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February 28, 2022

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2022-Feb-28 (PDF)

L036 - Mon 28 Feb 2022 / Lun 28 fév 2022

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 28 February 2022 Lundi 28 février 2022

Members’ Statements

Senior citizens’ housing

Peter Gilgan

Health care

House of Friendship

Housing

Invasion of Ukraine

Invasion of Ukraine

Affordable housing

Small business

Visitors

Question Period

Invasion of Ukraine

Manufacturing jobs

Public transit

Manufacturing jobs

Government appointments

Invasion of Ukraine

Tax rebates

Affordable housing

COVID-19 immunization

Electronic service delivery

Health care funding

Child care

Dental care

Trucking industry

Northern Health Travel Grant

Introduction of Bills

Working for Workers Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 visant à oeuvrer pour les travailleurs

Superior Corporate Services Limited Act, 2022

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

Petitions

Anti-racism activities

Dog ownership

Optometry services

Anti-racism activities

Optometry services

Education funding

Optometry services

Optometry services

Optometry services

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Education funding

Optometry services

Opposition Day

Health care funding / Financement des soins de santé

Orders of the Day

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

Fewer Fees, Better Services Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 pour de meilleurs services et moins de frais

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I want to acknowledge that we are meeting on lands traditionally inhabited by Indigenous peoples. We pay our respects to the many Indigenous nations who gathered here, and continue to gather here, including the Mississaugas of the Credit. Meegwetch.

This being the first sitting Monday of the month, I will ask everyone to remain standing for the presentation of the Canadian national anthem, followed by the royal anthem.

Playing of the national anthem / Écoute de l’hymne national.

Playing of the royal anthem / Écoute de l’hymne royal.

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

Members’ Statements

Senior citizens’ housing

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I’d like to talk about seniors’ affordability in housing today. We are in a housing crisis. I have seen first-hand how especially low-income seniors are being disproportionately impacted by the provincial government’s inaction on affordable housing.

A senior on OAS contacted my office to gain clarity on what his rights and options were after his landlord pressured him with above-guideline rent increases. Another senior reached out after being served an N13, essentially being renovicted. They both worry about being able to afford to move on their fixed incomes. A senior who has her young grandchild and great-grandchild in her care—one of whom has significant and multi-layered health concerns—is forced to couch-surf and is worried about whether she’ll end up homeless.

Seniors now account for 35% of people waiting for affordable housing across the province. Between years-long housing wait-lists, rising rents, the cost of living and no correlative rise in their fixed incomes, seniors like my constituents are in a tough spot. I ask this government: Are they prepared to bring back rent controls, stop unfair renovictions and lower hydro rates? And if not, what is the government’s plan to make sure that seniors can afford a roof over their heads?

Peter Gilgan

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Today I rise to thank a great Ontarian and a great philanthropist for the largest donation to a hospital in Canadian history. Peter Gilgan grew up as one of seven children in a middle-class family. In 1978, he founded Mattamy Homes and went on to build 90,000 homes, including mine.

Three years ago he made a $100-million donation to the Hospital for Sick Children here in Toronto to support the redevelopment of the SickKids campus. Now, earlier this month, Mr. Gilgan announced a historic $1.5-million donation to the Trillium Health Partners to support the construction of a new Mississauga hospital in Mississauga–Lakeshore. Together with his previous contributions, this makes Mr. Gilgan the largest benefactor to health care in Canada.

It is fitting that he is supporting the construction of the largest and most advanced hospital in Canada. At 1,000 beds, 24 storeys and 2.8 million square feet, it will be almost triple the size of the current hospital.

In December, I was proud to join the Premier and the Minister of Health to announce a multi-billion-dollar provincial investment in this project, which is also the single-largest investment in hospital infrastructure in Canadian history. It is appropriate that the new hospital will now be known as the Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital. I ask all members to please join me in recognizing Peter Gilgan for his incredible generosity and support for the Mississauga Hospital.

Health care

Ms. Jessica Bell: University–Rosedale is home to many of Canada’s best hospitals: Princess Margaret, Toronto General, Mount Sinai, Toronto Western, SickKids, Women’s College. It is also home to many of the health care workers who are responsible for healing us when we are sick.

I am very concerned about the state of health care today. Up to 400,000 Ontarians are waiting too long for necessary surgery, a surgery backlog that doctors are calling “catastrophic.” There is a massive shortage of nurses. Emergency room staff are telling me that up to 30% of staff—especially nurses—are not available in the emergency room. They are exhausted and burnt-out and they are getting too little pay.

Recently, the Ontario Health Coalition sounded the alarm because private operators could be approved to run hospitals in Ontario. That is deeply concerning, because privatization hurts health care. When there’s more money for private profit, there’s less money for health care. It’s really that simple.

We have a right to excellent universal public health care. Instead of cuts, we should be expanding health care to include universal pharmacare and dental care. Instead of legislating pay freezes, we should be increasing pay for nurses and personal support workers so we can deal with the staffing shortage. And instead of expanding for-profit service into health care, we should double down and recommit to universal non-profit and public health care. It will make us healthier and it will make us more prosperous when we all have the ability to stay healthy and heal.

