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February 22, 2018

41st Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2018-Feb-22 (PDF)

L140 - Thu 22 Feb 2018 / Jeu 22 fév 2018

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 22 February 2018 Jeudi 22 février 2018

Notice of reasoned amendment

Orders of the Day

Minimum wage

Introduction of Visitors

Notices of reasoned amendments

Oral Questions

Rural Ontario

Human trafficking

Hospital services

Hospital services

Health care

Employment standards

Human trafficking

Opioid abuse

Property taxation

International trade

Landscape architects

Liquor licensing

Public transit

Visitors

Introduction of Visitors

Members’ Statements

Highway accident

First responders

International Mother Language Day

Town of Whitby’s Ethno-cultural and Diversity Advisory Committee

Events in Algoma–Manitoulin

Start Me Up Niagara

Billy Graham

Third Crossing

Rachel Freier

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Introduction of Bills

Access to Consumer Credit Reports and Elevator Availability Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’accès au rapport de solvabilité du consommateur et la disponibilité des ascenseurs

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Human trafficking

Petitions

Gasoline prices

Long-term care

Pesticides

Injured workers

Provincial truth and reconciliation day

Wind turbines

Injured workers

Lyme disease

Hydro rates

Energy policies

Private Members’ Public Business

Professional engineers

Affordable Electricity Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’électricité abordable

Professional engineers

Affordable Electricity Act, 2018 / Loi de 2018 sur l’électricité abordable

Orders of the Day

Climate change

The House met at 0900.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Good morning. Please join me in prayer.

Prayers.

Notice of reasoned amendment

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 71(b), the member for Nepean–Carleton has notified the Clerk of her intention to file notice of a reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 196,

An Act to authorize the expenditure of certain amounts for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. The order for second reading of Bill 196 may therefore not be called today.

Orders of the Day

Minimum wage

Hon. Harinder Malhi: I move that the Legislative Assembly of Ontario recognize that not all Ontarians are feeling the benefits of our growing economy, and that we endorse a $15 minimum wage for workers starting in January 2019 to help create more fairness and opportunity across the province.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Ms. Malhi has moved government motion 61.

I return to the minister.

Hon. Harinder Malhi: Our economy is doing very well. We are leading the G7 in economic growth and we’ve created almost 800,000 jobs—

Mr. John Yakabuski: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the member from Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Speaker, this motion should be ruled out of order. Under standing order 52, and I will quote: “No motion, or amendment, the subject-matter of which has been decided upon, can be again proposed during the same session.” Everything that is in that motion has been dealt with in Bill 148. Bill 148 has been passed by this Legislature. It is law.

Under the standing orders—and for very good reason, because we are supposed to be spending our time in this Legislature in a productive fashion, not rehashing the debate that has already taken place and has been decided upon. The government has voted in favour of Bill 148. The Legislature has voted in favour of Bill 148. It has passed. It is law.

This debate, which deals completely on the content that has been decided upon in Bill 148—there is nothing inside of this motion that is outside of the strength and the authority of Bill 148. Dare I submit to you, respectfully, that this motion is out of order?

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I’m going to seek other members, if they want to speak to your point of order. Are there any?

During the House’s consideration of Bill 148, it was asked to approve a number of amendments to labour legislation. At no time during the session was this House presented with a singular question regarding minimum wage. This is a different question before the House. I therefore find the motion does not offend standing order 52, and the motion is in order.

I return to the minister.

Hon. Harinder Malhi: Thank you, Madam Speaker. As I was saying, our economy is doing very well. We are leading the G7 in economic growth. We have created almost 800,000 jobs since the recession and our unemployment rate has been below the national average for 34 months. But we know that not everyone is feeling the benefits of that prosperity. Over the past number of years, I have spoken with many of my constituents in my riding of Brampton–Springdale about how the nature of their work has changed. They are working so hard to put food on their table, take care of their children and pay their bills, but are finding that money runs out before the month ends.

That isn’t right. Those who are earning minimum wage shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet. While the party opposite doesn’t agree with this, I strongly believe that everyone who works for 35 or 40 hours a week deserves to earn a decent wage. They shouldn’t have to struggle to get by.

It’s disappointing that the party opposite doesn’t agree. Despite the economy doing so well, they still don’t think it is the time to raise the minimum wage. They believe that it is too soon. They believe that $15 is too much. They want families of Ontario and families in my riding of Brampton–Springdale to wait even longer, although they won’t say for how long. I cannot disagree with this more. The families in Brampton–Springdale cannot afford to wait.

A delay in raising the minimum wage to $15 is a denial. Rolling back the increase to the minimum wage will take money away from minimum wage workers. This is money that they rely on for food, rent and day-to-day expenses. This is why I am so proud that our government is committed to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019. We are standing up for workers, we are making changes that will protect and support them, and we will not back down from that commitment.

There are a number of reasons. I know, over the last little while, we’ve had opportunities to meet with our constituents to hold all sorts of consultations. I actually travelled with Bill 148 when we talked about minimum wage. It’s important to Ontarians. It’s important to our economy, to our students and to everybody across the province. We want to ensure that everybody has a fair chance and everybody is able to put food on the table for their children and for their families, and that they are able to live a good style of living.

We have taken on an approach to affordable living in Ontario which has many prongs to it, whether it be free tuition, free pharmacare, and minimum wage. We have taken an opportunity to do this.

Before I continue, I do want to let you know that I’ll be sharing my time with the member for Kingston and the Islands.

When people say that increasing the minimum wage will reduce employment, that’s not true. As the minimum wage rises, workers become more attracted and labour turnover rates and absenteeism tend to decline. These people are taking this money and spending it back in our economy, which is going to strengthen our economy and build a better Ontario, a stronger Ontario, and one where people have an equal opportunity to be able to afford the things they need. These people are going to go out and buy their kids that new pair of shoes, or put food on the table for them.

This isn’t money that they are putting away or storing. When they are making $14 to $15 an hour, this is money that they need for their day-to-day expenses. This is the money that they need to make ends meet so they don’t feel at the end of the month that they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

We want to give Ontarians an opportunity for a good life. We want to make sure that every child has breakfast on the table before they go off to school. It’s important to us that we continue to work on this. It’s important to us that we support Ontarians and we listen to them. We’ve taken the time to do this. It’s not too soon. It’s the right thing to do, and this is the right time to do it. We’re in this together.

We are looking for ways to build a better life, with all of our children. Coming from the school board, I know, when there is not a stable income coming in to the family, how much it impacts the child’s life every day when they come to school and haven’t had that fresh breakfast. When there’s stress at home, it reflects on the child and it reflects on the whole family unit. We want to be able to strengthen families, strengthen Ontario and build a better lifestyle.

These are the reasons that we need to do this. We need to strengthen our economy. We need to build Ontario up. We need to give everybody that opportunity to earn a decent living in Ontario, live above the poverty line and be able to afford a decent lifestyle—a lifestyle where, like I said before, they can put food on the table and not worry about their day-to-day expenses. Our government, as I’ve said, has taken that approach. We are trying to build a fair and equitable society for everybody.

When it comes to tuition, we want to give everybody that opportunity to go out and get a post-secondary education and not worry about how they’re going to pay for it. Every child should have that right to dream. Everybody should have to work together; it’s our joint responsibility to provide those opportunities. It’s our responsibility as a government.

The work world has changed so much over the last 25 years. People in positions of precarious employment need to have this $15 minimum wage so that they can move forward on it, so that they know how to plan their month, their day and their year, and how to plan their family’s lives.

All 22 US federal minimum wage increases between 1938 and 2009 found no correlation between federal minimum wage increases and lower employment levels. So there are supporting examples that will show us that the increase in minimum wage does not mean lower employment levels. There have been a number of supporting factors saying that this will not lead to this.

We’ll say that, when people say minimum wage is not fair—it is fair. We have many people in our province who are already paying a living wage, and we heard from them when we did our consultations on Bill 148. They understand how important it is to be a fair employer and provide their staff and their employees with a living wage, as opposed to what we’re now having as minimum wage. We’ve heard from communities across the province, and we know that, with the $14 minimum wage, many, many people have benefited, and they will continue to benefit when we move over to $15.

I’ve talked to business owners in my riding, I’ve talked to constituents in my riding, and I know that they are so excited to be able to be take advantage of this.

I thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak on this. I know that we are building a fairer Ontario, an equitable Ontario and a better Ontario for Ontarians. We are listening to Ontarians. We are listening to their ask. This is why it’s not too soon. We are ready for a $15 minimum wage, and we will be ready as of January 2019. Ontarians need it, families need it and kids need it.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Further debate?

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: It’s a pleasure to stand in support of motion 61 and the minister of women’s affairs. I want to officially take this opportunity to congratulate her on her new position. We’re all very proud of this opportunity, and I’m pleased to work with you in the future on all issues pertaining to women’s affairs. So congratulations, officially.

I am very pleased to stand in support of this motion. I think that it is, as the minister has said, extremely important that we have brought it forward and that Bill 148 has passed. It’s absolutely critical for our economy. We have heard many times before in this House that our economy is doing well and that Ontario is leading the G7 in economic growth. We’ve heard countless times as well that we have created almost 800,000 jobs since the recession—800,000 jobs—and we have done so without raising taxes. Our unemployment rate has been below the national average for 34 consecutive months. That’s almost three years. This is something to be incredibly proud of.

But we’ve also heard in this House that not everybody is benefiting from this economy in the same way. Many people who were working in minimum wage jobs were being left behind. There are some incredible challenges for individuals, for families, for single mothers, who have been trying to survive on $11.60 an hour. It’s not fair. It’s not possible to support a family on that kind of income.

As many in this House know, previous to my role as an MPP I worked in a federal office for seven years. I have been listening to the concerns of constituents in Kingston and the Islands for seven years on a daily basis, every single day, and I can promise you that my days then and my days now are not eight hours a day. I have been hearing concerns from people who have been trying to survive at a poverty level and working full-time.

They have to worry about putting food on the table and they have to worry about child care, but they are also not able to provide their children with recreational opportunities and cultural opportunities that many other people in the community have been able to. So that’s another reason why Bill 148 and motion 61 are very, very important for people in our community. We know it’s not right that minimum wage workers cannot survive while working full-time. They shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet.

The party opposite doesn’t agree with us. I strongly believe that if you work 35 hours or more a week, you deserve a minimum wage. You shouldn’t have to struggle to get by, to pay for your own survival or that of your family. It’s disappointing that we don’t all agree. It’s important in this Legislature that we be able to debate these issues and that we bring forward concerns. We all have a particular lens that we view different subjects with, but we need to come together to support Ontarians. When the economy is doing well, it is critical that we make sure people can manage.

Families in Ontario and families in Kingston and the Islands can’t wait. A delay in raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour is a denial that it is critically important for Ontarians. Rolling back the increase is going to take money away from minimum wage workers.

