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October 17, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-Oct-17 vol. A (PDF)

L097A - Tue 17 Oct 2023 / Mar 17 oct 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 17 October 2023 Mardi 17 octobre 2023

Orders of the Day

Attacks on Israel / Attaques en Israël

Members’ Statements

Atara Cohen

Long-term care / Soins de longue durée

Scarehouse Windsor

Child care

International trade

Centennial College A-Building

Brantford Bulldogs

Missy Knott

Ontario economy

House sittings

Introduction of Visitors

Legislative pages

Question Period

Government accountability

Government accountability

Government accountability

Electric vehicles

Government appointments

Small business

Long-term care

Government accountability

School nutrition programs

Government accountability

Forest industry

Forest firefighting / Forest industry

Autism treatment

Public transit

Child care

Notice of dissatisfaction

Petitions

Addiction services

Access to health care

Alzheimer’s disease

Labour legislation

Subventions aux résidents du Nord pour frais de transport à des fins médicales

Public safety

Winter highway maintenance

Labour legislation

Front-line workers

Access to health care

Children’s mental health services

Labour legislation

Orders of the Day

Attacks on Israel / Attaques en Israël

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Attacks on Israel / Attaques en Israël

Mr. Trevor Jones: I move that this House condemn the ongoing and reprehensible attacks being carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas, including the slaughter, rape and kidnapping of innocent Israeli civilians, including babies, children and seniors, and recognize the inalienable right of the State of Israel to defend itself and its people against this horrific violence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Jones, Chat-ham-Kent–Leamington, has moved government notice of motion number 18.

Further debate?

Mr. Trevor Jones: I’ll be sharing my time with the Premier of Ontario, the member for Etobicoke North; the Solicitor General, the member for York Centre; and the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the member for Barrie–Innisfil.

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

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I move that the motion be amended by deleting the words “being carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas” and replacing them with “perpetrated by Hamas terrorists.”

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Kerzner has moved that the motion be amended by deleting the words “being carried out by the terrorist organization Hamas” and replacing them with “perpetrated by Hamas terrorists.”

The Solicitor General still has the floor. We are now debating the amendment to the motion.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: A treasure to our Jewish community, the late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was correct when he said, “The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.” And we make a great mistake if we think anti-Semitism is only about Jews; it’s not. It’s about anti-Semites; it is about people who cannot accept responsibility for their own failures and instead have to blame someone else. We should all be mindful of this, especially today and in this place.

Mr. Speaker, during this past week, many people have reached out to me. They’ve called, they’ve sent messages, and they’ve sent emails and asked me how I am doing. I said, like so many people in our Jewish community around the world and in Israel, we are really not okay. How can we be?

To be human is to be a storyteller. All the narratives we construct—the true ones, the untrue ones, and the ones we tell ourselves are true but are not—are acts of self-construction, prisms of understanding by which we build our own identity. We tell all sorts of tales to clean up our prickly pasts. We do it all the time, sometimes not even knowing it.

Today, I want to put a spotlight on a story that is absolutely true and that needs to be told now and in this place.

There are no words any human can say to describe the largest and most vicious attack on Jews since the Holocaust. There are no words. How could there be any other expression to describe the sadistic barbarism of the Hamas terrorists hunting down people, just because they were Jews, in their homes, at bus stops and at a music festival while at the same time, and in real time, happily broad-casting their rampage to exalted crowds in Gaza and around the world?

What words could we come up with that convey the terror of Hamas throwing grenades into bomb shelters and burning people alive in front of their loved ones, slaughtering and dismembering parents before their children’s own eyes? Hamas terrorists rounded up Holocaust survivors. There is simply no depraved act that you could imagine that they did not do.

Isaac Herzog, president of the democratic State of Israel, told CNN and the world, if you can believe this, that Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel were carrying manuals with instructions on how to torture and kidnap those they found. The president noted that many of the hostages—over 200—are elderly or children. He said, “Who are these hostages? Babies, pregnant women, elderly people with dementia, even with caretakers, families, innocent civilians, from 36 nations—people were killed or abducted from 36 nations.”

During the onslaught on Israeli border communities, the terrorists killed over 1,300 people, most of them civilians, and, as I said, took almost 200 hostages.

There are simply no adequate words.

Mr. Speaker, we have legitimate agency and control over the decisions we make. We know, as civilized people, there is right and there is wrong—there is no world that Hamas’s deeds could find justification amongst civilized peoples. Our eyes are filled with tears, but in those tears, we have found moral clarity—moral clarity that Premier Ford spoke of with such emotion; I was standing right beside him, together with so many from our caucus, a week ago, when 15,000 grieving people attended at Mel Lastman Square, just a few days after the terrorist attack.

Thank you, Premier, for what you said that night and for your support of Israel.

We must see the group Hamas for who they really are. I’ll tell you who they are: unabashed, unapologetic, sick and megalomaniac terrorists.

We’re here in this chamber of democracy, and we must reject any moral equivalency. This is not a land dispute or competing aspirations for national sovereignty, a he-said-she-said dispute about conflicting dual narratives. This is a face of evil revealed, a violent ideology that would kill Jews for being Jews, that neither represents the Muslim faith or the national interest of the Palestinian people or any future of coexistence. Mr. Speaker, we have a big problem when we cannot call evil “evil”—of condemning targeted violence against innocents.

We also need to understand again that for Israel, when you are dealing with the devil, it is incredibly hard to act like an angel.

Of all the emotions I have experienced since the attack, the most surreal to me has always been shock, horror and anger, and sadness at the lives lost and of the injured.

My wife and I are proud parents of three accomplished children, and we, ourselves, have not found the words we need to comfort our own children for the acts that they have witnessed in their own generation.

We must never be afraid to teach our children the difference between right and wrong and to call out black and white when others just see shades of grey.

Mr. Speaker, the silence is deafening, and right now we cannot be silent. Israel and the Jews everywhere, especially in these days, understand the power of words. You see, words bolster nations, and they build bridges among communities we all call home. They encourage healing. Words matter because the truth matters. And yet, words can also be barriers and curses and weapons. We know that silence, the opposite of words, can be deafening and has the power to create uncertainty and chaos.

As I reflected this week in the aftermath of an unimaginable horror, I was shocked by the words I heard from people in our greater communities that, to me, made very little sense.

They spoke of resistance and freedom fighters—words and phrases that sought to justify and approve the Hamas terrorism; unbelievable words that seemed to blame the democratic State of Israel for these horrific attacks; words that, for some, gave an excuse or an explanation to blame innocent children and babies, teenagers at a music festival, Holocaust survivors for their own murder, something that a rational person could never comprehend. There is no modern-day equivalent to any acts in our modern day that remotely comes close.

And we waited, as the Jewish community waited, for those to stand up with us in solidarity, and to be honest, some did—our caucus did; our government did; and a few in this place also joined us—but not everyone did, and the silent absence of some left a void in our hearts. We witnessed hurtful statements from student federations on campuses, from unions who could not bring themselves to tell the truth—the truth that the terrorist acts had an intention to make Jews their victims.

Mr. Speaker, months ago and in the aftermath of the earthquake that ravaged Syria and Türkiye, Israel and the Jewish community stepped forward. I forged bonds personally—wonderful friendships that I consider a privilege—with our Turkish community.

There is, I believe, a common denominator, that we have to treat a person like we want to be treated ourselves.

Today, my words of truth might offend some, and yet at the same time, it’s important that we extend a hand of friendship, because it’s not too late. I remember the stories, not so many years ago, that many of you might remember, of the Jewish community standing in a circle after mosques in Ontario were threatened. The circle of unity and friendship reminded us what is truly important: the powers that bind one to another. It’s not too late.

Intergenerational trauma can never mask or justify the horrific torture and murder of civilians. What we have seen in our province recently is very disconcerting—slogans that we’ve seen on TV from blatant anti-Semites. “From the River to the Sea”—this means the destruction of Israel. This is completely unacceptable, and we will call them out. Again, they want to blame the Jewish community for no reason.

For anyone who is not sure—and I’ve said it in this place: Hate is toxic to our democracy.

We need to be clear on a few things. Do not equate Hamas with the Palestinian people. Unlike our enemies, who wish us ill, I am sad—our Jewish community is sad—when we see the loss of life in Gaza. The Palestinians themselves are held hostage by a terrorist regime, and the terrorist regime will not even let them leave. They’re standing at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. They want to get out.

Many may not appreciate or know that thousands of Palestinians crossed into Israel, just before the conflict—daily. I’ve seen this for myself. If you travel to Eilat, Israel and you go to the Rabin border crossing, you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of Jordanians and Palestinians crossing in to work. They come in the morning, and they go home at night—and that was the same at the Gaza crossing, south of Sderot. How many knew that?

Tying these Hamas attacks with Palestinian resistance is an insult to the Palestinians who actually hate Hamas.

Israel is not, contrary to what people say, an apartheid state—this is the purposeful intention of Hamas, to tell you that, thinking that you will believe this. It’s not true. For Jews, sovereignty of the land of modern-day Israel goes back a millennium, and the Jews in Israel treasure their homeland.

But I want to tell you who else is in Israel. Our democratic State of Israel has over two million Israeli Arabs who call the land their home as well. They vote, own businesses, are free to be free, and are part of the miracle of Israel that belongs to them as well. For them, this is their country too.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll tell you about modern-day Israel. It’s a start-up nation. It’s incredible. For those who have been fortunate, like myself and many others in this House, to have travelled to Israel in recent years—it is actually unrecognizable from the minute you get off the plane. It’s a miracle. If you go to Jerusalem, you will see something absolutely amazing: the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the via dolorosa—side by side—and parishioners praying daily and peacefully.

In the wake of horrific darkness, we know there’s an opportunity to let the light in again.

I look at our Ontario. It’s special, and it’s unique. It’s a kaleidoscope, a collage of incredible and irreplaceable diversity, of secular and religious, of different faiths, of different creeds. The quilt of Ontario is ours. It is a microcosm of cultures living together. And there are inherent values we share in our Ontario—the values of our rights to live safely in our own homes and communities so we can take our kids to school and wake up our loved ones, we can go to work, we can shop, and we can pray. And we are grateful beyond measure for those who keep our communities safe each and every day.

What I have said and the Premier has said in this place—we will always have the backs of everyone who keeps Ontario safe.

I want to acknowledge the unbelievable support of our police and firefighters in the last few days. They have been so concerned for everyone’s welfare in Ontario—but specifically, the Jewish community.

Madame la Présidente, je voudrais remercier chaque personne et tous les premiers intervenants qui travaillent fort pour assurer la sécurité de notre province. Je prends mon rôle sérieusement. C’est un honneur d’assurer la sécurité de notre province.

Our quilt has bonds that have been tested before, and while those bonds—the fabric in the quilt—have been stretched, they never broke. Let’s remember that. As many of our clergy said this past Sabbath, we need to be able to get out of our comfort zone. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one needs help, everyone should run to help. What binds us is so much stronger than what separates us. We can never let anyone tear our quilt apart.