House of Friendship

Mr. Mike Harris: I rise this morning to highlight an organization that has been supporting the people of Waterloo region since 1939. House of Friendship started out as a storefront mission to feed the hungry on King Street in downtown Kitchener, and has grown to provide supports to thousands of vulnerable residents in our community.

Earlier this year, I was extremely pleased to announce that the government of Ontario is providing the House of Friendship with $8.5 million in capital funding in support of their ShelterCare program. This funding is being delivered through the social services relief fund and will be used to help House of Friendship purchase and convert a former hotel into a 100-bed emergency shelter. The ShelterCare program offers overnight, wraparound care and accommodations for individuals struggling with homelessness and has a proven track record of getting people the assistance they need when they need it most, Mr. Speaker.

The ShelterCare model has improved outcomes and reduced incidences of overdoses, reduced calls for police service and ambulance care and has acted as a supportive buffer for individuals experiencing difficult situations.

I want to sincerely thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing for championing this vital community initiative. And to the directors and staff of House of Friendship and all the volunteers who help them: Thank you for your dedication and service to those who experience some very difficult times in our community.

Housing

Ms. Suze Morrison: My riding of Toronto Centre has the highest concentration of social housing in our city. I recently had the opportunity to meet with constituents in the Shuter towers in the Moss Park neighbourhood. This is a neighbourhood of large, aging high-rises that house hundreds of low-income people in our community. While I’ve risen in the House several times to address the issue of underfunding, long wait-lists and severe disrepair in community housing, I have to share that I’ve never seen anything quite as bad as what I’ve recently witnessed in the Moss Park towers.

Every single resident I spoke to had a heartbreaking story to share, from spending years on a wait-list, underhoused and waiting for transfers to larger units as their children were born, to horrifying stories of mice, cockroaches and never-ending bedbugs, to safety concerns and neglected repairs. The number of families I encountered with two and three children living in bachelor and one-bedroom apartments was heartbreaking. One mom I spoke to said she knew her kids were struggling to focus in school because they weren’t getting enough sleep while all sharing a bed.

She worried about the school involving CAS, but there’s nothing that she can do but wait until a bigger unit becomes available—potentially years.

I’d ask any member of this House how acceptable they would find it to have raised their own children in a bachelor apartment crawling with bedbugs and cockroaches, and then ask why it’s acceptable for any family in my community? For decades, Speaker, Liberal and Conservative governments have completely ignored the growing crisis in social housing, allowing wait-lists to balloon, buildings to fall apart and families to continue living in substandard housing—if they can even get a unit at all after 15 years on a wait-list.

Today, I’m calling on the Premier to do the right thing: Come to the table with real investments in social housing to build new units, address the wait-list and address the billions of dollars in capital repair backlogs. It is completely unacceptable that families of four and five children are living in bachelor and one-bedroom units.

Invasion of Ukraine

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: Speaker, the people of Ukraine are in all of our thoughts this morning. They’re living through a dangerous, fearful time. Mothers and fathers fear for their children. Grandparents fear for their families. Young women and men starting out in their lives are being called upon to resist the evil that is assaulting their home.

Sadly, the ravages of war are an all-too-familiar theme in human history in all corners of the world. To paraphrase a song from my youth: When will we ever learn? War is the worst of us.

But all of us in Canada who truly value freedom, truth and democracy stand in awe of the fortitude of the Ukrainian people. We support and respect the courage of Ukrainian civilians, soldiers and families who refuse to be cowed. We wish the best for you as you confront this evil. We encourage our leaders in doing everything they can to demonstrate our support for you in real and tangible ways. Those of us who can rally, send money or open our doors to you are doing so and will continue to raise our voices, and all of us pray for your safe passage and for peace. Slava Ukraini.

Invasion of Ukraine

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Speaker, I also rise today to stand with Ukraine, to stand with the Ukrainian community in Ontario and across Canada and the many people who call Etobicoke home. I stand especially with those now trapped by war because of the illegal and criminal actions of Vladimir Putin. My heart goes out to you all.

The Ukrainian community is deeply rooted in our nation. They have contributed to building this country and our province since immigrants arrived over 130 years ago. These are hard-working people who have built lives and families and contributed to Canada’s greatness in sports, science, academia, business and many other fields.

They originally came for a better life and, ironically, to escape Russian oppression in the late 1800s. They came to find democracy, freedom and the rule of law. Even though the Ukrainian community has been here for generations, they maintained close ties with home. And later waves of immigrants came to Ontario. They settled. They contributed to our community and to our economy.

Mr. Speaker, Russia has attempted to absorb Ukraine for centuries, a sad part of Ukrainian history. But because of Vladimir Putin’s illegal attack on Ukrainian people, innocent people are being killed and forcibly removed from their home.

It was a privilege over the weekend to speak at the Ukrainian consulate in my riding. Our government has been clear: We stand with Ukrainian people. God bless the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

Affordable housing

Miss Monique Taylor: Lack of affordable housing and renovictions continues to be a growing issue in Hamilton. The average market rent of a one-bedroom apartment is now over $1,500. The average price of a home is approximately $976,423, with the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington saying these prices show no sign of decreasing any time soon.

A renoviction is a practice that displaces a tenant for renovations, but in reality it’s a predatory tactic used to raise the rent of the tenant, often to a price they cannot afford, which leaves them scrambling to find housing in an unaffordable market. We are seeing the result of this right now in my riding of Hamilton Mountain, where a tenant is being sued by a landlord who is attempting to evict her and other tenants.

