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February 16, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Feb-16 (PDF)

L221 - Tue 16 Feb 2021 / Mar 16 fév 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 16 February 2021 Mardi 16 février 2021

Royal assent

Tabling of sessional papers

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

Orders of the Day

Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur la sécurité professionnelle et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail

Members’ Statements

Employment standards

Environmental assessment

Karima Mehrab

Mike and Jennifer Richardson

Ontario Fire College

Hospital funding

Employment standards

Pre-budget consultations

Tammie Staples

Décorum en Chambre / Decorum in the chamber

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Employment standards

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

Employment standards

COVID-19 response

Education

Long-term care

Employment standards

Sexual violence and harassment

Services for persons with disabilities

Government spending

Long-term care

Employment standards

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Introduction of Bills

No COVID-19 Evictions Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 interdisant les expulsions pendant la COVID-19

Accelerating Access to Justice Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à accélérer l’accès à la justice

Safer School Buses Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 pour des autobus scolaires plus sécuritaires

Motions

Private members’ public business

Committee membership

Petitions

Employment standards

Fish and wildlife management

Optometry services

Animal protection

Volunteer service awards

Workplace safety

Fish and wildlife management

Water extraction

Orders of the Day

Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur la sécurité professionnelle et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail

Private members’ public business

Private Members’ Public Business

No COVID-19 Evictions Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 interdisant les expulsions pendant la COVID-19

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning and welcome back.

Prayers.

Royal assent

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased to assent to certain bills in her office.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Wong): The following are the titles of the bills to which Her Honour did assent:

An Act respecting Hot Docs.

An Act to revive Cherry Hill Orchards Pelham Limited.

An Act to revive 2404907 Ontario Ltd.

An Act to revive Tapir Corporation.

An Act to revive 2585303 Ontario Inc.

An Act to revive Group Seven Construction Limited.

An Act respecting Huron University College.

An Act to revive Quadrant Consulting Services Inc.

An Act to revive 2372830 Ontario Inc.

An Act to revive 1040062 Ontario Incorporated.

An Act to revive Skypride Travel & Tours Ltd.

An Act to revive 704176 Ontario Limited.

An Act to revive 2257248 Ontario Inc.

An Act to revive Castleform Holdings Inc.

An Act respecting 62 Grimsby Phantom Squadron Sponsoring Committee.

Tabling of sessional papers

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, I need to inform that House that during the adjournment, the following documents have been tabled:

—the 2019-20 annual report of the French Language Services Commissioner, from the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario;

—a report entitled Ontario Municipal Finances: An Overview of Municipal Budgets and an Estimate of the Financial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario;

—the 2018-19 annual report, from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Ontario; and

—a report entitled Economic and Budget Outlook: Assessing Ontario’s Medium-Term Budget Plan and the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Point of order. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding COVID-19 protocols in the Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): On a point of order, the government House leader is seeking unanimous consent of the House to move a motion with respect to COVID-19 protocols in the Legislature. Agreed? Agreed.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I move that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House, for the duration of the 42nd Parliament or until such earlier date as indicated by the government House leader, members be permitted to speak and vote from any member’s desk in the chamber in order to observe recommended physical distancing; and

That, in addition to any Speaker’s directives for the rest of the legislative precinct, except when recognized by the Speaker to speak, every member shall wear a tightly woven fabric mask that completely covers the mouth and nose and fits snugly against the sides of the face without gaps while in the chamber or either of the members’ lobbies; and

This House acknowledges that every person seeking to enter the legislative precinct, including members of the assembly, are subject to the Speaker’s COVID-19 screening and masking protocols, and further acknowledges that application of these protocols may result in a member of the assembly being refused entry to the legislative precinct, or any part thereof; and

This House acknowledges that in such instances, the Speaker will personally make this decision, and do so in the interest of the health, safety and well-being of everyone in the legislative precinct, and that in doing so the Speaker is acting on behalf of this House and this House authorizes the Speaker to act on its behalf.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Calandra has moved that, notwithstanding any standing order—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Dispense? Dispense.

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

Motion agreed to.

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the government House leader once again.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to move a motion without notice respecting COVID-19 protocols in the Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader is again seeking unanimous consent of the House to move a motion with respect to COVID-19 protocols in the Legislature. Agreed? Agreed.

Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I move that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House, for the duration of the spring 2020 meeting period, and any extension thereof, during any time that the House is adjourned, the government House leader, the official opposition House leader, the member for Ottawa South, and the member for Guelph may jointly:

(a)(

i) provide written notice to the Speaker that the assembly shall not meet at its next scheduled time and the Speaker shall thereupon cause the assembly to remain adjourned accordingly for a period of up to 30 calendar days; and

(ii) provide written notice to the Speaker that the assembly shall remain adjourned for a further period of up to 30 calendar days each; and

(

b) provide written notice to the Speaker that the adjournment is no longer required and the Speaker shall thereupon cause the assembly to be convened and returned to its regular schedule.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I would ask the government House leader—I think he misspoke. I think he meant to say “2021.”

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): He did say “2021”?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Well, I definitely meant to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All right. Thank you for the clarification.

Mr. Calandra has moved that, notwithstanding any special order or standing order of the House—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Dispense? Dispense.

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

Motion agreed to.

Orders of the Day

Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur la sécurité professionnelle et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail

Mr. McNaughton moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 238,

An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 / Projet de loi 238, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1997 sur la sécurité professionnelle et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I look to the minister to lead off the debate.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Good morning to all MPPs from across the province, who have come back to Queen’s Park to represent the people in their ridings. I’m sure it’s going to be a lively session, but I know we’re all here to continue protecting the health and safety of everybody here in the province of Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, I’m happy to rise today to speak on the second reading of Bill 238, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021. Today I’m going to be sharing my time with my parliamentary assistant, the member for Burlington. We look forward to kicking off the debate at second reading. My colleague will discuss the details of our proposed legislation shortly.

First, Mr. Speaker, I want to tell you how this proposal fits within the larger context of our government efforts to stand with workers and employers during these obviously very, very challenging times, and within my ministry’s mandate to support and protect workers and employers.

Mr. Speaker, all of us in Ontario have felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has impacted everyone’s daily activities, the way we work and the way we interact with others. Above all, my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones.

The pandemic has also had a significant negative effect on those who work on the ground floor—roles like sales associates in retail, servers and wait staff in hospitality, and housekeepers in tourism.

Small businesses, which are the backbones of our local communities, have really felt these impacts. Many of them have had to shut down, lay off some of their team or reduce hours. Most who have been able to remain open are working hard to restructure how they run their businesses in order to follow health and safety requirements to keep every single person safe.

My ministry has recently held consultations with small business groups, as I know many other ministries have, and we are hearing that these businesses are really struggling. Personally, I have spoken to many shopkeepers and merchants, both in my riding of Lambton–Kent–Middlesex and across every community in the province of Ontario: hair salon owners who came up with creative ways to keep their team on the payroll, restaurant owners who have moved to selling online, and others who have transitioned to curbside pickup.

The stressors this pandemic has put on workers and businesses is truly unprecedented, and this is, of course, of special concern to me as Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. A key part of my ministry’s mandate is to work with both business and labour to lead safe and fair workplaces that the hard-working people across Ontario are eager to go to every single day. That is why, since first taking on this new mission, I have now met with over 200 labour leaders, hundreds of business owners and countless workers.

My ministry has been hard at work in these very challenging times putting into action initiatives to help protect the safety and well-being of workers and the public at large, supporting businesses in following health and safety requirements to stop the spread of this deadly virus, and finding ways to ease some of the unexpected financial and operational burdens that businesses have encountered while they do their part to keep their customers and workers safe.

We have also been strengthening our efforts to help workers learn the skills they need to fill new in-demand roles in their own communities. We are doing this by investing more in training programs and employment services. We know that ordinary people across Ontario will be the ones to lay the foundation of our recovery and a better tomorrow.

At a time when many have been left without jobs, our efforts will help them connect with the new careers they need to thrive, and, Mr. Speaker, I look forward to telling you about these actions in more detail this morning.

The proposed legislation I’m here to present is an important part of our actions to support employers at a very critical time. If passed, the legislation will help protect businesses from unexpected increases in their Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premiums. At the same time, it would not affect the annual increase in the maximum earnings cap for workers’ benefits. Simply put, this is a win for workers and a win for employers. The 7.8% increase to the earnings cap for worker benefits will still take effect this year, but, for businesses, the relief we’re providing will make a world of difference.

We are limiting the impact that an unexpected rise in the average industrial wage would have on premiums to 2%. This is why I firmly believe that this legislation is good for everyone.

As many of you know, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, or WSIB, is an arm’s-length agency of the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. It plays a key role in protecting Ontario’s workers, families and employers. The WSIB provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people get back to work after a work-related injury or occupational disease. The agency provides no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information. Benefits and services are also available to families of the workers covered who are fatally injured as a result of work.

Let me be clear: As minister, my mission is for no one to get injured on the job. Every worker should come home safe to their family after a hard day’s work. I know, and the Auditor General agrees, that Ontario’s workplaces are among the safest in the country. We’re making progress towards our goal of improving workplace safety every single year, but we’ve still got work to do. Until then, the WSIB will be there to support injured workers.

The WSIB covers over five million workers and more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. It is Canada’s largest insurer for workplace safety. At my ministry, we work very closely with the WSIB to ensure Ontario is one of the healthiest and safest places to work. It has been a great partnership over the years, and this pandemic has made us work even more collaboratively.

Speaker, the WSIB is funded by premiums paid by employers. As I mentioned, many of these employers are feeling the brunt of this pandemic. That is why, in March 2020, our government announced a financial relief package by which WSIB premium payments were deferred for a period of six months. This provided employers with $2 billion in financial aid. The average business saved $1,760. All employers covered by the WSIB’s workplace insurance were automatically eligible for this relief package.

Businesses that chose to participate in the board’s financial relief plan now have until June 30, 2021, to repay these deferred premium amounts interest-free and without any penalties. For those who need longer, the WSIB will work with them.

In October of last year, I was pleased to share that the WSIB also announced that premium rates for 2021 would be held at the same levels paid in 2020. This will help many employers this year as they grapple with the financial impacts of this global pandemic. Incidentally, Speaker, that announcement came after four years of significant decreases that cut the average WSIB premium rate almost in half. And, similar to what we are proposing today, benefits for injured workers and their families were not impacted by this freeze.