Madame la Présidente, la raison de leur service est pour faire une différence dans la vie des gens, lorsqu’ils ne s’y attendent pas, et parce que nous croyons en notre province et en notre avenir; because each of us has the power to make a difference in a person’s life every day, because we believe in our Ontario and in our future.

I will always be there for my Jewish community. I know who I am. I know how I stand and where I stand, and I am proud of this. But I’m also here for all of my Ontario. Every day, I will always try to do something for somebody in some group. My commitment to my province will never change. They will always be able to count on me, and I will tell you why: Every day, I try to learn something new. One day, we will all pass through the surly bonds of life and be part of the ages. The only thing we will leave behind is our accomplishments.

Each of us can walk down the street and bump into history. And sometimes we do not know when we will have a collision with history. Sometimes we are at a fork in our lives.

This moment, as we think about it, might not be our fate; this moment may be our destiny. May we find it together. Thank you, merci beaucoup, and meegwetch.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further debate?

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: I’d like to move an amendment to the amendment: that the amendment is amended by adding the word “being” before “perpetrated.”

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Ms. Khanjin has moved an amendment to the amendment: that the amendment is amended by adding the word “being” before “perpetrated.” Agreed? Agreed.

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: Adi Vital-Kaploun, 33 years old; Ben Mizrachi, 22 years old; Alexandre Look, 33 years old; Shir Georgy, 22 years old; Tiferet Lapidot, 23 years old; Vivian Silver, the aunt of my friend Erin Silver, 74 years old; Netta Epstein, 21 years old—these are the names of Canadians who were either murdered by Hamas two Saturdays ago or are still missing or presumed to be hostages in Gaza. These are Canadians, our people, our countrymen and countrywomen. Hamas did not only launch a murderous rampage against Israelis; it also did so against Canadians.

Hamas’s worldwide genocide aims are written into their own charter.

Hamas’s top leaders recently declared that last Friday would be a global day of jihad—a day for Hamas supporters around the world to threaten Jews wherever they live, including here in Canada. Jews in Canada certainly got the message. This is why, last Friday, on this global day of jihad, many Jews kept their children out of school or daycare. Many cancelled community events and gatherings or stayed home for the day. I spoke to many of these members yesterday as we hosted a vigil at the town of Innisfil with Chabad Innisfil. There are moments that these children are not going to get back.

They stayed home for their safety. They missed class photos, they missed hallmark events, all because they weren’t safe because of Jewish hatred—they were hated for who they are. That is intolerable for a country that represents religious pluralism.

I’m Jewish, and although my home is Barrie–Innisfil, like many Canadians who immigrated here, my roots are elsewhere. My family’s background stretches back into the Jewish community in Russia. Like many Jewish families with Russian ancestry, my ancestors endured pogroms under the Russian Empire and then, later, the Communists, over the 19th and 20th centuries. Other Jews have families who died in the Holocaust and in Europe. Still others were expelled from their homes in the Middle East after the end of the Second World War—refugees with no right to return.

Israel was founded as a safe harbour for people of the Jewish faith, following the despair and loss of the Holocaust.

Today, Jerusalem is home to people of many different faiths—it’s nearly 60% Jewish and nearly 40% Muslim, with many Christians making the Holy City their home.

Israel was to be a home for a persecuted people—to return to the place of our ancestors, a place of safety where, after a millennium of oppression, the people of Judea could finally know peace. Israel is a place of hope, the light at the end of a dark tunnel, where we could finally call home. Even for Jews not living in Israel, we know people who do—we have family, we have friends.

Yet Israel—the only democracy in the Middle East, a stalwart ally in the region, and a true friend of all people—has just been viciously attacked by the worst act of terrorism in its entire history.

The fires burning today due to the unconscionable attacks by Hamas terrorists have the same origin as the smoke from the concentration camps of Dachau and Auschwitz. To see the Jewish people vanish, and to kill the safety of the Jewish home, disappear in smoke and obliviation, and for others to call this a celebration—they celebrate the death, and they celebrate the destruction—is the purest form of evil.

But don’t just believe me, Speaker. Look at the date Hamas chose their attack—the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War—to begin its latest intifada. This was the assault on the very nation, Israel—its very existence.

Since Israel’s founding, it has always been under siege, has always been under attack, has always shown restraint and, despite all of this, humility and a dedication to the rule of law. That’s what Israel represents. It has remained a beacon of hope, a light in the darkness of tyranny.

People often question why must Israel exist. Well, this is why: because time and time again, across thousands of years of Jewish history, wherever Jews have been, they have never truly been safe. The State of Israel exists because it must exist as a homeland for the Jewish people, as a safe harbour in a stormy sea—or, if you’ll permit me to put the language of the DEI set, Israel is a safe place for the Jewish people. Israel is where Jews can feel safe—safety not only in numbers, but in knowledge of a government focused on their well-being. Israel is a multicultural mosaic.

Anyone who walks around Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, as I have more times than I can count, cannot help but be struck by how Israel is teeming with ethnic and cultural diversity.

And as diverse as Israel is, its armed forces are united today—united in their mission to secure the future of Israel and Israel’s people, to secure the hostages, including our Canadian hostages. I pray and I pray for their success.

Speaker, let me pause for a moment to reflect on how grateful I am at the unity most Canadians have shown with Israel up to this point. The vast majority of Canadian society, including elected politicians from different parties; Christian, Hindu, and other religious leaders; business and community leaders; the Prime Minister of Canada; the Premier; the mayor of Toronto—all have come together to condemn Hamas and to support Israel’s right to defend itself, as I stand here now.

Sadly, there are members of the opposition who have a well-documented history of Jewish hate and anti-Semitism. Yet their leader, the Leader of the Opposition, has done nothing about the anti-Semitism that exists in her own caucus. For a group that claims to be progressive, when given the chance to root out ancient evil, they stay silent. And the silence is deafening.

Let me tell you about a progressive people: the people of Israel. I don’t talk about it a lot, but I’m an immigrant, like many of those who are living in Israel now, a proud Jewish woman from Russia—the very same kind of people who went to Israel looking for a better future, free of tyranny and free of death.

The iron lady of Israel, Golda Meir, was a Russian Jewish woman; a leader; a defender of her people; a female Prime Minister, elected decades before anyone else in the West had elected a female, in the heart of the Middle East—an oddity then and still now. In Israel, she is known as the iron lady, as she stood in the face of overwhelming force in the 19 days of the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago and won. She stared down many who thought she couldn’t do it—but she did. The cost was high—her political career paid the price. She did so and she must—she defended her people. She stood up to tyranny and pushed it back.

The world owes her courage—and definitely gratitude and her debt, as she sacrificed her own health for her actions and the democracy that still is alive in that region.

This is what leadership looks like—doing the right thing, no matter the personal cost. Leaders lead. They do what must be done.

Today, many Canadian institutions and organizations are speaking out against intolerable cruelty and hate—many have not, however.

Despite vile statements condemned by our Minister of Colleges and Universities, our government House leader, and the university itself, the York University student union stands by their words in support of terrorism. This is unfortunate. I wish I could say I’m shocked, but I’m not. Ontario universities are continuing to fail in their obligation to create a safe learning environment for many—and many Jewish students. I echo the Minister of Colleges and Universities, and I want to thank her for standing up for these—

Interjections.

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: It is their obligation to protect their students from discrimination.

We certainly have seen how vicious these radicals can be when they defend Hamas’s actions. Decolonization studies have been used to defend the rape of women and extrajudicial slaughter of innocent people.

Not to be outdone, last week a York University professor of international criminal law, Heidi Matthews, took to Twitter to excuse Hamas’s rape, murder and hostage-taking as part of a so-called right of resistance. Her comments defending Hamas’s actions were rightly condemned as vile and disgusting.

To many of these so-called progressive thinkers, Israel is the aggressor; Israel is in the wrong. They are wrong and badly wrong. Let me explain why.

Hamas has committed war crimes, gross and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention—murdering, raping, and taking hostages. Furthermore, Hamas has zero willingness to apply the laws of war to its military units. Hamas acts lawlessly because it does not feel bound by law.

Israel is nothing like that. It is a liberal democracy bound by the rule of law. It has always shown restraint, humility and a dedication to the rule of law. It has remained a beacon of hope and a light in the darkness of tyranny.

As for what is happening in Gaza itself, it is clear that the only way for Israel to exercise its right to self-defence as well as try to rescue its own hostages is to eliminate Hamas from Gaza. Hamas treats Palestinian civilians like human shields to protect its fighters in a conflict zone, which itself is a war crime.

By contrast, Israel has told Palestinian civilians in Gaza to move south, closer to the border with Egypt. Israel, in fact, delayed its own ground invasion of Gaza to give civilians more time to leave the future conflict zone. These are the actions of a country that is doing everything it can to minimize civilian casualties.

While Israel has many fair-weather friends who will abandon her the moment it becomes convenient to do so—this is my fear, as I have seen it time and time again—I know standing here today that this government stands with Israel, with people of Jewish faith and all those who know evil when they see it. The nation of Israel and the Jewish people around the world—it has friends, and I stand with them now.

I look around and I see the member from Eglinton–Lawrence, who has never wavered in her commitment to helping the Jewish people in her riding; the Minister of Education, who is steadfast in his support for rooting out hatred in our education system and who codified Holocaust education in our curriculum—and today we have a Holocaust survivor with us, who was there the day we made the Holocaust education announcement, Nate Leipciger.

Applause.

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: But it’s not just the importance of Holocaust education or what our Minister of Education is doing; it’s our Minister of Labour, who called out the vile, ignorant comments of so-called labour leaders; and, of course, our Premier, who, when all other leaders in this country were silent, called out the demonstrators and what they were trying to do—causing death to Jewish people in Israel.

Speaker, I now want to turn to a prayer from Rabbi Kaufman that I think is very appropriate, which she read this past Saturday at Am Shalom, our synagogue in Barrie. It reads:

“We are in mourning—for the innocent lives lost.

“We are in mourning—for the Israel reality that is now forever changed.

“We are in mourning—for the dreams of yesterday.

“But—we are lifted up by hope, the hope expressed in Hatikvah, Israel’s national anthem.

“We are lifted up by hope—for the healing of the wounded and the return of the captives to their homes.

“We are lifted up by hope—the hope demonstrated in the amazing resilience of the” Jewish people; and

“We are lifted up by hope—of a future without war.”

Mr. Speaker, I stand with Israel. As was sung following the Six-Day War, Am Yisrael Chai. As was sung following the Yom Kippur War, Am Yisrael Chai. As is to be sung in the coming days, and for all days, Am Yisrael Chai.

The people of Israel live, and Ontario will always stand with them and those of the Jewish faith.

Thank you. Todah rabah.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further debate?

Hon. Doug Ford: October 7 was a tragic day for Israel, for the Jewish people, for the entire peace-loving world. Each of us watched in horror as children, the elderly, and even Holocaust survivors were stolen, beaten and slaughtered at the hands of Hamas.

Madam Speaker, these attacks are not just another conflict on the other side of the world; the impact is being felt throughout the country, including Ontario.

