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November 17, 2021

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Nov-17 vol. A (PDF)

L019A - Wed 17 Nov 2021 / Mer 17 nov 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 17 November 2021 Mercredi 17 novembre 2021

Orders of the Day

Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à protéger nos progrès et à bâtir l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

Ojibway National Urban Park

Hazel: 100 Years of Memories

Early childhood education

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Islamophobia

Polish community

Climate change

COVID-19 response

Deerhurst Resort

Visitors

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Child care

COVID-19 immunization

Infrastructure funding

Health care funding

Municipal government

Veterans’ housing

Social assistance

COVID-19 response

Anti-racism activities

Government accountability

Garde d’enfants / Child care

Government accountability

COVID-19 response

Mental health and addiction services

Private members’ public business

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills

Introduction of Bills

Hungarian Heritage Month Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le Mois du patrimoine hongrois

Petitions

Optometry services

Economic recovery

Optometry services

Personal protective equipment

Affordable housing

Land use planning

Optometry services

Tenant protection

Community planning

School facilities

Optometry services

Orders of the Day

Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à offrir davantage de soins, à protéger les personnes âgées et à ouvrir plus de lits

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à protéger nos progrès et à bâtir l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Resuming the debate adjourned on November 16, 2021, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 43,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 43, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Good morning, everyone in the Legislature and at home on TV. I’m proud to be able to speak about Bill 43, the Build Ontario Act, tabled by my colleague the Minister of Finance.

Speaker, the fall economic statement introduces a plan that benefits Ontarians and accelerates the economy. It’s a multi-pronged plan to create and preserve jobs, help seniors across the province and make a real difference in our health care system after more than a decade of neglect by the previous government.

Speaker, I will first focus on how we are creating jobs and boosting the economy. Our fall economic statement includes initiatives to generate a robust economy that aligns with the second and third pillars of the statement: building Ontario and working for workers. As the latest job numbers from Ontario show, our economy is rebounding. Ontario had over 45,000 more jobs in October than it did before the start of COVID. The outlook is positive, but there is more that our government can do to spur economic growth and, in turn, create jobs.

For instance, our government is committed to tackling the skilled trade shortage. The skilled trades offer well-paying jobs, but many remain unfilled. The job deficit is also expanding, since many of the workforce employed in these occupations are near the retirement age.

Recognizing the need to equip Ontarians with the skills for the skilled trades, this legislation, if passed, would extend the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit to 2022. This credit provides up to $2,000 per recipient for up to 50% on eligible training expenses. Further, the skilled trades strategy is being advanced. The strategy is backed with more than $90 million spread over three years. Encompassed in the strategy are the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and pre-apprenticeship program, as well as establishing a skilled trades fair similar to the university fair that prospective students visit.

I also want to highlight an additional $5 million is being invested next year to expand the Second Career program. The Second Career program covers training and education costs for laid-off individuals in their pursuit to gain new skills. Investing in training programs for the skilled trades creates opportunities to find rewarding careers.

Speaker, we are very fortunate to live in this great vast province that offers something for everyone. Whether you drive up north for camping, visit wine country in Niagara or visit my riding in Oakville to see the historic downtown, the historic Glen Abbey or walk the lakefront, there are businesses ready to serve you. However, it was businesses operating in the tourism and culture industries that were most affected by the pandemic. Our government acted to reduce the financial burden with funding and support. Our government invested more than $800 million to help cultural and tourism industries recover from the pandemic.

Part of this funding is the proposed staycation tax credit. This legislation, if passed, would create a temporary staycation tax credit for 2022. Ontarians could receive 20% of eligible 2022 accommodation expenses, up to $1,000 for an individual, or up to $2,000 for a family, for a maximum credit of $200 or $400 respectively. Just a few months ago, I met with hotel owners in Oakville, and I know they are absolutely thrilled with the new proposed tax credit that will drive business to their hotels.

Encouraging domestic tourism within our province by subsidizing eligible accommodation expenses, such as motels, hotels and lodges, supports local economies and increases visitors. Towns and cities across the province could see an influx of new customers, benefiting not only the general economy but also the labour market. Importantly, the credit is an additional way to assist the most impacted sectors to recover by keeping tourism dollars right here at home. Ontarians want jobs and to get people working, which is critical to the success of our province.

Speaker, I would like to now turn to how our government is improving health care in our province. As we all know, under the previous Liberal government, hallway health care was prevalent across the province. Our seniors experienced long wait-lists to enter long-term care homes. In fact, from 2011 to 2018, there were only 611 long-term-care beds built across the entire province. When the wait-list was over 30,000 people, the previous Liberal government built 611 beds across the province in nearly a decade. In Oakville, like many communities, zero new beds were built during that time frame.

The members on this side of the House are focused on making improvements in health care and long-term care. Regarding long-term care, this means increasing supply and enhancing standards of care. We are planning for 30,000 net new long-term-care beds and, importantly, redeveloping another 28,000 across the province. This undertaking is supported by a total investment of $6.4 billion.

Progress is well under way. Oakville’s Mayor Rob Burton has been asking for years for new long-term care to reduce our town’s wait-lists. Our government is answering. We have now accelerated the development of 640 new beds. Notably, there will be 640 single rooms. To quote Mayor Burton, “For many years there has been a growing need for long-term care in Oakville to support our aging and diverse population.

The long-term-care beds in north Oakville will lower the wait time for patients that need a more permanent home.” There are more beds, again, being built in Oakville alone than the Liberals built in the entire province in seven years. Speaker, that is an accomplishment, and seniors can rest assured that a bed will be available when they need one.

Fixing long-term care extends beyond creating supply. In the fall economic statement, a major focus was outlining funding to increase staffing levels in long-term care and throughout the health care system. Speaker, we know residents in long-term care deserve more direct care. A central goal of the government is to utilize $4.9 billion to get four hours of direct care for every long-term-care resident by 2025. To achieve this aim, thousands of jobs will be created.

With an investment of $342 million, 5,000 registered nurse and registered practical nurse positions are going to be created throughout the health care system for long-term care, and 8,000 personal support workers will be trained. Further, our government is investing $57.6 million, beginning in 2022-23, to hire 225 new nurse practitioners in the long-term care sector. Increasing the number of front-line staff is about caring for our seniors and ensuring they get the care and attention they deserve.

Alongside the home credit to help seniors stay in their homes longer, our government announced we are providing funding to expand the paramedicine for long-term care program to every region of Ontario. Eligible seniors on the long-term care wait-list will receive care in the comfort of their own homes before admission to long-term care.

During this pandemic, our health care systems received unprecedented investments. When our health partners needed funding, we were there to support them and the vital work that is being done. In particular, an additional $5.1 billion has been directed to hospitals since the start of the pandemic, which created more than 3,100 additional hospital beds. Included in this amount is $1.8 billion for next year to support new and additional hospital beds to reduce surgical and diagnostic imaging backlogs.

Speaker, in 2021-22, $69.9 billion is the projected investment for base health care expenditures, with a further $5.2 billion being dedicated to the COVID-19 response, representing approximately 40% of the provincial budget. The ongoing health care funding puts patients first by expanding access to care and ensuring services are completed.

Speaking of patients, with the growing population, hospital infrastructure needs to be developed. More people equals more demand, and the government is keeping pace with the rising population.

The historic investments I mentioned in long-term care and hospitals go to the foundation of protecting the progress made since the onset of the pandemic, which is the first pillar of the fall economic statement.

Since day one, our government has been there to support the people of Ontario, and I hope that the opposition will support Bill 43 and the government, and protect Ontario’s economy and build a future for everyone.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): It’s time for questions and responses.

Mr. Jeff Burch: Thank you to my friend from Oakville for his presentation on Bill 43. We’re hearing a lot from our constituents about affordability. There’s no $10-a-day daycare in the economic statement. Minimum wages are way behind the cost of living. There’s an affordable housing crisis. If we’re talking about building Ontario, this government is spending $10 billion on two highways that don’t improve safety and don’t improve commute times. What does that say about the government’s priorities when it comes to building Ontario?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the member for the question. A lot of issues in your question there, but to address the highways in particular—which I didn’t have time to talk about in my speech; I only had ten minutes. I think these are absolutely critical to the infrastructure growth of Ontario. The population of the GTA, I’m sure everybody is aware, is growing exponentially. It’s one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas, if not the fastest, in North America.

Last I heard, there are going to be more cars on the highways. There are more people driving their kids to school, to hockey practice. There are more people commuting. I can tell you the truckers association is concerned about delivering their goods on time because of the lack of highway infrastructure we have in the province of Ontario.

The 413 and the Bradford bypass I think are critical infrastructure needs that the people of Ontario, businesses and families need to be able to move goods faster and families quicker.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the member from Oakville for providing such important commentary on the fall economic statement. Of course, it’s important legislation that’s building up Ontario in so many ways that were abandoned for so long under the former government. I’m very proud to see him speak in support of it.

An area that I think is so important as well for not just Niagara but across this province is our hospitality sector. He mentioned a little bit about the staycation tax credit, but I think it’s important to look at it also from the perspective of families, who are getting a well-deserved vacation in 2022, who have been, frankly, cooped up, a lot of them, for a long time as a result of COVID. I think it’s important that this affordability is also seen through that lens.

Could he speak a little bit about what the staycation tax credit will mean for families and job creators in the province of Ontario?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thanks to the member from Niagara West. You have a very good point with the staycation tax credit. I know your riding is one of the most beautiful ridings in the province, with the wine country. Like probably a lot of members of this Legislature, I haven’t travelled much during the pandemic—very little. I haven’t left the province. It’s been difficult, obviously. And families want to see the beautiful province of Ontario that we have, the diverse regions. We all know that hotel operators, tourism industry, motel operators, various cultural attractions have been hit very hard by the pandemic.

I think encouraging Ontarians to see the beauty in our own province and helping them with the affordability, as you mentioned, as well, and being able to subsidize part of the cost of travelling to see our province will encourage people to travel and see the beauty of our province. So I think it’s a win-win-win for residents, consumers and businesses here in the province of Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Windsor–Tecumseh.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I listened to the member from Oakville. Two words jumped out at me: health care and jobs. First—and I hope the members don’t fall over in surprise—I want to thank the government for the nearly $10 million they’ve given to Windsor and Essex county to continue with the planning stage for phase 2 of our new regional hospital.

On jobs, yes, I agree: People want jobs. They want good-paying jobs. They don’t want jobs below minimum wage. They’d prefer to have the minimum wage boosted. When we proposed it in the NDP way back five years ago, $15 an hour seemed okay. Now it’s at least $17. The experts say a living wage is $20.