In January of last year, the WSIB eliminated its charge for unfunded liability. After it eliminated its unfunded liability, the WSIB ensured that over 220,000 businesses across the province saw premiums reduced, leading to a $607-million reduction in costs to businesses. This money will be available for investments in jobs, technology, and health and safety programs.

We also stepped in to protect nearly 2,700 non-profits from premium increases to help daycares, Legions, women’s shelters and others continue supporting our communities. These organizations are run by dedicated people and serve Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens. That’s why we worked with the WSIB to make sure their premiums didn’t go up. Overall, the savings realized through the elimination of the unfunded liability will add $2 billion to Ontario’s economy. In short, our government has ensured that costs to employers are falling while benefits to injured workers are maintained. Helping employers survive this challenging period was an essential part of our government’s response to COVID-19.

Speaker, as part of our government’s many actions to protect workers and businesses, my ministry has rolled out a number of other important initiatives. All of these contribute in one way or another to the goals that are reflected in our proposed legislation to help deal with the unprecedented circumstances in a way that prioritizes the well-being and safety of workers and employers. I am proud of the work that we have done together with other ministries and levels of government to protect workers and stop the spread of COVID-19. Many of you have seen the news coverage of our recent inspection blitzes.

Ontario’s provincial offences officers have now visited more than 2,300 big box stores and other essential retail businesses across the province in 2021. These inspections focus on essential businesses, both big box stores and local shops, where families go to buy groceries, soap, toothpaste and other essentials.

Since January, we’ve visited retailers from Windsor to Niagara to Toronto, up to Muskoka and over to Ottawa, and I’m happy to say we’re making a difference. During three weeks of blitzes, with visits to almost 1,500 businesses, the compliance rate among big box stores increased by almost 19%, and compliance among other retailers, such as convenience stores, dollar stores and gas stations, increased by 7%. That means we saw more people in masks, more screening of workers and customers and more businesses with COVID-19 safety plans in place.

Taking these steps helped to stop the spread of this virus among both front-line workers and shoppers, but the work doesn’t stop there. Officers will be doing similar inspections in Peterborough this week and in the Guelph area, too.

Mr. Speaker, we have also taken measures to protect workers in the farming sector. Ministry inspectors have ramped up inspections on farms, with a focus on those employing temporary foreign workers. These inspections have the power to save lives. Our farm workers keep our food supply chain running. We rely on them to keep grocery store shelves stocked and to put food on our dinner tables. This is incredibly vital work that I can’t thank them enough for doing. When you’re in Ontario with a job to do, whether you were born here or come from overseas, your safety is my business. Nothing is more important to me than every worker’s safety—period.

Last week, I also launched a new inspection campaign focused on distribution centres in the Peel region. Inspectors are visiting approximately 100 of these warehouses to ensure that health and safety measures are being followed. Prior to launching this blitz, we had already carried out more than 430 visits in this sector. And after seeing our success in keeping the workers and customers safe in other industries, we’re paying special attention to this next challenge. We know these warehouse workers have been especially hard hit and that these businesses employ a high percentage of temporary workers.

So, we want to make sure the virus isn’t travelling with them back home to their loved ones and families.

These proactive measures are just one piece of our government’s plan to safely transition our province as soon as possible, but it clearly is a critical piece. Ministry inspectors are working hard to enforce the rules. We are making sure we have lots of boots on the ground to do this vital work. Just last September, we launched a recruitment campaign to increase our team of front-line health and safety inspectors, looking to add new recruits. Now, we have hired and trained 100 new people who can help us ensure workplaces across Ontario are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. Mr. Speaker, this will create the largest force of inspectors in provincial history.

I want to emphasize that our inspectors are not just enforcing the rules. It is important and critical that we identify bad actors, but it is also important that we support businesses in understanding the latest requirements. Most businesses want to do their part, but some are having trouble fully understanding what to do. That is why inspectors are also focusing on educating owners—especially small businesses—and workers on how to operate safely and comply with public health measures.

On that front, my ministry has worked closely with our health and safety partners. We have developed more than 200 sector-specific resources to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. This includes guidelines, posters and multilingual tip sheets for supervisors and employers. We know that there is a lot of new information out there, and we are working on making it easier for businesses to understand what they need to do on their own end so we can work together to stop this terrible virus, while keeping our economy going.

Speaker, I invite the members of this House to visit ontario.ca/covidsafety for more information. These resources and our inspections will be especially important in the next few weeks as small businesses in parts of the province begin to open. Getting everyone on board with the rules helps to ensure our case counts continue to decline, and that brings us closer and closer every day to reopening our province, which I know everyone is looking forward to.

In addition to the health and safety enforcement activities my ministry has undertaken, we also acted swiftly to protect employees’ jobs during this pandemic. In March, the very first piece of legislation our government tabled, which passed with unanimous support from all parties, was an amendment to the Employment Standards Act. Our government created a new unlimited job-protected leave, the infectious disease emergency leave, that is available retroactive to January 25, 2020, the day the first presumptive case of COVID-19 was confirmed here in Ontario.

This leave ensures that workers’ jobs are protected as they follow the advice of our public health professionals in combatting the spread of COVID-19. It also ensures that those who stay home to self-isolate or care for loved ones will not be fired. It will remain in place as long as necessary and includes protection for those who need it.

For example, it protects the jobs of those who may be isolating or in quarantine, those who need to take time off to care for their kids due to school or daycare closures, or care for a sick relative. There is no specified limit to the number of days an employee can be on infectious disease emergency leave. The legislation also makes it clear that employees cannot be required to provide a medical note if they take the leave.

I want to remind everyone, Mr. Speaker, that there is financial help for workers who need to stay home. Thanks to an agreement between Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Ford and the other premiers, there is over $1 billion available for workers to access two weeks of paid sick days. To date, more than 110,000 workers in Ontario have accessed this funding.

We know that this program needs to work better. There’s $800 million still in the bank, and workers need the support. I spoke with my federal counterpart about what needs to be done to improve the federal paid sick leave program. I raised with her the need to pay workers faster, make it easier to access, and raise awareness about the benefit. We all agreed to continue working together to ensure workers get the support they need. Combined with the provincial job-protected leave we introduced as a first action last year, people’s jobs and incomes are protected.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, my ministry is also responsible for training and skills development. This includes supporting the skilled trades, apprenticeships, industry training and employment services. Some on the left think government should do it all, and there are some on the right who think government should do nothing. We believe in giving people a hand up. It is our job to spread opportunity more widely and fairly in this province. Ultimately, our role is to connect people to good, secure jobs within their own communities.

Right across Ontario, neighbours are helping neighbours, and they’ve already begun the building, the research, the work and the giving that will make our province excellent again. I believe this because we believe in them. This part of my ministry’s mandate is linked with our mandate to protect workers and employers. We’re helping to build a stronger, more productive workforce that can be all the more productive in safe and fair workplaces.

Just earlier this month, I was proud to launch an important new $115-million initiative called the Skills Development Fund. This fund, which will support workers and apprentices, is specifically designed to support people getting back to work quickly. Basically, we put out a call for applications for fresh and creative ideas to help people get back on the job and kick-start growth in their communities. Our goal is to help reduce obstacles to hiring, training and retraining while preparing workers for the province’s economic recovery.

Even in today’s circumstances, there’s demand for skilled workers. Ontario’s skilled workers are the backbone of our economy, and they have proven that since the early days of COVID-19. Many of them put themselves in harm’s way to keep Ontario running, like the construction workers who continued to build hospitals or the automotive workers who kept our factories running. Make no mistake: Without these workers, Ontario could not function.

The Skills Development Fund will accept applications from a wide range of employment and training organizations in Ontario.

Our search is on for new ways to get workers back on the job, and we know that great ideas are out there.

Some examples might include purchasing virtual reality welders and the latest industry equipment to help train the next generation of tradespeople; enhancing the recruitment and training of personal support workers to care for Ontario’s most vulnerable citizens; empowering those from disadvantaged communities through mentorship or trades programming; providing learning and work experience in in-demand tech careers like coding and computer programming for hospitality and service workers who have lost their jobs; and supporting local manufacturers in their efforts to retool by training their workers on how to make PPE.

Speaker, we’re faced with truly unprecedented challenges. That’s why we developed the new Skills Development Fund. Our message to workers is clear: There’s hope and opportunity around the corner.

The Skills Development Fund is just one example of the many initiatives we have launched to help people get connected to in-demand careers. Our government is also investing an additional $478 million in skilled trades training over four years, for a historic total of well over $1 billion.

Speaker, my mission is to attract more young people into the trades. Becoming an ironworker or a sprinkler fitter should be as obvious as becoming a firefighter or a lawyer. Young people and their parents need to recognize careers in the skilled trades as exciting, fulfilling and well-paying. As the Premier says, “When you’ve got a trade, you’ve got a job for life.” How true is that?

Ontario is facing a series of labour shortages in this sector, and we’re expecting it to get progressively worse. These shortages also mean that good jobs are going unfilled, that workers are missing out on opportunities that could improve their lives and help them support their families. Part of the solution involves helping erase the stigma around blue-collar jobs.

We are doing this by investing to increase awareness of careers in the skilled trades through various initiatives, such as providing $17 million to the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program, or OYAP, which gives high school students opportunities to learn about work in the trades while completing their Ontario secondary school diploma; and investing a record $21 million in Ontario’s Pre-apprenticeship Training Program, giving hard-working people exposure to a variety of good jobs in the skilled trades. The program is free for participants and includes a critical work placement.

We are also working on simplifying the apprenticeship system so it’s easier for people to access and navigate our programs. This includes actions like providing funds to launch the new non-repayable Tools Grant, which provides up to $1,000 to apprentices to help with the cost of buying trade-specific tools and equipment, and investing nearly $6 million in the Grant for Apprentice Learning to support those attending in-class training with basic living costs, including a boost of $1.3 million this year and next year. It also includes appointing a five-member skilled trades panel to provide recommendations on ways to modernize the skilled trades and apprenticeship system.

And, Mr. Speaker, we are continuing to encourage employer participation in apprenticeships, with the Skills Development Fund being a recent example of our other investments. These include supporting business participation by investing $20 million in 2020-21 for a new group sponsorship grant to encourage small to medium-sized employers to come together to provide a full scope of training and on-the-job mentorship for apprentices; and working with industry on workforce planning for major infrastructure projects to ensure that Ontario is playing a leadership role in efforts to increase apprenticeships.

Together, these changes will ensure that skilled trades in our province grow and meet future demands by connecting employers with the talent that they need. They will ensure that opportunities for good jobs don’t go to waste.