It’s shameful this practice is still allowed, and we need stronger protections in place so tenants are protected from these malicious tactics. There also needs to be a supply of affordable housing available so Ontarians have options and can actually afford to live in their home city. This is why New Democrats have a plan to build 69,000 new affordable homes over 10 years and close loopholes on renovictions, because Ontarians deserve safe, affordable housing.

Small business

Mr. Vincent Ke: This week, as restrictions start to ease, we will begin to take a fresh step forward in the right direction. Speaker, with renewed optimism, we can now envision brighter prospects on the horizon for Ontario businesses. With the introduction of the government’s small business relief grant for eligible businesses put forward by the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, we are working together to help many small businesses strengthen their foundations as they begin to rebuild and reboot.

Speaker, I know that many small businesses, including those in my riding of Don Valley North, suffered many hardships and setbacks during the pandemic. Small businesses create great jobs and opportunities for people. I thank small business owners and employees for their contributions to our province’s success and economic growth.

Speaker, Ontario is always open for business. We are not a province of business as usual; Ontario makes business better.

Newly formed eligible businesses have until March 11 to apply.

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

Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before we have question period, I wish to announce the presence of some special guests here in the Speaker’s Gallery today. We have with us Janet Tyrell, who is the mother of Christopher Tyrell.

I’m pleased to announce that Christopher Tyrell has been appointed as a permanent Clerk at the Table and the senior Clerk, committees. We know Chris from his work as a committee Clerk in the procedural services branch and he’s a friend to all of us. I know that all members join me in congratulating Chris as he assumes his new responsibilities.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m also very pleased to inform the House that page Benjamin Selmi from the riding of Essex is one of today’s page captains. We have with us today at Queen’s Park his father, Patrick Selmi.

We’re also joined by the parent of our other page captain, Elya Keren-Sagiv, from the riding of York Centre. Her mother, Tamara Keren, is here.

Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We’re delighted to have you with us.

Question Period

Invasion of Ukraine

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, my first question this morning is for the Premier. I think it’s pretty clear that all Ontarians stand with the Ukrainian people, and I know a couple of members this morning used their members’ statements to reflect that very reality. We’ve all been watching the news with absolute horror, seeing the terror, the fear and the anguish in the eyes of Ukrainian people. We know that this province is home to one of the largest Ukrainian Canadian populations in our country, with 375,000 folks of Ukrainian descent.

We also know that all over Ontario, over the weekend, we had rallies in so many communities, people just out to support the Ukrainian people.

The province of Alberta and the province of BC have put $1 million each into relief efforts. As we saw over the weekend, Speaker, this humanitarian crisis is rapidly increasing.

I’m asking the Premier today to consider increasing the amount of support that we’re providing here in Ontario, from the $300,000 that was announced to something more in the range of about $3 million. Will they please do that?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for that question, and also thank all members in this House who have spoken with a unified voice with respect to what we have seen in Ukraine and the Russian aggression there.

We are going to continue to work very closely with our federal partners and partners across this country, Premiers across this country, to ensure that we do continue to provide the maximum assistance to Ukraine. The Leader of the Opposition is correct: Some support has already flowed through the province of Ontario. We’ve also announced some sanctions directly that the province of Ontario could impose, but there is more work to be done.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, the minister of labour and immigration is also seeking to settle more Ukrainian refugees to the province of Ontario as quickly as possible.

But I do acknowledge, Leader of the Opposition, that more needs to be done. As we review how we can assist, additional aid will be coming from the province of Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: It’s good to hear, Speaker, because I know that Ontarians are ready. They’re ready and willing to open their homes, to open their communities and their workplaces to welcome refugees. They’re ready to open their wallets to provide assistance as well.

As we know, the federal government has put together a program of matching dollars with the Canadian Red Cross of up to $10 million. That, I think, is something that encourages people to donate, when they know their donation is matched. It’s a really great idea and I’m wondering whether that isn’t something that we could be doing here as well. Will the government consider, or even commit to, a matching funds type of scenario to help raise money for the Canada-Ukraine Foundation?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, we moved very quickly to provide an initial assistance package of about $300,000. Of course, we moved quickly with respect to eliminating Russian products from LCBO shelves.

I did listen.

The members for Etobicoke–Lakeshore and Etobicoke Centre, in particular, we did sit down and they did express just what they heard over the weekend when they were speaking at rallies, as the member talked about, and just how important it is for the government of Ontario to continue to assist the people of Ukraine, and that we continue to work with our provincial partners and the federal government, as the Leader of the Opposition said, not only for refugees, to settle them in Ontario—they have been such an important part of building Ontario into the best province to live in in this country, the Ukrainians who have come to this province in the past, and we want to do more for them.

We are looking at that as well. We are communicating with the federal government to see if that is the best way that we can support the people of Ukraine. But more will be done. I can assure the Leader of the Opposition of that.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I appreciate the government House leader’s response, Speaker. I’m absolutely supportive. We, I’m sure, are all supportive of streamlining the Canadian immigration system to help Ukrainian refugees escape the crisis they’re in and come to our province.