My question to the member from Oakville is, would he agree that jobs at $20 an hour would boost Ontario’s economy much more than jobs at $15 an hour?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the member from Windsor–Tecumseh. It’s great to see the expansion of health care in your neck of the woods in Windsor. And we’re going to miss you, by the way. I know you made an announcement that you’re going to be leaving the Legislature. We’re going to miss you here, but I hope you keep in touch.

To your point about wages, our government made a promise in the last election to slow the pace on that $15 minimum wage because there was a dramatic impact—I think it was over 20% or 25% within a matter of a year or two that really impacted businesses. Now, things have changed with the pandemic, obviously, and labour is in shorter supply today, unfortunately.

Last I checked, I think a few weeks ago, I think it was on the NDP website, they were having a petition for a $15 minimum wage, and then all of a sudden it disappeared after we announced this great news. So I throw the question back to you: What changed?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Mississauga Centre.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: I listened to my colleague talk so eloquently about all the investments our government is making, especially in the area of long-term care. Of course, our commitment to increase the hours of direct daily care per patient to four hours of care per day will result in the hiring of thousands more health care staff into that sector. For a typical 160-bed home, that’s 43 more staff, which is unprecedented: six more registered nurses, 12 more registered practical nurses and 25 more PSWs. Can the member expand on how this investment and this commitment will benefit his community in Oakville?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the member from Mississauga Centre and, again, thank you as well for all your work in the pandemic. I know you’ve been helping your community as a nurse during this difficult time.

But you are absolutely correct. I know our community has had zero long-term-care beds built in the last 15 years. Now, according to the mayor of Oakville, there’s a waiting list of almost 1,000 people. We were at an announcement a couple of weeks ago with the mayor, with the Minister of Long-Term Care and my colleague from Oakville North–Burlington, and I can tell you, he was ecstatic. He said that in one swoop, this government did more than the previous government in 15 years to be able to serve the needs of these residents in Oakville that are on a huge waiting list. And I get the calls.

I hear about it every day in our constituency office, people that can’t get their parents or grandparents into long-term care homes and help them when they need it. So we’re ecstatic, and we know it’s going to create jobs, but most importantly, help those in need.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Humber River–Black Creek.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Since the return of the Legislature, we’ve heard many speakers on the government side talk very well and eloquently, with well-researched details, but one detail that’s been caught lacking in all the speeches we’ve heard has been any kind of comment on the issue of commercial insurance rates. We have seen businesses, in all of your ridings and in all of ours, face two or three times more in insurance rates, and yet there is no conversation, no leadership—completely silent. Why isn’t this part of your plan to build Ontario?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the member from Humber River–Black Creek. Insurance? You’re right. A lot of costs have gone up.

If we look—I think at 8 : 30 today, the inflation numbers came out for Ontario. They were, I believe, 4.7%, which is a bit concerning. Part of that stems from a lot of the issues around the pandemic, whether it’s supply chain problems, labour issues etc.

Insurance has been also an ongoing concern, and you’ve brought that up. I know the Minister of Finance, over the last year or two, had talked to a lot of insurance companies. There were some reductions made to people with respect to their auto insurance, because there were fewer cars on the road, particularly in the lockdown period. I guess it would have been last March, April and May, in that time zone. So there were some small reductions.

Unfortunately, there were still quite a few accidents on the roads with the increase in stunt driving, which is another piece of legislation we brought in as well. But thank you for the question.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I’m happy to join the debate here this morning, and ask my colleague a question. It was interesting, the discussion on long-term care. Something that my ministry is obviously particularly interested in is the training of more nurses and PSWs.

I was recently with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing where we announced a stand-alone nursing degree program at St. Lawrence College as well as at Georgian College. It’s exciting to hear about the number of beds increasing in my colleague’s riding.

Can the member tell me, how does our government’s commitment to building long-term care compare to the inaction of the previous government?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the Minister of Colleges and Universities for the question. And thank you as well for the great work you’re doing in getting these personal support workers and nurses trained, because we need them. I encourage everyone to go into those great professions. We are definitely going to need them over the next few decades in Ontario.

Again, I want to emphasize that we are the first government to deal with this problem, which has been systemic for decades: the long-term care and the lack of beds built. It’s not five or 10 years; it’s been years and years and years. We’re taking the first step to get this problem resolved, and we look forward to creating many more beds in a more comfortable environment for our seniors.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Further debate?

Mr. Paul Miller: As a long-standing member of this legislature, I can remember way back. There have been many campaigns that have come through my office looking for support and guidance, and many of these campaigns have been focused on the elimination of poverty or on improving the quality of life among the working class in Hamilton and all of Ontario.

One of the most effective and positive campaigns to ask for my support was called $15 and Fairness. Their original poster is still in my office in Hamilton, for that matter. I remember advocates like Brian Jackson, who worked tirelessly on this campaign to raise the minimum wage as far back as 2016.

Backed by labour unions and good-hearted anti-poverty activists in Hamilton, the need for an increase in the minimum wage was dire. At the time, minimum wage was $11.25, and the people of Hamilton knew full well that this was not enough for a worker to get by on. Some campaigns focused on a living wage, which put the increase needed in workers’ wages to as high as $17.50 an hour in places like Hamilton. This was the case five years ago and, to the surprise of many, it was fairly successful.

In the run-up to the 2018 provincial election, the Liberal government of the time decided to announce a proposal to increase the minimum wage. At the time, the first major increase was to $14 an hour. To the shock of many, even in the political parties, the announcement went further to say that the next increase would be to $15 an hour.

It seemed at the time that the hard work and dedication of those fighting for good-paying jobs—fast-forward to the beginning of the Doug Ford government and there was a clear moment of sober thought. The planned increase to $15 was put on hold. Many programs and plans were upset by the incoming government, and many of the same anti-poverty activists were flat-footed when the three-year Basic Income Pilot project was tossed in the bin, along with the hopes and dreams of many in Hamilton who had just seen their standard of living increase for the first time in decades.

Groups like the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction turned to whoever they could to get their important issues back on the table.

At the time, I had reintroduced a private member’s bill, Bill 60,

An Act to amend the Ministry of Community and Social Services Act to establish the Social Assistance Research Commission. The bill was so popular that even a member of the government, Mr. Bailey, decided to co-sponsor the pending legislation. Bill 60, formerly Bill 124, formerly Bill 30 and formerly Bill 6 and so on, was and still is an attempt to base our current social assistance rates on actual evidence. Basic things such as how much is needed to cover rent, utilities and food would be taken into account when determining how much an Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program member should receive.

It should be clear to everyone in this room that, despite 2018 only being three and a half years ago, there have been some pretty significant increases to the cost of living, especially in places like Hamilton that has seen rents go up 150% to 200%. Bill 60 would have—and still may—establish a baseline of livable wages in Ontario, and the people of my riding remind me of it each and every day.

The federal government, after some strong fighting with certain opposition members, determined that $2,000 a month was the magic number. From the sounds of it, it was a rather suitable number for many Canadians who had to rely on government assistance at that time. So $15 an hour is a wage that would have made sense to people in 2016 or 2017, but not in 2021.

We’ve all been through a lot since March 2020, but we have to remind ourselves that the world continues to march on, landlords still expect their rent and the groceries are now becoming a minefield of inflation, with parents bringing fewer and fewer necessities home with each passing week. The new minimum wage may seem like a small step in the right direction, but it overlooks so much that is going on in our province.

One of these areas that has not been discussed is the impact a higher minimum wage will have on those who are in the unique position of not being able to work while still being expected to. In this case, I am referring to the thousands of injured workers currently dealing with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. The system that is in place for people who have been injured at work and cannot return to work in the same meaningful capacity is one based on unfairness and, in many cases, injustice.

This is due to the policy known by those familiar with the WSIB as “deeming.” This particular group of people in this province are in the unique position to lose money once wages go up. To put it simply, once it is determined that a worker cannot return to work due to continued medical barriers, the WSIB moves on to determine what potential job the injured person could hypothetically do. Each worker is assessed on their current or potential capabilities and, generally, a new mystery career is chosen for them.

These new jobs normally pay minimum wage and typically take the form of a parking lot attendant or security guard. Again, these jobs all tend to pay the injured worker minimum wage.

If the injured worker is physically or mentally capable of actually working the new “deemed” job, they are not hurt financially. If the worker is not able to work the job they have been deemed capable of, they lose the minimum wage payments and their WSIB compensation does not make up the difference. To put it as simply as possible: A worker who made $40 an hour is hurt on the job. For a while, they are compensated for this amount. Once they are deemed capable of returning to work, they must do so, despite objections from doctors or pain specialists.

If they do not return to work at a new minimum wage job, they are out that amount. They have now effectively gone from being compensated $40 an hour to $25 an hour. The new $15 minimum wage was not taken into consideration for these workers, and now they have effectively been given a pay reduction of another dollar per hour.

I’d like to talk about the staycation tax credit. Having been the tourism critic for many years and the current sports critic, I can speak to the importance of this industry in Ontario. Let’s just be honest with ourselves: $200 per person and $400 per family may sound good, but does it really account for what an actual family vacation in 2021 costs, and does it really help all aspects of the tourism industry? Ontario residents can apply for this tax credit as long as they have the receipt from their stay at a hotel, motel, resort, lodge, bed-and-breakfast establishment, cottage or campground in Ontario.

This is good news for the hard-hit accommodation and hospitality industry, but what does it do for the attractions that are the reason for the travel in the first place?

My riding has many wonderful hotels and a developing bed-and-breakfast industry, but the people of Ontario are not coming to Hamilton East–Stoney Creek to sleep at a hotel; they’re coming for a reason. Prior to the pandemic, people would travel around southern Ontario to visit, for example, the Winona Peach Festival or the War of 1812 re-enactment. They would come to our community and visit our restaurants and museums. They would buy some ice cream. They’re activities that are not happening anywhere, or at least to the same extent. The peach festival and the War of 1812 re-enactment are cancelled for a second year in a row.

My second one would be the nursing pay increase. As a father of a nurse, I am astonished that nothing was mentioned in the legislation about their working conditions and compensation. From the phone calls in my office and the official statistics, it’s clear that nursing burnout is a real thing and the nurses of this province are reaching a breaking point.

Nursing is the foundational element of our health care system, whether that is front-line primary care nurses or long-term care and in-home care nurses. The one thing this pandemic has been clear about is that our nurses are overworked and underpaid, and if nothing is done about it, we will be wondering where they all went.

There’s not a week that goes by where my constituency office does not hear from a scared or angry resident frustrated with the LHINs and their in-home care: nurses not arriving on time; nurses not showing up at all; nurses and PSWs who seem tired and distracted; PSW visits that were once five times a week are now two or three times a week, if they’re lucky; wait-lists for nurses and PSWs that are weeks-long; people being sent home from the hospital with no home care set up for them.