The Ottawa family of Adi Vital-Kaploun, a 33-year-old Israeli Canadian, is reeling from her senseless murder simply because she was Jewish. By all accounts, Adi was a beautiful person with a warm soul. She was an amazing mother to two boys, a four-year-old and a four-month-old, who will not have a mother now because the terrorists went and killed her. She had her whole life ahead of her. It’s so tragic and so unfair.

Sadly, there are others. Six Canadians in Israel are now confirmed dead in the Hamas attack. Two Canadians are still missing, and families are worrying about their loved ones in Gaza.

We must condemn Hamas and Hamas’s heinous terror acts—acts of terror that have brought turmoil to the region, acts of terror that are using innocent Palestinians as human shields. Do you believe that, Madam Speaker? They’re using Palestinians as human shields to go attack Israel and kill Israelis. Disgusting.

There is no excuse, no justification for the horror we’ve seen. This is terrorism in its darkest form.

We must be clear: Israel has an absolute right to defend itself and its citizens. We must stand firm in our support for Israel and the Jewish people, both abroad and at home.

Here in Ontario and across Canada, our Jewish friends and neighbours face the constant threat of violence. It’s another painful reminder of the work left to do to stomp out the cancer of anti-Semitism once and for all. It’s why our government is investing over $25 million, through our Anti-Hate Security and Prevention Grant, to address the rise of hate against religious and minority groups—including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. It’s why our government is investing $150,000 to support the new Toronto Holocaust Museum. And through our great Minister of Education, it’s why we have mandated Holocaust education in our schools.

We cannot hope for a better future if we forget the past, and we cannot hope for a better future if we lose sight of who we are and who we aspire to be.

No one in Ontario should ever be targeted because of their faith. No one in Ontario should ever be afraid to pray to their God.

So today I stand in this House and call on everyone in Ontario to remember who we are as a province—peaceful, tolerant and respectful.

Now, more than ever, Ontario’s Jewish community needs our support—and I always say we will always have their backs. They need to be reminded of the best of us. They need to be reminded that there’s far more that unites us than divides us. And what unites us is rejecting brutal acts of terror from Hamas and other terrorists around the world

As we stand firm in our support for Israel, we pray for the safety of all innocent people. Hamas’s actions and its unrelenting dedication to terror show no regard for human life—Israeli or Palestinian. Now, more than ever, we wish for lasting peace and freedom for everyone in the region, and that can only be achieved by defeating the terrorist group Hamas for the good of Israel and the Palestinian people, and for the good of all humanity.

May God bless the memory of those we’ve lost. May He bring home those who were stolen. And may God bless the people of Israel.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further debate?

Mr. John Vanthof: It’s always an honour to speak in the House—particularly on a day and an issue like today.

Before I go too far, I’d like to mention that I would like to share my time with the member from Scarborough Southwest.

I listened very intently. I respect this place; I respect the people in it. I would like to welcome the people in the galleries, particularly the gentleman who survived the Holocaust.

I listened very intently to the Solicitor General. He said that sometimes we bump into history, and that’s true. As I was sitting and listening, I was thinking, “I’m a farm boy from northern Ontario. What am I doing speaking in a place like this about tragedies that are happening in the Middle East?”

The one thing I would like to say from the top is that Hamas is a terrorist organization. It terrorized the people of Israel, and it terrorizes the people of Palestine.

The way that I got into politics—I relate everything to personal experiences. I’m not Jewish. A non-Jew could never understand the persecution of the Jewish people—but I’d like to relay something that happened to me as a small child that was the closest I could ever come. Many people have heard me talk about my father, but I’ve never told this. My father was in Holland in World War II. This isn’t about my father. He never talked about World War II. Many people who have gone through calamities don’t talk about what they’ve gone through. My dad had a very difficult personality. He was God to me.

I followed him everywhere. We were at a cattle auction, and the man next to him was Jewish; I didn’t know that at the time. I was about 10 or 11. He was wearing long sleeves. My dad was talking to him. I was a kid, just watching the cows go through the ring. But he lifted up his sleeve, and my dad started crying. He was also a survivor. I’d never seen my dad cry before. I looked at my dad’s face, and I was incredibly confused. I looked at the other man’s face—I can’t describe the look on his face. I still remember it. I remembered it on October 7.

It was a look of horror and resolve—someone who had been to hell and survived and was never going to let that happen again. I think that is as close as I can come to having any knowledge of what Jewish people face, have faced through history, have faced through time. The look on that survivor’s face—it wasn’t the same look of sorrow and pain as my father’s; it was a look of horror and resolve to never let it happen again to his people.

It is hard to be angelic in times like that—I appreciated the words from the Solicitor General.

My dad never talked about what happened that day. I came home and asked my mom about it, and she told me about World War II, about the Holocaust. It wasn’t something that was discussed in our house. The only thing that my dad ever said—and there’s no Dutch translation here, so I’m not going to say it in Dutch—was, “The Jews will never back up. They can’t back up.” I think that is where we are today.

That’s a face I can’t get out of my head. But there are other faces I can’t get out of my head.

Before I continue, I’d like to just say that the one incredible thing about being in this House and being in this province and being in this country is that we can actually talk about tough issues that cause wars in other places.

My son-in-law is Lebanese. He has a different view of what’s happening in the Middle East. He was at my place at Thanksgiving, and we watched it—he was as horrified about the terrorist attacks as I was. If he was standing here, he would also say that Hamas is a terrorist organization.

I went to Lebanon two summers ago. My grandson was christened in a Greek Orthodox church in Lebanon. I saw Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, and I looked in those people’s faces as well, and in their faces, I saw hopelessness—complete, utter hopelessness. At least from what I saw, all they want is what we all want: to raise our families in peace. I thought about that as I was watching on TV—as everyone else was watching on TV.

We have, in the Middle East, people who have gone through the horror of having to defend their right to exist and feeling they have to do so at all costs. And perhaps—I think they’re all on the same side. I think everyone, in my humble opinion—and it truly is a humble opinion, because I am the last person you want to listen to as knowing anything, really, about what’s truly going on in the Middle East. But the vast majority of people want to live in peace. It’s not an easy situation. Hamas is a terrorist organization. It did acts of terror. The Palestinian people are also suffering for those acts of terror, and that was expressed by the government’s side; I respect that.

It’s such a complicated place—the birthplace of many faiths and a bastion for the Jewish people, but there are many people who live there.

And it is incumbent on all of us who live in a democracy, who have the ability to agree to disagree, to make sure that we actually try to lessen the temperature and try to come to resolutions. It’s not easy. It’s not going to happen this morning. But we all need to realize that our words have impact on people who are dying on all sides—dying isn’t a side.

I’d like to turn the floor over to the member from Scarborough Southwest.

I’d like to thank you very much for your attention.

And thank you for being here.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Further debate?

Ms. Doly Begum: Good morning, everyone, and good morning to the guests we have in the House. It is an honour for me—and I’ve met some, especially at the recent museum opening, and I’ve had the privilege of hearing about your stories. So I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this motion and to have you all here this morning. I represent Scarborough Southwest, and as the deputy leader of the official opposition, I also feel a great, great load of responsibility, speaking to this today.

I believe I can say this for all of us—and it has been spoken in the House already: The last week has been an extremely, extremely difficult week. So many of our communities are still in shock, while for some, it’s even more personal, with family members and loved ones suffering immense loss and trauma triggered from the atrocities.

As an immigrant myself from a nation that was born out of a liberation war and a genocide, and as a daughter of the descendants of people who faced subjugation and were treated as second-class citizens in their own country just for who they are, for their language, for their religion—a country that experienced the horror of genocide, which was committed not too long ago, just in 1971—I stand before this House with a heavy heart, reflecting on the painful and horrifying events that unfolded in Israel and Palestine over the past week.

I know that I stand amongst colleagues and friends on both sides of the House who can relate to the anguish and the sorrow that come with such painful stories and history, and experience of violence, colonial violence—some carrying a much heavier burden of pain and suffering of their families and, in some cases, themselves. We have heard in this House about the Tamil genocide from our colleagues; the Armenian genocide; the Sikh genocide; the horrific killing in Jallianwala Bagh; or, just recently, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the systemic violence carried out on the people of this land, here in Canada.

And we can never, ever forget the dark

chapter in human history of the Holocaust—a harrowing

chapter in history, when the world witnessed the systemic genocide of six million Jews by Nazi Germany, a state-sponsored killing. Jews endured unimaginable suffering in concentration camps and extermination camps, with mass shootings and inhumane conditions. It is a stark reminder of the depths to which hatred and bigotry can lead. I was able to have the interactive demonstration that we have at the museum—which will bring you to tears, to learn about that history.

I want to make this very clear: Hamas’s senseless violence—war crimes and attacks on innocent civilians, women, seniors, babies—has caused unimaginable pain and trauma for not only Israelis but for Jewish communities across the world. I know that many Jewish Canadians are feeling unsafe—terrified at seeing targeted violence on this scale.

Last week, we were shocked by the brutal attacks on civilian lives in Israel—over 1,600 dead and thousands injured, children and families kidnapped.

In this House, today, we mourn the lives of the five Canadians who lost their lives in this violent conflict: Shir Georgy, Adi Vital-Kaploun, Ben Mizrachi, Alexandre Look, and Netta Epstein.

We have heard from friends and family members—I have in my community, and I know some of you have as well—who are worried and waiting to hear from family members in Israel. I know that many of you in this House have had similar conversations in the past, and it is heart-wrenching. At the same time, we have also heard from friends and family members who are in fear and waiting to hear from their family in Palestine. So many Palestinian family members are feeling anxious and scared.

I want to be very clear: The Palestinian people do not represent Hamas, just like the State of Israel does not represent all people of Israel and all Jewish people.

Sometimes in this House we talk about or we debate on opposite sides about an action a government does—and it is the people, it is their voice, that should be the loudest, that truly matters.

But more than that, the struggles that we are seeing right now are what I want to talk about. It is an honour for me, also as a Muslim Canadian, to start by saying that there is an Arabic phrase that I will translate: “Harming one single human is a harm to all humanity.” If you harm even a hair of a human, an innocent civilian, you’re harming all of humanity. That is the belief that I truly believe in as a Muslim and as a Canadian, and it is the deep-rooted understanding that I come with.

Today, when I speak to this issue, I want to share some of the things that I have received over the last five, seven days—because I have talked to community members who come from both sides, and it has been an extremely, extremely painful week. I don’t think, in my career as an MPP, as a representative, I have had this difficulty, navigating through this as I did this past week, just hearing the stories, and I cannot imagine what the community is feeling—because it is horrendous, what Hamas did.

One of the things that I want to make very clear is that when something like that happens, it doesn’t just harm the one side—and their action has also hurt Palestinians. We have heard from those family members who are waiting to hear back.

So when we look at this motion and understand, how do we address the atrocities and how do we make sure that we stand with the people who have suffered this immense loss—so many Palestinian families are feeling anxious and scared, or, more than that, their struggles are neglected and undermined by the rhetoric of those in power and a lot of mainstream media, and their story has not fully been told.