That is why I am very, very proud that our government is committed to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019. We’re standing up for workers in Ontario. We have their backs. I have seen that our Premier has the backs of Ontarians in countless other issues as well. We’re looking at OHIP+, where we’re protecting children and youth under the age of 25 to receive pharmacare. That is critically important as well, and that is also going to help families. We’re also supporting students through the OSAP program.

That is evidence that this government has the backs of Ontarians, and Bill 148 and motion 61 supporting the minimum wage increase is more evidence that we bring forward in this Legislature today to show that we have the backs of Ontarians. We will not back down from that commitment.

There have been a number of different approaches and comments that we have received from different stakeholders across this province. I’m just going to go over a few of those. I think that it’s extremely important to make sure that other voices are brought forward in this Legislature. There are small business owners who favour raising the minimum wage. I’ve got some in my community. Minotaur is a store on Princess Street which was, right out of the gate, public in their support of the minimum wage. They have an absolutely fantastic staff that is very committed to that business.

That is one of the things we are seeing through the minimum wage: that employers who have come out and supported this initiative, who have provided their employees—employees who make their living—they have come forward and they have benefited from being public and from supporting their employees in this manner.

I digress.

Employers that support minimum wage—in 2014, the American Sustainable Business Council and Business for a Fair Minimum Wage said that 53% of small business owners believe that with a higher minimum wage, businesses would benefit from lower employee turnover and increased productivity and customer satisfaction.

And I can say this with absolute certainty because I had a business, as well. I understand the concern of being a business owner. When I had my store in Toronto in the 1980s, I provided some of my employees with $15 an hour. That was in the 1980s. I saw that employee satisfaction. My employees were there for me when I needed them. When they dealt with customers who came into my store, they treated my shop as if it was their own. That’s the kind of loyalty and dedication that comes when employers invest in their employees and provide a living wage, or a sustainable wage, a minimum wage that they can survive on.

David A. Green from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in April 2015 that a $15 minimum wage would significantly boost the income of low-wage workers as a group and is large enough to lift full-time workers out of poverty. A raise to $15 would mostly affect non-teenagers and would therefore have a much greater impact on working poverty. We have seen this. We know this is true. We know that the individuals who are at that minimum wage scale are staying in the community. Their discretionary income is being spent in the community. That will benefit all of our small businesses.

“Why Increasing the Minimum Wage Does Not Necessarily Reduce Employment,” Alan Manning, Social Europe, January 2014: “As the minimum wage rises and work becomes more attractive, labour turnover rates and absenteeism tend to decline.”

“Minimum Wage Effects Across State Borders: Estimates Using Contiguous Counties,” Arindrajit Dube, T. William Lester and Michael Reich, in 2010—we’re going way back in time. This is 2018. From that report, it was stated that the results were clear. These basic economic indicators show no correlation between federal minimum wage increases and lower employment levels, even in the industries that are most impacted by higher minimum wages. That was eight years ago.

So when we think about why the minimum wage has no discernible effect on employment—that is one of the common things that we’ve been hearing.

John Schmitt from the Center for Economic and Policy Research said in 2013:

“Across all of the empirical research that has investigated the issue, minimum wage increases are consistently associated with statistically significant and economically meaningful increases in the wages of affected workers....

“The research conducted since the early 1990s concludes that the minimum wage has little or no discernible effect on the employment prospects of low-wage workers.”

When you look at another comment, from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2015, three years ago: “Economic growth has disproportionately benefited higher-income groups while lower-income households have been left behind. This long-run increase in income inequality tends to drag down the GDP growth due to the rising distance of the lower 40% of the rest of society.”

Another comment, from Arindrajit Dube, T. William Lester and Michael Reich, in a report from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2014, four years ago: “Turnover rates for teens and restaurant workers fall substantially following a minimum wage increase, declining by 2% for every 10% increase in minimum wage.”

The Financial Diaries: How American Families Cope in a World of Uncertainty, Jonathan Morduch, in 2017 said, “Since the 1970s, steady work that pays a predictable and living wage has become increasingly difficult to find. This shift has left many more families vulnerable to income volatility.”

It’s important to focus on that word “predictability.” As a family, if you’re a single mother, if you have children—one, two or more children—you cannot manage your family expenses if you don’t have an income that allows you to plan, that allows you to make sure that you can provide good, sustainable food for your family, or that you might be able to provide recreational opportunities for your children—maybe enrol them in soccer or enrol them in hockey.

I’ve got a grandson who is four. He’s engaged in gymnastics. You can see the benefit that he has from being engaged in that way, from being active and healthy. I’m sure it’s going to pay dividends when he’s in school. He’s now in junior kindergarten. I can tell you that it’s an absolute delight to see him engaged in that way. He looks forward to it. But if you don’t have an income that allows you to plan, that is predictable, there’s no opportunity to even consider taking those kinds of sport activities and being engaged in that way.

Those who benefit from a minimum wage are important to talk about. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in 2017, “Controversy over the $15 minimum wage tends to focus on the stress it will place on mom-and-pop shops, but the data show that these represent a small portion of the firms where employees will see a raise. Almost 50% work for companies with 500 or more employees.”

A case study was brought forward from the fast food industry in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. David Card and Alan Krueger, in the American Economic Review, found, in September 1994, “no indication that the rise in minimum wage reduced employment”—in 1994.

“Publication Selection Bias in Minimum-Wage Research? A Meta-Regression Analysis” states, in the British Journal of Industrial Relations, “little or no evidence of a negative association between minimum wages and employment.”

I could go on. There is an incredible volume of resources that support raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. The minister of women’s affairs has brought forward motion 61, and I think that it’s a very important thing that we support that. I know that there’s a lot of opposition from the opposition on this issue. It’s very important that we bring forward some of the different approaches that have been discussed, especially in this interesting political time.

Every single political Conservative leadership candidate has spoken up and promised that a $15 minimum wage is not happening in 2019. Instead of acknowledging that people are working full-time yet struggling to pay rent, put food on the table or care for their families, they are all saying that they will stop the $15 minimum wage. Christine Elliott said that she would hold off on the increase for 2019; Doug Ford and Tanya Granic Allen told workers, flat out, “Nope” to the raise; and Caroline Mulroney said that she would put the brakes on that much needed raise for workers, slowing it down to a quarter a year.

Unlike them, we know that this raise can’t wait. How are we, as representatives of our community, going to go back to our community when people come forward in our constituency offices and say to us, “This has been rolled back—I can’t manage. What are you going to do about it?” That cannot happen.

This government will continue to stand up for Ontarians across this province on the minimum wage, on OHIP+ and on OSAP, and our Premier has the backs of Ontarians. I know, Mr. Speaker, that you know that, so thank you.

Now is the time to ensure our most vulnerable are sharing in our plan to create more fairness and opportunity for everyone. As I said in the beginning of my discussion this morning, Ontario’s economy is doing well. We all know the numbers: 800,000 jobs have been created since the recession, and our growth has been outpacing Canada and the G7 nations. We cannot say that often enough, because that is a fact. We also know that recent analysis from Scotiabank shows that there is no discernable evidence of a minimum wage impact on hours worked in Ontario so far.

The entire opposition caucus voted against fair workplaces and better jobs last year, and now every leadership candidate in the Conservative caucus has promised to cancel the $15 minimum wage increase.

It’s clear that we need to put the focus of everyday Ontarians first. We need to help them put food on the family’s table. We need to increase fairness and create opportunity for everyone. We need to allow those families who want to provide healthy food for their family—we want to see those families in the grocery stores not packing up their grocery carts with pasta but with healthy food. With a $15 minimum wage, free pharmacare for everyone under the age of 25, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students and better, more affordable child care, we are making Ontario a better and fairer place to live.

Our government is committed to protecting these values, and we can hear it every day in this Legislature, in this chamber, from every single minister on this side of the House and, particularly, from our Premier. We want to protect those values and build a province where everyone has the opportunity to get ahead.

Thank you for listening this morning. I pass my time to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Hon. Laura Albanese: Thank you—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): I have to recognize you.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Hon. Laura Albanese: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am pleased to add my voice to the debate this morning and to speak to this motion in support of the minimum wage increase to $15 an hour by January 1, 2019.

As we’ve heard, we read every day in the papers about how well the economy is performing in Ontario. At the same time, we well know—it’s been mentioned many times in this House—that not all Ontarians are feeling this prosperity and that this is not reflected in their everyday life and in the reality that they live every day.

There is a sense of inequality, that we have not been keeping up with the times. I also want to mention that in Toronto I have heard and read in many reports that a living wage is actually $16 an hour. So living in an urban centre like Toronto, $15 an hour would not even be considered a living wage. This is why my colleagues have made the point that people cannot wait. They cannot wait any longer. It is a government’s responsibility to try to make sure that no one is left behind, that everybody can share in the prosperity, especially when the economy is doing well, as is happening at the moment.

Mr. Speaker, I think back to early 2007 when I first ran for office. I ran in a by-election that I lost in February 2007. During that by-election, one of the main issues that were being discussed was an increase in the minimum wage. At that time, our government was still reflecting on that and was analyzing the reports and whether that was going to be possible. At that time, the government did not promise the increase until the general election. In the general election, which I did win in 2007, we had promised an increase in minimum wage, which happened. We increased it seven times after that and it did not have an impact on jobs until then for other reasons; we hit 2008 and the recession.

I want to say that it is important for people—because a lot has changed through time. At that time, if we look back about 10 years, the majority of people who were earning a minimum wage were students or people who chose to work part-time. If we now fast-forward the clock to today, we see, in communities such as the one that I have the privilege to represent, that the people who are earning minimum wage are actually families that are working full-time, families that are working two or three jobs; you’ll have newcomers to Canada; you’ll have single mothers with children. It’s hard for them to make ends meet.

So we need to bear the responsibility to take care of them and to make sure that they too can have access to the prosperity that everyone else is feeling.

In the past year and a half or two years, I have met with many advocates, many groups, many religious groups, but more importantly with residents, with constituents, who have brought forward what their situation is currently. There are many people who had been advocating for this before the government made the decision—the right decision—because it is only fitting that we do not leave anyone behind.

We’re celebrating the lunar new year. Many communities in Ontario—that is so diverse—during the past few weeks have been celebrating the lunar new year. I went with my colleague Sue Wong, MPP for Scarborough–Agincourt, and MPP Mike Colle, my colleague from Eglinton–Lawrence, to one of the local grocery stores in my area to wish the people a happy lunar new year, a happy Chinese New Year, just last week. People were shopping. A gentleman near the cashier recognized me as his local MPP and said, “Do you see how busy the grocery store is, MPP Albanese? Everyone has a little more money in their pocket.” I could just see joy in his face.

I’m just talking about a real example. I’m trying to bring a real example to this House because sometimes when we talk, it would seem that we’re talking about prosperity, about inequality, but we’re not translating that to what people are actually living in their everyday life.

Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more with the fact that this needs to happen. It cannot be rolled back. People need help. This is why our government has been trying to put forward initiatives to try to help families in the best way possible, for example, through free tuition for 250,000 students who could not otherwise afford it, through free prescription drugs for young people under 25. These are concrete initiatives that help families get by and help them, with dignity, reach a little more success in their own lives. That’s very important.

As Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, I see a lot of newcomers to this country. I talk to a lot of them. I was once an immigrant myself. When you first arrive here, you’re very busy trying to make ends meet. You’re very busy trying to set roots in the city, in the country, and you’re trying to raise your family. You want the best opportunities for your children. This is why you came here, to have a better future, not only for yourself but for your family and especially for your children, and every little bit counts. It makes a big difference.

When you first arrive, you don’t usually have the network to get the best job that would be available to you. Many immigrants can share a history of having to accept the first job that was offered to them, and then they slowly build their way up to finding a job in the field they studied for and becoming a little more successful in their own setting. Whatever the government can do to help them to integrate and thrive in our society is very important. It is our duty. That’s why I think it is very important that we do not take the chance to roll back a minimum wage increase that makes such a big difference in people’s lives.

I want to conclude by saying that—I should have mentioned that earlier; I’m sorry, Mr. Speaker—I wanted to share my time with the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville. I hope you will forgive me. I should have said that off the top. I hope that my colleague will be able to continue the conversation.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Thank you. Minister?

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Thank you, Speaker. I’m also delighted to join in, adding my voice to this debate. I just wanted to get confirmation. How much time do I have?

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Twenty-one minutes.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: An entire 21 minutes. I will be sharing some of this time with my fellow MPPs; I believe the MPP from Davenport will be sharing some time with me.

Mr. Speaker, to me it’s very simple. If somebody is working 40 hours a week full-time, they ought to be able to have a decent standard of living. They ought not to have to go to a food bank to feed their family. It’s as simple as that. Do we want an Ontario where somebody working full-time, eight hours a day, 40 hours a week still has to rely on a food bank to put food on the table for their families? I think we can all agree that’s not the kind of Ontario we want to live in.

That’s why we have raised the minimum wage first to $14 this past January 1, 2018, and we will be raising it further to $15 an hour January 1, 2019. I have to say that of all the things that we in government have done—there are many, many things that I’m very proud of, but this one is particularly something that I feel strongly about.

I also understand that for small businesses—we need to make sure that this transition is fair to them. That is why we came up with a robust small business package that includes reducing the small business tax by 1%. There’s much more that we are doing, including incentives for some small businesses that hire youth workers, for instance. The Ontario government will be providing them with a subsidy. We have eliminated the capital gains tax and we are making massive investments to ensure Ontario’s workforce remains highly skilled.

One of the knocks that the Conservative Party sometimes makes brings Ontario down by saying that Ontario is not a competitive place to do business in. But all of the evidence shows that’s not the case. In fact, as it turns out, three out of the five top cities in North America to do business in happen to be in Ontario, a business-friendly place. The Ontario PC Party may not think that Ontario is a competitive place to do business in, but it turns out that the rest of the world does think that Ontario is a very competitive place to do business in, and we will continue to advocate for that.

I also just wanted to say that often the debate on the minimum wage centres on that hourly wage increase, but along with it we made some very critical changes. One of the ones that I think is really good is that if somebody works for five years for one employer, they are entitled to three weeks’ vacation instead of the usual two weeks. I think we can all agree that that is something that is really important for work-life balance. We spend a significant amount of our lives working.

I think it’s really important that we be able to take some time off to enjoy the fruits of our labour, so the three weeks’ vacation, I believe, is very welcome. I know we have all travelled and in many parts of the world, particularly in Europe, four or five weeks is the norm. When you consider the fact that it’s a 52-week year, three weeks is not an unreasonable amount of time. That is another one that I’m very supportive of.

We have also said, equal pay for equal work. If somebody who is doing a part-time job is doing exactly the same thing as somebody who is doing a full-time job, fairness would suggest that the hourly wage be the same. Obviously, the take-home pay would be different because somebody is working fewer hours than full-time. But there’s no reason the hourly wage ought to be different if they’re doing the same job.

These are some of the other changes that I think get lost in the debate around minimum wage. We’ve done a lot to improve and protect Ontario’s workers. As they say, you get what you pay for, and quality shouldn’t cost more in the long run. I think we can all agree that quality really shouldn’t cost us more in the long run and we get what we pay for. So if we pay our employees well, then we get good quality, which in the long run is actually cheaper than lower quality.

There are so many different reasons to pay the minimum wage, and there’s a good business case to be made, but I think, to me, the most heartening thing is the human story. What is the point of growing our economy, what is the point of making our province richer, if that wealth is not going to be shared? Is Ontario a better place if our GDP increases but most of that increase goes to a select few places? Or is Ontario a better place if our GDP increases and that increase in wealth is more broadly shared?

I think, as Liberals, we do believe that a rising tide should lift all boats, not just some boats. That is the spirit behind raising the minimum wage. It’s a small way of saying that those who are the most vulnerable, those who are often doing the jobs that many of us may not want to do, ought to get a little bit of the rising tide, that their boats, their standards of living, should also rise.

I have met many of my residents. I have knocked on many doors over the past few months, often in high-rise buildings, because the weather is cold, so high-rise buildings are a good place to be knocking on doors, and I have yet to meet somebody in these buildings who has said, “Oh, I’m opposed to the minimum wage.” It’s not that everybody there is making the minimum wage—many are making more than the minimum wage—but they understand how hard it is in today’s Toronto, in today’s Mississauga, to live on $11.60 an hour. It’s just not possible. So we have made a good start and I’m very proud of this.

I’m a little disappointed that all of the leadership candidates in the PC race are saying that they are going to hold off on raising the minimum wage to $15 on January 1, 2019. I have to ask why. Why would you deny the most vulnerable of Ontarians the dignity that should come with working full-time? If you are working 40 hours a week, eight hours a day—why would you deny these people the dignity of not being forced to go to a food bank to put food on the table? That’s the simple question. You have to ask yourself: Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of the vast majority of Ontarians or not?

I understand that there are many stakeholders as we raise the $15 minimum wage. There are ways to balance the needs and concerns of all of the stakeholders. But why would you deny a raise to the poorest of the poor?

My only question to the PC Party would be, if you are going to say that somehow Ontario should not increase the minimum wage, would you say the same for all of the CEOs in Ontario? Would you say that you’re against a raise for all of the CEOs in the year 2019?

Interjection: Yes.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Well, say that. Because I have never heard any of you say that. All of you come out and say that you will be against raising the minimum wage, but if it comes to the rich—

Mr. John Yakabuski: You’re the government; pass a law.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Oh, “A 300% increase to a CEO’s salary? Not a problem.” I have never heard—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I would ask the House to come to order so that I can hear the member who has the floor.

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Thank you, Speaker.

It’s really interesting that when it comes to the richest of the rich, there is no protest when their wages or their salaries increase. But somebody who is making $14 an hour? Oh my goodness, the world is going to come down if we increase their wages. I think that’s something that we all need to ask ourselves.

I’m very pleased to be supporting the minimum wage. Now I’m going to turn this over to my colleague, the member from Davenport.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Davenport, if she chooses to participate in the debate.

Mrs. Cristina Martins: Thank you, Speaker. I’m very pleased to rise in the House today and add my voice to the debate that is being had in the House today.

I think it’s everyone’s knowledge that many business leaders from across the world are choosing to invest in Ontario. This is because we have a vibrant and diversified economy, a very competitive corporate tax regime and some of the most highly educated and skilled workers in the world. Greater equality, which our plan seeks to do, is foundational for a strong economy. Putting more money in the hands of hard-working Ontarians is always good for businesses. By creating more equitable workplaces, we’re making Ontario an even more attractive place to work and do business.

What we are doing now will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from all the efforts we’ve made between government, businesses and workers, to benefit from these initiatives and share in the growth of the economy.

To do that, we have taken various steps and put some investments into place. We eliminated the capital tax. We reduced the small business corporate income tax rate. We’re investing $190 billion over 13 years in infrastructure. We’re committed to keeping our corporate income taxes competitive. We’re making massive investments to ensure that Ontario’s workforce remains highly skilled. Through the fair hydro plan, 500,000 small businesses will be getting 25% off their electricity bills.

Our economy is doing very well. We are leading the G7 in economic growth, and, as has already been said in this House this morning, we’ve created almost 800,000 jobs since the recession. Our unemployment rate has been below the national average for 34 months.

But we know that not everyone is feeling the benefits of that prosperity. We have millions of workers in Ontario who are finding it almost impossible to support their families on a minimum wage that just doesn’t go far enough. It is time that this rate reflected the reality of people’s lives. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour gives 30% of Ontarians a pay increase, ensuring that more workers are benefiting from Ontario’s economic growth. A $15 minimum wage phased in over 18 months is good for workers, but it can also be good for businesses too.

When businesses pay fairly, living standards rise and reliance on benefits falls. Higher wages also lead to greater job satisfaction and productivity, less turnover and more spending power for lower-income earners.

Beyond the positive impact, the minimum wage increase speaks to our values. It’s about equal opportunity, ensuring that those who work hard and play by the rules are rewarded. It’s our job as government to make sure our society reflects those values. Whether it’s child care or health care, rent control or workplace fairness, the motivation behind them is the same: They all help to build an Ontario where greater opportunity is available for everyone and greater security is achievable for everyone.

Over the past number of years, I’ve spoken with many of my constituents in my riding of Davenport about the nature of their work and how it has changed. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet on numerous occasions with the advocacy group Fight for $15 and Fairness, and had the opportunity to write to the Minister of Labour about the $15 minimum wage.

Everyone I met with spoke about how hard they are working to put food on their table, take care of their children and pay the bills, but they are finding that the money runs out before the month ends. This isn’t right. Those who are earning minimum wage shouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet. While the party opposite doesn’t agree with this, I strongly believe that everyone who works 35 or 40 hours a week deserves to earn a decent wage. They shouldn’t have to struggle to get by. It’s disappointing that the party opposite doesn’t agree.

We know that over the last few weeks, the PCs have made it clear that they would delay an increase to a $15 minimum wage, but they won’t say for how long. They think that $15 an hour is too much, and January 1 of next year is too soon. But we know that families of Ontario cannot afford to wait. My constituents cannot afford to wait. Delaying $15 an hour is the same as denying $15 an hour. We know that $15 an hour is not a livable wage in many city centres across this province. Families in my riding of Davenport are counting on this increase. This is money they rely on for food, for rent, for child care and for transit.

Before January 1 of this year, 30% of Ontarians were making less than $15 an hour, and over half of those were between the ages of 24 and 64. Those are workers who are trying to raise families. I strongly believe that we need to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019.

I’m proud that our government is standing up for workers and making changes that will support them. We won’t back down from our commitment. That’s why I’m so proud that our government is committed to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019.

As a member of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, I had the opportunity to travel this province in the summer and earlier this year, when we heard from various business owners about the $15 minimum wage. There was one particular presenter who stuck in my mind and whom I’ve quoted various times. Her name is Jessica Carpinoni. She’s the owner of Bread By Us, an artisan bakery and espresso bar in Ottawa. This is what she said:

“I know, from experience opening my own bakery, that it is by no means simple and easy to run a small business. We didn’t start with much, had to make money quickly, and the personal sacrifices have been immense. However, I have always vowed that I would not build a business that did not prioritize above-average labour standards. And this to me, is really the key. We as entrepreneurs need to be forward-thinking and not build and model our businesses on poverty-level wages.”