Speaker, I’m also pleased to share that just recently our government launched a $77-million redesigned Second Career program to help workers retrain and upgrade their skills. This program will prioritize laid-off workers and train them for in-demand jobs within their own local community. It will help more than 2,750 workers with up to $2,800 for tuition, training materials and living expenses. Our updated and improved Second Career program will also help people get back on their feet, learn new skills, and provide hope for them and their families.

In the coming weeks, Mr. Speaker, I will also be announcing how we are further supporting the apprenticeship system and helping more people train and upskill for in-demand careers such as personal support workers. This last profession, as we all know, is especially in demand. These are people who care for our loved ones and our family members, often in long-term-care homes, where the pandemic has had a devastating impact. Last fall, we invested half a million dollars to help train nearly 100 new personal support workers in the Niagara region.

This training is helping people from all walks of life gain the skills they need to pursue careers providing care and comfort for those who are most vulnerable.

As you can see, we’re thinking broadly and acting now to ensure our economy and the health of our society are supported by a skilled workforce. Mr. Speaker, we need this more today than at any point in provincial history.

I will conclude by calling for all in this House to support Bill 238, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021. I hope I have shown how this bill is part of our broad, comprehensive plan to support businesses and workers during this challenging time. If passed, it will help protect businesses from unexpected increases in their WSIB premiums. At the same time, it will allow for an increase in the maximum WSIB benefit for workers.

Our government has been steadfast in our support for workers and employers throughout this pandemic. This proposed legislation is one more step to help Ontario come through and recover from an unprecedented fight against an invisible, deadly enemy. As challenging as it has been, Mr. Speaker, this pandemic has shown that we can work together with our partners and other levels of government, as well as with each other, and come up with swift, effective and innovative actions. With the vaccine efforts rolling out, the light at the end of the tunnel is becoming increasingly visible. I believe that when we reach it, we will emerge stronger, more resilient and more united.

Now I yield my time to my parliamentary assistant, the amazing MPP from Burlington.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The minister did say he would be sharing his time, so we turn to the member from Burlington.

Ms. Jane McKenna: Thank you very much and good morning, Speaker. I want to say that I have an amazing minister who I look up to every day, and I enjoy being his parliamentary assistant.

Interjections.

Ms. Jane McKenna: He is.

I first want to do a shout-out to Vivi at my Tim Hortons in Burlington. She says that the Tim Hortons people never get recognition on how hard they have stayed out and worked in the pandemic. Every day, I go there in the morning and she has always got my large, steeped tea with milk and a sleeve. She is a phenomenal hard worker, and I just want to do a shout-out for her before I start speaking today.

Speaker, I’m happy to rise today to speak on the second reading of Bill 238, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021. Thank you to my colleague the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development for highlighting some of the important actions our government is taking to support workers and businesses as we fight this global pandemic.

I would like to discuss the details of our proposed legislation. Speaker, Bill 238 proposes new, additional measures to lessen the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19 on businesses. Our legislative proposal focuses on an unanticipated rise in the earnings ceiling under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997.

Let me explain: During the last year, COVID-related job losses, mainly among lower-wage workers, including those in the retail, hospitality and service sectors, have resulted in an increase in Ontario’s average industrial wage. An average industrial wage is the mean hourly rate of pay for workforce members in a geographic area—in this case, Ontario.

How could a loss of jobs result in a rise in the average salary, you ask? If a greater number of lower-wage workers than high earners lose their job, the average industrial wage of people in a workforce rises. This does not reflect an actual increase in overall earnings in Ontario. In this case, it is actually as a result of a challenging, unexpected situation that has impacted our economy very negatively.

To give you some more perspective, usually, the yearly increase of the average wage is between 2% and 3%, Speaker. This year, the average wage increased by 7.8%. That’s a significant spike, and it has significant implications for some small businesses who pay premiums to the WSIB and whose workers’ earnings are at the ceiling. In short, the consequences of the spike will be an unexpected rise in the total WSIB premiums payable for some employers.

An earnings ceiling, also known as maximum insurable earnings, is a figure used by the WSIB to determine the premiums employers pay. The earnings ceiling is a cap, a maximum annual wage that premiums are, in part, based on. Based on a formula that the WSIB uses, which is set out in the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, the earnings ceiling is 175% of the average industrial wage in Ontario as of July 1 of each year, as reported by Statistics Canada. In short, if the average industrial wage for Ontario is higher, so are the premiums for some employers.

As I mentioned, to ease the strain on businesses during the pandemic, the WSIB has frozen premium rates for Ontario employers for 2021 to the same levels paid in 2020. However, this freeze would not protect businesses affected by an increase in the maximum insurable earnings, or earnings ceiling. This is because the increase in the maximum insurable earnings affects the total premiums that employers pay and is separate from the premium rate that they are assessed at by the WSIB.

Employers of higher-wage workers, especially those in the construction sector and the skilled trades, face a potential, yet substantial, increase to their total WSIB premium payments this year. That increase isn’t related to how well the employers are doing or to the safety of their workplaces. Again, that’s because premium calculations are subjected to the earnings ceiling.

The earnings ceiling is going up because of the highly unusual circumstances we face during this pandemic. If the earnings ceiling increases, premiums can still go up for some employers, despite the freeze on individual rates.

To address the situation and to protect businesses, we are proposing to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act by inserting a specific and lower maximum insurable earnings figure. To provide you with some additional context, the WSIB maximum insurable earnings ceiling for 2020 was $95,400. The WSIB has estimated that about 200,000 workers had earnings above the 2020 maximum. Speaker, we are proposing a ceiling cap for 2021 of $97,308. These proposed legislative amendments would set a 2% increase to the 2021 maximum insurable earnings ceiling, rather than the 7.8% increase it would otherwise rise to.

The 2% increase reflects the typical year-over-year increase in the average industrial wage, instead of the much higher climb we’ve seen this past July, Speaker.

Bill 238, if passed, would protect employers who have workers at or above the earnings ceiling cap from a significant cost increase as a result of higher WSIB premiums. That’s important at this critical time.

Bill 238, if passed, would be retroactive to January 1, 2021.

I want to emphasize that our proposed approach would have no impact on the benefits payable to injured workers, as only the earnings ceiling calculation for premiums is affected, not the ceiling for workers’ benefits. Our new amendment would not affect the 7.8% increase in the earnings cap for the calculation of workers’ benefits.

Many workers whose income is at the maximum earnings level are people on the front lines. They are firefighters, skilled trades construction workers and automotive workers. These people have provided invaluable service to Ontario’s economy and society throughout the pandemic. They will continue to be fairly compensated for work-related injuries and occupational diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under Bill 238, we are also seeking regulation-making authority to amend the insurable earnings ceilings in 2022, should the average industrial wage rise again unexpectedly.

The past year has certainly taught us to plan for the unexpected. Employers need and deserve the financial relief our proposed adjustments will bring in 2021. By helping them remain solvent, we will also help them retain workers and protect jobs, and the modest increase in the maximum insurable earnings will ensure the continued financial sustainability of our workplace compensation system.

Speaker, the proposed legislation is a good example of how my ministry continues to work alongside the WSIB to provide support for businesses who need it most and to ensure workers are protected during these uncertain times. I urge all members of the House to support this proposed legislation.

Public health measures have been in place for almost a year now. Many employers have temporarily laid off or reduced hours for their employees. This is why our government made a regulatory change to the Employment Standards Act so that non-unionized employees who have had their hours temporarily reduced or eliminated because of the pandemic will be deemed to be on infectious disease emergency leave instead of laid off.

This is beneficial for businesses too. In fact, it is a lifeline for them to help them stay afloat. It helps to ensure that businesses affected by COVID-19 aren’t forced to terminate employees after their temporary layoff period has expired. Terminations are generally triggered when temporary layoffs exceed the permitted length under the Employment Standards Act. This can result in costly payouts, which for many businesses could be the difference between survival and closure. For example, a restaurant with 30 staff could be liable for termination payments as high as $100,000.

We knew that businesses were suffering, so we acted swiftly to ensure termination and severance obligations were not creating an added financial burden.

This regulatory change also helps to ensure workers remain employed with legal protection, and that they are eligible for federal emergency income support programs. In short, this change protects thousands of jobs while helping local Ontario businesses remain solvent.

I’m proud to say that the government has extended these regulatory changes brought forward under the Employment Standards Act to July 3, 2021. Again, the goal is to prevent temporary layoffs from becoming permanent.

The regulatory measures I’ve just mentioned apply only to non-unionized employees. We made this decision as employer and trade unions are able to negotiate solutions that work best for them. As a result, the regular rules regarding layoffs have continued to apply to unionized employees.

But late last year, one requirement in the Employment Standards Act proved to be a challenge for certain industries, including the hotel industry. Specifically, the legislation requires that termination and severance entitlements be placed in a trust 35 weeks after a temporary layoff where an employee has a right to be recalled. To address temporary layoffs that began in March that may have been close to reaching this 35-week mark, we took immediate—and I mean immediate—action, Speaker.

The hospitality, tourism and convention and trade show industries are among the hardest hit by this pandemic, and this trust obligation could have impacted them greatly. Paying termination and severance monies into trust could drain financial reserves for these businesses and contribute to permanent closures. That’s why we created a temporary rule for these critical industries.

Given the unique challenges that many employers in the tourism and hospitality industries are facing as a result of COVID-19, the government is providing employers and unions the option to agree to use those funds to help keep businesses’ doors open. The special industry regulation gives employers and unions in these industries the flexibility to negotiate alternative arrangements when it comes to recall rights and paying monies into trust. For instance, they could agree that the employer pay only 50% of termination and severance into trust.

The new special rule is optional. If the employer and union do not come to an agreement, the regular rules would apply. The regulatory amendment applies effective December 17, 2020, and will expire on December 17, 2021. These actions will help us lay the groundwork for a robust long-term economic recovery in this province. These changes reflect concerns we’ve heard from some of the industries most affected by COVID-19.

As you can see, our government has acted fast and effectively to help relieve some of the pressures and challenges faced by businesses during this pandemic. But the work is far from over, Speaker. We know that even with these changes, some businesses will struggle to survive. That’s why we will continue doing everything we can to help businesses stay afloat and ensure that workers have jobs to go back to—which takes me to the last action I want to highlight for the House today, and that’s something we did well before the start of the pandemic to reward safe employers.

In November 2019, our government announced a new voluntary program that is now rewarding employers who are champions of health and safety. The program is called Supporting Ontario’s Safe Employers. It is the first of its kind in Canada. It’s giving our best, safest employers an estimated $140 million. This is being done through WSIB premium rebates over a three-year period that started in January 2020. This program is open to any Ontario employer, regardless of size or sector. We have unveiled this program because it promotes a safety culture in our workplace, it encourages organizations to go even further in their safety measures, and most importantly, it helps reduce workplace injuries.