When I look at the difference between those who return to Canada and Canada’s effort in Israel—it has been very different in the reality of Palestinian Canadians and Palestinians in Gaza. While we hear about the stories, we also heard from NCCM—where Hala Alshaer, who lives in Ottawa and is a Canadian, talked about her family, who are still waiting to return. Hala shared about the killing of her 16 family members, who were killed after the Israeli attacks.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): I rule this motion out of order. There is already an amendment and an amendment to the amendment before the House. Until the subamendment has been disposed of, no other amendment can be moved.

Further debate?

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about what has happened as well in our communities over the past few days since this attack. I think it’s very important for us to make sure that we act on this. The Toronto police have investigated two recent acts of vandalism at a local mosque, both believed to be hate-driven, one of which occurred on October 12 at a mosque at Danforth Avenue and Donlands Avenue, which was targeted with hate symbols and hateful writings. At the same time, we have heard about the school closure and the horrific anti-Semitic attacks across the city, where police had been called to make sure that people across Toronto can feel safe.

Speaker, the impact that all of this has had—the rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate has increased immensely. There are people who are Palestinian Canadians, who are Israeli Canadians, who are Jewish Canadians, who are Muslim Canadians. And I think sometimes it’s forgotten or missed by many of us that there are Palestinian Christians, there are Palestinian Jews, and there are Palestinians of other religions as well who have been impacted by this—including the 1,100 Christians who are stuck in a church looking for safety.

The reason I say this is because we need to also look at the root cause of all of this. I got to learn a lot from some of the experts—and I say this from lessons that I have learned from people who are family members, are Holocaust survivors who have shared their side of the story. Recently, one of them is David Hearst, a journalist who talked about the impact and looking at the root cause of this.

Right now, when we look at this, we know that we have a responsibility to listen and understand the issue. I know this may be the first time many people across the province are tuning in to the issue of Palestine and Israel. As sad as that sounds, there are a lot of people who have called me with anger and rage, and after we had a conversation, they said, “I will go and find out what the issue is on both sides.” And I know that there are a lot of people who have their own personal stories, who know and learn about what took place.

So, today, when we talk about this, we have to make sure that we tell the full story. We have to make sure that we allow for our communities to be heard in a fair way that is important.

The difference between those who have been returned from Israel and those who have returned from Palestine is very simple, and I’ll tell you why. While 1,300 Canadians from Tel Aviv were safely returned, there was a stark difference in the way Palestinians were treated when they tried to get back to their homeland, to Canada—so for that, we need to step back and understand what took place. When Palestinian Canadians tried to go back, they had to take a bus to Jordan and book their own flight and return to Canada.

They did not have our local MP, Minister Bill Blair, putting out the flight that went and carried them back. They didn’t have that. So I ask this House: Do Palestinian Canadians not have the same right? Do their lives not have value in the same way—to make sure that they also return home safely to their loved ones? When Hala talks about her 16 family members who were killed and one family member who is still waiting to return—does that family member not have the right, just like anyone else, just like any other human being?

When we have people who are Palestinian Canadians telling us their side of the story, we need to make sure that we hear that as well. And today, I hope that our government will listen. As a provincial government, we don’t have the power to move policies, but we do have power in our voices, in our words, to make sure that we influence the federal government to make that change.

We also need to make sure that we look at the root cause of this. We know that the violence did not start last week—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): I apologize to the member from Scarborough Southwest, but we are now moving on to members’ statements.

Debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Atara Cohen

Ms. Laura Smith: Speaker, just over two weeks ago in my community of Thornhill, we experienced an unimaginable tragedy: Atara Cohen, aleha hashalom, just nine years old, lost her life. It was devastating not just for her parents and siblings, but for the entire community. Atara was a bright light of joy and warmth. She was kind, compassionate, imaginative and playful. She had an incredible laugh, bubbly personality, and she brought happiness to everyone around her. The Cohen family lives in a small co-op.

It’s a tight-knit community, a warm group of people, and every single member felt this loss—not only in Thornhill, but in Ontario. It was a vehicle-pedestrian accident—an accident—but that doesn’t lessen the impact on the family and the community. She was incredibly loved and will be dearly missed.

Often, when mourners come to a funeral service, they form a long chain along each side of the hearse as it drives past. This path went the entire length of the road from the synagogue to the main street. We were so proud to be there, along with so many community members, in unity.

To Atara’s parents and her siblings and her family: My heart is with you. Our community grieves for Atara, now more than ever. We are truly cognizant now of how precious life is. May her memory always be a blessing.

Long-term care / Soins de longue durée

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: As MPP for one of the most northern parts of Ontario, let me tell you what it is like to lack access to health care and long-term-care services in the north.

In March 2022, an announcement by this government was made saying that 68 new and 60 upgraded beds for Extendicare would be in place in Kapuskasing.

Les gens du Nord sont malheureusement trop habitués à une réalité désolante. Les membres de nos familles doivent être envoyés à des centaines de kilomètres de nos proches. Les temps d’attente pour se voir attribuer un lit pour des soins de longue durée sont de plus de trois ans. La pénurie de personnel de soins de santé, empirée par la loi 124, affecte durement la disponibilité des lits dans des petites villes comme Kapuskasing, Hearst, Moonbeam, Cochrane, etc.

Therefore, when the government announces 68 new beds and improved services for long-term care in Kapuskasing, it is that much disappointing when the result is non-existent 18 months later. According to Extendicare, there is a delay due to the high cost of operations and construction of this project, due to taking so much time to be built, and it now needs more additional funding to begin.

We are facing a province-wide housing crisis on all fronts, and some of the elderly do not even have the opportunity to age with dignity, surrounded by their loved ones. That is the sad reality in the north at the moment.

Scarehouse Windsor

Mr. Andrew Dowie: Halloween is coming upon us, and last week I had no idea what I would be in store for when I accepted an invite to visit Scarehouse Windsor, my region’s premier Halloween experience. On display was the world premiere of The Boo Crew, a new television docuseries which chronicles how Scarehouse Windsor truly came to be.

As members here in this House, we have so much to be proud of within our communities. Director Gavin Michael Booth delivered an experience for all viewers that truly captures the many traits that can evoke our hometown pride. The series chronicles owners Shawn and Colleen Lippert and Dario and Michelle Silvaggi. It was their sweat equity that created Scarehouse Windsor as a seasonal attraction that rivals any experience in North America, and it was born out of the demise of their much-beloved past Windsor business, Bentley’s Roadhouse.

You cannot help but admire the ambitious and infectious entrepreneurism that was captured throughout the series, but unpredictably, it was the inclusivity and accepting of so many young people who question their place in the world, who were part of Scarehouse Windsor, that truly shone through.

Speaker, you’re already able to stream The Boo Crew on Bell Fibe TV1 today, so be sure to check it out.

To The Boo Crew: Thank you for doing your part to make the Windsor-Essex region, bar none, a place I’m proud to call home, a place I’m proud to represent, and a place that’s worth living each and every day.

Child care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Today is Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day. These educators create a safe and loving environment where children can flourish and develop essential life skills. They instill a love for learning and curiosity that will last a lifetime. Their role extends beyond mere supervision; they are our children’s first mentors and role models, shaping their early experiences and laying the foundation for their future success.

But ECEs tell me that they’re not feeling very valued today. So how can this government step up and ensure the child care sector is there for families and children when they need them?

For over a year, we’ve been raising alarm bells that the workforce crisis threatens child care in this province.

The minister needs to release the report they conducted back in January—where the ministry’s own summaries consultations revealed to “pay ECEs more.”

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, the Association of Early Childhood Educators Ontario, experts and workers have told this government that the $10-a-day child care program is under threat because of low pay and poor working conditions, with the average ECE staying in the field for just three years.

You need child care workers in child care spaces.

This minister and this government promised ECEs a wage increase in June. So we are asking the minister: Will he keep his promise and commit today to a salary scale of at least $30 per hour for RECEs and $25 for non-RECEs to get the program back on track, and to get parents the affordable child care spots they need and deserve so they can get back to work?

International trade

Mr. Anthony Leardi: Mr. Speaker, who is America’s number three trading partner? It’s not Germany. It’s not Japan. And it’s not even India. America’s number three trading partner is Ontario. But I’m not satisfied with that. I want Ontario to be America’s number one trading partner.

That’s why I’m excited about the memorandum of understanding, signed by this government, between Ontario and the state of Michigan. Ontario and Michigan are already each other’s number one trading partner. But under this new memorandum of understanding, Ontario and Michigan are going to work together to build better vehicle supply chains, technology, cyber security and agriculture. We’re going to make our relationship with Michigan even stronger, and we’re going to build an end-to-end vehicle supply chain.

Mr. Speaker, once upon a time, Henry Ford crossed the Detroit River and he set up a manufacturing factory at the old Walkerville Wagon Works. That started a manufacturing revolution and made Ontario the economic powerhouse of Canada. Well, keep your eye on Ontario, because we are going to do it again.

Centennial College A-Building

Ms. Doly Begum: I rise today with immense pride and admiration for a transformative project that exemplifies the potential for sustainability, cultural respect and collaboration with Indigenous communities in the field of education and architecture. The A-Building, located at the Progress Campus of Centennial College, is more than just a structure; it is a testament to the power of visionary partnerships and the profound impact such projects can have. At the heart of this remarkable initiative is the college’s commitment to fostering reconciliation and collaboration with Indigenous communities.

The collaboration with the Indigenous-owned, Ontario-based architecture firm Smoke Architecture serves as a model for how institutions can support and empower Indigenous businesses. This partnership underscores the importance of actively engaging Indigenous voices and perspectives in projects that directly affect their communities.

What truly sets the A-Building apart is its deep-rooted connection to Indigenous culture and heritage. The building takes inspiration from the beautiful poetry of Chief Stacey LaForme, chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Its design reflects traditional Indigenous structures and is constructed using sustainable timber sourced from Quebec, highlighting the significance of sustainable practices and materials in modern construction.

I wholeheartedly commend Centennial College for their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to reconciliation, sustainability and cultural respect.

Brantford Bulldogs

Mr. Will Bouma: I’m pleased to rise in this House today to talk about the recent Brantford Bulldogs home opener.

Brantford–Brant is no stranger to hockey. As we all know, we are the birthplace and childhood home of the great one, Wayne Gretzky.

This morning, in the members’ gallery, we have Peggy Chapman of the Brantford Bulldogs Foundation, and His Worship Kevin Davis, mayor of Brantford.

If not for the work of Matt Turek and the Bulldogs organization and, of course, Michael Andlauer, the owner of the Brantford Bulldogs, who was also in attendance, there would not have been a home opener—and not to mention the incredible work of Vicano Construction in getting the civic centre ready.

We celebrate the return of OHL hockey to the Brantford civic centre for the first time since 1984, as well as a 5-2 home opener victory against their division rivals, the Oshawa Generals.

Having had the privilege of attending the home opener, I was proud to see over 3,000 Bulldogs fans cheering on their team.

These improvements have ushered in a new

chapter in the history of Brantford and its rich hockey culture.

Go, Bulldogs, go. All of Brantford–Brant is in the doghouse, but in a good way.

Missy Knott

Mr. Dave Smith: In my riding, we have a number of exceptional and award-winning musicians, and one of those individuals is Melissa Knott, more commonly known as Missy.