The list of concerns continues to grow, but the problem is always the same: lack of nurses and PSWs. It’s not the fault of the nurses or the PWSs. They are working as hard as they can and caring for our population with all their hearts—and for what? Less than $20 an hour for an in-home care worker? A temporary boost in pay that is set to expire in a few months? Another 12-hour shift at the ICU in which two co-workers have called in sick or on a mental health day due to stress and burnout?

To add insult to injury, the announcement that most health care workers are looking at a 1% increase in pay leads many in the profession to question what they are doing in long-term care. With consumer inflation climbing almost daily, essential items costs are up, way up, and a 1% increase in pay to nurses and health care professionals—they’re actually facing a downgrade. From my days in the labour movement, I would call this a net loss in inflation. And who really believes inflation will be less than 5% this year? Look at the price of gas.

It appears my time is up, Mr. Speaker. I’ll be ready for questions.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Questions and concerns?

Mr. Norman Miller: Thank you to the other Miller in this place for his comments today. He did talk a bit about the staycation tax credit, and certainly, that’s something that’s important to my area I represent in Parry Sound–Muskoka that counts on a lot of tourism in it. I believe it certainly is significant in that if you spend $1,000 as an individual, you get that $200 credit, and for a family it’s up to $400. When you add it all up, it’s a lot of money across the province. I would think it would be a benefit to his area as well—maybe not to the same extent as Parry Sound–Muskoka.

I’m just wondering, he did raise some concerns about that. I believe it applies just to accommodations, but you were making some points with regard to attractions as well. I would think there would be spill-off. If you’re staying at a lodge near Bracebridge, you’re probably going to still go to Santa’s Village. Maybe the member can talk more about that.

Mr. Paul Miller: Thank you to the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka. I believe Norm is leaving us too, and he will be sorely missed.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I’ll remind the Millers to please refer to the riding.

Mr. Paul Miller: Sorry.

Your question about the $200: The $200, or $400 per family, as you know, today doesn’t go too far. It might be one day out, if you’re lucky, to an attraction in Muskoka or in Stoney Creek to the battle or whatever; $200 goes pretty quick. It’s going to put up the businesses maybe 20% in our area in Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, maybe 20% with that benefit. It certainly is not enough. I know it’s spread out all over the province and becomes very costly, but the bottom line is that I think the side effect would be much better with the amount of people spending the money in the communities.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Windsor–Tecumseh.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I want to say to my friend and mentor from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek, what a wonderful presentation. I know I join with him in saying to the member from Parry Sound–Muskoka that we will certainly miss you, sir, and all of your contributions to this House, as you have decided not to run again.

My friend from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek started off giving us a history lesson, taking us back to 2016 and a minimum wage of $11.25. That’s when we in the NDP decided, “Let’s go to $15.” The Liberals had no interest at the time until the following year. I don’t know if it was political opportunism or not. They stole the plank from the NDP platform. They said, “Yes, we’ll go to $15. We’ll go to $14, phase it in.” The Conservative government came in, the Liberals went out, and it didn’t go up to $15.

My question now is, with an inflation rate of more than 4%, the highest jump in 18 years, does the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek believe that $15 an hour is going to cut it anymore? How can they—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Thank you. I return to the long-standing member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek.

Mr. Paul Miller: Thank you to the member from Windsor–Tecumseh. The problem—you’re right; you hit the nail on the head. Basically, back then, the Liberals brought it in just before an election and they were going to increase it to $15 an hour. They lost the election and the Conservative Party won. They eliminated that quickly.

Now they’re telling me, three years later, that at that time, that was too much money. It was going to hurt business, which I don’t believe for a minute, because any increases to business are passed on to the consumer, so if a consumer had to pay 10 cents more for a chocolate bar, that would have covered the $15. So that’s a myth.

To bring something back that they cancelled three years ago is hardly an increase. I think it’s more of an insult than anything.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I look to the member from Mississauga Centre.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: The member spoke eloquently about nurses and PSWs and the burnout that they’ve experienced throughout this pandemic. That’s why I’m proud to be a member of a government that is investing $342 million and bringing 5,000 new nurses and 16,000 new PSWs into our hospital and long-term care sectors. This is a strong signal that help is on the way.

Can the member commit today on whether he will be voting in favour of this bill to bring this much-needed help into our hospital and long-term care workforce?

Mr. Paul Miller: I thank the member for the question, but I’ve been around here awhile, like I said. The bill certainly has a couple of good things in it and maybe 15 things that they don’t like. So probably we won’t be supporting that, because the two things are great—they put a little candy into the dish—but the other 13 things are not productive. So we probably and most likely will not.

But in reference to your nursing situation, you can put training in for 10,000 nurses, but you’ve got to get the nurses to the training. If the nurses who are going to the training know that they’re not going to get a sizable increase and they’re stressed out, a lot of young nurses aren’t going to last more than one year or two years. They’ll be out the door too. So you’ve got to change the whole atmosphere in the hospitals; you’ve got to take a look at the whole LHIN system. If you really want to keep these people, if you—

Interjection.

Mr. Paul Miller: It’s my dime. If you want to keep these people employed, then you have to make it livable. That’s what you’ve got to do.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Algoma–Manitoulin.

Mr. Michael Mantha: The last question was such a good question, I want to go back to that and give the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek more opportunity to talk about nursing, PSWs and front-line workers.

I know in my riding of Algoma–Manitoulin, the constant message that I’m getting from the leadership within our hospitals, from front-line workers, from PSWs, doctor shortages is the fact that people are getting tired. They’re getting burnt out. This whole process, this whole COVID pandemic has really put a lot of stress on everyone. The changes to the working hours, the cancellation of vacations, Bill 124: A lot of it has put undue pressure on all of our front-line workers.

What needs to happen? I’m asking the member from Hamilton East–Stoney Creek because that’s a northern Ontario perspective. He’s from southern Ontario, and I highly respect his views. I’d like to hear from him what’s happening in other parts of this province. Are they similar in all corners of this province?

Mr. Paul Miller: Thanks to the member from Algoma–Manitoulin—a good question. The problem in the province is that, on top of the burnout, on top of the stress and stress leaves, it’s my understanding that, in the last few weeks, emergency departments have closed on weekends, and I can name many cities and towns where that’s happened. One of the biggest was London. I have first-hand information because we have family members who are doctors and nurses. The bottom line is this: If it’s got to that state where you’re closing down emergencies on weekends—obviously, critical care, accidents, people get hurt, killed.

What are they going to do, transfer them to a hospital that’s open? That’s ridiculous.

As far as the north goes, the north has always had a struggle keeping doctors and nurses in the north. This makes it even worse. I would suggest that if they don’t bump up the wages and they don’t make it more attractive, they won’t get those 5,000 or 10,000 people training.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the member opposite, a neighbouring member to my riding and someone who is obviously very passionate about Hamilton and the surrounding environs. I just want to ask the member about the doubling of the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, which, as you may have seen in the fall economic statement, is doubling the amount that’s going to be allocated to, I believe, over 420 municipalities across the province—a substantial amount of cash for a lot of the smaller municipalities in the province and for various other municipalities.

Obviously, there’s been increased attention to the pressures that we’ve seen as a result of COVID. I’m just asking if the member opposite can lay out a little bit about what that doubling of funding means for these communities in being able to provide better service to their towns.

Mr. Paul Miller: Thank you for the question from my neighbour next door to Hamilton East–Stoney Creek. True, the money that’s given to municipalities for infrastructure improvements and that—roads or whatever it be—is certainly beneficial, but I think you have to get your priorities straight. I think your priorities are health care and education, and those are the two most important things that have to be dealt with, and I think they’ve been sorely underfunded.

I think what’s happened is that the movement towards focusing on bridges, roads, infrastructure, pipelines and things like that is certainly important for the economy, but if you don’t have the healthy workers and you don’t have the people who can go to those jobs to build those infrastructures because of COVID, because of lack of hospitalization and lack of access to doctors and nurses, it’s going to be a long time before those things get built.

So I think priorities should be started off. Get this COVID thing under control, get our health care system and our education system in order, and then we can certainly put all our strengths into improving the conditions in the communities.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): We don’t have enough time for another full session.

I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 101(c), changes have been made to the order of precedence on the ballot list for private members’ public business such that Mr. Cuzzetto assumes ballot item number 21 and Mr. Miller, Parry Sound–Muskoka, assumes ballot item number 22.

Further debate?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: It’s an honour to rise here today to speak in support of our government’s plan and, in particular, in support of Bill 43, Build Ontario Act, introduced by the Minister of Finance. I’d like to thank him and his team for their hard work on this bill.

Speaker, with $51 billion in support available to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote Ontario’s economic recovery, our government has ensured that our front-line health care heroes, families, seniors and small businesses have the resources they need. This includes $1 billion for a vaccination program that has achieved one of the highest rates of vaccination in the world. We have administered almost 23 million doses, including over 2.5 million in Peel region. Ninety per cent of our residents aged 12 and over have received one dose, and over 85% have received two doses.

Starting this afternoon at 1 p.m., the Minister of Health, in partnership with the region of Peel, is opening a new vaccine clinic in the Sheridan Centre in Mississauga–Lakeshore. This new clinic will be part of our strategy to push toward 100% vaccination coverage. They’re accepting walk-ins for first or second doses, and booster doses will be available for eligible residents, including seniors over 70, health care workers and essential caregivers. They’re open from Tuesday to Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Again, I want to encourage everyone to get your first, second and third dose as soon as you’re eligible.

At the same time, Speaker, we know the pandemic has revealed many years of neglect in both our health care and long-term care systems. Our plan includes an investment of over $30 billion to build and upgrade our hospital infrastructure and to address these long-standing issues over the next decade and to ensure our partners have the facilities they need to improve the quality of care for all patients.

Speaker, we’re working closely with Trillium Health Partners on a major reconstruction and expansion of the Mississauga Hospital in Mississauga–Lakeshore. Last Friday, I was proud to join my Mississauga colleagues and the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore at the Mississauga Hospital to announce an important investment in critical health infrastructure upgrades in both Mississauga and Etobicoke.

The president of Trillium Health Partners, Karli Farrow, joined us, and she explained that: “The government’s investment in all three Trillium Health Partners hospital sites will allow us to make critical infrastructure repairs and upgrades to our facilities to ensure a better and safer environment for patients to recover in.”

Upgrades are also needed in our long-term care homes, which were badly unprepared for COVID-19 after many years of mismanagement and neglect under the previous Liberal government. We’re making historic investments of $6.4 billion to build over 30,000 new long-term-care beds and upgrading 28,000 long-term-care beds to modern design standards. And, Speaker, I’m proud to report that this includes 877 new beds and 275 upgraded beds in my riding alone, for a total of 1,152 new or upgraded beds in Mississauga–Lakeshore, more than any other riding in the province of Ontario.