As we know, these families will find welcoming communities. They’ll find families that are ready to support them. They’ll find Ontario businesses ready to step up and give them some work. Certainly it’s something that we all need to ensure actually happens. I guess what I’m hoping to hear, though, from the government House leader or the government side is a sharing of any of the details they might have as to what is actually being done to remove barriers to Ukrainians coming to our province and also maybe a bit of a sense of what might come next, as this crisis seems to be likely to get even worse and go even further.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I appreciate the question. As I said, when sitting down with the member for Etobicoke–Lakeshore, she had mentioned that many of the people she had met with had talked about how important it was to bring more of their family members here so that they can continue to contribute in the way that they have for so many years in the province of Ontario. It is something I know the Premier asked the Minister of Labour to ensure that we moved as quickly as possible on. There are jobs and opportunity in the province of Ontario.

We are looking to resettle up to 20,000 additional Ukrainians to be here, to be part of the community. There are so many vibrant Ukrainian Canadian communities, not only in Ontario but across the country, where they can continue to be as productive and supported as they have been, not only to us but to the community when they settle here.

I do appreciate the Leader of the Opposition’s focus on this as the first question this morning. It is very, very important and, as the Legislature, we will work together to get this done on behalf of that community.

Manufacturing jobs

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier. Last week, the Premier described our questions about the secret ripping up of the Canadian content policy for transit procurement as “a little game.” Losing thousands of Ontario jobs is not a game. It is no game, Speaker.

In their RFP for the Ontario Line, the government secretly ripped up the 25% Ontario content requirement and now it’s only 10% for the Ontario Line. For no good reason this has happened. The officials confirmed last week, of course, that we were correct, and they are calling the Ontario Line an exception to the 25% policy rule.

Why would the Premier abandon thousands and thousands of good manufacturing jobs in Ontario? Will he rip up that policy and go back to the 25% requirement?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA).

Hon. Stan Cho: I think it’s important to deal in fact. To be clear, no government has ordered more Canadian-made vehicles than ours. The NDP can’t have it both ways. These allegations are coming from the same party that demands more public transit, but has voted against every single measure, has said no to every single measure our government has put forward to make this actually happen. The NDP voted against the Ontario Line. They voted against the largest subway expansion in Canadian history and voted against keeping good-paying jobs in Thunder Bay.

I know the Leader of the Opposition wants just 25% of this multi-billion-dollar project to require Canadian content, but we think we can do better. That’s why our government is moving forward with 75% Canadian content, almost 90% of which will be made right here in Ontario. We’re going to say yes to transit. We’re going to say yes to jobs across the province. That includes Thunder Bay.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I’ll ask the page to come and send this over to the minister, because the bottom line is, we all know that, notwithstanding what they are claiming on the government side, there has been a big change made here. There has been a big change. They’ve taken the 25% requirement down to 10%. It says right here, “Canadian content”—this is the RFP that this government issued. “Canadian content” means a minimum of 10% of the final value of a car supplied, etc., etc.

So you can’t have it both ways. The facts are clear; yes, they are in black and white. This government watered down the requirement for no good reason. They’re abandoning good-paying jobs for no good reason.

Speaker, will this Premier do the right thing, rip up this RFP, invest in Ontario, invest in Ontario’s jobs and not send those jobs overseas?

Hon. Stan Cho: The leader is right: You can’t have it both ways. So the NDP cannot vote against all these jobs on the Ontario Line and then claim we’re not protecting jobs when we are.

I want to remind the Leader of the Opposition that when they had a coalition with the Liberals from 2004 to 2014, 300,000 manufacturing jobs left this province. We are bringing those jobs back. It’s too bad the NDP and the Liberals still say no to the $11 billion that will go back into the local economy as a result of the Ontario Line.

Speaker, the RFP is not for the entire Ontario Line; it is a massive undertaking that will create 4,700 jobs during the construction alone. We will continue to create those jobs across this province and in Thunder Bay.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, no matter how you slice it, this government reduced the content requirement for their subway cars. They are not building subway cars for the Ontario Line in Ontario. How ridiculous is that? The Ontario Line is not having the cars built in Ontario.

The Unifor local president, the president of the Unifor unit in the Alston plant in Thunder Bay, Dominic Pasqualino, said this: Lowering that Canadian content “to 10%” just blows us “out of the water.” That’s what those Unifor workers are talking about in Thunder Bay as we speak here in this House. It is terrible news for them, terrible news for the company, terrible news for the community. In fact, the mayor says that he’s concerned that it’s going to hurt his community and their work opportunities going forward.

So I once again ask this Premier: Will he do the right thing, rip up that RFP, reissue it at 25% and make sure we’re supporting good manufacturing jobs here in Ontario instead of sending them overseas?

Hon. Stan Cho: We are creating those good-paying jobs across this entire province, and the Canadian content policy has not changed. At the end of the day, 75% of the construction of the Ontario Line will be Canadian; 90% of that will be right here in Ontario.

But what else has the country done? Via Rail: manufactured in the US, with parts coming from overseas. When the Canada Line in Vancouver was procured and constructed, there was no requirement for Canadian content across borders. In fact, Ontario is the only province, along with Quebec, that has even domestic requirements when it comes to transit vehicles. So, Speaker, why can’t the opposition get on board and say yes to jobs here in Ontario and in Thunder Bay?