I want to thank Jessica for her presentation that day in Ottawa and for being an example for small businesses across this province that it is possible.

Once again, I’m very proud that our government is committed to raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour come January 1, 2019.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Further debate? The member from Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker—

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Sorry; you were not introduced to speak.

We will now go to the official opposition.

Mr. John Yakabuski: It’s just another example of the government failing to get their act together in this building.

Mrs. Gila Martow: You’ll be sharing your time.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I know. I want to get the first thing in first, but thanks, mom.

I will be sharing my time with the member from Thornhill.

Speaker, it’s interesting that at a time when the government says they have a very busy and packed agenda before this Legislature rises for what we know is going to be the June 7 election, they can’t seem to really get it together. So instead of debating the business of the House this morning, we’re rehashing Bill 148.

The reality is that everything the Liberals are talking about this morning has already been determined. It has been passed by law. It is the law today. It is the law that on January 1, the minimum wage went to $14, and on January 1, 2019, it will go to $15. That’s the law that this Legislature passed. If that’s going to change, then the law would have to be changed. But the matter has been determined.

Boy, I heard an awful lot of stuff from Liberal members today who see this only through one side. The reason they do that is that this is so politically motivated. They talk about how they’re determined to have the backs of the vulnerable. They’re the party that cares about those people who are underpaid. But it’s interesting that they did nothing to raise this wage in any substantive way prior to the eve of the election—nothing. They agreed with and they passed legislation and regulation that would tie increases in minimum wage to the rate of inflation. All of a sudden, when this government realized that they were in big trouble and they felt they had to pull a rabbit out of a hat—

Mr. John Fraser: Point of order, Mr. Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Point of order, the member from Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: Mr. Speaker, I didn’t quite catch it, but the member opposite said he was disappointed that we were not debating our agenda this morning. It was the member and the member’s party who put forward reasoned amendments that prevented us from debating what we had scheduled this morning.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The member from Ottawa South, that’s not a point of order. I’ll remind the member that your party brought forward this motion, and he has a right to speak to it.

Continue.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Thank you very much, Speaker. I appreciate the clarity from the member from Ottawa South, but it only adds to my argument that it’s their job to understand the business they have before the Legislature and all of the possibilities that could happen as a result of their failure to get their act together. It is part of the standing orders that the opposition has the right to table a reasoned amendment to legislation, so that there’s an opportunity to re-examine that before it goes to debate.

If this government doesn’t have enough bills or business in the hopper to actually bring something before the House, surely to goodness, Speaker, that is not the fault of the opposition in any way, shape or form. If they don’t have their act together, they cannot blame it on the opposition. They should have known that that was a possibility and it is the right of the opposition to proceed in that fashion.

But let’s get to the matters at hand. They talk about caring about the vulnerable, caring about those who matter. They didn’t do anything to help those people. But all of a sudden, on the eve of the election, they bring it out in Bill 148, which was never discussed in any way, shape or form during the Changing Workplaces Review, which was supposed to be part of the Labour Relations Act changes and the Employment Standards Act changes. All of a sudden, on June 1, they tabled that bill. Really, the most significant piece in it was the change in the rate of the minimum wage.

Yet it had never been discussed in the two years before that during the negotiations and discussions and consultations on the Changing Workplaces Review.

But as I said, they felt they had to do something significant, something desperate, something that was going to shake the world, and they decided, “All of a sudden, we now care about those people.” Did they care about those people when hydro rates went up 300% in Ontario? Did they care about those people?

Hon. Dipika Damerla: Yes.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Absolutely not.

They talk about food banks. What was sending people to food banks? It was the fact that you did nothing to try to ease the pain on those families when you raised hydro rates 300%. They weren’t talking about their wages; they were asking whether or not they could heat or eat. That was the phrase that went across this province.

When I talked to people at food banks in my riding, they were absolutely at their wit’s end about how they were going to deal with the issue of people in rural Ontario, particularly, where those wages are lower—and we don’t live in condominiums; most people live in free-standing homes that face the elements on all four sides, four seasons of the year. How were they going to pay their electricity bills? How were they going to pay them? So many of them were making the choice that they had to make: paying their bills and going to the food bank, or not paying their bills.

They decided to pay their bills—

Interjections.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Stop the clock. There have been a couple of outbursts from that side. I would appreciate it if you would pull it back a little bit. Thank you.

Continue.

Mr. John Yakabuski: Not paying their bills at that time could see that their electricity was cut off. But then, under pressure from the opposition and pressure from advocates across this province, you guys had to actually change the rules so they couldn’t have their electricity cut off in the wintertime. They pay their bills, but now they have no money to go to that grocery store to buy food, so they’re going to the food bank.

This is the Ontario that Kathleen Wynne and the Liberals developed and made for the people of Ontario. This is their Ontario, their vision: put people down so far that they have to go to food banks. Now the Premier says all of a sudden the minimum wage is going to close the food banks. She implied yesterday that people wouldn’t need to go to food banks now.

In your province, they’ll still be going to food banks, because you’ve raised the cost of living to the point where they cannot compete. They cannot keep up. That’s why you people are in trouble in this province.

The member from Kingston said that there’s no record that changes in the minimum wage change the rates of employment. She’s citing a study from New Jersey in 1994. Did the wages in New Jersey in 1994 go up 32%? No.

Previous increases that were tied to the rate of inflation or some other formula were never as drastic and never as severe. But these changes have affected employment.

In fact, in January, Ontario lost 59,300 part-time jobs.

Speaker, I have this right here from the Canadian Press: “Ontario Sheds 59K Part-Time Jobs in Jan. as New ... Minimum Wage Begins.”

It’s the biggest loss in my time here as a member, and perhaps the biggest loss ever in a single month. They can say that the minimum wage increase has nothing to do with it. But stop with the studies from 1994 and talk about the real studies, the ones where you go down your neighbourhood street and talk to the business person who is now being affected by this.

They’re cutting hours because they’ve got no choice. They can’t raise prices by 32%. They’re cutting hours and they’re closing—stores that used to be open till 9 at night are now open till 7 or 6.

I received a letter from a constituent in my riding who I had written a letter to maybe eight months ago now, when her husband passed away. She sent me a nice card thanking me for the letter, but she also wrote me in January about her job at a local business. I haven’t spoken to the business about it so I won’t name them. Her hours were cut. She’s not blaming the business. In her letter, she’s blaming Kathleen Wynne for not even thinking about what the obvious effects of this would be. She used to make $382 a week, clear. With the minimum wage increase, she’s now making $380.16.

So her wages didn’t go up; in fact, they went down slightly, because the taxes are more and her hours have been cut. She absolutely supports, 100%, her employer, who is trying to keep her and other people working but has no other choice but to cut their expenses, because the government just decided, “We’re going to send a social program onto the backs of small business, and they’re going to have to pay, because we need those votes in June 2018.” It was irresponsible. It was not well thought-out.

They talk about niche businesses saying, “Oh, we pay our people more than $15 an hour.” Well, some people can afford to buy coffee at Starbucks, and some people can’t. Some people don’t want to pay $5 for a latte or a coffee or whatever. It’s just not in their DNA. If there are people who can go to niche businesses and pay exorbitant prices for products that are available elsewhere for a more reasonable price, so be it. If people are willing to pay, then that business can pay their employees more. But most people want to buy the best product at the best price.

So this government likes to cite examples of little niche businesses that think this is just fine—“We’re not affected by it”—but they’re ignoring the tens of thousands of businesses across Ontario that are being affected negatively.

Speaker, I’m going to go right till you tell me to, because I know the time will be coming shortly. I just want to remind you that I will be sharing the time with my colleague from Thornhill. There are so many things that I could be talking about. Because I don’t know when this might come back, I wanted to make sure that it’s on the record that she will be speaking to it. We could talk for hours and hours and hours.

I hope the government continues to bring this debate, but at the same time, my goodness, they must have something else in the hopper that hasn’t already been debated. But if they want to continue to talk about—thank you very much, Speaker.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): Thank you.

Debate deemed adjourned.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Paul Miller): The time is done at 10:15. This House stands recessed until 10:30 this morning.

The House recessed from 1015 to 1030.

Introduction of Visitors

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise to welcome Liam and Suzanne McCreery to the Legislature today. They are at Queen’s Park this week with their son Jacob, who is participating in the Ontario model Parliament. I want to welcome the whole family to Queen’s Park and thank them all for being here.

Hon. Helena Jaczek: This morning I would like to welcome various stakeholders who are here to support Ontario’s first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I would like to introduce Clovis Grant, CEO of 360ºkids; Bonnie Harkness, director of operations at 360ºkids; Larry Shanks, executive director of SafeHope Home; Sue Wilkinson from Findhelp Information Services; and Tessa Mcfadzean, chair of the Hamilton Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition and director of Good Shepherd services in Hamilton.

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’d like to welcome to Queen’s Park members of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario from the region of Durham. They include Angela Cooper Brathwaite, Regina Elliott and Lhamo Dolkar. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Tracy MacCharles: Good morning. I’m very pleased to welcome some dear friends of mine. John Trainor and Judy Kalman are here at Queen’s Park. I hope you enjoy your visit. Thanks for being here.

Mr. Jim Wilson: I’d like to welcome representatives from the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects: Aina Budrevics, executive director of OALA; Doris Chee, president of OALA governing council; Glenn O’Connor, past president of the OALA governing council; and Tim Dobson, OALA practice legislation committee member. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I’d like to welcome two RNAO members that I met with this morning from the London area. I’d like to welcome Aaron Clark and Jennifer Black. Thank you for the information today at breakfast.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I’d like to also welcome a great partner of ours to the Legislature today, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. Please join me in welcoming CEO Doris Grinspun, special guest Shane Choinard, and the rest of the RNAO team, who work extremely hard every day for nurses and patients across Ontario.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Two separate sets of introductions today.

From OSPE, we have Jonathan Hack, who is president and chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers; Karen Chan, past president and chair; Tibor Turi, director; and Marilyn Spink, PEO councillor and OSPE political action network member; and from Professional Engineers Ontario, George Comrie, the past president of PEO; Lola Hidalgo Salgado, the PEO councillor of the PEO; and Jeannette Chau, the manager of government liaison programs.

And this morning, from the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, at breakfast I met with—all from North Bay—Kathryn Ewers, assistant professor at Nipissing University; Bradley Manuel, second-year Nipissing University student; and James Bunker, a registered nurse at the North Bay Regional Health Centre.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to introduce Mr. Keith Scott, his sister Shanon Garon and grandma Annie Scott, all the way in from Schreiber.

Mrs. Liz Sandals: I’d like to introduce Emma Callon from Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, who is here today to support Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Welcome.