On Monday, I was proud to join the Minister of Long-Term Care for a tour of the construction site for two new long-term care homes in Sheridan Park. While building a project of this size would normally take three years or more, thanks to an enhanced MZO and our government’s accelerated build pilot program, a total of 632 new, modern long-term-care beds and the first residential hospice in Mississauga will be ready early next year, in 2022. That’s more than the previous Liberal government built for the entire province.

As the number of Ontarians over 75 grew by 75% from 2011 to 2018, the number of long-term-care beds grew by less than 1%. Speaker, in 2018, we inherited a wait-list for long-term care of over 4,500 in the city of Mississauga alone. Many of these seniors and their families have already reached out to my office to help find a place in these new homes. To help ensure they receive the best quality care in Canada, our government is investing almost $5 billion over four years to hire over 27,000 new staff, including nurses and PSWs, to increase the average direct daily care to four hours per resident.

Speaker, I recall the opposition was very critical of our government’s decision to appoint a long-term care COVID-19 commission, but we’re now acting on the recommendations of Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco and the commission. And, Speaker, I’d like to give just a few examples of what this will mean for long-term care homes in just Mississauga–Lakeshore. This year alone, the Camilla Care Community will receive up to $506,000 for new staff. By 2024, Camilla Care will receive almost $4.5 million each year above their current funding.

And, as we announced last Tuesday, a new non-profit organization, Partners Community Health, will acquire the operations of the Camilla Care Community from Sienna Senior Living, a for-profit firm.

This year, Chartwell Wenleigh, in Sheridan Homelands, will receive up to $475,000 more now, and over $3.5 million more by 2024. Just south, Sheridan Villa, in Park Royal, will receive up to $506,000 more now and $3.1 million in 2024. Erin Mills Lodge will receive up to $270,000 more now, rising up to $1.7 million by 2024. And just a short walk from my constit office in Port Credit, the Mississauga Long Term Care Facility will receive up to $167,000 more, rising to over $1 million each year by 2024. And, Speaker, I could go on.

These are historic investments that will help fix our long-term care system and improve the quality of care and the quality of life for our loved ones in these facilities, so they can live with the safety and the dignity they deserve.

The minister’s plan also includes historic investments in public transit, including new subways, GO Transit expansion, the Hurontario LRT, and the Lakeshore BRT in Mississauga–Lakeshore. It also includes $2.6 billion this year to expand and repair our highways, our bridges, including more than 580 expansion and rehabilitative projects. Work has just begun on the new $314-million bridge on the QEW at the Credit River, in Mississauga–Lakeshore. When this new twin bridge is completed, we’ll move forward with the repair of the existing heritage bridge.

Our plan also includes a commitment to build Highway 413, and it was an honour for me to join the Premier and the Minister of Finance a week ago, in Caledon, to make this announcement.

Speaker, three years ago, after the last election, we met with municipal officials in Peel and asked them about their priorities. I’d like to take this opportunity to read into the record what they told us. They told us that Highway 413 is a “key transportation initiative” that is “critical to the economic well-being of both the region of Peel and the entire province.”

“For several years,” they wrote, “the region of Peel, the city of Brampton and the town of Caledon have advocated for a provincial highway in the GTA west corridor.”

“This project is required,” they wrote, “to support increased connectivity and capacity, which are needed across Peel due to its robust goods movement sector.”

Speaker, that was the Peel region chair, and I agree. Traffic gridlock already costs us $11 billion each year in the GTA, and we’re expected to add one million more people every five years.

Ontario’s recovery and our future prosperity depends on getting shovels in the ground today for hospitals, long-term care, housing, transit, and highways as well. This is how we will create the conditions for long-term recovery and growth. Again, I’d like to thank the minister and his team for their work on Bill 43. I look forward to voting in support of this bill.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Questions and responses?

Mr. Jeff Burch: Thank you to the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore. The government is spending $10 billion on two highways, half the highway budget, and there are hospitals and long-term care issues all across the province. There are all kinds of affordability issues that could be addressed. We’re talking about a bill called Build Ontario. Does the member really think that $10 billion is well spent on two highways, and does he agree with Mayor Bonnie Crombie who says that it’s a crazy idea?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Just before we begin, I want to remind all members, if you have your phones on, please don’t have them on your desk because it does interfere with the interpreters and the sound folks.

I return to the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the member for that question. I know that we were lobbied on September 18, 2018, when we were first elected, by the municipalities to build this Highway 413, because it was part of their growth plan. With the Golden Horseshoe expanding by about two to 10 million people in the next 20 to 30 years, we need more highways, we need more transit, and we have to move goods. We cannot leave goods stuck in gridlock. We need them to get to our factories so we can produce vehicles.

I come out of Ford Motor Company. Every time that that line would stop because we couldn’t get our products into the plant to build those vehicles, it would cost the plant $52,000 a second. So I agree that we need more highways, more transportation and more public transit.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Whitby.

Mr. Lorne Coe: My thanks to the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore for an excellent presentation.

Part of the economic statement in Bill 43 is we’re investing $12.4 million over two years to continue rapid access to existing and expanding mental health and addiction supports for health and long-term care workers across the province. I know the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore has done extensive work in his particular area. I’d like him to speak specifically about the impacts of this level of investment in his riding.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the member from Whitby for that great question. As you know, in Mississauga–Lakeshore, we’re going to have 1,152 long-term-care beds in my riding alone, never mind through the whole province of Ontario. The previous government—you know how many beds they built in Mississauga alone over their last 15 years? Zero beds in my riding.

As well, we’re going to be expanding our Mississauga Hospital. It’s going to be the largest hospital in Canadian history. It will be a 32-storey hospital that will be built at the corner of the Queensway and Hurontario.

These are great investments. We’re going to continue doing this, moving forward through the whole province of Ontario. I want to thank the member for that excellent question.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Windsor–Tecumseh.

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Good morning, Speaker. I may be out of order; I guess I was supposed to have the next question, not this one, but I’m on my feet.

I have great respect for the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore, as I have great respect for the municipal politicians in Mississauga. At one time, I co-signed a bill that proclaimed Hazel McCallion Day. I was one of the co-sponsors of that—February 14. As the former critic of municipal affairs and housing, I met with Mayor Crombie on a number of occasions.

You say you were lobbied in 2018 for the highway. Something has happened since then if Mississauga, under further study, has said, “Hey, this is a crazy idea.” What has happened? Why are municipal politicians in Mississauga not in favour of this now? And why are you overruling your own municipal leaders and saying, “We’re going ahead with the highway regardless”?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the member for that question, but I’m still speaking with a lot of our city councillors regarding this highway. I was with one last night, and they’re for this highway.

We need this highway to move goods through the area. With the increase in population, we need the highway as well. We’re going to be building more homes, so we need to have people get in and out of their homes.

This highway is a great thing for the region of Peel, for York, for the whole area. As we’re developing the Ring of Fire, that 400 will be able to connect with the 413, which will go right into the Ford plant, where we can bring our lithium, our nickel, our cobalt to build the new batteries in the new electric cars that we’ll be driving on these highways moving forward.

In 10 years, that 413 will have green vehicles driving through it. I want you to know that that highway will be a very carbon-free highway.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: It’s fascinating to me when I hear the member describing the benefits of this particular project, which he has waxed eloquent upon, and then hear the members of the opposition say no to building highways. I wonder: I’m assuming if you’ve said no to this highway and you say no to the Bradford Bypass, you’re going to say no to the mid-peninsula corridor, if we ever get there. You would have also said no to the QEW and no to the 400-series highways. You say, “No, no, no: No more building, no more investments. We don’t need access to public transit.”

Well, here’s a news flash: I’m assuming most of you drove here on a road, on a highway, in fact, that was built. My question to the member opposite is, why does the NDP always insist on saying no?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I thank the member for Niagara for that question. It’s funny: When the 404 extension was being built under the Liberals under Steven Del Duca, they weren’t saying no to that. But now, because we want to build the 413, they’re saying no to the 413.

It’s funny. Conservatives—as we’re building stuff in the province, they’re always saying no. But when the Liberals and the NDP want to build a highway, it’s okay for them to build a highway. I can’t understand that.

I want to thank you again for that question.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Questions and concerns?

Mr. Paul Miller: Basically, I’d just like to ask the member—he discussed long-term care facilities very eloquently. Unfortunately, over the many decades, I’ve watched long-term care homes—the lack of inspections and the lack of proper care for the seniors. The governments of the day would say that they were doing a good job, and the inspector might show up once a year. When the inspector showed up, they put a little paint on the walls to make it look like everything was great, but the families knew better, the patients knew better, and they had, really, no one to complain to, because the inspector would be in there for a couple of hours and that’s it.

You said you were going to hire more inspectors. You said you were going to do a better job at providing more beds. That’s great, but you have to be able to enforce that. You have to have your inspectors there on a monthly basis and you have to fine these places that don’t follow the rules, heavily—not a little slap on the wrist, heavy fines so they keep up the good work.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the member for that question. I agree: Yes, we’re hiring more inspectors. We’re building more long-term care. You know what? I want to thank the previous long-term care minister for all her hard work starting this.

It’s funny. Across there, you must remember this. From 2011 to 2014, when you held the balance of power with the Liberals, you never once spoke about long-term care—never once. Never once.

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Order. Through the Chair, please.

Interjection.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Order. Please channel through the Chair. The member for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek will come to order.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: We’re going to continue building long-term care, hiring more PSWs and taking care of our seniors.

I want to tell you a story, which my mother always told me. My mother lived until the age of 90 in her own home—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Thank you. You’ll have to finish that next time.

I look to the member from Mississauga Centre.

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: We’re so thrilled and so proud that this member’s riding will be home to the largest long-term care facility in all of Ontario and perhaps even Canada.

The member and I are working very hard to advocate for and to ask for some designations for our francophone community within this home. We’re working to see whether 16 or 32 beds could be designated as francophone. These would be the first such beds in the entire region of Peel.

In line with my linguistically appropriate care motion that I brought forward last month, can the member tell us why it’s important that we have linguistically appropriate care in our long-term care sector in Ontario?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I want to thank the member from Mississauga Centre for all her hard work on francophone affairs.

Talking about linguistics is very important, because seniors always revert to the language they were first born in. So it’s very important that we do build more long-term care facilities for their backgrounds, like we’ve done in Mississauga with Villa Forum, the Italian long-term care facility, and the Polish one, Wawel Villa in my riding, which is a great facility. I find that very, very important.

As well—I lost my train of thought here on the question—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Answer?

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: We’ve got to continue building more—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Thank you.

Further debate? I recognize the member from Toronto–Danforth.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Thank you, Speaker. It’s the first time you’ve had a chance to introduce me, and I’m very pleased to have you there in the chair—very good to see you, sir.