I first met Missy when we were organizing the Special Hockey International tournament in Peterborough. Missy was already well known in the area as a singer and had released a number of albums at that point. She volunteered to sing the national anthems for us at the opening ceremonies, with teams from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Not only is Missy an artist, but she’s also a music producer. Her production company, Wild Rice Records, is focused on helping Indigenous artists succeed. Missy is also an advocate in our community, helping to spread the word about various causes. One of those causes has been to spread the word about the tragic death of one of her friends, Cileana Taylor, a young lady from Curve Lake First Nation. All of this is to say that Missy is active in the arts, in the Indigenous community and as a spokesperson.

Speaker, I am so proud to announce my friend Missy Knott has been appointed to the Ontario Arts Council. She’s the first member of Curve Lake First Nation to ever be appointed to the OAC. Her experiences as an artist, as a music producer and as an Indigenous role model will serve her well in this capacity. She’ll provide an invaluable voice at the table and will be someone other Indigenous artists can look up to as an example for success.

Congratulations, Missy. We’re all very proud of you.

Ontario economy

Mr. Matthew Rae: It’s an honour to rise to talk about Perth–Wellington today, Speaker. I know we talk about our ridings a lot in this place, and it’s great to be able to do that. I’m thinking, really, of—we did celebrate agriculture week and Thanksgiving and all the bounty that our farmers collect every year, and the great work our government is doing to support our farm families, whether it’s through our Grow Ontario Strategy and the investments we’re making there.

As the member from Essex—I heard briefly in his remarks about the trade that we have. The amount of exports and agriculture that we provide to the States and across the world is truly great. I know, with our Minister of Economic Development and under the leadership of our Premier, we’ll continue to do that moving forward, ensuring that our agriculture sector remains strong.

But it’s not just our agriculture sector that we continue to support; it’s also Small Business Week in Ontario—and I know there’s plenty of small businesses in my riding of Perth–Wellington. The Minister of Tourism is in front of me here, and I know he has been to the beautiful riding of Perth–Wellington and to Stratford and has seen the many small businesses.

Whether that’s in the hospitality sector, whether that’s in the manufacturing sector—truly, Ontario is thriving again because of the leadership of our Premier and our ministers in our cabinet.

I think of the great announcement yesterday that was made in eastern Ontario: 600 net new jobs—that’s just direct jobs.

We’re going to continue to build Ontario for the next generation and going forward.

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

House sittings

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 9(g), the Clerk has received written notice from the government House leader indicating that a temporary change in the weekly meeting

schedule of the House is required, and therefore the afternoon routine on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, shall commence at 1 p.m.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have with us in the Speaker’s gallery today a delegation from the Republic of Albania, led by Mrs. Lindita Nikolla, who is the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Albania. Please join me in warmly welcoming our guests to the Legislature today.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before I ask the members to commence the introduction of the visitors, I’ll remind them that the standing orders provide for five minutes for introduction of visitors. I would ask the members to introduce their guests briefly, without political commentary. If at five minutes there are still members standing up on both sides of the House, it’s my intention to seek the will of the House whether or not we should continue, and if one person says no, we’ll stop. I hope that’s clear.

Introduction of visitors. The member for Brantford–Brant.

Mr. Will Bouma: I’d like to welcome to the west gallery this morning Peggy Chapman of the Brantford Bulldogs Foundation and Mayor Kevin Davis of the city of Brantford. Welcome to the people’s House.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I want to welcome Myeloma Canada—specifically, the two people I met with, Lisa Bowden and Martine Elias. Welcome to the Legislature.

Ms. Laura Smith: It is my very great honour and pleasure to introduce members of Shomrim: Avi Grinberg, Kyle Klein, and Noa Golan. They were there beside Atara and were so helpful for our community.

Miss Monique Taylor: I would like to welcome Alina Cameron, who is the president of the Ontario Autism Coalition, families from across the province from the Ontario Autism Coalition, Michau van Speyk from the Ontario Autism Coalition—also, a warm welcome to Peggy Chapman; it’s wonderful to see you. Welcome to your House.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: It is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to Vivienne Jiang, who is here with us today as the proud mother of Owen Rao. Owen is one of our legislative pages, from St. Charles Garnier Catholic Elementary School, and he is representing my riding of Richmond Hill.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I would like to welcome Dr. Boyce from St. Catharines and the Niagara region, from the Ontario Dental Association. I look forward to meeting with you this afternoon. Welcome to your House.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: As we’ve noticed, the Ontario Dental Association represents more than 10,000 dentists across Ontario. I’d like to welcome Dr. Brock Nicolucci, ODA president, and the CEO of ODA, Frank Bevilacqua. I would like to also welcome Dr. Lisa Bentley, ODA past president—while it is not a political statement, she is a Dufferin–Caledon resident.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: It is my great honour to introduce today’s page captain Fallon Noakes. She’s from my riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas and is proud to be one of the very few First Nations pages in this House. I also want to welcome her family: Kris Noakes, Beverly Noakes, Bruce Noakes, and David Dreager.

You represent us well. Thank you for your service.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’d like to recognize page captain of the day Joel Adeoye. He has his mother here today: Adejoke Adeoye. Welcome.

MPP Jill Andrew: I would like to welcome Bev Hershkowitz, a St. Paul’s health advocate, and Michelle Milheiras. They joined us this morning at our endometriosis presser—a massive shout-out to Tami Ellis and Leah Haynes, the co-founders of Endometriosis Events.

I want to also say a welcome to Hillcrest Community School; Hillcrest choir; Mr. Jamie Roblin, the choir teacher; Mr. Douglas Cornell, principal; and those fabulous kids who sang our national anthem on native land.

Tarion reform, Barbara Captijn—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will please take her seat.

Stop the clock. Maybe the member wasn’t here when I started off the introduction of visitors. There can be no political statements associated with the introduction of visitors.

Introduction of visitors. Start the clock.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I’d like to introduce a regional councillor from the city of Brampton: Councillor Gurpartap Singh Toor.

Jarnail Mand, Kevin Walia, Mandy Sharma and Bevneet Punia are here today with the Ontario Dump Truck Association.

I also want to welcome my friend Noa Golan, who is also in the Legislature today.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My guests aren’t here yet, but I want to welcome the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the Association of Early Childhood Educators.

Carolyn Ferns and Alana Powell and all their guests, who are too many to mention—welcome to the Legislature, when you get to the House.

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: I’d like to introduce, from Myeloma Canada, Martine Elias and Aidan Robertson, as well as myeloma community members, including Robert McGraw from my constituency of Newmarket–Aurora.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to welcome Madison Schell and Alina Cameron from the Ontario Autism Coalition, who have come here from the neighbouring riding of Thunder Bay–Atikokan. Thank you for being here.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There are more members who want to introduce guests. Shall we continue? Agreed? Agreed.

The member for Perth–Wellington.

Mr. Matthew Rae: Beckett Gloor is page captain today, from my beautiful riding of Perth–Wellington. I would like to welcome his parents, Tracy and Steve Gloor, to Queen’s Park.

Members are encouraged to join CAA at their evening reception beginning at 5 p.m. in the legislative dining room.

Ms. Doly Begum: It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Stephen Abrams from Scarborough Southwest, who is here with the Ontario Dental Association. Welcome to the House.

Hon. Michael Parsa: I’m very happy to welcome members of the Ontario Autism Coalition to Queen’s Park: Alina, Tony, Bruce, Laura and Michau.

Thank you very much for joining me this morning. It’s great to see all of you. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Christine Hogarth: I’m very excited to introduce Allison and Craig Koenig, who are the very proud parents of page Margo from Etobicoke–Lakeshore.

Welcome to your House.

Mr. Trevor Jones: It’s my pleasure to welcome Alfred and Marion Schneider from beautiful Blenheim, Ontario. They are here to visit their granddaughter, our exceptional page Margo Koenig. Welcome to the Legislature.

Legislative pages

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I will now ask our pages to assemble for their introductions.

Members, it’s my honour to introduce this group of legislative pages: from the riding of Oshawa, Saniyah Abbas; from the riding of Oxford, Jesuloba Joel Adeoye; from the riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park, Caesar Beesley; from the riding of Ajax, Simran Bhatt; from the riding of Toronto–St.

Paul’s, Philippe Boyer; from the riding of London North Centre, Clara Brunet; from the riding of Dufferin–Caledon, Sachkaur Chahal; from the riding of Davenport, Danté Cronier-Thériault; from the riding of Brampton East, Gurkaram Dhillon; from the riding of Perth–Wellington, Beckett Gloor; from the riding of Kenora–Rainy River, Paxten Hughes; from the riding of Kitchener South–Hespeler, Ananya Joshi; from the riding of Northumberland–Peterborough South, Katherine Kennedy; from the riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Margo Koenig; from the riding of Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill, Isolde Li; from the riding of Waterloo, Trent MacDonald; from the riding of Kitchener–Conestoga, Michael Milloy; from the riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas, Fallon Noakes; from the riding of Brampton South, Lillian Park; from the riding of Richmond Hill, Owen Rao; from the riding of Whitby, Bronwyn Renwick; and from the riding of Markham–Thornhill, Yijie Wang.

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Applause.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Yesterday, the government House leader took all the Premier’s questions—so I was going to try again, to see if the Premier will actually address the disastrous situation he has landed his government in.

Every month, people are struggling to make ends meet. People need a government that’s going to help them, but instead they are seeing one mired in scandal.

Speaker, the revelations from the government’s $8-billion greenbelt grab are getting more and more serious every single day, and people deserve answers.

Can the Premier confirm that his government is currently under criminal investigation by the RCMP?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I said yesterday, we stand ready to assist the RCMP as they undertake a review. At this point, we have not been contacted by the RCMP.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: I want to remind this Premier and this government that their Premier told voters that he was going to move away from cash-for-access politics, that he was going to end the cronyism that brought down the previous Liberal government. Well, the Premier broke that promise, and five years later the Premier and his government are under criminal investigation by the RCMP.

Speaker, to the Premier: How can the people of this province trust their government when it’s under an active RCMP criminal investigation?

Hon. Paul Calandra: We’ll continue to do everything that we need to do in order to ensure that we build a bigger, better, stronger and safer province of Ontario.

The Leader of the Opposition, in her first question, talked about affordability. Imagine an NDP Leader of the Opposition talking about affordability when she and her party have voted against every single measure that would put more money back in the pockets of the people of the province of Ontario. They actually voted against—remember the LIFT tax credit. For those colleagues who were here in the last Parliament—they will know that we introduced the LIFT tax credit, which virtually eliminated the lowest income earners from having to pay taxes to the province of Ontario.

They voted against it, because there’s a fundamental difference between them and us. They want people to rely on government and to be dependent on government. We want to give people the tools to succeed. And each and every day that is what we’re doing—working for the people of the province of Ontario to give them the tools to succeed. And that’s why 700,000 people have the dignity of a job—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Final supplementary.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, the people of this province deserve answers from the Premier of this province.

When a government is embattled in this much scandal, it is bad for businesses; it is bad for the economy.