Good health and safety practices save lives. Research has shown that organized, systemic approaches to health and safety increase worker participation in health and safety practices, encourage ongoing improvement and help reduce workplace injuries and illnesses. Similar programs in Europe and Japan have resulted in a decline in workplace accidents.

This program is being led by Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer, Ron Kelusky. There’s a quote from him that I think summarizes the value of this program best. He says, “This is a big step for Ontario’s health and safety community as we continue to move forward in protecting workers. We’re adopting innovative approaches to become a modern regulator. Industry has long asked for rewards for employers who successfully promote health and safety in their workplace.”

Good policy like this doesn’t happen without support from labour, employers and other stakeholders, which is why I am pleased to share some of what others said when this program was launched.

Ian Cunningham, president, Council of Ontario Construction Associations, said, “We have supported the concept of accreditation and recognizing good employers for the past 10 years and are pleased that the current government is moving forward with this important health and safety initiative.” To underline Mr. Cunningham’s quote, this is an opportunity that industry has been flagging for over a decade, and our government acted.

T.E. Baker, human resources adviser, the Bayview Group of Companies, said, “Development and implementation of this program is to be lauded and will certainly contribute to the success of this program and to the overall strategy of the ministry in providing a prevention lens to employee engagement and empowerment and a safer workplace.” I am highlighting this quote because it emphasizes the point that this program is good for workers, and it recognizes the important role workers play in ensuring everyone goes home safe after a hard day’s work.

It’s not enough to reward safe employers, though; we have to ensure that there is a clear path for employers who want to do better and up their safety practices. That’s why our government launched our program at the same time that the WSIB launched their new Health and Safety Excellence program. Their new program promotes continual health and safety improvement in Ontario workplaces. While our provincial program recognizes employers who have already implemented a health and safety management system, the WSIB’s program encourages employers without an existing program to develop one.

The WSIB Health and Safety Excellence program rewards safe employers through reduced premiums. Businesses with less ability to impact their rates receive a 2% rebate per safety topic completed. Businesses with more ability to impact their rates will receive a 1.4% rebate per safety topic. This is because these businesses will see greater reduction in their premium rates as their health and safety experience improves.

Understanding the challenges that small businesses face, the WSIB also offers them a minimum rebate of $1,000 per completed safety topic.

Aside from the financial rebate, businesses can also receive recognition badges to use on their website, email signature and advertisements to show others their commitment to workplace health and safety. These badges also show up on their business profile on the WSIB’s website when people search for safety stats.

Understanding the unique challenges that COVID-19 has brought on businesses, the WSIB has modified their program to meet the new realities of today. The 12-month timeline to complete safety topics and submit validation evidence has been extended to 15 months to help businesses juggle multiple priorities, and program members can switch to topics that address the impacts of COVID-19. These initiatives are part of the government’s commitment to encouraging a culture of health and safety to protect workers on the job and build a prosperous province.

Speaker, to conclude, I will repeat my call for all of this House to support Bill 238, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Amendment Act, 2021. As the minister said, this bill is part of our broad, comprehensive plan to support businesses and workers during this challenging time. If passed, it will help protect businesses from unexpected increases in their Workplace Safety and Insurance Board premiums. At the same time, it will allow for an increase in the maximum WSIB benefits for workers.

Just before I close, I want to quickly talk about the skilled trades. I’ve spoken to this numerous times with the minister. I have four girls and one son. The girls all wanted to go to university and my son said—it was a hard no, a stop for him. He wanted to go up to Georgian College and become a marine mechanic and get his welding. He threw me in the back of the car; I went and got myself a steeped tea with milk. We drove up. He signed himself up. It was me who struggled with that—and I’ve said this to the minister numerous times, right? It was amazing to watch his eyes light up. I didn’t have to phone him one time to get him up in the morning to go to school. He was up and ready to go.

He is now 25 years old and he owns his own company up north, Mac Barging. He is as happy as I’ve ever seen anybody in my entire life. He loves working with his hands. He is extremely proud. He has a huge service for the people up there in Muskoka. He’s done a phenomenal job. I’m doing a shout-out to him. I always told my daughters that he’s my favourite son, but he’s my only son, so I can say that.

I just want to reiterate, I think the average age is 57 for skilled workers. We need to get people back into using their hands. I know my son had a couple of buddies who just dropped out in high school because there wasn’t the opportunity at that time to see if they could be plumbers, for them to see something else besides what they were learning in school. When I went to school a hundred years ago, there was home ec, there was shop, and I took both of those opportunities.

We have to recognize that this minister has done a phenomenal job by bringing the skilled trades back to the table with colleges and universities, because they have not been at the table at all. Every time I tell my son that I’m going out with the minister, he says to me, “Mom, tell him thank you very much, because you changed your attitude around because of all the hard work he’s done in getting kids to see that there are other opportunities in life,” not just opportunities—university and college: great to go. My daughters loved it. But my son excelled doing what he’s doing right now.

More kids want that opportunity. I know my son’s one friend dropped out of school and then eventually went back to school and became a plumber and is extremely happy at the skill that he offers to people in our community of Burlington.

Thank you so much for having this time. Thank you again to the minister for letting me have this opportunity to speak today. I look forward to passing Bill 238. Thank you, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We have time now for questions.

Ms. Jessica Bell: It’s an honour to rise today after the break. It’s fitting that the first issue that we’re debating is workplace safety. It is very clear this government has abdicated its responsibility to properly protect workers during COVID-19. I’m hearing stories of people getting COVID at work who cannot get WSIB because they can’t prove it. I am hearing stories about how there are workplaces that have COVID outbreaks and are still not being publicized even though this government should be doing it.

This enforcement program is about 10 months too late, and this government is refusing to accept its responsibility to introduce paid sick leave into the province of Ontario. My question is: Are you going to support our MPP for London’s bill to bring in paid sick leave into the province of Ontario today?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member for that question. I actually think the timing is great, because this warms us up for the question period that’s coming very soon, so thank you for that.

Look, Mr. Speaker: The health and safety of every single worker in this province is our government’s top priority. We have spared no expense. In fact, we have hired more inspectors—over a hundred—who have been trained and hired now. That’s more inspectors than at any point in Ontario’s history, and, Mr. Speaker, guess what? The NDP voted against that.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Questions?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I wanted to ask the minister how this bill really builds on all the things that he’s doing to make sure that workers have the foundation of support they need to get through COVID.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member from Barrie–Innisfil, who has done a great job standing up for her residents. I have to mention that she is a real champion of getting more young people into the skilled trades. In fact, Mr. Speaker, our plan to get more young people into the skilled trades is built around three pillars. One is ending the stigma. For far too long, there has not been a government here in this province that has really worked to end the stigma around the skilled trades.

Secondly, we’re reforming the apprenticeship system to make it simpler for training providers, for young people and for educators to ensure that more young people get into the trades.

Thirdly, we are ensuring that more employers bring on apprentices. It’s one of the biggest challenges we have. I’m told that only 6% of employers in the province bring on apprentices. The national average is about 20%. That’s why we are ensuring that we’re investing in employers.

Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, I really, truly believe that workers in the skilled trades are going to lead the recovery in this province.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Questions?

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. Speaker, every day workers in Ontario are forced to make an impossible decision: Do they go to work sick and risk spreading COVID-19 throughout our community, or do they stay home and lose their wages that they need to keep their rent paid and put food on the table for their families? These workers are the lowest-waged workers in our communities, often making minimum wage, doing essential work in our communities: everything from grocery store clerks to the personal support workers working at the front lines of our long-term-care homes. Speaker, we need paid sick days for all Ontarians.

What I heard from the minister in his remarks is that he thinks it’s okay to pass the buck to the federal government’s temporary, substandard program and abandon his responsibility to the workers of this province. Speaker, we need real leadership here, not a political game of hot potato over jurisdictional issues. Will the minister commit today to supporting the NDP bill for permanent paid sick days in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Mr. Speaker, clearly people should not be going to work sick. That’s why the very first initiative our government brought in—and I will mention to the members opposite that it was the very first piece of legislation in North America to protect jobs during COVID-19. If any worker is in self-isolation, if they’re in quarantine, if you are a mom or a dad who has to stay home and look after a son or daughter because the schools are closed, you can’t be fired for that in Ontario. Furthermore, we moved quickly to eliminate the need for sick notes for workers from their physician.

We’re going to continue standing up for workers every day. I’m proud of the partnership between Premier Ford, all the other Premiers and the Prime Minister to provide $1.1 billion worth of paid sick days to workers in the province. But I have to ask the member opposite: Why are you not telling people in your own community that two weeks of paid sick days are available? That’s a disservice and that’s bad for workers.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The member for Kitchener–Conestoga.

Mr. Mike Harris: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and it’s great to be back here in the Ontario Legislature.

To the minister: This is a really important bill. In Waterloo region, we lost over 12,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs over the 15 years of the last government—12,000 jobs, Mr. Speaker. So I’m hoping that the minister can explain what this is going to do for the people of Waterloo region and how it’s going to help them.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Great. Well, thank you. And I have to say to my honourable colleague, thank you for your leadership in standing up for the Kitchener-Waterloo region, in particular those men and women who have continued to work during this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, this is all about protecting jobs. We want to ensure that the men and women of this province have a job to go to. This legislation, if passed, will actually ensure that the doors remain open to businesses.

But one of the things I have to raise: The party opposite, the so-called party of the working-class families, wants us, and has wanted us, to shut down, for example, the entire construction industry. I want to remind the members opposite that there are over a half a million people who have been able to work during this pandemic. And guess what? Sixty-five thousand of the half a million people in construction are women. So let’s start standing up for women in this province.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): New questions? The member for Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Thank you, Speaker. It’s great to be back.

When I saw the title of this, amending WSIB, I was excited for a second, because I talk to injured workers, and injured workers have a lot of problems with WSIB. They’re being thrown into poverty largely because of deeming, because fantasy jobs that don’t exist, especially in times of COVID—they are told that their benefits are being clawed back. I hear those heartbreaking stories every day across this province. We have a call every Tuesday with injured workers, and they have a Zoom call with workers from across the province, who all say the same thing: End deeming now. So will the minister commit to ending deeming for WSIB?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Mr. Speaker, I’m proud of the WSIB system that we have here in the province of Ontario. It wasn’t that long ago that we didn’t know if this system was going to be around for employers and for workers of this province. But thanks to the leadership of the WSIB, Chair Witmer and former president Tom Teahen—in this government, in fact, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay credit to the former Minister of Labour, Laurie Scott, who brought in and has built a sustainable WSIB system. I can promise every single worker in this province that the WSIB system is going to be there for them today, but for decades to come.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Question?