Public transit

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: My question is to the Premier. Not only is this government putting good-paying jobs at risk in Thunder Bay, it is also putting good-paying local jobs at risk for historically disadvantaged communities by not including minimum hiring targets for Black, Indigenous and other equity-seeking groups in the tunneling contracts for the Scarborough subway extension and Eglinton Crosstown West extension projects. An aspirational goal of hiring at least 10% of all workers from equity-deserving groups has been included in the contract for every major Metrolinx project since 2013.

The Premier should know the positive change this provision has created in the quality of life of many workers and their families on projects like the Finch West LRT, which runs through both of our communities in northwest Toronto. Why has this government now removed this?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA).

Hon. Stan Cho: The pandemic, while tough on all of us, has not stopped us from making progress on the Ontario Line or any of our priority projects—$28.5 billion in infrastructure investment, a long overdue investment, means a lot of jobs. In fact, it’s almost 5,000 during the construction alone, with $11 billion going back to local economic growth.

It’s not just jobs. It’s spurring on the local economy, and I can’t think of a better time, when we’re coming out of a very difficult two years. Those jobs will continue to provide food for families and get them through these very difficult times, and we are confident that Metrolinx will continue its fair hiring practices, as it has done, and engage with communities.

We are going to get through this pandemic. It will be an unparalleled time of prosperity for the great people of this province, and we’re going to finally have the subway systems to keep us moving as well.

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

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Phil Verster, the CEO of Metrolinx, wrote in a letter to Toronto Community Benefits Network that it would be taking a new approach to community benefits agreements on new transit projects.

In her response, Rosemarie Powell, executive director of Toronto Community Benefits Network, wrote that Metrolinx’s new approach does not take into account elements “that have been negotiated in good faith over the past seven years as a minimum standard expected by the community and the equity-deserving groups it is meant to benefit.” This includes setting minimum hiring thresholds and targets for equity-seeking groups, contract opportunities for local and minority-owned businesses and ensuring that there is community involvement.

Can the Premier make a commitment that all current and future transit expansion projects will have community benefits agreements that, at the very minimum, include all of these items?

Hon. Stan Cho: I appreciate the question from the member opposite, whom I have a lot of respect for. It’s an important issue when it comes to equity and fair opportunity for all, and that includes in the hiring practices of our public agencies, and I know Metrolinx is no exception to that. In fact, they have been treating community engagement as a priority—whether that comes to community impacts, whether that comes to consultations, giving back to the community and, indeed, when it comes to hiring practices.

I know Metrolinx will continue to work and consult and engage with all of our communities, as is the process to this point, Speaker. And if the member has any other ideas on how to continue that engagement, I am happy to listen to that. Metrolinx has done a great job. We count on them to continue doing that, moving forward.

Manufacturing jobs

Mr. Bill Walker: My question is for the Associate Minister of Transportation and the stellar MPP for Willowdale.

It is no secret that, for over a decade, the Liberals, who were propped up by the NDP, did the bare minimum when it comes to supporting local jobs. When the Liberals were in power, they shipped 300,000 good manufacturing jobs out of our province between 2004 and 2014. Alstom’s Thunder Bay plant is preparing for upcoming work that our government is supporting. After 15 hard years of Liberal neglect that the NDP supported, workers, especially in the north, have suffered long enough.

Speaker, through you: Could the Associate Minister of Transportation tell us what this government is doing to support home-grown jobs and the people of Thunder Bay?

Hon. Stan Cho: I want to thank the member from Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound for the question and his tireless advocacy and passionate work for his constituents.

Speaker, under the leadership of this Premier, we are saying yes to investments that are good for transit and good for Thunder Bay workers, including a $180-million investment in new TTC streetcars and a $171-million investment to refurbish GO trains. If it were not for our government’s massive orders at the Alstom Thunder Bay plant, those doors would have been shuttered already.

The NDP, on the other hand, did not support either of these investments. But that doesn’t really surprise us. After all, the NDP voted against the Ontario Line, the largest subway expansion in Canadian history. They voted against keeping those good-paying jobs in Thunder Bay, and the NDP did not support transit jobs and they do not support the Alstom plant workers in Thunder Bay.

Our government is advancing critical transit projects all while supporting jobs for the hard-working people of Thunder Bay.

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

Mr. Bill Walker: Thank you to the associate minister for his response and for highlighting the government’s made-in-Ontario efforts.

The NDP have said no to every single measure our government has put forward to get transit built and use talent that is right here at home. With that being said, it was surprising to hear the Leader of the Opposition and her party criticize our government’s Canadian content policy here in the House just last week and again today. In this House, this morning, she said, “You can’t have it both ways.” They were responsible for propping up the Liberals and voting for all of their budgets and driving those 300,000 jobs, and now they pretend to stand up for workers.

Speaker, it’s not a surprise to the people listening that the NDP once again simply don’t have the facts. Could the associate minister please help set the record straight about what our government is doing to ensure that vital Canadian content will be used in our critical transit projects?

Hon. Stan Cho: The member raises a very important issue. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, no government has ordered more Canadian-made vehicles than ours. If it were up to the NDP—and we’ve heard it in question period this morning—doing the bare minimum would be fine when it comes to supporting local jobs. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition just wants 25% of the multi-billion-dollar Ontario Line to require Canadian content. Our government disagrees. We’re moving forward with 75% Canadian content, 90% of which will be made right here in Ontario.