I have to cover a few points. I’ve got 10 minutes here, and I want to say, first off, as I have been talking to constituents in my riding—and not just talking to them; reading their emails, getting their phone messages—I think all of us recognize that life is getting harder for people. The last year and a half, almost two years, have been pretty tough with COVID, with all the restrictions that were imposed on our lives—extraordinarily tough for those who lost jobs and frankly who have a difficult time pulling things together with whatever supports were provided by the federal and provincial governments.

All those things are real, but in fact, on top of that, we’re now seeing that people are having a very tough time meeting their bills, getting the groceries that they require, paying their rents, affording a home, covering transportation. They feel squeezed, and they feel squeezed not only for themselves, but for relatives who are in long-term care. They feel squeezed for the situation that their children are facing in schools. I’m not seeing, and I think those who look at this bill are not seeing, the kind of relief that people need in substantial ways and that they need now.

I want to talk about some of the things that you see here. But what I also want to say is, I’ve talked to my constituents, and across party spectrum, which was very interesting to me, not just the Liberal or NDP constituents—because people declare pretty directly to me where they’re at—but also a lot of Conservative-leaning voters are saying, “I don’t think this is a government that is working for us.” And I have to say, Highway 413 and a very obvious benefit to friends of the Premier who have bought land cheaply along that route is something that’s being generally noticed. People see this as a government looking after itself, or a Premier looking after himself, and not looking after them.

The low-wage policies, Bill 124: I’ve been talking to nurses in my riding, and I’ve been talking to people who need the help of nurses in hospitals. They have questions for the Premier: Premier, why is it that you refer to these health care heroes, people on the front-lines who have risked their lives and continue to risk their lives, and yet you have capped their wages and demoralized them?

They don’t mind being praised for the work they do. They should be praised. But they also understand that they have to put food on the table. They have to pay mortgages. They deserve decent wage increases. Nurses, other health care professionals, people on the front lines should not have their wages capped. Premier, they say to me, “Premier, what are you going to do to treat us with the respect we deserve and give us the pay that we deserve?” This is no way to treat heroes—no way at all.

I go to other constituents, constituents with young children. Some of those constituents are currently on maternity or paternity leave. Maybe they’re working at home. And, God love them, I don’t know how they do it, with toddlers and working on Zoom right through the day. But they say to me, “Can you ask the Premier, ‘Premier, why are you not moving forward with the negotiations for $10-a-day child care? Why?’”

We’ve been listening to the news for the last few days. We’ve been asking questions here in the Legislature, but you haven’t even submitted the negotiating documents so that you can sort things out with the federal government.

You say, Premier, that if you were to go ahead right now, you would only cut the cost of child care in half. Well, I’ll tell you right now, people in my riding, Premier, want their child care costs cut in half. They will settle for that on an interim basis on the road to $10-a-day child care. So, Premier, why aren’t you treating this seriously? Why are working mothers and working fathers who need child care that doesn’t amount to the same bill as they pay for a mortgage—why aren’t you moving heaven and earth to get the $10 billion from the federal government so that they can have affordable child care? That’s what they want you to speak to, Premier. That’s what they want you to answer.

Speaker, I was talking to a gentleman just the other day whose daughter teaches in an elementary school in my riding. He said to me, “My daughter has been given a class with 32 kids.” My guess is many of you have done the same as I have; I’ve been invited into schools to speak to grades 5 and 6 classes about how this place works. Don’t worry, folks; I sugar-coat it. They’re only seven, eight, nine, 10 years old. You can’t be brutal with them. You just tell them as best you can.

But if you put 32 kids in those classrooms, man, they’re elbow to elbow. That’s the reality in almost all the classrooms I go into; 32 kids is a lot of kids. And so, again, my constituents say to me, “Premier, why aren’t you making the investments in the schools so that the kids can be socially distanced, so that we can reduce the chance that they’re going to pass COVID to each other?”

Premier, you know that in fact the incidence of COVID is going up amongst school-aged children. Why aren’t you taking the steps necessary to protect them, to protect the teachers, to protect the other education workers? We’re not seeing that in this budget. What we’re seeing is roughly a half-billion-dollar cut to base education funding. Well, that makes no sense at all—no sense at all.

Again, my guess is that all of you here in the chamber today have been hearing from your constituents. You’ve been hearing about the difficulties that the children have been encountering in the last year and a half: about the need for extra support to catch up, extra support to deal with the mental health issues that come from the stress, from the isolation, and the difficulties that they faced. And, again, constituents say to me, “Can you ask the Premier?” Premier, why aren’t you increasing spending in education so that children get the catch-up help they need, so they get the mental health supports they need, so that they can succeed? This fall economic statement, Premier, is not doing it.

Premier, when are you going to step up? When are you going to stand up for the children and the parents of this province? That’s what they want to know.

When you look ministry by ministry—the Ministry of Health: We’re not seeing the increase in support for people with addictions or mental health outside of the schools. And you’re all well aware of the increasing impact of the opioid epidemic. You don’t go through what we’ve gone through the last two years without consequences. I think we all recognize that. Even people who are totally healthy psychologically have felt great stress, have been pressed harder.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I find often when we’re dealing with constituents, they are stressed when we talk to them and more likely to get cranky because they feel that they are being put under huge pressure. Those are the people who are in good shape. The people who are in rougher shape need more than just a sympathetic ear when they call a constituency office or call a friend. They need mental health supports. And I’m not seeing that in the fall economic statement. I’m not seeing action on that here. That’s consequential, Speaker. That is consequential.

We’ve gone through, and continue to go through, an extraordinary disruption of our lives, with huge stress put on people day after day after day, and it has consequences. We need the support to deal with people who have addiction problems. We need the support for people to deal with mental health issues. And that’s not here.

Speaker, I know I’m running out of time. The one last thing I want to say is that I talk to tenants in my riding who find that they are just hanging on by their fingernails. Their pay hasn’t gone up, but their rents are going up. And if they try to move their rents in a new place, it would be dramatically higher. This government has not acted to deal with the rental housing crisis.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): To the member from Toronto–Danforth, we do not have time now, but you will have time later for questions and responses, and you’ll be able to get more on the record.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Ojibway National Urban Park

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I’m calling on the Premier, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to join the partnership in creating a natural urban park down in our area. The federal government recently came on board. The city of Windsor is all in favour of it. So is the Essex Region Conservation Authority and all of the area’s natural heritage and environmental groups.

What we need from the province is no different than what was required when the Rouge National Urban Park was established in Toronto six years ago.

Speaker, Ontario owns and manages the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve. These 230 acres are the largest protected remnant of native prairie in Ontario. At one time, parts of this great province were home to grand stretches of tall grass prairies and savannahs. This nature reserve is needed for a natural patchwork quilt, if you will, connecting other pockets of natural areas close to our new international border crossing at Gordie Howe bridge.

When we put them together, we’ll have about 900 acres, starting along the Detroit River, connecting Ojibway Shores, the Ojibway Tom Joy Woods, the Spring Garden Natural Area, Black Oak Heritage Park, along with the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and the Oakwood Bush now linked by a wildlife corridor across Herb Gray Parkway, which connects to the Gordie Howe bridge.

Speaker, this concept has been around for 20 years. Now that the feds are on board, it’s really just up to the province. I urge the Premier and the ministers to work out a deal with Ottawa and create the Ojibway National Urban Park.

Hazel: 100 Years of Memories

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I’m pleased to rise here today to speak about a very special and unique historical exhibition happening now in Mississauga. In a 1,000-square-foot gallery at the Erin Mills Town Centre, thousands of pictures, documents and artifacts are now on display that showcase the remarkable life and the incredible achievements of my mentor, my adviser, my friend, the legendary mayor of Mississauga, Hazel McCallion.

Curator Madeleine VanDuzer put together an extraordinary collection and educational experience about Hazel’s many decades, breaking barriers in business, sports and her leadership from the Mississauga miracle in 1979 to the transformation of Mississauga into a world-class city. Many items are from McCallion’s own home, including a picture of the mayor, then 92, reeling in a 16-pound chinook salmon at a fishing derby off Port Credit as Toronto mayor Rob Ford held on, to stop her from falling into Lake Ontario.

One of VanDuzer’s favourite items—and mine—is a lawn sign from Hazel’s first campaign in 1978. She ran against an incumbent mayor who used the slogan “A Good Mayor.” Hazel’s slogan was “A Better Mayor,” and she was, and she never needed another lawn sign again.

It was an honour for me to attend the grand opening on October 26, along with people from around the province, including the mayors of Brampton, Caledon and Milton. The sponsors included the Art Gallery of Mississauga, LIUNA Local 183 and Lakeview Community Partners.

I encourage everyone to visit Hazel: 100 Years of Memories. The exhibit is open until February 28. It’s free to everyone, so I hope you all attend.

Early childhood education

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to talk about the Superior Children’s Centre, particularly Laureen Stefanic, the coordinator out of the Hornepayne EarlyON Child and Family Centre, and I think I better use her words because what they do there is almost a little bit of a miracle. She says, “As a professional registered early childhood educator working in an EarlyON Child and Family Centre, I consider myself to be a mental health care provider ... we fill a critical role in supporting families in their daily struggles to maintain their mental health and well-being....

“Individuals within our profession have been engaging in numerous strategies to connect with families during stressful times, through music and movement sessions, story times, baby wellness programs, parent/caregiver chats, parenting workshop, discussion groups, community story walks and scavenger hunts”—just to name a few of the things they do.

“We have been creating nurturing relationships with families to meet the needs of being able to connect with others during an extremely difficult time in their lives. We reach out to them on a daily basis and provide programs that are aimed at engaging and encouraging them to interact with their children.... We provide information and connections to specialized services and we connect families to other programs and services by promoting community activities and programs. We are often the lifeline for many families without even realizing it.”

I take off my hat to these individuals who are working at these EarlyON centres and the positive impacts they bring to the families, communities and the mental wellness of us all across northern Ontario.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Thank you. I just offer everyone a reminder that members’ statements are 90 seconds. If you could please try to adhere to the time.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Today, I would like to recognize all those affected by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, otherwise known as COPD. This chronic disease causes airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. As the fourth-leading cause of death in Canada, COPD affects more than 2.5 million Canadians, and over 900,000 Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, as many of our loved ones continue to battle respiratory illness throughout this pandemic, it is a critical time to bring awareness to this deadly disease, especially as people with COPD are at a higher risk to become severely ill from COVID-19.

More than half of those living with COPD are unaware they have this disease. That is why, in December 2019, I introduced a private member’s bill, Bill 157, to proclaim the third Wednesday of every November as COPD Awareness Day. My aim was to increase public awareness of COPD so that we can promote early detection and treatment and early diagnosis.