Ms. Jane McKenna: I just wanted to ask a question—because I’ve just heard a comment across the aisle—about how this is not only benefiting employers, but how is it also benefiting workers as well?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Every decision we make is guided on standing up for workers in this province. In fact, Mr. Speaker, we continue to invest heavily in health and safety. That’s why I’m proud to report, as of this morning, the Ministry of Labour inspectors have visited 38,000 workplaces and have done more than 38,000 investigations related to COVID-19. We’ve now shut down 67 unsafe workplaces, many of those since January 1. Mr. Speaker, we’re continuing to stand up for those men and women who are going to work every single day, who are caring for our loved ones, protecting the health and safety of our loved ones, and we’ll continue to do that every single day.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Thank you. I’ve been reminded that the member from Burlington was out of order in asking the question because she spoke on the main debate—my mistake—so we will have a little bit of extra time for the final question, which is to the member from Brampton East.

Mr. Gurratan Singh: Brampton is one of the worst-hit cities in the province on COVID-19. When we talk to public health officials, they are clear: Workplaces are one of the greatest areas of spread for COVID-19 in our community. Yet workers still have to make this very dreadful decision between paying the bills or going to work sick, because they do not have paid sick days. So my question to the minister is clear: Will he support the NDP’s bill to bring in paid sick days so workers don’t have to go to work sick?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Well, Mr. Speaker, we brought in job-protected leave. We were the first in North America to do that. Furthermore, as the member opposite should know, the Premier of this province led the charge to ensure that there are two weeks of paid sick days available through the federal government—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): I’m sorry to cut you off, but as you know the standing orders say at 10:15 we move on to members’ statements.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Employment standards

Ms. Jill Andrew: Let’s talk salaries. The Premier of Ontario makes $280,974 a year. His cabinet ministers make roughly $166,000 a year. The base salary for MPPs here in Ontario is $116,550 a year. And while some MPPs are single parents caring for children with disabilities, essential caregivers, sole wage earners or what have you, there is no shortage of MPPs here who are independently wealthy.

Not one of us in this Legislature loses a single day of pay when we are away sick or tending to a sick child or family member. We do not have to fear homelessness, job loss or evictions because we need time off to heal. Why should any worker in Toronto–St. Paul’s or across Ontario not have the same access to health and healing that their own Premier and every MPP in Ontario has?

COVID-19 is an unprecedented public health infectious disease emergency. I reckon if there was ever a time for this government to demonstrate a real commitment to workers’ health and safety, the time is now. Will the Conservative government immediately pass Bill 239, MPP Sattler’s Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, and ensure that all Ontario workers can get access to paid sick days and paid sick leave today so we can help save lives, yes or no?

Environmental assessment

Mr. Parm Gill: I was proud to host a virtual community meeting last Friday to discuss the issues and concerns the community has raised to do with Reid Road quarry in Milton.

Previously, the residents had filed well over 1,000 objections and requested that a proposed quarry site be made subject to an environmental assessment, with environmental concerns ranging from issues resulting from blasting below the water table, flyrock and potential damage to the local ecosystem.

Mr. Speaker, these efforts have resulted in a commencement of the process for an environmental assessment, a big step forward to examining the potential environmental impacts a quarry could have in our community in Milton. Our government is now seeking comments through the Environmental Registry of Ontario, and I’m encouraging all Miltonians to submit their technical comments. It’s an opportunity for us to provide feedback and comments online.

Mr. Speaker, as always, I remain committed to being a strong voice for Milton and am proud to be back at Queen’s Park today to ensure Miltonians continue to be heard.

Karima Mehrab

Ms. Jessica Bell: Today I recognize Karima Mehrab in the Ontario Legislature. Karima was a leader in the struggle for the independence of Baluchistan from Pakistan. Facing terrorism charges and death threats for her activist work, Karima came to Canada and was granted political asylum.

While abroad, Karima continued to advocate for the Baluchistan people. She spoke at rallies and attended international conferences, and was named in BBC’s top 100 most influential and inspirational women.

On December 20, Karima went missing. Her body was pulled from Lake Ontario the following day. This is a tragedy. Karima is the second Pakistani dissident to be found dead abroad in the last year. Activists living in exile say there has been an increase in threats, including Karima, who received threats leading up to her death. Human rights groups are calling for a full and independent investigation into Karima’s death, and so am I.

We must also recognize Karima as the celebrated human rights activist that she was. Her work will live on. Thank you.

Mike and Jennifer Richardson

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I would like to tell the House about Keeping Up With the Richardson’s. As you know, Mike and Jennifer Richardson in Innisfil are always going above and beyond to build resiliency in our community, strengthening the fabric of our youth in our community and, of course, supporting our local businesses. It is Keeping Up With the Richardson’s that started the Light It Up Innisfil competition, where over 100 houses participated, decorating their homes in various holiday lights, and they raised over $2,000 for the Innisfil Food Bank and Christmas for Kids.

But that’s not all, Mr. Speaker. When families were looking for something to do in Innisfil, the Keeping up with the Richardson’s clan put together a Discover Innisfil Car Rally and Scavenger Hunt so that parents have something that is safe and productive to do with their children, showing them the landscapes of Innisfil and all the hidden gems.

Now, her last venture has been Innis-Full. Yes, Mr. Speaker, that is “full,” because we all want to make sure that our tummies are full supporting our local businesses. It is a campaign to support our restaurants from February 9 to March 15. It’s an online Facebook page that provides local residents with an opportunity to order food from their local restaurants with different prizes and discounts and whatnot.

I want to give a few shout-outs to local businesses that are participating and that have supported our community, like the Harbour House Grill, the Last Shot Bar and Grill, the Parlour ice cream shop, and of course, the Stone Grille. We’ve got Davidson’s Country Dining, Johnny Burger, and of course, we’ve got Stacked and we’ve got the Fork and Plate—all businesses that are standing up and showing the Ontario spirit.

Ontario Fire College

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Firefighters are yet another breed of people throughout this whole pandemic who are out there on the front line, putting their lives in danger as they rush into fires, but also dealing with medical calls and others. Imagine their surprise when they found out in January that the government unilaterally decided to shut down the fire college.

The fire college is an essential part of what we need to do in order to give the firefighters the tools they need to be able to do their job safely and to be up to date with the latest technologies when it comes to being able to fight fires and do the other work that they do.

The government says, “Don’t worry. We’re going to put it online. You can go on a computer and you can do this training,” and in some cases they might be able to. But there’s a whole bunch of training that happens at the Gravenhurst fire college that you can’t move to a campus somewhere outside of Gravenhurst because of the actual physical plant that they have in place that allows them to replicate fires, to crawl through burning buildings, to deal with smoke inhalation, to deal with what happens when a train derails. All of those things are done at the fire college.

Why would we now, in the middle of a pandemic, decide to shut down a fire college that gives our firefighters across this province the tools that they need to keep us safe and to make their jobs a little bit safer? I call on this government to rethink what they’re doing, because much of what’s going on at the fire college cannot be replicated somewhere else, and this is a very short-sighted decision.

Hospital funding

Ms. Lindsey Park: I rise today to share about a recent announcement I made—and don’t worry, Speaker, I respected public health measures and did the announcement via Facebook Live from my home in Oshawa. On January 11, I announced, on behalf of the Minister of Health, that our government is investing $2.5 million in the Bowmanville Hospital to go towards planning its redevelopment and expansion.

While we’ve invested over the last year in urgently expanding hospital capacity as quickly as possible in the fight against COVID-19, recently announcing in December 64 new beds across the Lakeridge Health hospital network, we also must continue longer-term capacity planning in our region.

Since 1996, over a span of 25 years, Clarington’s population has grown by almost 50%, but it has been over 30 years since the Bowmanville Hospital had its last expansion. The funding announced will be used to offset the costs of planning the renewal and expansion of the hospital’s infrastructure.

In addition to the redevelopment project, our government is also supporting the development of an interim helipad for the Bowmanville Hospital. This interim helipad will improve how Lakeridge Health safely transfers critical patients to and from the Bowmanville Hospital while the redevelopment project is completed.

Planning for the redevelopment of a hospital is a lengthy process, and I am committed to working with Lakeridge Health and the Bowmanville Hospital Foundation to advocate for this project through to its completion.

Employment standards

Ms. Catherine Fife: This government’s resistance to a made-in-Ontario sick leave program defies all logic. Public health experts, mayors and small businesses all have described paid sick days as essential to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The Premier claims everything is on the table, except for this one measure that would keep workers safe and businesses open. This PC government stands alone in their refusal to embrace this public health measure.

Small business leaders are the latest to try to get this government to understand why paid sick leave is actually good for business. Helmi Ansari of Cambridge says, “If one of my staff members ends up feeling unwell, and potentially has something that’s transmissible, I really don’t want them to bring it to work. That would be disastrous for my business.”

The Better Way Alliance argue that paid sick leave needs to be provincially mandated to ensure that all businesses, especially the giants like Amazon and Loblaws, are required to comply. We now know that 67% of COVID-19 outbreaks happen in workplaces. In areas like Peel, where essential workers are part of a major manufacturing and distribution network, one in four workers reported that they went to work with COVID-19 symptoms because they had no choice.

The well-being of workers directly impacts our economic recovery. We cannot afford another shutdown. Today, pass Bill 239, as proposed by our London West colleague; put paid sick days on the table; and show some leadership and courage for the essential workers in this great province.

Pre-budget consultations

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: Speaker, I’ve found the best ideas do not come from Queen’s Park; they come from the people I represent. That was again the case last week in the pre-budget consultations that I organized in Perth–Wellington. I believe it’s essential that the government hears our local priorities and concerns.

We heard from municipal officials, businesses and organizations throughout our riding. Their presentations covered a lot of ground. We heard about the ongoing challenges in health care and long-term care. We heard about slow Internet speeds and connectivity. We heard about the need for more affordable housing in our communities. We heard about the ongoing challenges due to COVID-19. The arts, tourism and culture industries, accommodations, food and beverage, and retail have all been especially hit hard.

We heard about the need for local processing capacity and good rural infrastructure. We also heard about the need to supply family and social services, and the importance of access to child care. Finally, we heard about mental health and the toll the pandemic is taking. Timely and accessible mental health support for every person, business and organization in every corner of our riding is absolutely essential.