What kind of precedent does it set if people think that succeeding in Ontario is about your connections rather than your merit? It is shameful.

I made this point yesterday, and I want to remind the government again, that the special unit at the RCMP that is investigating the Premier and his government’s actions investigates elected officials on “fraud, financial crimes, corruption and breach of trust.”

Back to the Premier of this province: How can the Premier maintain the confidence of the people when his government is being investigated by the RCMP?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, do you know what’s bad for businesses? Do you know what’s bad for the economy? Do you know what’s bad for taxpayers across this province? What is bad are policies that are supported by the NDP. When they had the chance, with the Liberals in power for 15 years, they brought this province to its knees.

Yesterday, this minister, along with the Premier, announced another over $2 billion in investment in the province of Ontario. Do you know who has confidence in the people of the province of Ontario? Investors around the world who have given over $27 billion of investment to this economy. Do you know who has confidence in this government? The over 700,000 people who have the dignity of a job—that they didn’t when they and they were in power. That is what we’re doing.

Do you know what the Leader of the Opposition can do to help us on affordability? She can call her leader in Ottawa and say, “Take the 14.3 cents a litre on gas off. Help us remove the carbon tax to put even more money back in the pockets of the people of Ontario.”

Will they do it? No, because they don’t care about the people of the province of Ontario—

Interjections.

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

The next question.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Instead of taking accountability, this government just lobs insults. They vote down accountability measures. They won’t answer simple questions about their whereabouts and their actions.

I’m going to get very specific here, Speaker. On September 14, 2022, a senior staffer for this government received greenbelt removal packages from developers at a dinner. The next day, this staffer sought clarity directly from the Premier, his chief of staff and the former housing minister. The Premier and his chief of staff claimed they don’t recall this meeting.

Will the Premier let us know what was discussed in that meeting with Ryan Amato on September 15, 2022?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Do you know what the Integrity Commissioner said? He said not only that the Premier had no knowledge—but more importantly, that the actions of the government were guided on a desire and a belief that we could build more homes for the people of the province of Ontario.

As I’ve said on a number of occasions, we made a public policy decision that wasn’t supported by the people of the province of Ontario. That is why I introduced legislation yesterday to reverse that, Mr. Speaker.

But do you know what’s an insult to the people of the province of Ontario? Every time they go to the gas pump and they’re paying an extra 14.3 cents a litre because of the NDP and the Liberals; when they go to the grocery store and they see that the price of vegetables is higher—why? Because of the Liberals and the NDP and a carbon tax. When they open their gas bills over the winter season and they see the carbon tax on each of those bills, that’s an insult to the people of the province of Ontario.

If the Leader of the Opposition really wants to respect the people of the province of Ontario, she’ll call her federal leader in Ottawa and say, “Work with us. Let’s remove the carbon tax on the things that matter to the people of the province of Ontario. Let’s make this country more affordable, because we can do it.”

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: No one believes that.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Stop the clock.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

I’ll remind the members of the House that interjections are out of order—always out of order, as a matter of fact—and I have to be able to hear the member who legitimately has the floor. All of us should listen to each other, listen to the member who has the floor.

Start the clock.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Speaker.

We have a Premier who still won’t come clean or answer that question.

Over three days in September, this government went from a rough notion of a policy framework on the greenbelt to specific properties being identified for removal. Day one: the BILD dinner where developers identified properties for removal from the greenbelt. Day two: a meeting with the Premier and housing minister and their staff on the greenbelt—mysteriously, no one can recall the details of this meeting. Day three: The Ministry of Housing moves forward with site-specific removals and identified three properties. These properties accounted for 91% of the land this government attempted to remove from the greenbelt, and two of those properties were identified by developers at the BILD dinner.

Speaker, I’m going to ask again: What caused this government to make a policy 180 on the greenbelt file from September 14 to September 16?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Colleagues, the leader of the NDP said that she doesn’t believe a carbon tax is costing the people of the province of Ontario anything. So I ask my colleagues, do you believe it’s costing us more? Yes—

Interjections.

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

I’d really like to be a part of this, if possible.

Interjections.

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

Please start the clock.

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate, Speaker, the importance of eliminating the carbon tax even in your com-munity, where farmers are paying each and every day, whether it is to plant the seed and the crop in the ground or to harvest the crop in the ground.

I was speaking to Larry Simpson in my riding, a magnificent potato farmer, who was talking about a great crop this year, but the cost of taking that crop out of the ground and then delivering it across the province of Ontario is exorbitant. The cost of heating the potatoes over the winter to keep them available for delivery is incredible, and it’s because of the carbon tax.

If the Leader of the Opposition doesn’t believe that it is costing the people of Canada enormously, I ask her to call a few people who are struggling each and every day because of a carbon tax.

But we’ll continue to work for all people, to put more money—

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I understand that the Premier and the government House leader don’t want to address the questions about the RCMP criminal investigation of their government.

I bet the RCMP won’t accept that the Premier can’t recall—I know that the people of Ontario and I don’t buy it.

It’s not just September 15—there were a number of meetings between the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, the Premier’s office, the Cabinet Office and the Premier’s chief of staff. The Cabinet Office booked a meeting on September 7. On September 21, there was a meeting to discuss site-specific removals. An hour-long conversation between the Premier’s chief of staff and Mr. Amato on September 23—I could go on.

Does the Premier really expect people to believe he had nothing to do with this?

Hon. Paul Calandra: What this province and this caucus are concerned about is ensuring that life is more affordable for the people of the province of Ontario each and every day.

They can talk about it as much as they want—what they really are saying, and we all know it, is that they want to put obstacles in the way of building more homes for the people of the province of Ontario, because they were so effective at doing it with the Liberals, right? They were so effective at putting obstacles in the way that they put Ontario into a housing crisis. Every single year that we have been in office, we have put measures on the floor of this Legislature to remove those obstacles, and they have voted against it. But we will not stop.

We will continue to make life more affordable for the people of the province of Ontario. We will continue to fight against carbon taxes. We will continue to build infrastructure. We will continue to build long-term care. We will continue to build roads so that we can get our product to market faster. And we will continue to see massive investments, like the over $27 billion that has come to Ontario, that has created over 700,000 jobs. That is what we’ll continue to do each—

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

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Every day, I rise in this House with facts and dates and details on scandals that span ministries and ministers and MPPs and staff. And every day, the government House leader goes on a long-winded rant completely unrelated to the questions that we’re asking.

Two senior members of the Premier’s staff and a minister of his went down to Vegas with a greenbelt speculator and may have “misled” the Integrity Commissioner about it.

Will the Premier use the ability his cabinet has to ask for a full inquiry from the Integrity Commissioner into the Vegas affair?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Muni-cipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think that really clarifies everything. To the Leader of the Opposition, over $27 billion of investment in Ontario is a rant. To the Leader of the Opposition, fighting the carbon tax is a rant. To the Leader of the Opposition, putting more money back in your pocket is a rant. So I guess the thousands and millions of Canadians from coast to coast to coast are ranting when they say that life has become less affordable because of the policies of the Liberals and the NDP.

I’ll tell you what we have here—we have the mayor of Brantford here. Do you know what he’s excited about? He’s excited about the groundbreaking of a brand new long-term-care home in his riding. That’s what he’s excited about. He’s excited about the jobs and opportunity that come with that investment. Do you know who never brought that investment? It was the Liberals and the NDP—because in their time, they brought 611. There are more long-term-care beds being built in that community, in Brantford, than there were in the entire province of Ontario when they had the opportunity.

That’s what people are excited about. It’s not a rant. It’s fact. And that’s what the people of Ontario care about.

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The House will come to order so we can resume question period.

Start the clock. The supplementary question.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, it should actually be quite easy to answer these questions.

This boys’ trip to Vegas, with its massage tables and its good luck rituals and its manis and pedis, made international headlines. How embarrassing.

This government wasted no time asking the Integrity Commissioner to look into the actions of a staff member, Mr. Amato. They promised that they would look to the Integrity Commissioner to investigate the actions of someone else who was on that trip—the member for Mississauga East−Cooksville, a former Conservative minister—but they don’t seem to have taken any action.

Back to the Premier: Is his government dragging its heels because the Premier himself has something to hide?

Hon. Paul Calandra: This is unbelievable. Dragging our heels? We started in 2018. The very first measures that we took in this place were to build jobs and opportunity for the people of the province of Ontario.

It is they who have been dragging their heels, voting against every single measure that would grow the economy. They dragged their heels when it came to investing in hospitals, building new hospitals, refurbishing some of the old hospitals. They dragged their heels and continue to drag their heels when we talk about building the 413. They’re absolutely dead set against people bringing their product to market. They have voted against the investments that we’re making to bring back our auto sector. They have voted against the expansion of our colleges and universities.

They voted against the changes that we’re making to our education curriculum that are finally seeing results for our students, who stagnated over 15 years of policies of the Liberals and NDP.

So when she talks about dragging your heels—the only people who are dragging their heels are the Liberals and NDP, a coalition of the doomed that saw this province brought to its knees.

We’re rebuilding this province and we’ll continue to do it, and 700,000—

Interjections.

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

Order. Order.

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member is waiting to ask a question. Let’s start the clock.

Electric vehicles

Mr. Ric Bresee: Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

The previous Liberal government left Ontario fully unprepared for the electric vehicle future. They allowed thousands of auto manufacturing jobs to leave this province and watched as the electric vehicle supply chain was being built somewhere else.

Thankfully, our government recognized that our province has everything we need right here to build a resilient, end-to-end EV supply chain right here in Ontario. That’s why we’ve seen more than $26 billion in auto and EV-related investments in just the last three years, including a huge investment we welcomed from Umicore just yesterday in Loyalist township, my home.

Can the minister please discuss Umicore’s recent investment and what this will mean for the people of Loyalist township, Lennox and Addington county, and all of Ontario?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, we were in the member’s riding yesterday, along with Premier Ford, and we turned the sod at a historic $2.8-billion plant, where Umicore will make battery cathode components. This is an expansion of their previously announced $1.5-billion facility. But we’re not just building a plant; we are building Ontario’s future. They are hiring 1,000 workers for two years to build the facility. This will be one of the largest employers in all of eastern Ontario. They will have 600 sought-after, good-paying career jobs. They will hire 700 apprentices—student co-ops. This is the first type of this EV battery supplier in all of North America.

Welcome, Umicore.

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

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the minister for the answer.

Umicore’s investment is fabulous news for the auto sector and for the hard-working people of Loyalist township and all of eastern Ontario.

Our government recognizes the massive economic benefits that will stem from Ontario being a global leader in electric vehicle production. That’s why we’ve been laser-focused on securing generational investments like the one from Umicore.

Speaker, will the minister please elaborate on what Umicore’s investment means to our end-to-end EV supply chain?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Well, just think about where we were five years ago. We had an auto sector that was failing, no plans for EV production. But under the leadership of Premier Ford, we have a plan. It’s called Driving Prosperity, and it’s a plan to make Ontario the EV global centre. We started with all the current automakers—success. We then attracted two major battery manufacturers—success. Now, after $27 billion of investment, we’re working on all of the major supply chain. Umicore is the first of many component suppliers for our EV revolution.