After Bill 157 received royal assent this June, I am pleased to recognize today, Wednesday, November 17, as the first COPD Awareness Day in Ontario. I encourage everyone to educate yourself on the risks of COPD and to be proactive in maintaining good lung health.

Islamophobia

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Faith is a central part of many peoples’ lives, and as part of their faith, they go to a safe place to pray with others, to reflect, to find peace and tranquility. But last week in my community, that tranquility was broken when an individual threw a huge rock through the window of the TARIC mosque while people were praying. Thankfully, no one was injured.

But not all injuries are physical. The Muslim community has been shaken by ongoing acts of Islamophobia and hate. Last June, four members of an entire family were murdered in a targeted attack, while they went out for a walk, simply because of their faith. In September 2020, an elderly man was murdered in another hateful Islamophobic attack as he sat outside the IMO mosque in Rexdale where he was volunteering to help worshippers follow COVID-19 guidelines. Sadly, there have been many more incidents of vandalism and Islamophobic hate that has left Muslims feeling unsafe.

There is no place for Islamophobia or hate in any of its forms here in our province. Last Sunday, I visited the TARIC mosque in solidarity with the Muslim community. We must stop this hate. It’s past time for this government to take action. The National Council of Canadian Muslims have made 61 recommendations to all levels of government to combat Islamophobia in Canada. This government must implement the NCCM’s provincial recommendations so we can take real action to stop this hatred. Every Ontarian deserves to feel safe.

Polish community

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: It has been an active few weeks for the Polish Canadian community, with many events and initiatives that I have had the privilege of being a part of. First, there was the recent second reading of Bill 18 that will, if passed, declare the month of May as Polish Heritage Month, a month to reflect on the contributions that Polish Canadians have made to Ontario’s history, culture and economy. Sponsored by my colleagues the member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke and the member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore, this bill was met with strong support in the local Polish community.

In celebration of this, we welcomed the new consul general of the Republic of Poland, Mrs. Magdalena Pszczolkowska, for a small meet-and-greet.

But the month of November was also a time for sombre reflection. Coinciding with Remembrance Day, the Polish community came together to commemorate Polish Independence Day by paying our respects to Poles who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending Poland’s sovereignty, democracy and freedoms. With the messages of Remembrance Day and Polish Independence Day being so closely related, it reminded many of us that the struggle for freedom and democracy is one that resonates with nations around the world.

Climate change

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Everyone has been following the news. You know what’s going on in British Columbia. Climate-driven flood rains are having a huge impact, wreaking havoc in that province. At least one woman was swept to her death by a massive mudslide that buried the highway she was driving on. Towns have been flooded. Thousands of people are being evacuated This is a taste of the climate crisis, the future, that’s wreaking havoc today.

What’s extraordinary to me is that this government can ignore that reality. It’s plowing ahead with Highway 413. It’s plowing ahead with the Bradford Bypass, when we all know that these highways will be adding substantially to the climate crisis. They will accelerate the heating that will put people’s homes, their livelihoods and their lives at risk in the years to come.

We’ve seen in northern Ontario that communities have to be evacuated because of aggressive forest fires. We know what’s coming at us. The Premier needs to abandon these projects as soon as possible, and he needs to shift course and take aggressive steps to reduce our emissions, so we can at least slow down the climate crisis—at least slow it down. It is not too late to act, so act now.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Roman Baber: Exactly 20 months later, and in response to rising case numbers, the head of Ontario’s science table said Thursday that we need two more weeks to flatten the curve. Apparently lockdowns, school closures, passports, mandates and the erosion of democracy didn’t work.

The government subjected Ontarians to the second-longest and harshest lockdown in the world. It caused countless deaths, and many of us will not rest until we get a fair audit, so history can judge lockdowns fairly. The government caused our children irreparable harm with the longest school closure in the world, despite seeking and getting unanimous advice to open the schools.

For 20 months, Ontario’s pandemic response leaders denied science by denying natural immunity, while peddling herd immunity. Now the science has caught up and they can no longer deny it. The increase in deaths from overdose alone under age 65 is three times greater than all COVID deaths under age 65. According to a McMaster pediatric surgeon, multiple children died from a late cancer diagnosis. A mental health catastrophe is gripping the province.

The chief medical officer finally admitted that natural immunity is good immunity. The governor of California acknowledged that it’s seasonality that accounts for the rise in COVID cases. Finally, the CDC abandoned any plans for herd immunity, because you cannot obtain herd immunity with a leaky vaccine. For 20 months, the science deniers told us to listen to the science; 20 months later, they want two more weeks to flatten the curve.

Deerhurst Resort

Mr. Norman Miller: I rise today to celebrate a milestone in my riding. Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville celebrated its 125th anniversary this summer and is one of Ontario’s oldest resorts and greatest hospitality success stories. Deerhurst has grown from a family-run seasonal hotel, with just two guests during its initial season in 1896, to a year-round operation that can accommodate more than a thousand guests at a time.

Today, Deerhurst boasts exceptional recreational amenities, including two golf courses, a treetop trekking park, many water sports in the summer, and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing in the winter. Deerhurst boasts one of the biggest conference facilities north of Toronto, a facility that hosted the 36th G8 summit, and country music fans may know Deerhurst as the place where Shania Twain got her start as a professional singer.

Through it all, Muskoka’s beautiful lakeside surroundings and the congeniality of the Deerhurst staff remain its biggest assets. Speaking of Deerhurst staff, I want to congratulate executive chef Rory Golden on receiving the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario lifetime achievement award. With more than 30 years of experience at Deerhurst, Mr. Golden’s passion has helped put Muskoka on the provincial, national and international culinary map, and his dedication to using the local ingredients has supported many other local businesses.

Deerhurst is a huge driver of the tourism industry in Muskoka, normally attracting visitors from around the world. As we rebound from COVID-19, I hope that our government’s staycation tax credit will inspire more Ontarians to visit Deerhurst next year.

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

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m very pleased to inform the House that page Nathaniel Gardner, from the riding of Whitby, is today’s page captain, and we have with us today at Queen’s Park his mother, Julie Bisson. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We’re delighted to have you here. I’m not sure who she’s with, but—oh, I recognize the member.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier.

Speaker, yesterday the Premier announced that pharmacies will start testing people with COVID symptoms, as well as close contacts of people who are COVID-positive. While this announcement might be great for Shoppers and for corporate bottom lines, everyday Ontarians are worried.

Pharmacies need to be safe for seniors, immunocompromised people and parents of unvaccinated kids, who all deserve to get their prescriptions and their flu shots without fear of being exposed to COVID. Sending symptomatic people who may have COVID into a pharmacy is a bad idea.

Speaker, will the Premier admit that this is the wrong move and pause this new program?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. I can assure the member and the people of Ontario that pharmacies will continue to be safe. We are expanding testing for both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in our pharmacies. This has been recommended by Dr. Moore, our Chief Medical Officer of Health, and his medical experts at Public Health Ontario. I can assure the member that the pharmacies—as they always have—will be following strict infection prevention and control measures.

But we need to make sure that we have testing venues open for people, especially with the holidays approaching, as we’re opening up more of Ontario. There may be more people who need to be tested. Pharmacies have been trusted partners in this, and I am sure they will do this with their usual level of precaution and safety to make sure that everyone who enters the pharmacy is safe.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I can tell the minister that not all medical experts agree that this is a good decision. The Premier said that he would never go ahead with COVID measures that weren’t in people’s best health interests. That has clearly, however, not been the case in this pandemic. The Premier promised to build an iron ring around long-term care, but those protections were never put in place. He closed playgrounds for children last spring. He has constantly delayed taking decisive action, so much so that ICUs have filled up and thousands of surgeries were postponed.

Speaker, can the Premier tell Ontarians why we are shifting gears now to COVID testing in pharmacies and how he can justify this decision?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I can assure the member opposite that all participating pharmacies are expected to implement and follow strict infection prevention and control measures to protect staff, patients and other customers, of course, against COVID-19. It’s important, especially with the holidays approaching, because not everyone has an assessment facility or another facility to go to for testing. We need to make sure that there are going to be convenient places to go and that all of the important infection measures will be followed.

We know that in rural Ontario—northern Ontario, especially—this is a problem for assessment facilities, but not for pharmacies. Most organizations and most towns have pharmacies available. But it’s important to remember that the infection prevention and control measures that we’re always following, like a dedicated space to perform specimen collection, physical distancing, time between appointments to allow for cleaning and to avoid lineups and wearing masks inside pharmacies—all of these precautions will be taken to make sure that everyone is healthy and safe.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: We all know where this Premier normally gets his advice: from big corporate lobbyists and Conservative Party insiders—always. These are the Premier’s buddies who gave him, for example, the advice to put big box stores ahead of small businesses. They also wanted him to pave over wetlands for even more warehouses.

Speaker, Ontarians deserve to have safe pharmacies, and people with COVID symptoms deserve to get tested in facilities that are purposefully designed, with proper infection prevention and control protections. Will the Premier tell us which of his buddies asked him to change the rules in ways that could jeopardize the health of Ontarians?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Our chief measure since the beginning of this pandemic has been to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians. That continues to be the case. The only buddy that we have received information from is our Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kieran Moore. That’s who we follow—and the people at Public Health Ontario. They’re epidemiologists. They know what’s safe and they have indicated that this is going to be safe.

There are going to be strict measures, which I have already indicated. They’re also going to require signage outside the pharmacy and an online listing of participating pharmacies. This will be safe. This needs to be something that is open for everyone in Ontario who feels that they have some symptoms, they need to be tested, and it will be done with the usual precautions and safety that pharmacies have always used throughout this. They have been major partners with us in terms of testing, in terms of vaccination, in terms of flu vaccinations that are coming forward.

They have been great partners in the work that we’re doing. But the only advice that we receive on what we should be doing comes from Dr. Moore and the doctors who are advising him.

Child care

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. Now Ontarians know exactly why families and children do not have a child care deal: The Premier himself is involved. It’s no wonder we are the last province without affordable child care for families, because this government doesn’t want to make a deal to lower child care fees. This government doesn’t want to make a deal to provide more high-quality and affordable child care spaces, it doesn’t want to make a deal to ensure better wages and training for staff, and it doesn’t want to make a deal to ensure women can keep working and grow our economy.

So my question is to the Premier: What about the federal child care offer is the Premier saying no to?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We want a fair deal for Ontario families. What we oppose, what we say no to, is a program that never gets to $10 a day, which is the commitment the federal Liberals made to the people of this province. And we insist, as Progressive Conservatives, that they deliver on their commitment for $10 for all families in this province. In the absence of getting to $10, it is not a deal that we believe is in the interest of families, because they’re short-changing our province. We know that, because at best—at best—at maturity, in year five, the program gets to $21.