I know our government is aware of these issues and is working hard to address them, but these hearings tell me we need to do even more. I want to thank the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance and the MPP for Mississauga–Lakeshore for joining us and hearing us, and I want to thank everyone who took time to participate in the consultations. I am proud to represent you and to support your good work.

Tammie Staples

Mr. David Piccini: It’s great to be back here in the Legislature, Mr. Speaker.

Throughout the global pandemic, we’ve witnessed so many stand tall in their local communities, exhibiting the true Ontario spirit. I’d like to take a moment to highlight a local hero, Port Hope police officer Tammie Staples, who has shone bright in our community for decades.

Port Hope Police Constable Tammie Staples has been a police officer since 2007, and last week was nominated for the 2021 Police Services Hero of the Year Award. Constable Staples has gone above and beyond in her years of service, and is known throughout our community for her warm smile, her huge heart and specifically for her willingness to go above and beyond to help others.

For the past six years, she has served as community services officer for Port Hope and was nominated for the hero of the year award for her work delivering school programs to children in our community. She has worked with a number of great causes, like Rebound Children and Youth Services, the Special Olympics, Coldest Night of the Year, seniors’ programs and Tammie’s Jammies. Her pyjama drive raised over 400 pairs of pyjamas for children in need this holiday season.

I’d like to thank Constable Staples for her work. It’s often the quiet work that goes unnoticed that is truly the most impactful work in our community. For that, I’d like to thank Constable Tammie Staples for all she does for the community of Port Hope and beyond.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

Décorum en Chambre / Decorum in the chamber

Le Président (L’hon. Ted Arnott): Avant de commencer, j’aimerais saisir cette occasion pour rappeler aux députées et députés la déclaration que j’ai faite l’automne dernier concernant les masques que portent les députées et députés dans la Chambre.

Les députées et députés savent qu’il y a une norme stipulant que les vêtements ne doivent pas afficher de logos, de slogans, de publicité ou tout autre élément qui peut servir de modalités d’expression.

Les masques font toujours

partie de nos habits quotidiens et, je répète, que comme tout autre

article de vêtements que portent les députées et députés, les masques ne doivent pas afficher d’éléments commerciaux ou politiques, de logos ou de symboles, ni être associés à des campagnes, à des causes, à des institutions ou à des organismes.

Nous avons eu très peu de problèmes auparavant, donc je sais que les députées et députés ont une bonne idée d’où se trouve la limite. Celle-ci n’a pas changé. Si l’article en question n’était pas approprié avant le port du masque, ne le portez pas maintenant.

Je veux également appeler l’attention de l’Assemblée sur la nomination de notre nouvelle greffière permanente à la table, Meghan Stenson. Meghan est la chef de service du bureau des recherches pour la table et est responsable d’une grande

partie des recherches sur la procédure effectuées au bureau de l’Assemblée. Joignez-vous à moi pour souhaiter la bienvenue à Meghan et pour la féliciter pour sa nomination à la table.

Before we begin, I would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the statement that I made last fall regarding the face masks members wear in the chamber.

Members will know that we have a convention that items of apparel should not contain logos, slogans, advertising or other devices that convert them from clothing into vehicles of expression.

Face masks continue to be part of our daily wear and, I reiterate, as with any item of apparel, members’ masks should not contain commercial, political or brand logos or emblems, or be associated with other campaigns, causes, institutions or organizations.

We rarely had issues before, so I know members had a pretty good idea of where the line was; that line hasn’t moved. If you couldn’t wear it in the pre-mask days, please don’t wear it now.

I would also like to bring to the attention of the House the appointment of Meghan Stenson as our newest permanent table officer. Meghan is the manager of the table research office, which is responsible for much of the procedural research conducted at the Office of the Assembly. Please join me in welcoming Meghan to the House and congratulating her on her appointment to the table.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Congratulations.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition has a point of order.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I seek unanimous consent for the House to ask that the Speaker consider the flying of flags at half-mast for the remainder of the week to honour those who have succumbed to COVID-19 during the adjournment.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Leader of the Opposition is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow the Speaker to lower the flags outside the building to half-mast in recognition of people who have lost their lives to COVID-19. Agreed? I heard a no.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for London West has a point of order.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to move a motion regarding the immediate passage of Bill 239, the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, to help in the fight against COVID-19.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member from London West is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow the immediate passage of Bill 239. Agreed? I heard a no.

The member for London–Fanshawe, I think, has a point of order.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Thank you, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move a motion regarding the immediate passage of Bill 13, the Time to Care Act, to help protect seniors in long-term care from COVID-19.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for London–Fanshawe is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion to allow for the immediate passage of Bill 13. Agreed? I heard a no.

The member for Windsor West appears to have a point of order.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Thank you, Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to move a motion regarding the immediate passage of Bill 203, More Than a Visitor Act, to better protect Ontarians in congregate care from the harmful effects of isolation during this pandemic.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Windsor West is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion for the immediate passage of Bill 203. Agreed? I heard a no.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the member for Guelph.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, I’m seeking unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding Bill 239, Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, and move that the House vote on third reading immediately.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Guelph is seeking unanimous consent of the House to move a motion to provide for the immediate passage of Bill 239. Agreed? I heard a no.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. The Premier is risking the spread of the COVID-19 virus, more deaths, more business closures and further lockdowns because he is refusing to listen to the advice of experts and he is reopening too quickly. In fact, health experts are almost unanimous in condemning the Premier’s decision here.

Dr. Brown, the head of Ontario’s COVID advisory table, said on Thursday, “If public health measures are lifted, cases could rise dramatically.” Dr. Peter Jüni says we’re heading for another lockdown. Dr. Michael Warner asks, “Are we trying to fail?”

My question to the Premier is, considering what his advisers are recommending, why is he deciding to reopen this province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: We aren’t reopening the province yet; we’re transitioning. We’re transitioning into the framework that was laid out by the health team, and we’re following the guidance from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, which we will always follow.

Just to remind everyone, we have the most stringent protocols anywhere in the entire country and the most stringent restrictions anywhere in the country. We’re going to continue doing that, making sure that we keep the public safe, making sure that we keep the people in long-term care safe and education workers safe, along with the students. That’s what we’re going to continue doing.

Just keep in mind, when it comes to Peel, Toronto and York, it’s going to be up to the chief medical officer and the local medical officers if they want to open up and go into the grey lockdown scenario on February 22. But we won’t hesitate to pull on the brakes at any given time, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It seems pretty clear that what this is all about is transitioning into a disaster. In fact, the Ontario Hospital Association head, Anthony Dale, said that the warning last week from Dr. Steini Brown, the head of the science table, could not be clearer: Do not open up. He says “an exhausted, over-extended hospital sector” will “have to deal with a 3rd pandemic wave.”

So my question is, when the Premier is receiving warnings from the Ontario Hospital Association and from health experts that are crystal clear, that they oppose this reopening, why is the Premier ignoring them?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Right from day one we’ve always listened to the chief medical officer and the health team. We’re going to continue to listen to the health and science experts.

Mr. Speaker, we’re doing more rapid tests for prevention than anyone in the entire country. We’re doing 58% of all the rapid tests in the country, even though we’re about 38% of the population. We’re well over two million rapid tests. We’re going to be deploying upwards to a million rapid tests every single week, going into businesses, going into long-term-care homes and going into schools. I know the Minister of Education has allocated 50,000 rapid tests, making sure that we’re testing 40 schools this week alone. We’re going to continue focusing on the rapid tests. Thank you.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s really clear that ignoring the advice of experts will put lives at risk in our province. The science table has warned very clearly that the third wave could bring up to 16,000 daily cases of COVID-19 if the Premier prematurely opens up this province. In fact, it could put ICUs in a position where they’re working at triple their capacity, literally unable to meet the demand put upon them by this Premier’s decision.

The fact of the matter is, the Premier has not learned from his mistakes. He is repeating mistakes of the past. He’s not listening to the advice of experts, and opening too soon. My question is, why would he do such a thing?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: We aren’t transitioning without approval of the chief medical officer—which we always have, because I won’t waiver from the advice that he gives us—and the health team.

But we have to thank the people of Ontario, because unlike what the Leader of the Opposition said, with the collaboration of everyone except the NDP and the Liberals, we were able to bring the numbers down. ICU units are actually going down, the capacity that is there right now. The numbers are going down.

We have to make sure that we continue following the protocols and the guidelines of the chief medical officer, but we will never take our eye off the ball. We will always be working 24/7, which we have been for the last year, every single day: Saturday, Sunday—even on the holidays we work, unlike some other folks, Mr. Speaker. We’re going to continue being very vigilant when it comes to this.

Employment standards

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. Essential workers in this province, front-line workers in this province, have to make each and every day a decision about going to work, oftentimes when they are sick. People should never have to choose between going to work and bringing illness into the workplace or losing a paycheque and not being able to meet the bills. In fact, people should be able to take time off because they have paid sick days.

The government’s own experts have said that paid sick days are the right thing to do here in Ontario. It was recommended by the head of the science table that the Premier apparently listens to, Dr. Brown. Even Dr. Williams, whose advice the Premier has told us a couple of times already this morning he always takes, supports paid sick days. The Premier said he always listens to Dr. Williams. Will he listen this time and provide paid sick days for the people of this province?

Hon. Doug Ford: I’m going to respectfully ask the Leader of the Opposition to stop getting people confused. There are sick days. Even when they were being interviewed—

Interjections.

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

Hon. Doug Ford: Either the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t know the program or doesn’t understand it or something. There’s over a billion dollars that I fought for and the other Premiers fought for and John Horgan, her fellow NDP counterpart, fought for. We all collaborated. We ended up getting over a billion—$1.1 billion.

Mr. Speaker, this goes back all the way to September. Only $319 million has been spent, and because the Leader of the Opposition is out there confusing people—even when she was interviewed with a nurse, the nurse said, “No, I didn’t even look into the federal program.” So the Leader of the Opposition is very confused when it comes to this.

We have a great system. We aren’t going to duplicate it and continue to double-dip into the taxpayers’ pockets when there’s $1.1 billion sitting there. We need to make sure we—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. The Premier will take his seat.

The supplementary question?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s this Premier that needs to get with the program. He knows darn well that he got rid of the only two paid sick days—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The member for Northumberland–Peterborough South will come to order and withdraw.