Speaker, make no mistake: It is our government that continues to say yes to deals that will get much-needed transit built and keep jobs right here in Ontario, where they belong.

Government appointments

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. Last month, the Premier and his Conservative government appointed Jeffery Lang—a former failed federal Conservative candidate and a current deep-pocketed PC Party of Ontario donor—as president of the WSIB. For his donation and years of loyalty to the Conservative Party, Lang is being rewarded with a cushy $440,000-per-year salary in his new role—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I have to interrupt the member. It’s against the rules of the House to impute motive. I’ll allow you to conclude your question, but you can’t continue to do that.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I withdraw, Speaker.

That is $66,000 more than the last WSIB president made and more than four times what the everyday Ontario worker makes.

Speaker, why is this government clawing back money from injured workers and using it to pad the pockets of PC insiders and the Premier’s donors?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Actually, we’re not doing that at all. What we’re doing is reducing the premiums that our small and medium job creators have to pay for WSIB, because the system is managed better, while maintaining the levels of support for workers.

On top of that, we are actually putting in place the environment where more people actually get a job in the province of Ontario. More people working means more people who will be paying into the WSIB. A lot of that is because of the hard work of this Premier and this Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, but it is also because of the policies that this party has put in place.

We saw how jobs fled this province under the 15 years that the Liberals and the NDP worked together to destroy the province of Ontario. We’re cutting red tape, Mr. Speaker. We’re putting more money back in the pockets of small, medium and large job creators. We’ve managed WSIB and put billions of dollars back into the pockets—

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, there is no question that this government’s low-wage policies have made times very tough right now for Ontario workers, but apparently it’s never been a better time to be a PC Party donor and insider. On top of his lucrative six-figure salary, Lang also gets seven weeks of paid vacation and a nice little pension. And if his appointment gets revoked for any reason, he will get a bonus of his entire yearly salary paid out in a lump sum.

Again, my question to the Premier: Why is he making Ontario workers pay one of the Premier’s buddies to claw back their benefits and make their lives worse?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Actually, what we’ve done is put—I think it’s over $2.2 billion back into the pockets of the small businesses, and we’ve maintained the level of support for workers. Imagine that, Mr. Speaker, it costs less to run the WSIB in the province of Ontario. We’ve been able to maintain the support for injured workers when it’s needed. Moreover, there are more people working in the province of Ontario because of the policies that we have put in place, which means more people who actually can access WSIB.

This is good news. It’s good news for our small businesses; it’s good news for our medium and large job creators. It’s even better news for the workers of the province of Ontario who want, and have looked for, a government that put in place policies so that they could afford to live, work, invest in this province. This is what this government has put in place. While they vote against all of these measures meant to make Ontario the best place to live, work, invest and raise a family, we’ll continue to do just that.

Invasion of Ukraine

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier. It’s been a heartbreaking five days. The illegal invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin is a clear violation of their sovereignty and an attack on democratic freedoms for everyone around the world.

Women and men—regular people; teachers, accountants, students—are now learning how to make Molotov cocktails and fire automatic weapons, as we see mothers and grandmothers take their kids on kilometres-long treks across the country in the freezing cold, without water and with very few of their possessions.

The people of Ukraine need our support—not only our words, Mr. Speaker, but our dollars. The government of Alberta has contributed $1 million already. I appreciate the $300,000 that this government has already committed, but we can do more. Ontario is the economic engine of the country. We are the most prosperous province in this country. The government can and must do more.

Will the government commit to matching every dollar donated by individual Ontarians to humanitarian aid in the Ukraine?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I thank the honourable member for the question and I thank all members of the House, again, for allowing us to maintain the emphasis on how we can help the people in Ukraine. It is truly amazing, the strength of the Ukrainian people to fight back against the onslaught of a brutal dictator—and for him to think that he can beat the people of Ukraine. We’re seeing across this country and across this province just how fierce that opposition to that is.

I know very well that more can be done. The province understands that. That’s why we are working with the federal government and insisting that we can bring more Ukrainians to Ontario. We need them. We need them to help build an even better Ontario. We know that there is more we can do financially, but we want to work with our partners to make sure that whatever support we give is the maximum support and will help the most people, Mr. Speaker.

I do appreciate the question. It is important. Ontario can do more and we will be doing more.

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: I know everyone appreciates the government’s attention to date. But despite the propaganda, the war in the Ukraine is bearing a heavy toll on civilians. Roads and bridges are bombed; apartment buildings are targeted by missile strikes. The United Nations is appealing for billions over the next several months to address what they’re calling a looming humanitarian crisis. We’ve already seen over 500,000 refugees fleeing to neighbouring countries. It’s a human catastrophe that will require all of us to come together and do everything we can in Canada and, of course, here in Ontario. It’s not partisan or ideological; it’s about our shared humanity.

The government has announced some help and it is appreciated, as I have said, but it can do more. I believe that this government must reflect the generosity of its people. That generosity can be bolstered by a matching contribution by the government. Will the government match dollar for dollar every contribution from Ontarians to humanitarian aid in Ukraine?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I thank the member for that question. I know that the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism also hosted a round table, with the members for Etobicoke–Lakeshore, Etobicoke Centre, Mississauga East–Cooksville and Mississauga Centre, with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress. What we heard is, first and foremost they wanted opportunities to bring people—their relatives—to Canada. That was very, very important to them. We are moving on that, up to 20,000 and more. If we can do more, we will absolutely do more. I think the Premier was very clear on that.