How is it that the NDP and the Liberals are comfortable with Ontarians paying more than every province east and west of us? We want to get that deal. We support affordable child care. It’s why this government announced a plan to reduce child care costs, opposed by the NDP and opposed by the Liberals. We’re going to continue to work with the federal government to land a deal that reduces prices, that ensures flexibility and that is sustainable for decades to come.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: What is very clear is that Ontario families today pay the highest child care fees in the country east and west of us right now. That’s the no-deal situation we have right now.

One of the biggest barriers to child care is how unaffordable it is. For many families, it’s even more expensive than a mortgage. Building affordable, $10-a-day child care would make a huge difference for families. If we had affordable child care now, families could afford better housing and food instead of maxing out their credit card every month.

Parents in other provinces have said it’s been life-changing. BC and Alberta’s fees will fall next year, and Quebec knows the program pays for itself with a great return on every dollar invested. My question to the Premier is, when will this government give us affordable $10-a-day high-quality non-profit and public child care?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. We do agree: Child care is too expensive in this province. It was an inherited legacy of the former Liberal government, where under the Del Duca-Wynne Liberals, child care rose 40% above the national average—unacceptable. It’s why in the first budget of this government we introduced a child care tax credit. It’s why the Minister of Finance and the Premier enriched it in the last budget.

But we know there is more to do. The feds contribute 2.5%. Obviously, they should be doing much, much more. We’re working with the federal government to make the case, like Quebec, which the member opposite cited, which had a program in place and was fully supported and subsidized accordingly, with no strings attached. We want the same type of deal for Ontario’s program for four- and five-year-olds, for a quarter of a million children that have the best quality care in schools, led by a teacher and an ECE.

We want that recognized. We don’t want to be penalized in this province for doing more than the rest of the federation. We want that recognized. We want a fair program and we want something that’s going to endure the test of time, a program that reduces fees for decades to come.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: It is important to also recognize that under this Ontario government’s three-year tenure, child care fees have gone up, not down. Yesterday, Carolyn Ferns from the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care said it extremely clearly. She said that parents don’t want to hear any more excuses from this Premier or from this Minister of Education, because it is very clear that kindergarten is not child care. The money the federal government has put on the table was never meant to pay for kindergarten; it’s meant to pay for Ontario families to get more help for child care.

All we have been hearing from this government are delays and distractions from what is really a very important and critical question: Will this Premier stop negotiating in the media and get Ontario families $10-a-day child care now?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We agree that child care is too expensive. It rose by 40% under the former Liberal government, and there’s much to do in this respect. It’s why we’ve been working with the federal government to get a deal, a good deal, a fair deal for the people of this province. As provincial legislators, our duty is to stand up to the national government for Ontario families, for children, and suggest that the program they put in place is insufficient, is not flexible, and ultimately, under no scenario, in year one nor year five, gets us to $10 a day.

That’s why we are standing up with the intent of landing a deal that is better, and we would hope every member of this House would agree that we should be able to extract a better deal for the people of this province. In fact, you mentioned a quote from one stakeholder. I want to note to the member that the executive director of the Association of Day Care Operators of Ontario said, “The wrong deal for Ontario could leave families with fewer licensed child care spaces and paying much, much more for them.”

We’re going to stay at the table, get a good deal that reduces costs, and ensure child care is sustainable for decades to come.

COVID-19 immunization

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. We’re just weeks away now from an approval for the COVID-19 vaccine for five- to 11-year-olds. Parents, meanwhile, are still waiting to see a plan. The science table said we need a clear information campaign, school-based clinics and an equity-based strategy to reach those at-risk communities, but we haven’t seen any of this from this government—nothing; nothing. Meanwhile, provincial data show that vaccination rates for the 12- to 17-year-old group is lagging behind.

We cannot afford to get this wrong. When will the minister stop asking parents to just trust her and show people an actual plan to get kids the protection of a vaccine?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. In fact, a great deal of work has already been done on the vaccination of children aged five to 11, because we anticipate that there will be approval very soon from Health Canada. The vaccines are all ready to go, and we are ready to provide them. Dr. Moore and his team have been working with 34 local medical officers of health for the delivery of vaccines within their communities. This information will be available very shortly to parents, because I do understand that parents want to know what’s going to be happening in their local geographic area.

We do know that parents of young children who are five to approximately seven years of age would like their children to be vaccinated either by their family physician or pediatrician,

whereas for older children, the parents are happier if they could be vaccinated perhaps at pharmacies or at larger vaccination clinics or perhaps pop-up clinics.

There is a detailed plan in place for each geographic area. That is going to be forthcoming very soon to answer parents’ questions.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I’ll send this back to the minister. The minister says they’re ready to deliver this vaccine plan. Well, tell that to the parents who don’t know where to register their kids yet.

Public health units are doing great work, but the government is dithering and dathering and delaying, and anti-vax activists are filling that silence. We’re risking losing people to misinformation.

Families in British Columbia, on the other hand, have been able to pre-register their kids since early October, giving them incredible peace of mind and early information to prepare themselves and their children. As of last week, over 70,000 children in British Columbia had pre-registered for the shot. Where are we?

Speaker, why won’t the government take this simple step and get things moving so we can all get out of this pandemic sooner?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, we are ready to go. We are in a very good state of readiness. We have had detailed discussions with the local medical officers of health and with Dr. Moore over the last several months to be prepared, because this isn’t just a simple matter. We want to make sure that we can prioritize the five- to 11-year-olds. We also need to make sure that we’re able to do the third shots for people who are over 70, immunocompromised people and the rest of it.

All of this is organized. All of this is going to be communicated by the 34 local public health units very shortly so that parents can start pre-registering their children, making appointments with their family doctors, because the plan is going to be different in each of those units depending on where they are, whether a school is going to be the most convenient location to vaccinate children—not during school hours but when their parents can be with them.

We have a plan. It is going to be communicated very shortly and is going to be provided in due course for parents to be able to make their own arrangements that they see appropriate for their own child. But we are ready to move immediately on this.

Infrastructure funding

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: My question today is to the Honourable Minister of Infrastructure. For far too long, Ontario’s small and larger rural and northern communities have been struggling to address their critical infrastructure needs that would provide residents with safe, modernized and accessible services. The Liberals knew about these struggles and concerns for 15 years and did absolutely nothing to address them.

The most these communities ever got from the past government was an acknowledgement that an infrastructure backlog existed and some proposed additional funding as a last-minute attempt to gain traction in the last provincial election. Ontarians deserve a government that listens to these communities, and now more than ever, they need a government that says yes instead of the chorus of no.

So to the minister, through you, Speaker: What is the government’s plan to support Ontario’s small, rural and northern communities to address these critical infrastructure backlogs?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you to the member for raising this very important issue. I know that everyone in this chamber can agree that communities are the heartbeat of this province. Our government recognizes this. That’s why we’re working with our municipal partners to address their infrastructure backlog.

The member is absolutely correct in saying our government is committed to building Ontario. This commitment is emphasized in our recent fall economic statement, where we announced an additional $1 billion over the next five years for our 424 small, rural and northern communities. That’s an additional $200 million per year, which will go a long way in supporting these communities to repair and rebuild roads, bridges and water and waste-water treatment plants.

Our government is saying yes to new, improved hospitals; yes to new, improved long-term care facilities; yes to building highways and public transit; and yes to helping our municipal partners address their infrastructure needs.

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

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: Thank you, Minister, for your response. I couldn’t agree more. I know this funding will go a long way for the residents of Mississauga and communities across the province.

Even the Ontario Chamber of Commerce called on the previous Liberal government in 2016, nearly two years before the 2018 provincial election, asking them to step up and start investing in vital infrastructure projects to support building and repairing transit, roads and bridges throughout the province. The Liberal government either didn’t hear these calls or just didn’t care enough to support the crucial infrastructure that the people of Ontario needed and deserved.

Speaker, through you to the Minister of Infrastructure: What is our government doing to support communities like Mississauga and address our critical infrastructure needs?

Hon. Kinga Surma: I want to thank the very hard-working member from Mississauga for her question. I can assure the people of Ontario that our government is taking action to support communities across the province. From Kenora to Sarnia and from Sault Ste. Marie to Ottawa, we are prioritizing investments in vital infrastructure. Through increased OCIF funding beginning in 2022, eligible communities will see their minimum annual funding go from $50,000 to $100,000.

On top of this, Mr. Speaker, our government continues to support critical infrastructure investments in urban settings, such as building hospitals in Brampton and in Ottawa; building long-term care homes faster than ever before in Ajax, in Toronto and in Mississauga, where the demand is the greatest; building subways in the city of Toronto and in York region; and building new schools in Oshawa and in Pickering. Collectively, we are spending over $145 billion over the next decade to ensure Ontarians are healthy and strong and our province is more resilient in the future.

Health care funding

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question is to the Premier. The Premier’s low-wage policies and lack of action to tackle the affordability crisis are making things harder for every Ontarian. But that’s not all that this government is doing to make things worse. A new

article by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reports that for the next two years cuts in the form of spending shortfalls will take a bite out of health care. The CCPA projects that, compared to what is actually needed just to maintain current health care services—which we all know are already lacking—the health care sector will be short $3 billion.

After all our province has gone through in this pandemic, why is this government shortchanging our health care system by $3 billion?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member for the question. In fact, what’s happened is we have put massive amounts of money into our health care system, hundreds of millions of dollars in order to make sure that we can, first of all, keep the lights on; secondly, that we can deal with the effects of COVID—with the testing, with the vaccinations, with keeping assessment centres open, all of the rest.

We have put over half a billion dollars into making sure that we can keep going with the surgeries that had to be postponed during COVID when we had vast numbers of people in intensive care. We’ve created 3,000 more hospital beds as a result. This happens because we are investing in our health care system. We know we need to be ready for people for COVID, and after COVID, because we are facing a huge mental health need across the province as well.

So rather than lessening our investitures in health care, we’re increasing them significantly.

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Speaker, from the Minister of Health saying that their goal is just to keep the lights on in hospitals is not very reassuring at all, because people’s experiences are so much worse. Thousands of patients are still waiting for surgery and diagnostic services. But with projected shortcomings, Ontarians will face even longer waits and more delays for the health care procedures that they need and that they deserve.

This government would rather cut corners and shortchange our health care system than get people the knee surgeries, the cancer screenings that they need to live a healthy life. The CCPA says this poor health care planning will result in real cuts to public services at the level of individuals and families, and people are feeling those cuts already.

Why would this Premier introduce a fall economic statement with painful cuts to health care, especially after a global pandemic?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Speaker, through you, there are two things I would like to clarify. First, what I said was that hospitals need to have these increases to keep the lights on and to do the work they need to do—not just to keep the lights on. There is a big difference there. Secondly, it also needs to be noted that we have increased our funding by hundreds of millions of dollars into health care, particularly dealing with the issue that the member just mentioned, in order to continue with the surgeries and procedures that were postponed during COVID.

