs that are not being filled and, as a result, have a higher income across the province.

I urge the member across, and my colleagues in the NDP, to support us in initiatives where we say help us so that not a single person is left behind in this province. That’s our vision—

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

The next question.

Northern Ontario development

Mr. Ric Bresee: My question is for the Minister of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs. The ongoing impact of global high interest rates and inflation continues to create challenges for all Ontarians. Unfortunately, the current economic climate is impacting people of rural, remote and northern communities far greater than other parts of the province.

Communities in northern Ontario are facing unique barriers for job creation and business development. Sadly, the previous Liberal government ignored the economic potential in rural, remote and Indigenous communities and drove many jobs out of the north. It is vitally important that our government takes action to keep the north competitive and improve the quality of life for northern Ontario residents.

Can the minister please explain how our government is supporting prosperity and opportunity in the north?

Hon. Greg Rickford: I want to thank the member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington for his work here in the Legislature on behalf of his constituents.

It was a beautiful, sunny, bright day in northwestern Ontario. Business leaders and Indigenous business leaders gathered to discuss the opportunities. In the morning, we talked about supporting and unlocking communities in transition and surging as a result of resource-based activities and tourism. We also talked about opening northern Ontario for international business. We talked about the need for the province to maintain and stay focused on reducing red tape for businesses, the modernized Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and the northern energy assistance program to make sure we had that competitive advantage to compete globally.

The good news is that we were very well received by these business leaders. We’re looking forward to building out the kinds of projects, Mr. Speaker, that can complete an exciting supply chain that very much includes northern Ontario.

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

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the minister. It is encouraging to hear about the programs that are being delivered through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., and that these are translating into real world results for people and businesses across the north.

While it is clear that many northern communities that were forgotten under the previous Liberal government are now quite optimistic because of the meaningful investments made by our government, our government must continue to do all that we can to work with our northern partners to foster innovation, in order to build stronger and more prosperous communities.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is continuing to support economic development in communities across the north?

Hon. Greg Rickford: The second part of our day evolved around more focused discussion. I was delighted to be joined by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and my very capable parliamentary assistant, the member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan. We talked about forest sector growth, the changing landscape, new owners of some of the major assets, and increasing ownership by Indigenous communities and/or their business in the forest sector.

I mentioned it was a bright sunny day. It turned partly cloudy, Mr. Speaker, because I chaired the discussion on processing and refining of our critical minerals in northern Ontario, and I had to tell the folks at the table about the recent vote here in the Legislature and the lack of support from the NDP for mining, which means processing in northern Ontario, northwestern Ontario. It could only mean one thing, that NDP stands for “Not Doing Processing.” What an incredible opportunity—

Interjections.

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

The next question.

Missing persons

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the Premier. Our communities are searching every day for missing vulnerable loved ones here in Ontario: children, youth, adults and seniors who, when they go missing, do not meet the Amber Alert criteria, including Nathan, a 37-year-old man with Down syndrome who has now been missing for 19 days from Toronto.

Over two months ago, my private member’s bill, Bill 74, Missing Persons Amendment Act, was discharged and referred to committee. Speaker, through you, I ask the Premier: Why are you not bringing back Bill 74 and providing another resource for police to use while searching for a missing and vulnerable loved one who may still be close to home?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member, frankly, knows that the bill was discharged directly to committee so that we could make improvements to the bill. The member also knows, because the member was in the House, that we passed a motion earlier this week that authorized committees to do their work over the summer, which would include the member’s bill.

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

Miss Monique Taylor: Bill 74 fills a gap in our current emergency alert system, a solution that several municipal councils, stakeholders and groups who support vulnerable persons have agreed to, a tool for the police to use that is local and regional. A missing person may be the last person you rode the bus with or passed on the sidewalk. They’re scared, confused and not far from home, these same missing persons who, if a local alert was sounded, you may recognize immediately and report.

Speaker, again: Will the Premier do the right thing and bring Bill 74 back to the table?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, the member opposite is a whip in the NDP and knows full well that a motion was brought to this chamber—which was passed unanimously by everybody in the chamber, including the member opposite—which explained that committees would be meeting over the summer, specifically the committee that that bill was referred to, and that it would be dealing with the bill over the summer. The member is aware of that.

In fact, I spoke to the family when they were here. The member is aware of that. We have talked directly about it, that we would be dealing with this bill, because of the importance and because of the flaws that were in the bill.

The member, to my understanding, agrees with that. The whole House agrees with it. I’m uncertain what confusion there is. So again, the whole House voted unanimously to bring back committees over the summer because, as you know, on this side of the House we are constantly working on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario, and we will continue to do that over the summer for our communities.

Agri-food industry

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The agri-food sector in Ontario employs 750,000 people and is vital to our province’s economic prosperity. In order for the agri-food sector to continue to grow and expand its markets, there must be a stable workforce to meet both current and future demands for services and products. That’s why our government must continue to make investments that will s