Mr. David Piccini: Withdraw.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier needs to stop passing the buck, Speaker. It’s really clear that paid sick days are a provincial responsibility. They always have been, they always will be, and they are being recommended by virtually everyone except the Premier. Government public health experts say we need paid sick days. Mayors and city councils say we need paid sick days. Health experts, business leaders, labour leaders—heck, the past two leaders of the provincial PC Party—all say we need paid sick days. So why is the Premier stubbornly refusing to implement paid sick days for the benefit of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and keeping people safe?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, right from the get-go of when we hit this pandemic, we’ve had a very clear agreement—all the Premiers, along with the federal government—that we aren’t going to duplicate programs, and we’re being very prudent with the taxpayers’ money.

Anyone that I’ve ever talked to that I’ve said, “Oh, there’s already a program,” the first thing they say is, “Well, the Leader of the Opposition must be confused because she’s making it out that there are no sick days.” Again, it’s very disappointing that the Leader of the Opposition would be out there and confusing people.

To folks listening at home: There are paid sick days. There are 10 paid sick days—$1.1 billion.

What we have to do is continue, which we are, working with the federal government to shorten up the time and to increase it from $500 possibly up to $1,000. But no one expects us to double-dip into their pockets. That’s the practice of the NDP, not ourselves.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I can assure the Premier, Speaker, that the people of Ontario know very well who to be disappointed in. I can tell you this: Experts have been predicting a third wave and more lockdowns, more illness and more pressure on the hospitals because the government has decided to not take action on a few key initiatives.

The Premier is simply refusing to listen to the advice of experts, even though he claims the opposite. If the Premier truly wanted to stop the spread of COVID-19, he would not be opening this province too quickly, and he would be providing paid sick days for every worker in this province.

Why will this government, why will this Premier, continue to refuse to act? Why is he not taking action on the very advice that his experts are giving him? Why?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: We’ve been acting from day one. We haven’t stopped acting and making sure that we put the protocols in place, making sure that we’re taking care of small business owners, with the grants of up to $20,000, which is now up over $900 million, to help the small business folks.

But, Mr. Speaker, this is a very large province. What is good for the folks up in Kenora may not always be good for the people in the Leader of the Opposition’s riding in Hamilton, or it may not be as good for the people in Toronto and Peel. That’s why we’re opening the economy up extremely, extremely cautiously.

When it comes to Toronto, when it comes to Peel, and when it comes to York, it’s very simple: They’re going into the grey lockdown zones on February 22. In saying that, if the local medical officers want to put a

section 22 in and continue down with the lockdown, by all means, they have the power to do that and we’ll support them.

Long-term care

Ms. Sara Singh: Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. During the first wave of COVID-19, the people of Ontario were shocked by the appalling conditions and the failure of this government to protect our seniors in our long-term-care homes. In the first wave, we saw 1,848 people lose their lives. Last June, the Premier pledged, “We’re going to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.” But as of last week, our long-term-care homes have now seen more loss of life due to COVID-19 in the second wave than they did in the first.

How can the Premier justify the failure to keep this promise and keep our seniors safe?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care to respond.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Indeed, long-term-care homes have been on the front lines of this global pandemic, not only in Ontario but across Canada and across the world, and our government has used every option at our disposal to prevent and contain the spread of this virus.

We implemented surveillance testing in wave 1 for residents and staff, and we have one of the most sensitive thresholds for outbreak definition anywhere across the country. We have slowed outbreaks and caught cases early, and the Premier personally pushed for surveillance testing in wave 1, as did I, and every resident and staff member was tested in wave 1 as part of our testing strategy.

Despite the reluctance of some, we pushed for the implementation of rapid testing. These tests have added an extra layer on top of the IPAC, on top of the integration across our system, on top of using all the expert advice. We will continue to do this.

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

Ms. Sara Singh: Speaker, despite what the minister is claiming here today, they failed to take action—the necessary action needed to protect seniors in long-term care. The Premier said that this would never happen again. But they could have actually taken steps like a recruitment drive, like the one in Quebec that brought 10,000 PSWs into Quebec’s long-term-care homes; or emergency shelters to ensure that residents would be moved out of those crowded homes and not suffer when those outbreaks were happening. Instead, this Premier changed the law to ensure that private, for-profit long-term-care homes wouldn’t be sued.

Will the Premier admit that this government broke their promise to seniors and take the urgent action needed today, now, to ensure that we protect our seniors before this impending third wave hits those homes?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Once again, thank you to the member opposite.

We acted quickly and decisively throughout this pandemic. It is a worldwide, global pandemic, and we have used every measure and every tool available to us to fight this virus and to stop the spread—as I mentioned, the testing and now the staffing, looking at this across the board from day one, using the rapid response teams deployed from our hospitals, the infection prevention and control teams, the Ontario Workforce Reserve for Senior Support and our residence support aides; making sure that we took regulatory amendments and emergency orders to make sure we could provide flexible staffing into our homes.

We have continued, unrelentingly, to make sure that our homes have the support that they needed.

The community spread in wave 2 is different from wave 1. We continue to take every measure possible, looking at the up to $1.9 billion for our monumental staffing plan, 27,000 new—

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

The next question.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: My question is to the Premier. Since we last met in December, we have seen good news as it relates to the transmission of COVID in the province. Daily case numbers are down. Transmission rates are down. Less people are being hospitalized.

The measures are working. Staying home is saving lives. Together, we are bending the curve, we are protecting our hospitals, and we are looking out for the most vulnerable.

But we are not clear of the storm yet. This is a critical time. We can find a way forward, but we need a plan that continues to protect the health and safety of each and every person in this province. We have seen in other countries what is happening with these new variants, and it is a reminder of what can happen here.

Premier, can you please share with my constituents what other enhanced measures our government has put in place to counter the spread of new variants?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville; I want to thank you for your great leadership in Peel.

The member is 100% correct: The risk of these new variants is of great concern. My friends, I sounded the alarm bells before. I stood on the podium and said it’s not a matter of if, it’s when these new variants come into place here. On Boxing Day, we confirmed the first case of the UK variant of COVID-19 in Ontario. Now, we have confirmed cases of the Brazilian and South African variants.

But our government took action immediately. We delivered a six-point plan to help stop the spread of these variants throughout the province. We brought in mandatory testing at Pearson airport, which was critical and well overdue. I was jumping up and down for months about getting testing at Pearson. Now, we have finally ended up getting it. We have caught numerous variants coming through—well over 200 that would be in the public. Thank goodness, we stood up and we did the testing at Pearson airport.

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

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the Premier. My supplemental question is back to the Premier. Premier, as you have said, the spread of any new COVID-19 variant is a significant threat to the province’s response to COVID-19. My region of Peel is one of the hot spot regions, and I know that many of my constituents are concerned about what these new variants will mean for them.

Premier, our government has worked diligently to put stronger measures in place to counter the alarming public health trends and fight the new variants. We issued the stay-at-home order. We launched several workplace inspection blitzes, including a safety blitz at all big box stores. And we have accelerated vaccinations for our most vulnerable seniors.

Can the Premier please share with the Legislature more about our government’s six-point plan to prevent and stop the spread of COVID-19 variants in my riding?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the member for the question. As I always say, we can’t let our guard down now; we can’t let our guard down ever. If we see the numbers spike again, we’re prepared to take further action, and that’s what we call the brake. We’ll put on the brake quicker than you can shake your stick, because nothing is more important than protecting the people right now. That’s why our government implemented strong measures as a part of our six-point plan.

Mandatory testing in travellers at our borders—this is the most important thing we can do to stop the spread of these deadly variants coming into our communities. That’s the first one. The second is enhanced screening to identify all positive COVID-19 tests in Ontario for known variants within two to three days of the initial processing.

Number three, maintaining enhanced public health measures; number four, strengthening our case and contact management efforts for all COVID-19 cases; number five, protecting the most vulnerable by accelerating vaccinations of residents in long-term care, retirement homes and First Nation elder residents; and six, leveraging new data, science and techniques and integrate data—

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

Employment standards

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, one of the first things the Conservatives did when they were elected was immediately take away paid sick days from Ontario workers. Now, in the middle of the biggest health crisis our province has ever seen, this decision isn’t just making life worse, it’s literally putting people’s lives at risk.

No worker should have to risk exposure to deadly infection on the job or spread it to their co-workers. No worker should have to watch their family fall ill because their own government refused to act. By voting today against the Stay Home If You Are Sick Act, that is exactly what this government is telling Ontarians.

Speaker, through you, I ask the Premier: Is that the legacy he really wants?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Just to note, Mr. Speaker, that the House leaders have met three times—February 3, 5 and 11—and at no time did the new opposition House leader ever mention that this bill would be a priority that the NDP would bring to the floor of the Legislative Assembly.

We expect to be working together, as we have constantly done in this Legislature. When this government started with the new protocols back in March, we went to the opposition and we told them the bills that we were introducing. We allowed them to make amendments to those bills. We worked together. I would hope, going forward, that if the opposition wants to work co-operatively, they use the forums that we have set to do that. It’s one thing to play stunts on the floor of the Legislative Assembly; it’s another thing to work together to move this province forward, like this Premier has done and like I’m sure the Minister of Labour will outline in the supplementary.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Municipal leaders, councils from across the province, physicians, nurses, public health experts, local boards of health, workers and business owners all agree that without paid sick days, the Conservatives aren’t just causing the third wave to hit faster, they are ensuring it will hit harder and hurt more than ever.

The Premier had a chance to do the right thing this morning, but his government voted against giving people the paid sick days they need now.

My question is: What is it going to take? How high will cases have to get? How many more deaths before this government finally does the right thing and passes our bill?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the Minister of Labour.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: Well, the member opposite must not have heard earlier on when the Premier answered, but to every worker in the province of Ontario, there are two weeks of paid sick days available to them. Thanks to the Premier of Ontario and the other Premiers across the country, working together with the Prime Minister of Canada, they’ve delivered $1.1 billion worth of paid sick days to workers in this province and right across the country.

It’s up to every elected official to not play games—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Opposition, come to order.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: When the members opposite don’t tell workers that this program is available to them, that’s a disservice.

Mr. Speaker, we’ve worked closely with the federal government to raise awareness of this program, to ensure that monies get paid more quickly into people’s bank accounts. I’m proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that over 110,000 workers in Ontario are now receiving paid sick days—

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

COVID-19 response

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier. Premier, last Sunday, the government announced that it finally offered the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to all the 70,000 residents in long-term care. It has been more than two months since vaccines have arrived here in Ontario, and we are weeks behind other provinces. British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec and Prince Edward Island all finished in January. Vaccines didn’t make it in time to Roberta Place or to Timiskaming and too many other places in Ontario.