We moved very quickly to limit exports that the province of Ontario could control: with respect to the LCBO, to eliminate Russian imports of spirits into Ontario. We moved very quickly with this.

The member acknowledged the $300,000, but there is more to be done, absolutely, and the province of Ontario and the people of the province of Ontario will be there. There will be more done and we will help them get through this once and for all.

Tax rebates

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: My question is for the Minister of Finance. Minister, I’ve met with many constituents in my riding and heard over and over again how critical the measures that we took were to protect people’s health and the economy in their communities. With the 2021-22 tax season fast approaching, could the minister tell us how the government plans to deliver on the commitment to put more money in the pockets of Ontarians with tax credits to support seniors, workers and families?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Aurora–Oak Ridges–Richmond Hill.

Mr. Michael Parsa: I want to thank my colleague the member from Mississauga–Lakeshore for the great question. The people of Ontario work hard and our government understands that taxpayers are under significant pressure. We have been unwavering in our commitment to make every necessary resource available to protect the people and the jobs of this province.

That’s why, as Ontarians gear up for another tax season, I want to encourage everyone to explore the credits that they’re eligible for: the childcare access and relief from expenses—CARE—tax credit, which provides families with the flexibility they need to choose the right child care option that works best for them while putting more money back in the pockets of families; the jobs training tax credit that helps workers get the training they need for a career shift or retraining or sharpening up their skills; the Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit that helps seniors make their homes safer and more accessible so that they can stay in their homes longer.

Speaker, these are just some of the tax credits we’ve introduced that have put more money into the pockets of seniors, workers and all Ontarians.

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

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Thank you to the parliamentary assistant for that response. It’s great to hear that this government is doing so much for workers to make sure Ontarians get to keep more money in their pockets. I’m proud to be part of a government that is fighting for every Ontarian and taking the right steps to help Ontarians thrive in these uncertain times. After 15 years of Liberal mismanagement, it is good to be part of a government that is working for the taxpayer.

But many of my constituents and Ontarians don’t know enough about the credits being offered. So, Speaker, through you, could the PA give us some more details on these tax credits and what they mean for workers, for seniors and for families in Ontario?

Mr. Michael Parsa: Again, I thank the member for the question. Speaker, some of the credits that are being offered—on top of the ones that I have listed—to support Ontarians are: the low-income individuals and families tax credit, the LIFT tax credit, that provides up to $850 each year in Ontario personal income tax relief to low-income workers; the seniors’ public transit tax credit; the Ontario Energy and Property Tax Credit that helps low- to moderate-income individuals and seniors with property taxes and taxes on energy costs. Ontarians should also save their receipts for local travel in 2022 to claim the staycation tax credit next tax season.

Speaker, all of the tax credits build on our plan to make life more affordable for Ontarians and are designed to do just that. And that’s why we’re increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, giving more than 760,000 workers a raise, and eliminating licence plate renewal fees for Ontarians. We are the only party that says yes to Ontarians, and we’re going to continue on that path.

Affordable housing

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. Ontarians are being crushed by the skyrocketing price of housing. People are sleeping in parks because they’ve got nowhere to go. Families need to earn upwards of $118,000 a year just to find an average two-bedroom home in Toronto, and first-time homebuyers have completely given up on finding a home that they can afford. But the province’s new housing affordability report explicitly states that building affordable housing was completely outside their mandate. Nor does the province’s housing report once mention rent control or provide any recommendations to make housing affordable for people who rent.

My question to the Premier is this: What is the government’s plan to invest in affordable housing and provide better protections for renters so everyone can live in a safe and affordable home?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, we actually started working on this right from day one. We knew that more had to be done in the province of Ontario with respect to ensuring affordability, making sure that people had an opportunity to live in decent housing. That is why we brought forward the More Homes, More Choice Act. That is why we brought in transit-oriented communities. That is why, every single session of this Parliament, we’ve brought in red tape reduction bills so that we could get out of the way and more homes could be built.

That is why the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has organized a round table with big city mayors, with AMO, to find better ways of getting shovels in the ground quicker.

Now, when you talk about affordable housing, Mr. Speaker, in the decade and a half that the previous two governments—the Liberal and NDP coalition era—were in charge, of course, purpose-built rental housing—

Interjection.

Hon. Paul Calandra: And far too often, that was the attitude of the Liberals, right? If you brought them something, they laughed at you, because they couldn’t solve anything. But under this government, over the last two years, 23,000 purpose-built rental units have been brought online. There’s more to be done for sure. This is just our first term. The second, third and fourth—

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: If this government was truly committed to housing affordability, they would have taken steps in the first 100 days of their mandate, not in the final 100 days of their mandate.

Home prices in Ontario have tripled in the past 10 years, making home ownership nearly impossible for all but the wealthiest Ontarians. But do you know who can buy? Investors and multiple-property owners. They have become the largest segment of buyers in Ontario’s real estate market, but you wouldn’t know that from looking at the government-appointed task force’s housing report. In fact, this report doesn’t make one recommendation on how to reduce demand from speculators.