We’ve put over half a billion dollars into our hospitals to allow them to do that. We’ve also launched a Surgical Innovation Fund of over $30 million to allow individual hospitals to make some small changes to what they’re doing so that they can increase those surgeries, increase those procedures.

We want to make sure that we take care of the health and welfare of everyone in Ontario, not—I shouldn’t say not just the people with COVID; that’s very important, but with everyone else too, because I know that many people are waiting for hip and knee replacements. It’s costly. It’s very painful for them. They have been waiting long enough.

We are there to protect the health and safety of all Ontarians.

Municipal government

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs. November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month in Ontario. About a year ago, I stood in this chamber to call attention to the disturbing actions of a member of Ottawa city council towards women he worked with for many years and harassed for many years. The city of Ottawa’s integrity commissioner found that the councillor had committed inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour in the workplace. He stated, “These are incomprehensible incidents of harassment.”

The city took the strongest measures possible, which was to suspend his pay for 450 days. He just started getting paid again last weekend, Mr. Speaker, but during that time, he continued to build his pension, and he will receive a severance if he chooses not to run next fall or loses his re-election. Any other Ontario resident would have lost their job for what this member of city council did in the workplace.

My bill, Bill 10, the Stopping Harassment and Abuse by Local Leaders Act, is on the order paper right now and would provide a solution to this problem. We’re running out of time to get the legislation passed.

Will the government commit to supporting Bill 10?

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through you to the honourable member: Our government has been absolutely clear that we will not tolerate workplace harassment or discrimination of any type. Heads of council and members of council need to carry out their duties in an ethical and responsible manner.

I want to thank the honourable member for his advice and feedback, as part of our consultation. I want to also thank the member for Niagara Centre. And I want to acknowledge the work that Minister Dunlop and Minister McKenna have done as part of the consultation.

AMO has given us very valuable feedback on this file. We take this file very seriously as we move forward. I’ll have more to say in the coming weeks on the matter.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Mr. Stephen Blais: Unfortunately, this egregious behaviour isn’t limited to Ottawa. There are similar cases in Brampton and in Barrie today, as we speak, and undoubtedly throughout history there have been many, many more.

As I understand it, AMO supports stronger integrity measures, including measures that would allow for the removal of an elected municipal official from office for such behaviours. Municipalities facing these circumstances have exhausted the tools at their disposal. They can withdraw pay; that’s it.

The women in Ottawa who have come forward have shown great courage and resilience to share their stories and help shed light on this issue.

As I mentioned before, Mr. Speaker, we are running out of time to get legislation passed. If the government won’t support Bill 10, when will they introduce their own legislation so we can finally address this issue?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for the question.

I concur; the women who have come forward have been very brave and very courageous. We take their comments about what happened very, very seriously.

The member opposite also talked about the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. Again, I want to thank them. They’ve recommended increased financial penalties, suspension of members for certain violations, removal from office in certain circumstances, and better training and standards for integrity commissioners. I think those recommendations are very, very valuable.

We appreciate all of the feedback that the ministers heard during the consultation.

I want to make the House very clear on our approach going forward: We will ensure that our municipal partners have the resources and the tools they need to foster safe and respectful workplaces.

Veterans’ housing

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Speaker, like all members of this House, I took the time this past Remembrance Day to reflect upon the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who served our country.

Recently, I heard a shocking statistic. It’s estimated that there could be as many as 5,000 military veterans in Canada experiencing homelessness. This is far too many. Veterans not only deserve our respect, but they also deserve the support of our government.

Speaker, can the minister please tell this House what the government is doing to address this issue and honour our veterans?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for his tireless work and advocacy for our veterans.

Veterans who stepped up to serve our country deserve a place to call home. That’s why I was so pleased to be in Kingston last week with Kingston mayor Bryan Paterson and Homes for Heroes as we announced that our government will be providing up to $2 million to help build up to 25 tiny homes as part of a veterans’ village for military veterans experiencing homelessness. The province is working, as I said, in partnership with the city of Kingston and with the Homes for Heroes Foundation to convert a portion of the Kingston Provincial Campus into that veterans’ village.

Each veterans’ village will be constructed from a prefabricated modular housing system. Every tiny home is going to have transitional housing programs for one veteran. It’s a self-contained unit that includes a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom and a sleeping area.

Speaker, this is an exciting project as we support our veterans.

I’ll have more to say in the supplementary.

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

Mr. Lorne Coe: Thank you to the minister for his response.

Ontario owes a debt of gratitude to our veterans, Speaker, and our government believes that everyone, especially those whose lives have been in the service of others, should have a place to call home. As the minister mentioned, he made a minister’s zoning order on this site. Could the minister please tell us more about how he is able to use this tool to help move this project forward?

Hon. Steve Clark: I certainly want to echo the words of the member for Whitby. These men and women were there when we needed them and now it’s our turn to provide the support that they need. To speed up the process—the member is correct—I issued a minister’s zoning order on November 10 to help move this project forward. The MZO will allow for residential and complementary uses such as the use of a community hall on the site which is going to serve as a resource centre and be available for the veteran tenants for social gatherings and very important peer-to-peer support.

Without this MZO, Speaker, it would take years for this site to be rezoned through the zoning bylaw amendment process and for the construction of the veterans’ village to begin. The CEO commented that in all the projects he’s worked on, this project in Kingston has moved forward the fastest. Our government is getting shovels in the ground to help these veterans have a better and brighter future and to provide this wonderful project for them. Thank you again for the question.

Social assistance

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier. People in downtown Toronto who live on social assistance feel forgotten by this government. I recently heard from a constituent named Cally, who lives on ODSP and has been struggling with food insecurity for years. Cally is pre-diabetic and requires a special diet, but ODSP’s special diet allowance isn’t keeping pace with the skyrocketing price of food in our community. She doesn’t understand why this government refuses to increase social assistance rates to keep pace with the cost of living in Ontario.

Premier, why is your government refusing to help people like Cally in my community who are struggling to afford the bare necessities like food and rent?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member for that important question. In fact, our government has increased the funding for OW and ODSP. We have added $1 billion for social services relief funding during a very, very difficult time. We understand the challenges related to that. This service program has had challenges, and we acknowledge that. We are, really, the first government to address this, not only during a 100-year pandemic with COVID-19 supports, but also ongoing supports. We know that food security is a very important issue and we’ve added funding for that, and more services for that.

This is an ongoing issue. We are really putting at the centre of everything we do the vulnerable populations that we serve to get them the vital social services that they need. We are putting people at the centre of our transformation, and this is something we will continue to do: put the dollars where they need to be to support our vulnerable populations.

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

Ms. Suze Morrison: Speaker, respectfully back to the minister: $100 a month that was a temporary increase to ODSP and OW during COVID—a temporary increase—is not a permanent increase to social assistance rates that is going to allow people to afford long-term the cost of food in our community. It’s not news that social assistance rates have been criminally low in this province for decades. Let’s not forget it was a former Conservative Premier, Mike Harris, who slashed social assistance rates in half in the mid-1990s.

Speaker, my family lived on social assistance in the mid-1990s. I remember those cuts. It was devastating. I knew hunger as a child because of the former Conservative government, and things have not gotten better for constituents like Cally in my community, because in the 15 years that the Liberals had after them, they did nothing. They sat on their hands. They did not raise the rates and they let constituents like Cally continue to suffer.

My question back to the Premier is: Yes or no, will you permanently increase the rates of OW and ODSP today so that constituents like Cally can afford to eat?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Again, this is such an important area and that’s why our government is supporting our most vulnerable populations. In fact, if we look at not only the billion dollars with the SSRF but the increase when we first started, we have looked at the food security issue—the food bank support, $750 million which we upped to $1 billion.

We acknowledge that the previous government didn’t do what it needed to do, and that’s why this government is: $8 million in funding for Feed Ontario, distributing prepackaged hampers to support the really important work that our food banks do and the volunteers there. I really want to thank them as well. The student nutrition programs across the province have seen increased funding so that they can continue to deliver critical services for children.

We are responding to the pandemic. We are responding to the neglect by the previous government over many years, as you have mentioned, and we will continue to get the vital social services to our most vulnerable populations, as we have been doing. We will continue to do that.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Roman Baber: My question is to the Minister of Health.

Almost 20 months ago to this day, the Premier told us that we need two weeks to flatten the curve. Ontarians have endured a horrific 20-month period with lockdowns and school closures. They are now subjected to passports, segregation, and an atmosphere where ordinary Canadians are subjected to hate because of this government’s fearmongering. Almost 90% of us are vaccinated, but last Thursday Dr. Jüni, head of the Ontario science table, appeared on CTV and said that we need two weeks to flatten the curve.

My question to the Minister of Health: Does she agree with the science table that we need two weeks to flatten the curve, and what does the science table’s position tell us about the policy of destruction caused by this government over the last 20 months?

Hon. Christine Elliott: First, I would say that we have had to take the steps that we have taken in order to protect the health and safety of the people of Ontario. This is a pandemic. This is something that happens, hopefully, only once every 100 years. We’ve taken a very cautious approach to easing back, to opening up our economy. That’s why we’ve issued our recovery plan that takes a very cautious, incremental approach to make sure that we don’t have to go back again.

The people of Ontario cannot deal with another lockdown, both in terms of their social sense but also our economy can’t deal with another lockdown. That’s why we’re being very cautious and doing things in a very careful manner. It takes two weeks to understand the effect of a change you make, and so that is why we have to cautiously approach this. Every change that we make, we make sure that we allow that two weeks to take place so that we can adjust if we need to.

But the last thing we want is another lockdown. We want to keep moving Ontario forward. That’s what the people of—

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

Mr. Roman Baber: Speaker, visiting a loved one at a hospital to give them comfort and support, to call a nurse or doctor when the patient is in need or pray by their bedside when they’re about to pass is a sacred right. But now, several Ontario hospitals deny family members visitation because of their medical status, because they did not take medication that the government wants everyone to take.

Speaker, this is cruel and inhumane. It’s a new low in the never-ending series of lows and evil imposed on Ontarians “for their safety.” On behalf of these patients and these families, I ask the Minister of Health, will she put an end to this inhumane cruelty and prohibit hospitals from denying visitation to families and loved ones?

Hon. Christine Elliott: First, let me say to the member opposite that hospitals are able to make their own policies. They are run by their own independent board of directors. That’s not something that the Ministry of Health directs. In some cases, that’s necessary, particularly, I would say, pediatric hospitals, where most of the children thus far have not been able to be vaccinated. We hope that will change soon and we’re awaiting Health Canada’s response that five- to 1