Mr. Steve Clark: Speaker, I want to introduce, to you and through you, to members of the Legislative Assembly a constituent from my riding of Leeds–Grenville who is here with the RNAO. I’d like to introduce Jane Hess from the Lanark Leeds Grenville chapter. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Harinder Malhi: Today we mark our first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I would like to welcome Chuck MacLean, the executive director of Family Services of Peel; Sandra Rupnarain, the director of client services at Family Services of Peel; Farah Ahmed, from Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Community Health Centre; and, from the Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, Trina James and Nour Alideeb, and Talayeh Shomali, coordinator at Justice Projects. Thank you for all of your work, and welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: It’s an honour to welcome to the Legislature today a constituent from my riding of Niagara West–Glanbrook who is here with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. Welcome, Nathan Kelly, to the Ontario Legislature.

Hon. Marie-France Lalonde: As mentioned in the House, we have the great pleasure of welcoming the RNAO, but I want also to give a shout-out to all of our nurses who are working in our correctional institutions who are here this morning at Queen’s Park. I had a great meeting this morning with some of our Ottawa caucus members, particularly Shirley Kennedy. I want to say thank you for all the work she does.

Ms. Lisa M. Thompson: I’m very pleased today to welcome to the House a caring professional, Christy Butler. She is here with the RNAO. She works out of the Clinton hospital.

Hon. Reza Moridi: It’s a great pleasure, Madam Speaker, to welcome my friends and constituents Ms. Nina Kashefpour and Mr. Hamidreza Safipoor. Please join me in welcoming them to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Bill Walker: It’s my pleasure to introduce Veronique Boscart from the Waterloo

chapter of RNAO. She’s a real advocate for long-term care. Thanks for being here.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Speaker, I’d like to introduce Parisa Mahdian, who is the chair of the Oakville

chapter of the Professional Engineers of Ontario. Please welcome her to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ernie Hardeman: I’m pleased to rise today to welcome Claire Debruin, an intern from Ohio who started working in our office today. We’re pleased to have her join us in the office and welcome her to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Daiene Vernile: It gives me great pleasure to welcome to Queen’s Park a family friend from Waterloo region, Joe Gowing. Welcome to the Legislature.

Speaker, I want to congratulate the women’s Olympic hockey team for winning a silver medal in a really hard-fought game against the Americans. It was not the result we were looking for, but we look forward to the next games.

Mr. Ross Romano: I want to take this opportunity to give a very warm welcome to one of our pages from Sault Ste. Marie, Asia Boston. Where’s Asia? Welcome, Asia.

Hon. Jeff Leal: I want to welcome Jill Staples, who is the Peterborough representative of RNAO. I couldn’t be at their breakfast this morning because I was speaking to the annual meeting of the Beef Farmers of Ontario.

Mr. Jack MacLaren: It gives me great pleasure to introduce a number of people from the Trillium Party of Ontario. We have candidates Amit Pitamber, Lonnie Herrington, Lucy Guerrero, Carlos Lacuna, Chris Mellor, Andre Imbeault and Liz Marshall; Tom Black, president of the Ontario Landowners Association; and my wife, Janet, whom I love more than anything.

Ms. Sophie Kiwala: It gives me real warmth to welcome, from my riding of Kingston and the Islands, from the RNAO, Allison Kern, Megan Laan and Caroline Frankfurter, but also Doris Grinspun, the CEO of the RNAO. I would like to acknowledge her for being the first nurse to receive an honorary doctorate from the Universitat de Lleida in Spain. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Laura Albanese: I too, with great pleasure, would like to welcome to Queen’s Park members of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario whom I met this morning: my very own constituent Angela Golabek, and also Hilda Swirsky, Maria Negri and Kay McGarvey. Thank you. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

M me France Gélinas: J’aimerais remercier l’Association des infirmières et infirmiers autorisés de l’Ontario pour leur journée à Queen’s Park. Je cherche Paul-André Gauthier—je sais qu’il est là; je ne le vois pas—et David Groulx.

I’d like to welcome members of the RNAO. I have a long list: Angela Cooper Brathwaite, Nathan Kelly, Hilda Swirsky, Allison Kern, Michelle Spadoni, Maria Rugg, Una Ferguson, Christine Bintakies, Aaron Clark, Regina Elliott, Crystal Hepburn, Paula Manuel, Kamala Persad-Ford, Megan Simpson and Janet Hunt.

Welcome to Queen’s Park. Thank you, nurses.

Mr. James J. Bradley: I would like to introduce nurses from St. Catharines, the RNAO group: Holly Rogers, Julie Rubel and Lydia Tarasiuk.

Hon. Kathryn McGarry: I’d like to introduce again—he has already been introduced this morning—Joe Gowing, a long-time friend of mine, in the members’ east gallery.

Also, I know she has been recognized already, but Doris Grinspun from the RNAO and I have worked together since the 1990s as nurses. Welcome, again, to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to join my colleagues who have introduced the provincial leadership of Professional Engineers Ontario, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. John Yakabuski: I’d like to welcome to Queen’s Park today Natalia Kusendova, who is a policy and political action ENO. Thank you very much for joining us today.

Mr. Lou Rinaldi: I’d like to welcome RN Kathleen Pikaart from the great riding of Northumberland–Quinte West. I had the pleasure of having breakfast with her this morning, along with Dhara Shah and student Nicole Forster.

Mr. Todd Smith: I’d like to introduce Lisa Herlehy to the House today. I had breakfast with her this morning with the RNAO. She’s a nurse practitioner with the wellness centre on the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Tyendinaga territory. Thank you.

Hon. Bill Mauro: I’m pleased to welcome the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario to Queen’s Park today. I had an opportunity to meet this morning with two members from Thunder Bay. A special welcome to Robin Billard, who is a second-year nursing compressed student—good luck on her career path—and to Sally Dampier from the RNAO.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I want to introduce a special guest here today in the House: Philip Gillies, MPP for Brantford in the 32nd and 33rd Parliaments. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Notices of reasoned amendments

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 71(c), the member for Huron–Bruce has filed with the Clerk a reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 194,

An Act respecting fairness in procurement. The order for second reading of Bill 194 may therefore not be called today.

I beg to inform the House that—

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order. Order.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): It’s never too early to warn members, or to name. Order.

I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 71(c), the member for Chatham–Kent–Essex has filed with the Clerk a reasoned amendment to the motion for second reading of Bill 195,

An Act to enact the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Act, 2018 and the Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, 2018, to make related amendments to other Acts, to repeal

an Act and to revoke a regulation. The order for second reading of Bill 195 may therefore not be called today.

Oral Questions

Rural Ontario

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the—

Interjections.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: If they let me, Speaker, my question will be for the Acting Premier.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Thank you, Speaker.

To the Acting Premier: Keith Currie, the president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, said, “Much of rural Ontario is actually feeling very abandoned.” Why has this government abandoned rural Ontario?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Hon. Jeff Leal: I appreciate the question from the Leader of the Opposition this morning. I want to congratulate him on assuming his new position here in the House.

Let me respond from this perspective: When you look at agriculture today in the province of Ontario, it is the leading economic driver, with $37.5 billion to Ontario’s GDP. Some 800,000 Ontarians are employed in this sector each and every day. The foundation of all this is 50,000 family farms in the province of Ontario.

If you just take a moment to tour the back concessions and sit at the kitchen tables, we are seeing unprecedented expansion in dairy, in chickens and in eggs. In fact, I have a letter sitting on my desk from Mark Brock, the former head of the Grain Farmers of Ontario, thanking us for our leadership in initiating a national review of business—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you.

Hon. Jeff Leal: —for farmers in Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the leader of Her Majesty’s loyal opposition.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier: The Ontario Federation of Agriculture added that rural Ontario needs “infrastructure investments like widespread broadband” and “access to affordable energy, especially natural gas.” Rural Ontario needs “increased social infrastructure including local schools and medical care centres” that “will attract new businesses, it will increase new jobs and it will attract new residents.”

But this Ontario government has turned its back again on rural Ontario. In fact, rural Ontario has been abandoned by this Liberal government. Madam Speaker, that must change.

Will the budget increase support for rural Ontario?

Hon. Jeff Leal: Madam Speaker, it’s a little rich, coming from this party. Every time that we had major initiatives for infrastructure in any of our budgets over the last 15 years that I’ve had the great privilege of representing the people from Peterborough riding, these folks over here voted against it.

Let’s have a little history here. In 1998 or 1999 there was a famous commission that they put in place called the Who Does What Commission. I remember it very well. I remember it extremely well. Most people in municipal government renamed that commission the “who got done in commission.” And who got done in? Municipalities right across the province of Ontario.

I remind these folks over there, 43% of all the roads and bridges were downloaded in eastern Ontario, and I must say, this government is digging out of that ditch that they left.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I will return to the leader of Her Majesty’s opposition.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Back to the Acting Premier—

Interjection: How many have you taken back?

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order. You know the rules. This is not your playground, okay? Next time I stand up again with interruptions, someone will be named. I’m warning.

I return to the leader of Her Majesty’s opposition.

Mr. Victor Fedeli: Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Bob Gordanier, the president of the Beef Farmers of Ontario and a current Liberal candidate, says, “Our number one ask with the Ontario Agriculture Sustainability Coalition is to raise the cap” for the Risk Management Program.

He added, “Our message to government has been clear—the $100-million cap has compromised the stability, predictability and timeliness” the program provides. It’s “making it less effective and less responsive.”

Ontario must act to support rural Ontario. Madam Speaker, will the Acting Premier commit to raising the Risk Management Program cap?

Hon. Jeff Leal: Madam Speaker, I’m trying to be as calm as I can here. It’s rather interesting. When we proposed a $100-million Risk Management Program, they voted against it. When their federal cousins were in Ottawa, they did not lift one hand in the federal government at that time to match the Ontario initiative at 60%. They were nowhere to be found.

Frankly, we’re doing a review of the RMP in the province of Ontario that is going to make a more effective program for the non-supply-managed groups here in Ontario. In fact, it was Ontario’s leadership alone that has brought about a national review, a business risk management program, applauded by the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, applauded by the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, applauded by the National Farmers Union and applauded by every farmer in the back concessions of Ontario.

Human trafficking

Ms. Laurie Scott: My question is to the Minister of the Status of Women.

Today marks the first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Ontario. As you know, this is an issue that I care deeply about. Over the past several years, I’ve travelled across this province, meeting with survivors, victim services organizations, police officers and many others to encourage co-operation and raise awareness about this horrible crime that targets our children, mostly young girls who are an average age of 14 years old, and 93% are Canadian-born.

One of the reactions I keep getting when speaking with parents, grandparents and young people is absolute shock at these statistics, and the fact that this crime is happening right in our neighbourhoods, whether it’s in big cities or small towns, from Kenora to Timmins or from Ottawa to Windsor.

On this Human Trafficking Awareness Day, will the government commit to funding comprehensive, province-wide awareness campaigns to educate Ontarians about how to recognize and fight human sex trafficking?