Think of this, Speaker: We went from zero to $27 billion in three years—that’s why Bloomberg named Ontario as the number two in the global EV supply chain.

We are building things here in the province of Ontario, and we’re leading.

Government appointments

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. In late August, the Premier appointed Sajjad Hussain to the Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee. Mr. Hussain is a developer with no apparent credentials with respect to species at risk. He has also been accused of unlawfully misappropriating millions of dollars from his company for his own personal use.

Why did the Premier appoint Mr. Hussain to this government committee when he knew, or should have known, about these disturbing allegations?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: I want to make one thing clear: Our government holds appointments to the highest regard. This is why this individual in question is no longer an appointee of the government.

Unfortunately, we cannot say the same about the opposition and the standards that this Leader of the Opposition holds her caucus to, following the disturbing comments a certain member of the opposition made this previous week regarding the situation and the massacre in Israel. However, while the opposition continues to coddle this individual, our government is doing the real work, and we are defending Ontario’s biodiversity, building Ontario’s common resiliency and protecting species at risk.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Again to the Premier: While Sajjad Hussain appears to have had no qualifications or expertise around species at risk, he is certainly an expert when it comes to making donations to the PC Party. Mr. Hussain has donated over $15,000 to the PC Party since 2019.

Was Mr. Hussain’s donor record the reason for the Premier’s willingness to overlook the very serious allegations against Mr. Hussain?

Hon. Andrea Khanjin: I want to mention, if you have a Leader of the Opposition whose caucus laughs at massacres that happened in Israel, Speaker—totally unacceptable and definitely shows no leadership.

But when we talk about leadership, we are empowering conservationists, empowering ecologists, empowering biologists—not politicians—to make large-scale strategic investments in protecting species at risk here in Ontario. We’re making direct investments in protecting species at risk and the species at risk stewardship program. For instance, we’ve engaged over 14,000 volunteers in conservation efforts and created 1,700 jobs. This is how our government is building Ontario and protecting species at risk. And we’ve restored over 42,000 acres of habitat for species at risk, equal to nearly 100,000 hockey rinks.

Small business

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business.

As Small Business Week gets under way, thousands of small businesses across Ontario, including the ones in my riding of Mississauga–Erin Mills, are looking for ways to sustain and grow their businesses.

Small businesses are the economic backbone of com-munities across our province. However, starting and growing a business is hard work. Business owners and entrepreneurs need real supports and resources that will help them to be innovative and to expand their businesses. That’s why our government must continue to help small businesses so they can provide jobs to people from their communities. When small businesses grow and thrive, all of Ontario succeeds.

Can the associate minister please explain how our government is supporting small businesses across Ontario?

Hon. Nina Tangri: I really want to thank the member for Mississauga–Erin Mills for the question.

This Small Business Week, we celebrate the ambition and entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners and their businesses right across our province.

As a former small business owner, I know first-hand the risks and hard work it takes to start and grow a business.

Ontario’s more than 435,000 small businesses are the backbone of our communities, employing more than 2.4 million people. These small businesses exist in towns and cities across our province.

For 2022-23 and 2023-24, we are investing an additional $40 million in the Digital Main Street program, which brings our total investment to over $57 million. To date, Digital Main Street has helped more than 69,000 small businesses create and increase their digital presence. These are real, tangible resources, and small businesses—

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

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: The associate minister is right in saying that small businesses are critical in building a stronger Ontario.

Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, gave up on small businesses, resulting in hundreds of thousands of jobs leaving our province. Countless opportunities were lost due to the previous Liberal government’s agenda of high taxes and red tape.

Fortunately, our government is determined to create the right conditions for new businesses to start up and succeed in our province. That’s why our government must remain committed to making investments that will help provide business owners with the resources they need.

Can the associate minister please explain how our government is supporting the development of new businesses in Ontario?

Hon. Nina Tangri: Thank you again for the question.

Our government understands that small businesses are vital to our economic success and essential to regional communities right across our province. Small businesses make up almost 98% of all businesses in Ontario. From family-owned corner stores to brand new start-ups, everyone knows a small business that has made a difference in their community, and we know we need to create the environment for more of these businesses to launch and succeed.

So far, we’ve provided $3 million to Futurpreneur Canada, and in 2023-24, the government is providing an additional $2 million, bringing our total investment to over $5 million. These investments are critical to our economic success. Now, thousands of young small business owners between the ages of 18 and 39 will be able to access mentorship programs and financial resources.

We will always support and promote our world-class small business sector.

To all of Ontario’s small businesses: Happy Small Business Week, and thank you for all that you do to support us all.

Long-term care

Mr. Wayne Gates: My question is to the Premier. On June 9, this government gave three minister’s zoning orders to Southbridge Care, a for-profit long-term-care facility owned by a real estate investment firm, Yorkville Asset Management. None of these MZOs had been requested by the local municipality. One of the MZOs was for Orchard Villa in Pickering, where 78 seniors died during the COVID-19 pandemic and the military had to be called in to take over. The executives and lobbyists for this particular operator have strong donor and political ties to the Conservative Party.

My question is, did the minister give preferential treatment to Southbridge?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Do you know what I did when I was the Minister of Long-Term Care and that I would do as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing? I gave preferential treatment to tear down a home that should have been torn down ages ago, but the Liberals and NDP refused to do it.

What we want to do in Pickering is tear down an old, outdated home that still has ward rooms in it and build a brand new long-term-care home. That’s what we’re doing in Pickering. It’s the same MZO that I wanted to do in Port Hope—tear down two old homes that aren’t even sprinklered and replace them with brand new long-term-care homes.

And here you have it, on the floor of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario: The people of Ontario can see quite clearly that they don’t even want to build brand new long-term-care homes for the people of the province of Ontario. They vote against literally everything.

So will I stop doing MZOs to build new long-term-care homes? No, in fact, I’ll go just in the opposite direction. If I can do it better—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The supplementary question.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I’m not sure I’d be proud of being the minister when 6,000 of our seniors died in long-term-care homes over COVID.

I’m going to tell you what happened. After taking over Southbridge’s Orchard Villa, the military reported that residents had been choking from improper feeding, the presence of cockroaches and rotting food, dehydration, and patients were left in soiled diapers. The Premier said—the Premier, not Wayne Gates. The Premier said, “It was the worst report, the most heart-wrenching report I have ever read in my entire life. Ever.” But this government rewarded Southbridge with three minister’s zoning orders in one day—including Orchard Villa.

Why did the Premier and minister give preferential treatment to Southbridge Care Homes when our seniors were dying and being treated with disrespect every single day in that home?

Hon. Paul Calandra: We gave MZOs because we wanted to build brand new long-term-care homes.

We’re going to continue to build brand new long-term-care homes, and I won’t let obstacles stand in the way. So when this Minister of Long-Term Care comes to me and says, “I want to tear down an old home and replace it with a brand new one,” I will say yes.

This is the very same party that held the balance of power for four years in this place—and did they make investments in long-term care? No.

If you want blood on your hands, look in the mirror. You had the option to do something—

Interjections.

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

I’m going to caution the members on the use of language, whether it is in their questions or their responses. It’s important that we maintain a high standard of decorum. The people of Ontario expect that.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Order. The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will come to order. The member for Niagara Falls will come to order.

Start the clock. The next question.

Government accountability

MPP Karen McCrimmon: To quote Yogi Berra, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

The Auditor General and the Integrity Commissioner identified irregularities in the way the greenbelt lands were awarded to developers. Proper processes and regulations were not followed. Public information was restricted, and bid fairness protocols were ignored when they favoured their wealthy insider friends and donors. And now the RCMP has launched a criminal investigation into this $8.2-billion greenbelt scandal.

Now we learn that the government has signed a 95-year lease to allow the building of a luxury exclusive European spa on Ontario Place lands by wealthy connected insiders, with no evidence of due diligence.

My question to the Premier is, with all the similarities between the greenbelt and the Ontario Place projects, how can the people of Ontario believe that this isn’t the exact same game?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Infrastructure to reply.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, I’m actually very pleased to take this specific question.

I would like to reference an

article from July 2, 2018, in the Globe and Mail, written by Jeff Gray:

“The previous Ontario government was in the final stages of selecting a private sector bidder to redevelop Ontario Place when it was forced to put the negotiations on hold....

“Sources said the top three submissions included one from Therme, a German spa-and-water park company which would have included a new beach.”

Thank you for asking me this question.

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

MPP Karen McCrimmon: There are times when the government talks about roadblocks, obstacles and things that are in the way. We call those laws.

Again, my question remains the same: How can the people of Ontario have confidence that the same thing that happened with the greenbelt lands is not happening once again with Ontario Place?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, we’re talking about two separate government procurements led by two separate governments, two separate evaluation criteria—and Therme was one of the awarding proponents for the redevelopment of Ontario Place, through an arm’s-length agency called Infrastructure Ontario.

We will do something that they were not capable of doing—and that is bring Ontario Place back to life and make it a place that everyone can enjoy 365 days of the year.

School nutrition programs

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. As a mother of four, I know that a balanced diet and proper nutrition are important for our children; it is important for their development. Good, nutritious food helps our children’s mental and physical health and is a foundation of academic success. That is why it is unacceptable to hear that some children in Ontario will go to school hungry.

Our government must show leadership and do all that we can to set up Ontario’s next generation for success by ensuring that they have access to nutritious meals and snacks during their school day.

Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to promote healthy food access for children across Ontario?

Hon. Michael Parsa: I want to thank my colleague from Richmond Hill for the great question and all the great work that she does in her riding.

Speaker, our government’s investments in the Student Nutrition Program and the First Nations Student Nutrition Program have been instrumental in ensuring that students across Ontario have access to healthy and nutritious meals. Earlier this year, our government invested an additional $1.1 million into these programs. And just the other week, alongside the Minister of Education, we announced an additional investment of $5 million in funding, bringing the total provincial funding to $38 million this year. These investments will help us deliver almost 90 million nutritious meals and snacks to students, ensuring that they have the energy and focus they need to excel in their education.

We’ll continue to deliver this vital service to students who depend on it, because—I’ve said it many times, and I’ll say it again—students may be a portion of our population; they’re 100%—

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

Mrs. Daisy Wai: Thank you to my great minister.

These additional investments made by our government will help to expand access to nutritious food for students across our province.

However, the reality is that there are children in our communities, including those in my riding of Richmond Hill, who are at risk of going to school hungry every day.

Access to nutritious food helps students to be more alert and ready to learn, and helps to improve their overall physical health and well-being.

Our government’s investments will go a long way in helping to provide students with nutritious food at school.

Can the minister please explain how our government is working with all levels of government, community agencies and partners in support of student nutrition programs?

Hon. Michael Parsa: I thank my colleague for the follow-up. Mr. Speaker, our government believes that no student should go to school hungry. That’s why we’ve partnered with organizations—including the Arrell Family Foundation, the Breakfast Club of Canada, the Schad Foundation, and the Grocery Foundation—to improve these programs. The $1.67 million already raised by partners, alongside our government’s $5-million investment, shows how public and private entities can come together to make a meaningful impact on the lives of Ontario students.