Two weeks is the time that it takes for vaccines to become effective. We’ve had enough vaccines since the end of December to get the job done. Speaker, through you: Can the Premier explain to families how we fell so far behind and failed to prioritize residents in long-term care during this phase 1?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government side will come to order. I’ll start calling you out by names. I can hear your voices.

Hon. John Yakabuski: The NDP must be writing your questions, John.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come to order.

Premier?

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, Mr. Speaker, I don’t want to use a certain word, but again, it’s not—can I use the word “accurate”? They’re not being accurate, because the gentleman there hasn’t looked at the numbers. We’re actually leading the entire country—bar none; no one even coming close—with 59% of all second doses in Canada, in the entire country. I’m not too sure where you’re getting your numbers from, but again, we’re at 38%. We’re at 38% of the population and 59% of all second doses.

We have an incredible team. We have a great team out there, headed up by General Hillier, making sure that we’re vaccinating more people than anywhere else in the country. That’s the reason, Mr. Speaker, we have the lowest case count out of anyone per 100,000—

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

Mr. John Fraser: Speaker, we’ve almost given 500,000 doses, except not got to the 70,000 residents of long-term care until last Sunday. So supply wasn’t the issue, right?

Here’s what happened: The government failed to take the advice of Pfizer from December 18, and then when Quebec and BC were vaccinating residents in long-term care, what did Ontario do over Christmas? We took a holiday. It put us weeks behind, and the best answer we got was, “We got spanked.” Well, I don’t think that’s good for families. It might be good in the locker room after a beer-league hockey game, but that’s not a good answer.

As a result, the virus got ahead of us in long-term care. When the virus gets ahead of us, it doesn’t just go ahead of us; it accelerates. The slower we go, the faster it goes, and what that means is more disease, more suffering, more deaths. So, Speaker, through you: Can the Premier explain the rationale for this lack of a sense of urgency, for these delayed decisions and the failure to act that put residents in long-term care in a vulnerable situation? Families need to know.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, that information is just not accurate. We’re leading the country, bar none, over anyone, even per capita. I would be more than happy to sit down and inform the member that 59% of all second doses in Canada were here in Ontario and 65% of all long-term-care patients have received their second dose. As we move forward, we will be at 100% of all long-term-care patients very, very shortly, because we have an incredible team.

The only thing we’re missing—we’re missing one thing, Mr. Speaker: We’re missing the vaccines. Give us the vaccines and we will get them into people’s arms. We have the most efficient, the most organized team in the entire—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

Next question?

Education

Ms. Donna Skelly: As cases have come down from the spike around Christmas, students from around the province have safely returned to in-person learning, and this is welcome news for parents and students in my riding. We have had a safe return to school in September. Although, with cases of variants appearing around the province, it’s clear that we must remain vigilant. Can the Minister of Education please share with this Legislature the new efforts this government has taken to ensure schools remain a safe place to learn and to work?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I appreciate the question from the member. Obviously, members on this side of the House are quite pleased that all students of this province are now able to return to school this week. That is vital for the mental health and development of all children and critical as we move forward with ensuring we can combat COVID-19 by keeping these kids safe.

What we have done over the past weeks is stepped up our program with a plan to expand asymptomatic testing, up to 50,000 tests every week. As the Premier just noted in the Legislature, in the city of Toronto alone, this week alone, 40 schools will be tested for asymptomatic testing, working with the local public health unit to deliver that layer of protection that is critical as we move forward with these new variants. We’ve also enhanced the screening protocol of children and staff before they enter school, and likewise a better quality mask, a three-ply mask, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.

In each and every realm, we have improved the investment, enhanced the requirement, and we’ll continue to invest to make sure that these kids and all staff are safe in this province.

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

Ms. Donna Skelly: Back to the minister. School boards have done great work in moving quickly to promote learning during the province-wide shutdown and at other times throughout the school year. However, we know that a consequence of separation from classmates is an impact on mental health. This is especially true for younger children or children who require more specialized care. Though the return to in-person learning is a huge factor in maintaining mental health for students, families and staff, we know that continued supports are needed. Would the Minister of Education please share with us what efforts are being done to help support the mental health of our students?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I appreciate the opportunity to just really—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Member for York Centre, come to order.

Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you, Speaker. It is really important that we continue to stay focused on the mental health of children, which is why, as noted, we are pleased that all children are able to return to class this week—so consequential for their mental health.

But in addition to that and realizing that there are some children that are struggling, we have enhanced our investment, over $52 million during the pandemic alone in net new dollars, to hire over 200 more mental health workers and ensure that our kids and the staff have access to the supports that they need and they deserve; $52 million, of which $10 million was just provided to Kids Help Phone, as well as to provide, working with School Mental Health Ontario, a mental health action kit where all classes are able to talk about the importance of mental health and really improve the resilience of our kids. We will continue to invest in them and follow the medical advice to keep them safe.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Premier. Throughout this crisis, New Democrats have put forward solutions to improve long-term care. At every turn, the Conservatives put up roadblocks, dragged their feet and sat on billions of dollars that would have saved lives. They did it again this morning. They’re voting against a rapid passage of a bill that would ensure that every single nursing home resident in Ontario is guaranteed, in law, a minimum of four hours of hands-on care. Why is this Ford government so afraid of making it law that long-term-care homes meet minimum standards of care for the seniors who live in them?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Long-Term Care to respond.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our Conservative government is going to be the first government to address the ongoing crises in long-term care, the long-standing crises, whether it was the capacity issues that the previous Liberal government neglected over its time in office; or whether when the NDP held the balance of power between 2011 and 2014 and failed to address the staffing issues, failed to address the very important sector which is long-term care.

We are putting forward a staffing plan. We are committed to making sure that we modernize and repair and advance long-term care—$1.9 billion through our staffing plan, 27,000 PSWs, RNs and RPNs. We are well on our way to addressing the long-standing crisis that was left behind by the previous government.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: We often hear from this minister how her heart goes out to the loved ones who have lost their vulnerable in long-term care. Well, I hope today you have a change of heart and you force your cabinet ministers to pass this bill.

One of the Conservatives’ biggest failures during this crisis has been in long-term care. Thousands of loved ones are no longer with us because this government failed to invest in long-term care.

The government said they’d do anything they could. “Everything is on the table,” said the Premier. But when it came time to vote on concrete steps that would and could have passed today, improvements that would have made life better for thousands of families, this government said no.

Why won’t the Premier do the right thing and pass Bill 13 today?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

When the NDP, when the previous government had an opportunity to put the measures in place to make sure we had a solid, resident-centred long-term-care system, they did not.

Unlike what the member opposite is putting forward, we have a plan for staffing, we have a plan to modernize long-term care: up to $1.9 billion annually by 2024-25 to create 27,000 new positions for PSWs, RNs and RPNs.

The promises by previous governments, propped up by the NDP, are—we have a littered landscape of reports that have landed in the shredder, and not a shred of improvement was done in long-term care.

A Conservative government will be the one to repair, rebuild and advance long-term care, unlike the member opposite’s plan—

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

Employment standards

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, my question is for the Premier.

The federal sick leave benefit falls far short of what is needed to keep workplaces safe. That’s why we’re seeing so many outbreaks in essential workplaces. That’s why communities with essential workers are three times more likely to have COVID-19 cases than communities without essential workers. That is why paid sick leave is good for business and essential to keeping our economy and schools open.

Will the Premier admit that the federal sick leave benefit falls far short of what is needed and actually work with us to pass a paid sick leave bill that works for Ontarians?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Labour to respond.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I thank the member opposite for this question.

Mr. Speaker, the very first piece of legislation that we passed when COVID-19 hit Ontario was for job-protected leave, so any worker who’s in isolation, in quarantine, if you’re a mom or a dad who had to stay home because you’re looking after a son or a daughter because of the disruptions in the education system—you couldn’t be fired for that. And we went even further. We eliminated the need for sick notes.

Back in the summer, thanks to the leadership of Premier Ford and other provincial and territorial leaders, they signed an agreement with the Prime Minister—two weeks of paid sick days are available to the working people here in Ontario. I’m proud to report to the House today that over 110,000 workers here in Ontario are now receiving sick day pay through the federal government. We worked with the federal government to raise awareness of this program and to ensure that people get paid more quickly. In fact, 80% of the payouts are being done within three days.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, in the same way that the government is dragging its feet on delivering paid sick leave that actually works, they’ve also been dragging their feet on deploying rapid testing. After months of asking for rapid testing and reports revealing that the government wasn’t rolling them out, they finally announced last Friday that we would start seeing the deployment of rapid testing. But this is cold comfort for long-term-care homes that do not have the staffing needed to administer rapid tests.

Speaker, will the Premier provide the funding that long-term-care homes need to administer rapid testing to keep our workplaces safe and our loved ones safe?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. The rapid tests are another layer. In fact, in wave 1, our government was pushing for rapid tests, but we could not get them because they were not available through Health Canada yet. We were well ahead. In wave 2, the Premier pushed, and so did I, to make sure we could get those rapid tests out to our long-term-care homes as another measure.

At this point, we have over a million rapid tests that have gone out to our long-term-care homes—1,213,140 to over 500 homes. We were required to do a pilot, which we did, to be cautious of what impact these might have. We made sure to understand the implications and the use of rapid tests.

So this has been ongoing. We are making sure we support our homes. Over $1.38 billion has gone to our homes to support them in prevention and containment, including other measures for staffing. This is unprecedented, the support that these homes are receiving. The rapid tests—

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

The next question.

Sexual violence and harassment

Ms. Donna Skelly: Students attend post-secondary institutions to create a better and brighter future for themselves. They should be focused on their grades and maturing, not worrying about acts of sexual violence happening to them. But sadly, they continue to experience sexual violence, harassment and other forms of violence on campus. What’s even worse: Many students feel that their allegations won’t be taken seriously. This allows predators to continue what they are doing without any fear of discipline.

Speaker, I know our government has made a commitment to help keep our communities in Ontario healthy and safe. Can the Minister of Children and Women’s Issues explain to the members of the Legislature how the government is keeping that commitment and making Ontario’s campuses a safer place for students?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Flamborough–Glanbrook for that important question. Our government has zero tolerance for acts of sexual violence or other forms of violence in our communities. We believe that students should never be afraid to come forward if they are unfortunately victim to one of these horrific incidents.

It was in 2019 that our government required every publicly assisted college or university to report to its board of governors about the number of reports of sexual violence by students and supports provided to the survivors of these heinous acts. In addition, we’ve doubled our investment to $6 million for the Campus Safety Grant.

In January, I was p