Hon. Harinder Malhi: I thank the member opposite for the question. Human trafficking is a devastating crime that violates human rights, and I want you to know that we are working very hard to help survivors receive the supports they need and to put an end to it.

Last year, we launched Ontario’s Strategy to End Human Trafficking and made an investment of close to $72 million. As part of our human trafficking strategy, we passed the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, 2017. This act allows for survivors to apply for restraining orders against human traffickers, to protect themselves or their children from traffickers. It will make it easier for survivors of human trafficking to gain compensation from those who traffic them, in order to restore and rebuild their lives. And, of course, it proclaims February 22 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return back to the member from Kawartha Lakes.

Ms. Laurie Scott: Again to the minister: Thank you for absorbing parts of the bill we’ve been fighting for on this side for over two years, the Saving the Girl Next Door Act.

Ontario is known to be a major hub for human sex trafficking in North America, and yet other jurisdictions, whether it’s Manitoba or New York, are way ahead of us when it comes to public awareness initiatives. In those jurisdictions, you can’t go through an airport or go to a hotel without seeing a poster informing the public about human sex trafficking and educating passersby about how to spot potential victims.

Why is it that this government cannot find the money to fund advertising that can raise an awareness campaign that could actually help save the lives of human sex trafficking victims today, instead of finding money to fund self-serving hydro ads? Will the government today commit to an awareness campaign that can actually help save the lives of human sex trafficking victims?

Hon. Harinder Malhi: Madam Speaker, it is unacceptable that people in our society are at risk of being trafficked. I want you to know that, across government, we take this issue very seriously. Here’s what we’ve done so far.

We have our Human Trafficking Lived Experience Roundtable, which will strengthen the province’s efforts to end human trafficking through direct engagement input from survivors of trafficking. We have enhanced funding by $6.65 million to 47 community-based service partners delivering the victim crisis assistance program, and expanded the Victim/Witness Assistance Program by $767,000 to hire new specialized human trafficking victim service workers. We’ve expanded the Victim Quick Response Program by $1.93 million to allow victims of human trafficking to access new benefits. We are hiring for the new provincial human trafficking prosecution team—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Answer.

I return back to the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock.

Ms. Laurie Scott: Minister, this is a real crisis happening to real people, happening to our children. What can be more important than educating the public and our children about this horrible crime of exploitation?

The reality is that every elementary school and every high school in Ontario is a target for traffickers. Elementary school principals in my riding have told me that children are regularly getting text messages luring them into modelling. What 12- or 14-year-old wouldn’t be tempted to have such an extremely attractive offer? The fact is, they can fall into the trap of trafficking in as little as 24 hours. Education about human sex trafficking needs to be in our schools.

Why has the government chosen to ignore the urgent need to educate our kids about human sex trafficking like other jurisdictions do?

Hon. Harinder Malhi: Minister of Children and Youth Services.

Hon. Michael Coteau: We had the opportunity to go right across the province to talk to leaders and advocates about best positioning young children and youth here in the province to prevent sex trafficking. We brought forward a very comprehensive piece of legislation, Bill 89. Bill 89 does something that speaks to exactly what that member is talking about. It raises the age of protection for child protection.

But we know that the Conservative Party here in the province voted against it. We know that the member from Carleton–Mississippi Mills told Ottawa Community News that there was a caucus meeting where the members from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex, Kitchener–Conestoga, Chatham–Kent–Essex and Niagara West–Glanbrook insisted that they need to vote against Bill 89 because the life coalition told them to do that.

You should do what’s in the best interests of children and stand up for the children and families in this province.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order. I’m going to recognize the leader of the third party.

Hospital services

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Madam Speaker, I’d like to start by sharing New Democrats’ concerns with the people of Brantford who are dealing with the serious flooding, as well as the family and community members in Orangeville who are dealing with the tragedy that’s unfolding with the missing three-year-old young boy.

My question is for the Premier, or Acting Premier, I guess. Kristen and David Ronald are a Hamilton couple, and right now they are spending their sixth day stuck in Costa Rica. The Ronalds were on vacation last week when David had a very serious fall. He went into emergency surgery on Friday and was ready to be transferred home to Hamilton on Saturday for further surgeries, but he was told that there were no hospital beds available for him. David had to have his second surgery as a result in Costa Rica. He and Kristen are finally able to come home today.

What is the Liberal government’s excuse for why this couple spent six days in a foreign country waiting for a hospital bed to open up at home?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: First of all, I want to express my deepest concern for the Ronald family as they go through this difficult crisis and experience. It’s stressful any time a loved one is injured or requires surgery, whether that be here or abroad.

Madam Speaker, I know that there’s nothing more important to all of us than the health and safety of our loved ones. When it comes to a situation like this, the hospital, the insurance company and all of us can do better in coordinating that care. My staff have confirmed that an average of 10 intensive care unit beds were available throughout the Hamilton Niagara LHIN this past weekend and more than 140 intensive care beds available across the province. However, we cannot verify whether the insurer contacted all hospitals in the region.

What is important now, however, is that we make the full service of Ontario’s health care system completely available to this family.

But I need to mention that the LHIN was not contacted, my ministry was not contacted with regard to this case and my office was not contacted with regard to this case.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I think it’s pretty sad when the Minister of Health blames an insurance company for the failures of his government and his ministry.

The Ronalds are scared, Speaker. David is lucky to be alive right now. They have been through a lot this past week and the whole time, all they wanted was to come home. David is in stable condition now, but he and Kristen have been through an ordeal that no Ontario family should have to face.

Is this crisis finally clear to the government? Do they finally understand the real-life effects that years and years of budget cuts and freezes have had at our hospitals and have on people like David and Kristen?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: When it comes to a situation like this, as I mentioned, the hospital and the insurance company—all of us—can do better in coordinating that care. That includes the NDP, Madam Speaker, who are once again putting politics over patients.

Yesterday, as soon as my office heard about the situation from the media, we were on the phone working with the LHIN and local hospitals to find a bed. This was all triggered by the Hamilton Spectator asking, following a media release by the third party. Until that point, the ministry and the LHIN were unaware of the situation.

The leader of the NDP had the opportunity to plan an event, pull out of question period and make a statement in Hamilton, all before she could notify us and ask for help and allow us to help. Four hours after her press conference, my office finally received an email from her asking what we could do to assist this family. Hamilton Health Sciences received a similar contact even later in the day from the member opposite.

As I mentioned, my staff confirmed that over 140 ICU beds were open across this province, including 10 in that LHIN.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Madam Speaker, I have to say, I am shocked that the Minister of Health thinks that I, the leader of the third party, need to do his job for him. That is ridiculous, Speaker. That is ridiculous.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): It’s never too early to warn somebody.

I return to the leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Look, Speaker, this minister acknowledges that his ministry has a lack of coordination with their LHIN. I got a desperate call from constituents in my riding, and I proudly did my job and went to bat for them.

And do you know what? This overcrowding crisis is not just about this particular situation. There are problems rife in our system. Danny Marchand is a Londoner, and he was badly injured in a downhill skiing accident in Collingwood this month. He spent 11 days waiting in the hospital in Collingwood before a bed opened up in London so that he could be transferred home—11 days in pain.

The question is, why have the Liberals allowed this crisis to go on?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: What I find remarkable is she is the local MPP, but instead of contacting my ministry or my office—

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order. Okay, I’m going to start warning people. Minister Sousa, first time.

I recognize the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: A party that closed 9,645 hospital beds, a party that closed 24% of all the acute beds in this province, is not going to give me lessons on how to place a patient in this province. We are now working as hard as humanly possible to ensure that this family is able to avail themselves of the health services, no thanks to that third party.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Order.

I recognize the leader of the third party.

Hospital services

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’m glad the Minister of Health again acknowledged the Liberal that was at the helm back in those days.

My next question is for the Acting Premier.

Yesterday, the MPP for Nickel Belt told this House about Leo, an elderly man in Sudbury who spent 13 days receiving his medical care in a bathroom at Health Sciences North. His pillow was beside a toilet, Speaker.

The Premier and her Liberal government have had nearly 15 years to fix the problems in our hospitals, and instead, they have made them worse. Why is this Liberal government ignoring the crisis that they’ve helped create in our hospital system?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Madam Speaker, we know that many of our hospitals have had capacity challenges over the last number of months. We have worked hard to make sure that they have the resources they require to continue to provide that highest quality of care.

Every single outcome that we’re measuring in terms of health outcomes for patients is either sustained or has improved over the past years under this government. In the case of Health Sciences North, we increased their budget by $6 million last year. We provided them with more than a dozen additional acute care beds last fall, which was part of 1,200—the equivalent of six community hospitals—1,200 new acute care beds that were provided right across this province at an investment of $100 million.

We’ve just recently renewed that investment, almost doubling it into the next fiscal year, to ensure that those capacity challenges are adequately addressed.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return back to the leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Only an out-of-touch Liberal can call somebody having their pillow beside a toilet an improvement in our hospital system.

The last Conservative government fired 6,000 nurses and they closed 28 hospitals. This Liberal government has had 15 years—15 years—to fix the problems, but instead, they have followed down the same path with more hospital cuts and budget freezes. Now, conveniently, right before an election, they’re saying that they’ve been investing in hospitals all along. This is what makes people extremely cynical about politics, Speaker.

Why are the Liberals more concerned about their own electoral chances in this upcoming election than they are about the well-being of Ontarians?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: That party removed 230 drugs from the formulary when they were in power. They closed 24% of the acute care beds in this province. They closed 13% of the mental health beds in the province. They closed 9,645 beds altogether. They delisted home care. In their last budget, they reduced hospital funding by 1%.

I know the leader of the third party would love to blame this on someone who was in the NDP with a cabinet, with a full government, suggesting that that leader now is a Liberal. If that’s the best she can do to defend their record from the 1990s, I think it’s extraordinary.

When we look at every single outcome that is important to Ontarians, we know that over the past decade plus, those outcomes have improved. That is what’s important to Ontarians.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the leader of the third party.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, the truth hurts, Speaker. The truth hurts.

Kristen and David Ronald, Leo, Danny Marchand and all of the other patients and families who have shared how the hospital overcrowding and hallway medicine crisis has affected their lives deserve better. They deserve better than a government that cuts the services that we all count on.

When will this Premier and her Liberal government wake up to the fact that people can see through their political tricks, and finally understand that hospital overcrowding is a matter of life and death?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: That’s why we invested half a billion dollars in our hospitals last year and half a billion dollars the previous year.

When we look at outcomes—mortality rates, cancer outcomes, avoidable deaths from health outcomes—compared to all other provinces, compared to other developed countries, Ontario outperforms all other provinces and is close to the top of the OECD.

The rate of potential years of life lost has improved by 18% between 2003 and 2013. We have the lowest rate of potential years of life lost in the entire country.

We have the best five-year survival rates for prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancers in Canada, and our mortality rate is among the best in the world. We have the second-best survival rate for breast cancer in the OECD, and the list goes on and on.