I’m grateful for the generous support, and I encourage all Ontarians to get involved and support the success of our students. Together, we can provide a strong foundation for their academic achievement and overall well-being in the province—because, again, they’re 100% of our future, and we need to continue to invest in them.

Government accountability

MPP Lise Vaugeois: Last week, the Auditor General’s office confirmed that they are investigating minister’s zoning orders.

MZOs create a two-tier planning system where favoured developers can skip the planning rules that apply to everyone else.

A couple of years ago, in this House, the member for Waterloo asked the Premier about a large number of MZOs that went to his friend Shakir Rehmatullah, who has received more MZOs than any other landowner.

The Integrity Commissioner is now investigating whether MZOs are being improperly issued to favoured developers, overruling responsible municipal planning.

Will the Premier stop overruling critical wetland and farmland protections to benefit his friends?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: What we will continue to do is to provide MZOs when it helps move the province of Ontario forward—MZOs for long-term care, MZOs to build hospitals, MZOs to build supportive housing in the city of Toronto.

Will I stop issuing MZOs when it supports the priorities of the province of Ontario, when it helps people in the province of Ontario, when it helps job creation, when it gives people their first home? No. I won’t stop doing that. Will I continue to issue MZOs when it means an old long-term-care home can be torn down and replaced by a brand new one? No. I’ll continue to do that.

They want to stand in the way of all of that; I won’t.

In fact, some of their own members have asked me for MZOs in their own ridings, so that we can get long-term-care homes, so that we can get socialized housing in their homes.

So I say to the member very clearly, for the caucus members around you: I will continue to issue it when it is in the best interests of the people of the province of Ontario.

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

MPP Lise Vaugeois: Incredibly, this Premier has issued more MZOs benefiting just the guests at his daughter’s wedding reception than the previous government issued in total during its 15 years in power.

Without building a single new home or business, an MZO increases the value of a property instantly by generating enormous speculative profits for the owner.

The NDP looked at every MZO this government has issued—more than 100—and in most cases, we were able to find a personal, political or donor tie to the Premier or the PC Party.

Does the Premier finally understand why Ontarians have lost trust in this government?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Well, Mr. Speaker, let’s put it in context. MZOs have created over 5,600 long-term-care beds across the province of Ontario. MZOs have supported the building of over 117,000 socialized housing units across the province of Ontario. MZOs have helped us build brand new hospitals in the province of Ontario. MZOs have helped us create the conditions for over 152,000 new jobs in the province of Ontario.

What you’re hearing from the opposition is continued frustration that what we are doing is using the tools that we have to help build a stronger economy, to help restore confidence in industries that had lost it. This is a party that worked with the Liberals to drive out manufacturing. We lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs. The Liberals and the NDP said that we should transition our economy to a service economy.

What we’re doing is building a better, stronger Ontario—$27 billion in investment; over 700,000 people have the dignity of a job. And I will do whatever I can, along with this caucus, to support that.

Forest industry

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources. The Espanola Domtar mill is set to idle its operations, starting next month, for an indefinite period of time. The impending stoppage has caused a lot of concern and frustration for people across the town of Espanola, Manitoulin and the North Shore area. Arrangements have been made to help employees with the transition and to safely idle the mill’s operations. However, there are still many unanswered questions about the fibre that has been unused and left at roadside.

To the minister: What is the government’s plan to ensure that this fibre does not simply rot and go to waste?

Hon. Graydon Smith: When we heard that the Domtar mill was idling, we took action right away, reaching out to community officials and having conversations with them about how this could affect them; reaching out to the company to say, “How can we keep this conversation going, and what can we do to facilitate the re-energization of this mill in the future?”

Mr. Speaker, we remain very concerned about the businesses that are attached to this mill—not just the 450 jobs at the mill, but the secondary and tertiary companies that supply the mill and the forestry sector all throughout Ontario. We have taken action when we heard this news. We will continue to work with all parties involved to make sure we get the very, very best outcome, not only for Espanola but for the entire forestry sector. We will continue to work with all these parties as closely as we can every single day.

We have a fantastic forestry sector here in Ontario, and we are extremely proud of it. We’ll continue to make sure that that forestry sector remains strong.

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

Mr. Michael Mantha: Again to the minister: The operators in the Northshore Forest, such as contractors R.J. Whalen Logging, Darcy Alberta, H&R Fabris Industries Ltd., Marvin Ritchie Trucking Ltd., Ranger Logging Ltd., Rejean Cyr Logging Ltd.—and that’s just to name a few—who cut the fibre deserve to know when they will get paid for the work that they have already done. Stopping operations at the mill will be disruptive enough as it is without adding the extra burden of watching harvested timber rot at roadside and worrying about the hundreds of potential job losses.

Forestry is vital in the Algoma area, and this minister needs to show leadership during this difficult time.

Minister, who will pick up the bill for the unused fibre, and how will these forestry companies be compensated for work that has already been done?

Hon. Graydon Smith: Thank you for the question.

As I said in the original answer, we continue to work with all sectors of our forestry partners that are affected by the closure of this mill, and that includes the operators that the member has spoken about.

We continue to make investments in the forestry sector. Our $20-million forest biomass program is an unprecedented investment to drive the sector forward. Our Forest Sector Investment and Innovation Program, $10 million—again, to drive the industry forward. We want a strong industry so all the players in the industry have a chance to succeed, and we continue to make those investments. We continue to work with everyone involved.

Last week, I actually joined the member on a call with members from Espanola and the community there to talk about what we can do to assist. So we’re there; we’re helping; we’re making sure the forestry sector in Ontario continues to succeed.

Forest firefighting / Forest industry

Ms. Natalie Pierre: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. The minister recently provided an update on the measures that our government is implementing to strengthen our wildland fire preparedness levels.

This year, Ontario and Canada experienced one of the most challenging fire seasons in recent memory. That is why our government must not lose focus on the importance of keeping people and property safe. The people of Ontario are counting on our government to dedicate the resources that are necessary to ensure Ontario’s fire rangers and communities are safe.

Can the minister please explain what actions our government is taking to improve and modernize how we fight wildland fires?

Hon. Graydon Smith: As I was in the north last week talking with forestry companies about the previous question, I was also there to make a very important announcement—an announcement of $20.5 million further investment in helping us fight wildland fires in Ontario, an investment that looks to the future and recognizes that we may have some challenging fire seasons ahead of us, so we need more technology like aerial drones that can help us with detection and suppression; supporting attraction and retention of forest firefighters; also, making sure that they have a good mental health program attached to that position.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to make investments to ensure that communities, people and infrastructure in Ontario remain safe—and again, $20.5 million will help advance that. And this is in addition to the over 90% increase that we’ve included in base budgeting since we took office in 2018. We are—

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

Ms. Natalie Pierre: At a time when the number of wildfires is rising, it is also important that our government focuses on strategies that support forest sustainability. Ontario’s forestry sector is of vital importance to the economic prosperity for people and communities across Ontario. Our province has a strong record of responsible forest management, but more must be done to support the forestry sector in reaching its full potential.

Our government must continue to explore long-term strategies that will help to deliver economic benefits to all Ontarians. At the same time, our actions must help to sustain the forestry sector, reduce emissions and support the environment.

Can the minister please explain how our government is strengthening Ontario’s forestry sector?

Hon. Graydon Smith: It’s time to put on the party hats, because it’s the fifth anniversary of the forest sector strategy—so happy fifth anniversary, forest sector strategy. It’s doing great things here in Ontario to drive this sector forward. Just a few highlights from it: It has amended Ontario’s building code to allow the increased use of wood in mid-rise buildings. It has delivered over $60 million in forestry resource revenues to 40 First Nations and Métis communities. And it has collaborated with Forests Ontario and the Ontario Forest Industries Association to promote career pathways in the forestry industry.

Also, as I mentioned, the historic $20-million investment in the forest biomass program and the streams within it—we had an application process open until the end of September. It’s all full up—because innovation in the forestry sector is here in Ontario. We are driving this sector forward, and it will prosper here in this province.

Autism treatment

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the current Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

It has been five years and four ministers, and this government has still only managed to have the same number of children enrolled to receive needs-based core autism services before they changed the program five years ago. Five years ago, there were 23,000 families waiting for these services; now, there are over 60,000. That’s more than will fit into Rogers stadium, Speaker. How is this better? Can the minister please tell us where the progress is?

Hon. Michael Parsa: I thank my colleague for the question. I’d be more than happy to tell her why. I’ve done it many times, and I’ll do it again—because the program wasn’t working for the people of this province. Mr. Speaker, 25% of the children and youth who were on the registry were receiving services before. Today, over 40,000 families are receiving supports and services. That’s why.

That party supported a failed program under the previous government. The families told them that.

We started from scratch. We worked with those with lived experience—experts, clinicians—to put a program that was put together by the community for the community. We went with more than that—we doubled the funding, to $600 million. And we didn’t stop there. This year, I announced that we further increased the funding of the Ontario Autism Program by an additional 10%.

We’re doing what they couldn’t do for the people of this province.

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

Miss Monique Taylor: Speaker, hundreds of autism families have not travelled across the province or been protesting on the front lawn for the past two days because they’re happy with the progress of this minister, the last minister, the minister before that or the minister before that. No. They’re here because they are desperate. They want and need answers. But more importantly, they want publicly funded, needs-based core therapy for their children before it’s too late to make any difference in their children’s lives.

According to the reports based on a freedom-of-information, the minister’s own transition binder says, “Most children and youth will not receive core clinical services funding in the short to medium term.”

What does this minister have to say to the families who are here, who are left struggling? And please, for the love of children—not the same old talking points that we’ve been listening to for the last five years.

Interjections.

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

Hon. Michael Parsa: Again, I thank my colleague for the question. I would be more than happy to answer that.

We’ve developed a program that was put together by the community for the community. The programs that she won’t list—I will do for her. These are programs that families across the province are accessing every day, as soon as they register on AccessOAP—foundational family services; caregiver-mediated early years programs; the entry to school program; urgent response service. Before, they had access to one service. Today they have multiple streams that they can access—every single family—as soon as they register for AccessOAP.

Once again, Mr. Speaker, the opposition always will come in here and they’ll talk to you about what their questions represent—but they held the balance of power. You’ve been here longer than any one of us. You know the process of Parliament. They could have held the previous government to account and said, “We will no longer support you if you do not double the Ontario Autism Program.” But they failed the people of this province. We’re not going to—

Interjections.

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

Order.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The honourable member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order and the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services will come to order.

Start the clock.

The next question. The member for Thornhill.

Public transit

Ms. Laura Smith: My question is for the Minister of Transportation. Toronto’s population is growing rapidly. As our city grows, transportation infrastructure also needs to expand. People need more convenient ways to connect to their jobs and family and other communities in the GTA.

Unfortunately, the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, failed to plan ahead for the transit needs of our communities. They left people on crowded subways and buses and stuck in traffic.

That is why our government must continue to implement solutions that will improve transportation options for the people of the GTA and beyond.

Can the minister please provide us with an update on how our government is addressing the need for more public transit?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: T