We have the shortest wait times across the board of any province or territory in this country. We are one of only two provinces to actually improve our wait times from 2016 to 2017. We have the shortest wait times from GP to specialist, the shortest wait times from specialist to treatment, the shortest wait times for CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, radiation oncology, general surgery, gynecological procedures, and the list—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you.

Health care

Mr. Jeff Yurek: My question is to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.

Madam Speaker, the issue with Mr. Ronald in Hamilton isn’t a one-off. Two weeks ago, I dealt with a Mr. Claire Sceli from London, who was stuck in the Dominican Republic, bleeding internally. The country had run out of blood, yet he wasn’t allowed to return to Ontario for treatment. He was stuck because of a catchment issue. It took my office two days of intervening to find a bed space for this man. But it was in fact this government’s policy of restricting patients to their catchment area of Ontario that restricted him from receiving the care in this province. It was government policy that was interfering with this man returning home.

In fact, that this patient had to call their MPP or the ministry to actually get health care is wrong in this province. We have a health care system that should be responsive to the people where they live so they don’t have to depend on or go back to the politicians.

Madam Speaker, I ask the minister this: He has risked the lives, through his policy, of Ontarians who have to seek emergency medical treatment and return to Ontario. Does he think the Ministry of Health has the correct policy in place today?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Thank you to the member opposite for giving me the opportunity to explain what the policy is. There is no restriction with regard to any Ontarian here or abroad if they’re a resident of this province, if they have health insurance. There is absolutely no restriction to any access to health services anywhere in the province. To do otherwise is illegal. The policy is very, very clear.

When a patient is out of country, first of all, it’s critically important that they have travel insurance. But when an emergency does take place, what is required of the insurance company is that they contact a doctor here in this province, and that doctor then works to provide the plan of care for that specific patient. It’s critically important. Often, I can say with experience, that connection either isn’t made or it’s not strong enough. It’s critically important that that insurer take on the responsibility that they have, and that the local doctor, as well, harness the resources to provide that care.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return back to the member from Elgin–Middlesex–London.

Mr. Jeff Yurek: Perhaps the minister needs to look at his policies of the Ministry of Health. In fact, they are limited to catchment areas.

Madam Speaker, look no further than the fact that the government has created this problem because they froze hospital budgets. They’ve cut nursing positions. In fact, what they’ve done is overburdened our health care system.

This government refused to take meaningful action, which has not only overcrowded our health care system but has strained resources, leading to violence in our health care system. I think we can speak to all the RNs who are here today. Sometime during their job over the last few years, they’ve experienced an increase in violence at their workplace.

My question to the minister: You failed at delivering health care to those Ontarians travelling abroad. Now you’re failing in providing a safe working environment for RNs. Will the minister commit to providing a safe working environment for the RNs throughout our province?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Of course I will. In fact, we have set up a table, which is jointly chaired by the Minister of Labour and myself, that contains experts, associations and front-line health care workers and that is working specifically on this issue to reduce and eradicate violence against all health care workers across the health care system.

But I find it extraordinary that the member opposite is talking about nurses at all. When they were in power—in fact, even just between 1995 and 1998, in three short years, they fired 6,279 nurses, apart from closing 10,000 hospital beds.

Since we came into government in 2003, more than 30,000 more nurses have begun working in this province. That’s an increase of 27%. In fact, the number of nurses employed in nursing in Ontario has now increased for the 13th year. There are 1,200 more nurses employed in this province, compared to just last year.

Employment standards

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Acting Premier. In December, this Liberal government made a secretive, backdoor decision to cut the amount of emergency leave days available to automotive workers under the Employment Standards Act. Since then, I have had countless conversations with my constituents, who are outraged that the Liberal government would single them out in this way. I now have almost 1,500 signatures on a petition from workers and their families opposed to this cutback—and that’s in addition to the thousands of signatures collected by Unifor.

Auto workers are hard-working people, balancing physically strenuous jobs with the demands of raising a family. They deserve the same rights and protections as every other worker in Ontario.

Will the Premier listen to these 1,500 Ontarians and countless others and immediately remove this unfair regulation?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: To the Minister of Labour.

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Thank you to the honourable member for the question.

Speaker, we’ve consulted with industry. We’ve consulted with stakeholders. We’ve consulted with labour. We’ve put in place a personal emergency leave project in the auto sector specifically. What it required was that auto sector employers with more than 50 employees provide each employee up to seven personal emergency leave days, as well as unlimited time off for the death of a family member—and that’s on each occasion, on the passing of loved ones. It was a specific recommendation of the advisers from the Changing Workplaces Review.

What happened on January 1 of this year? All Ontarians now are covered for personal emergency leave and for sick time in the province of Ontario. Prior to that, it only applied to companies greater than 50.

I’ll expand on it in the supplementary.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I recognize the member from Windsor West.

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: Back to the Acting Premier: 1,500 signatures were collected in a week from my constituents and tens of thousands more across the province. You clearly didn’t consult with those auto workers.

The cavalier responses we keep getting on this issue from this Liberal government show just how out of touch they really are. When we asked about this regulation back in December, we were told that emergency and bereavement leave for auto workers is a regulatory burden that is getting in the way of businesses.

When challenged in a town hall in Windsor last week, the Premier said this was about fair workplaces, and told workers not to worry because the vast majority of auto workers are unionized. But she knows that is not always the case.

It’s not just workers who assemble vehicles that are impacted. I’ve had calls from my constituents who work at paint, plastic and parts suppliers who don’t have the same benefits as workers at the assembly plants—and they now have even less protection under the ESA.

I ask again: Will the Premier truly commit to fair workplaces and immediately remove this unfair regulation?

Hon. Kevin Daniel Flynn: Let me reiterate—and thank you to the member for this question. We’re paying as much attention to this as we possibly can, and we get the same input as the third party gets.

What we did on January 1, for the first time in the history of the province of Ontario: All employers in the auto sector are required to make personal emergency leave available to every employee who works in that sector. That wasn’t the case before. Companies under 50 were excluded from this.

This has a pilot project status. The adviser asked us to put it in place, to see how it works, to get feedback through consultations. It’s still in a pilot project phase. We’re corresponding with the same folks the third party is. We’re determined to make this fairer. We’re determined to keep Ontario’s auto sector competitive.

If I can close and just say, as the labour reforms roll out, we’re going to continue the dialogue with the stakeholders, with the employers and with the employees in this regard, to make sure we come to the right resolution.

Human trafficking

Mrs. Liz Sandals: My question is for the Minister of Community and Social Services.

Last year, our government passed the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, which proclaimed February 22 as Human Trafficking Awareness Day. As you’ve heard, that means today is Ontario’s first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness Day, a day to better educate members of the public about human trafficking and ensure that people who require services and supports know how to access them.

Sadly, we know that our province is a major centre for human trafficking, with approximately 65% of all cases in Canada taking place in Ontario. Our government and organizations across the province, like Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, work tirelessly to educate our communities and support survivors of human trafficking.

Can the minister please tell the House more about Human Trafficking Awareness Day?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, and to the member from Guelph for the question and her ongoing advocacy with respect to this issue. Our government is committed to protecting and supporting survivors of human trafficking, and we are working hard to prevent this heinous crime in the future.

Today, on Ontario’s first-ever Human Trafficking Awareness Day, we are proud to launch our official human trafficking awareness campaign. Raising awareness is of the utmost importance, as human trafficking is a crime that is often hidden and vastly underreported. It is crucial for everybody, especially young people, to learn what human trafficking is and know what services and supports are available.

Today, we are excited to announce Ontario’s new, dedicated, confidential human trafficking helpline. This helpline will allow people to get information about local human trafficking supports and services available across Ontario. Together, with our community partners, we’re using #KnowHumanTrafficking to raise awareness of specific signs, risk factors and facts about human trafficking.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the member from Guelph.

Mrs. Liz Sandals: Yes, thank you, Minister. It’s remarkable how far we’ve come in our effort to end human trafficking. Since our investment of $72 million through the anti-human trafficking strategy and our recent funding of $19 million to agencies across the province, a woman seeking supportive services has more options than ever before.

When a girl from Kenora, Toronto or Windsor is looking for counselling services, therapy or a place to stay, we have taken action. When a woman needs help getting herself out of the vicious cycle of human trafficking, she can rely on the victim crisis assistance program. Survivors now have immediate access to tattoo removal, replacement of government documents and recovery in a trauma-informed facility, through the Victim Quick Response Program. The Attorney General has created a new provincial human trafficking prosecution team with specialized crowns.

But there’s more to do. Can the Minister of the Status of Women please tell us more about the government’s long-term strategy to prevent and address human trafficking?

Hon. Helena Jaczek: To the Minister of the Status of Women.

Hon. Harinder Malhi: I’m pleased to rise today as the minister responsible for the status of women to recognize February 22 as the annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Today is a day to speak up and raise awareness of the exploitation faced by young women and girls in Ontario today and every day.

It’s also a day to recognize what’s at stake for women and girls in this province, because we must continue to fight the fight against human trafficking. We must bring human traffickers to justice, and that requires a long-term strategy and action, action that this government is wholeheartedly committed to today and in the future. We cannot risk losing these justice sector initiatives. We cannot risk not improving survivors’ access to community services and supports. What we cannot risk is billions of dollars in cuts.

Our government has accomplished so much in two years, and it’s making a difference in the lives of women and girls in communities throughout Ontario. We must continue to pour our hard work and effort into ensuring that everyone can live safely in this province.

Opioid abuse

Mr. Ross Romano: To the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care: Recently, a W5 documentary aired which expanded upon what I and many others already knew about the present state of the opioid crisis in Sault Ste. Marie.

Statistics reveal that there are five overdoses per day within my community. In many circumstances, the concentration of the opiates within the street drugs being ingested is unknown. The crisis has already claimed the lives of way too many people, and with inadequate resources to address the current demand for services, the problem is getting much, much worse.

This crisis cannot be ignored. Sault Ste. Marie needs financial support to help us prevent and treat those suffering from addiction from the inherent risks of opioid use.

My question is: Will this government please provide us with the financial support that we desperately need, so that we can at least have a chance of preventing further loss of life within my community?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: I genuinely appreciate the question from the member opposite, representing the Soo area. As we both know—I think we all know—this opioid crisis in Canada, in North America and many parts of the world has truly shocked all of us with regard to its gravity and the innocent, vulnerable lives lost, including in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding region.

We have invested, over a three-year period, more than $200 million at every level and every aspect of this crisis so that we can reduce those needless and preventable deaths and eventually provide the necessary supports for all those who are faced with opioid addiction.

I’m happy to speak in the supplementary in more detail with respect to the specifics.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the member for Sault Ste. Marie.

Mr. Ross Romano: Madam Speaker, to the Minister of Finance: The frequency and impact of addictions is much more acute in Algoma than it is anywhere else—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): No, no. The rule is that you have to return back to the Minister of Health with the question.

Mr. Ross Romano: The frequency and impact of addictions in Algoma is much more acute than anywhere else in the north. Inadequate resources have caused this burden to shift to our emergency department. For every 100 patients, 59.4 are opiate-related, and 41.9 result in hospitalization; 12.2 result in death. Without help, these numbers are expected to grow by 58% within the next three years.

Prior to the documentary, I had the opportunity to discuss a solution to this problem with the CEO of our local hospital. A solution would be to bring all services under one roof within the community to create a level 3 regional withdrawal management services building. The total cost of this project would be $11 million.

My question is: Will the minister find this money within the government’s 2018 budget so that Sault Ste. Marie can have a chance of preventing the escalation of the crisis that is costing the lives of many people within my community?

Hon. Eric Hoskins: Once any proposal is received, I’m happy to review it and give it the most serious consideration.

We are expanding services across the province. In Sault Ste. Marie, for example:

—$200,000 for Sault Area Hospital to create a RAAM clinic, a rapid-access addiction medicine clinic, in the Algoma sub-region, a clinic that is actually going to serve as a hub providing supports via the Ontario Telemedicine Network to the sub-region communities;

—$130,000 for Sault Area Hospital to modernize withdrawal management programs, to provide 24-hour support and a pathway to the RAAM;

—$245,000 to North Bay Regional Health Centre to create a RAAM clinic in the Nipissing/Timiskaming sub-region, a clinic that will serve as a virtual hub to provide supports, again, to the surrounding communities;

—$85,000 to North Bay Recovery Home to modernize withdrawal management programs in the five sub-regions;

—more than $400,000 to South Cochrane Addiction Services to create a RAAM clinic in the Cochrane sub-region; and

—$400,000 to Health Sciences North to enhance their RAAM clinic.

Madam Speaker, these are some of the investments that are so badly needed, investments that we are making, part of that $222 million, which is the largest spend in this province’s history by far, specifically to reduce the impact of the crisis and eventually prevent any of those needless deaths.

Property taxation

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Minister of Finance. This morning I invited Annie Scott and her family to Queen’s Park to present the concerns of 40 property owners in Schreiber. These residents have seen MPAC assessments skyrocket by an average of 250%, with no explanations, compared to the provincial average increase of only 20%.

Mrs. Scott’s house has been assessed at almost $100,000 more than another nearby house twice its size. She says she can no longer afford to live in her home, but no one will buy her home because of the high taxes.

Does the minister understand that the MPAC assessment process is flawed, and will he commit to changing that process?

Hon. Charles Sousa: I appreciate the question from the member representing Annie Scott and her son, Keith Scott, as well as her daughter. I appreciate and recognize the concerns that they have. We have a property on Walker Lake in Schreiber assessed by MPAC, as was proposed through the provincial land act, so that we could provide fair assessments, recognizing that it’s done in association with the municipalities and AMO, who are also on the MPAC board.

More importantly, this family and their neighbours are assessed in comparison to some of the values of sales that have happened in their respective areas. But when you look at the unincorporated areas and elsewhere within the region, they are higher-valued.

They have a right to be concerned in terms of what is taking place. We are working with them. I know they have met with MPAC and some of the officials to try to find a resolution. I know there’s an appeal process, which wasn’t initiated by them at the time but is still available to them to try to foster reductions.

I’ll answer more in regard to my discussions with the municipality in this regard.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return to the member from Algoma–Manitoulin.

Mr. Michael Mantha: Again to the minister: In 2016, farm assessments on Manitoulin Island doubled with no explanation. I can promise you that the income from these farms did not double, Mr. Minister. As speculators play havoc with Ontario’s real estate market, MPAC assessments have become more arbitrary, inconsistent and unfair. As the Auditor General revealed in her most recent report, property owners can’t count on the Assessment Review Board to treat them fairly.

Families like the Scotts have asked the Premier for help, but she has done nothing. When will the Premier fix the MPAC assessment process?

Hon. Charles Sousa: Again, the issue is one that needs to be resolved in respect to this specific issue with this specific family and their neighbours in that respective area.

As noted, the municipality has been engaged. I have met with them in regard to this. I know our officials have had numerous discussions with Schreiber and with some of the members, who recognize that in order for us to alleviate some of their concerns, there is mitigation that’s available by Schreiber themselves and the municipality who has control over the mill rates that actually does the taxation to foster some supports in regard to this.

There’s also the appeal process. While it wasn’t used and they didn’t take advantage of that opportunity in 2017, we do still have an extension to enable them to foster that appeal. But the municipality has tools available to them to mitigate some of these costs. They have the ability to target some of these respective issues, and they are the ones taxing.

Unfortunately, Schreiber is, in fact, taxed at a higher rate than some of the other municipalities. We recognize and do feel for this family, who are obviously in a situation where their assessments have gone up because of valuations, and as a consequence, their taxes are going up. We have ways to mitigate that, and we should foster and support them in that regard.

International trade

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: Ma question est pour le ministre du Commerce international, the Honourable Michael Chan.

My question is about NAFTA. Minister, as you will know, in the United States of today, given the random acts of policy-making there, there’s a lot of uncertainty around the North American Free Trade Agreement. Of particular concern is how Ontario’s economy will be materially affected by these cross-border trade negotiations. I’ve met, for example, with stakeholders in my own riding of Etobicoke North who are wondering what the effect will be on their businesses, their workers and their families.

Ontario understands the key importance of free trade relationships, with the United States of America in particular. With NAFTA, unfortunately, the uncertainty will potentially negatively affect areas such as Windsor and Hamilton and, indeed, many different areas across the province. Therefore, it’s particularly important for Ontario to be actively engaged so that our interests can be represented and preserved and they will prosper.

My question is this: Can the minister please tell me what steps we, as a government, are taking to ensure that we will be standing up for Ontario’s workers and businesses during these negotiations?

Hon. Michael Chan: I want to thank the honourable member from Etobicoke North for asking.

Madam Speaker, we all know that NAFTA is very important to Ontario, to Ontarians and to Ontario jobs. I know that people in this province are feeling uncertain as negotiations continue, and this government is prepared for all outcomes.

Our government is being proactive. The Premier, as you know, has met over 30 US governors. I, myself, have met with many US legislators, senators and other officials. In these meetings, we discuss our trade interdependence, which supports millions of jobs across North America and mutually strengthens our trade and investment.

Additionally, myself, along with Ministers Leal and Del Duca, attended the last round of negotiations in Montreal—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you.

I return back to the member for Etobicoke North.

Mr. Shafiq Qaadri: I would like to thank the Minister of International Trade for his dedication and also his criss-crossing the globe in Ontario’s interests.

I appreciate, Minister, as you’ve just outlined, that our government takes the concerns over NAFTA very, very seriously. We know, for example, that Ontario is the economic driver of Canada. We must stand by our businesses and workers and their families, who have always been a pillar of our province’s growth and prosperity.

In particular, a shining light in the Ontario economic sector is the auto sector. Here in Ontario, for example, the auto sector directly employs over 100,000 people and indirectly employs hundreds of thousands more.

Minister, you, along with colleagues of our government, were recently in NAFTA negotiations in Montreal. I realize that you are a strong representative for Ontario’s auto sector. I would ask you, would you please elaborate for this chamber on the negotiations concerning this important facet of Ontario’s economy?

Hon. Michael Chan: To the minister responsible for economic development and growth.

Hon. Steven Del Duca: I want to thank the member from Etobicoke North for his question, and I thank my colleague the Minister of International Trade for the extraordinary work that he’s doing on behalf of our province and our province’s economy.

The member from Etobicoke North is correct: While I, the Minister of International Trade and the Minister of Agriculture were at the NAFTA negotiations in Montreal, there was a large portion of the discussion that took place relating to Ontario’s auto sector. We know that the auto sector in North America succeeds when all states and provinces and all three NAFTA countries work together.

It’s crucially important to not forget that we are important to the US auto sector as well. We made sure that this message was not forgotten. For example, our automotive supply chain is extremely integrated with Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and many other US states. On average, a vehicle will cross the US-Ontario border seven times before it finally rolls off the production line. Nine million US jobs are supported by trade between the US and Ontario and, of course, the rest of Canada.

Our government will always stand up for the auto industry. We have shown this commitment time and time again. When the auto sector needed our help during the recession, not everyone in this place chose to support them, but our government certainly did.

We will continue to fight for our businesses and we will continue to fight for our workers, because this government is on the side of all Ontarians. I look forward to having the opportunity over the next number of days, with my colleagues, to continue to stand up for Ontario.

Landscape architects

Mr. Jim Wilson: My question is to the Attorney General. This year, the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects celebrates its 50th anniversary. I’m delighted to see a strong showing from Ontario’s 1,700 landscape architects in the Legislature today.

I know they’ve been working over the last few years to build a case for the same regulatory status as architects and other professionals. I understand that the Attorney General has advised the profession to work within their current title act rather than offer the public stronger protection with a practice act. I further understand that there is significant public harm that could be done if action isn’t taken in this regard.

I ask, will the minister take a second look at this important public safety issue, or could he at least advise this House what analysis his ministry did to really show the profession that the ministry took the request seriously?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to thank the member opposite for this question.

I would first like to say we greatly value the contributions that landscape architects make in our province. Landscape architects use specialized, technical and related training for grading, stormwater control, erosion control and other matters to help reduce physical safety risks in public spaces. Their work is vital to building Ontario up.

I would also like to offer my own personal congratulations, as well as congratulations on behalf of our government and Premier, to the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects for celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. This is a truly remarkable landmark. I was pleased to speak at the OALA AGM last year in Ottawa and look forward to continuing to build our relationship together.

I would also especially like to thank Ms. Aina Budrevics, executive director of OALA, who is here with us today, for her continued hard work on the advancement of the profession.

I believe that OALA has met with other title-protected professions as well and has had productive conversations about the continued development—

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): Thank you. Thank you.

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I’ll add more in the supplementary.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Soo Wong): I return back to the member for Simcoe–Grey.

Mr. Jim Wilson: Back to the Attorney General: Certainly, we understand, Minister, that, as you said, you advised the landscape architects to meet with the chartered professional accountants to be shown how landscape architects could make their current act achieve the same objectives.

With issues like street safety, flooding and climate change impacted by this matter, would now not be the time to take another look at the issue? That’s what I’m asking on behalf of the association. Is the minister not aware that the profession is growing at twice the speed of traditional architecture and needs the government’s support for a practice act? Minister, will you revisit this issue?

Hon. Yasir Naqvi: I want to thank the OALA for the work that it does and for the very productive conversations that my ministry staff and my office staff had with the association.

Speaker, as the member opposite said, the association did submit materials for us to support their case when it comes to full practice protection. The documents, in our view, did not provide systemic evidence that restricting the practice of landscape architecture to members of the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects was necessary to protect the public from harm.

Protecting the public from harm is a key factor when extending a government-sanctioned professional monopoly because this type of legislation would impact the ability of some people in Ontario to make a living.

As for next steps, my ministry plans to work with OALA on reviewing their current act and assessing areas where revision and further professionalization of the work of landscape architecture is needed. In particular, we hope to work together on the association’s bylaw-making powers and on enhancing their exis