Building new homes is vital, but these homes must be built to meet the needs of Ontarians who want to buy one home, not an investor who wants to buy their 18th home. Premier, what are you going to do to clamp down on housing speculation and help first-time homebuyers?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Government House leader?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the NDP. What we’ve seen is a transition in the NDP unlike anything I’ve ever seen, in this Parliament alone.

The NDP, who was at one time so against oil and gas, actually supported a motion from the member for Sarnia to support our oil and gas sector. Now, we’re hearing that they’re in favour of cutting taxes for the people of the province of Ontario, apparently. Nobody will believe them on that; nobody will believe them, of course, because when they had the opportunity, all they did was fill their pockets—and by “their,” I mean the government of Ontario’s pockets—at the expense of the taxpayer.

Look, I guess what I’m going to have to do, colleagues, is I’m going to have to send over to the NDP some PC Party memberships, because finally—finally, after over 150 years—they understand that cutting taxes, cutting red tape and putting more money in the pockets of the people of Ontario makes for a better province. Congratulations.

COVID-19 immunization

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Premier. Premier, you recently said that you were done with vax passes. You stated that you didn’t want them in the first place, but went along with recommendations—from who? Dr. Moore? The science table? A campaign manager? Others? Premier, many question your sincerity in getting rid of the passes. Others wonder if the millions of unvaccinated people will be able to enjoy supporting local businesses, going to restaurants, concerts or even sporting events.

My question: If you are removing the vax passes as an election ploy, only to have Prime Minister Trudeau implement a federal vax pass program—which would result in punishing all of the fringe minorities, probably after the June 2 election. We both know this two-tiered system has divided families and friends. Ontarians need to know now, not after the election, what your true intentions are. Are you planning on supporting Prime Minister Trudeau if he moves forward with mandatory federal vaccine passes—which, by the way, are fully supported by the federal NDP?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor.

To reply on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, Mr. Speaker, on the continuing path of good news for the people of the province of Ontario, as of midnight tonight, of course, many of the mandates will be removed. So I want to really congratulate the Minister of Health, who has done an incredible job, the Minister of Children, Community and Social services as well and, quite frankly, all members, if I can. This Legislature has had a very challenging couple of years, and despite the fact that we may have disagreed on a lot of things, Ontario is coming out of this stronger than ever before.

To the honourable member, I hope he will celebrate the fact that we are in a position, as of midnight tonight, to remove most of the restrictions that really, quite frankly, by working with our medical professionals, by working with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, have allowed Ontario to do better than almost any other jurisdiction in the world, Speaker. I think that’s good news for the people of the province of Ontario.

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

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Back to the Premier: Earlier this year, the Minister of Health came out strong against doctors who, she claimed, were spreading misinformation about treatments for COVID patients.

She empowered the College of Physicians and Surgeons to investigate doctors who were following the Hippocratic oath, which is “do no harm.” Instead, CPSO muzzled these doctors in their pre-treatment of COVID patients, threatened to take away all medical licences, and, in some cases, doctors were told they could lose their hospital privileges. That’s just wrong. They didn’t want patients going to a hospital and being given remdesivir, which creates kidney problems, and ending up on a ventilator.

Unlike the science and advisory tables, front-line doctors were saving lives without prescribing vaccines. Yet, because their narrative was different from the science tables, doctors were penalized.

Premier, my question to you is, did you give the Minister of Health permission to tell CPSO to clamp down on doctors who had successful alternative ways of treating COVID patients?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Once again, I’ll remind the members to make their comments through the Chair.

Minister of Health.

Hon. Christine Elliott: What our government has been following is the clinical advice, the science, around vaccination, which has been accepted by 99% of the physicians across Ontario. And look at the numbers; we’ve seen the numbers come down significantly. Today, we have 849 people in hospital with COVID, down from several thousand not that long ago, and 279 people in ICU.

The best way to deal with COVID is vaccination: one dose, two doses and three doses, if you need that and you’re in the age group that requires that. That is what the experts recommend. That is what we’re following, and that’s why we’re going to be able to come out of this pandemic, opening again as of midnight tonight for tomorrow. That is all because of vaccination.

Electronic service delivery

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My question is for the Associate Minister of Digital Government. Last week, I listened in the House as the minister spoke so eloquently about Bill 84, the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act. I know now, more than ever, that people of my riding of Etobicoke–Lakeshore and all across Ontario are counting on government to lay the foundations for certainty and stability in the economy for people, communities and businesses across our province.

As we prepare for the future, digital government will have a key role to play in the transformative actions needed to make it easier for people and businesses to interact with government.

Speaker, through you, could the Associate Minister of Digital Government tell us how his ministry is helping cut red tape for the people of Ontario?

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for the question.

I would first like to take a moment to thank my colleagues Minister Fedeli and Minister Tangri for bringing the Fewer Fees, Better Services Act forward.

Mr. Speaker, with this bill, we are continuing to correct the former Liberal government’s mismanagement. In this case, we are doing that by creating customer service guarantees, because, as we all know, you cannot take the people of Ontario for granted. These guarantees will cover everything from how long it takes for paperwork to be processed after it has been submitted to letting people know that the government has received their paperwork in the first place. I’m very proud to tell you that my talented team at Ontario Digital Service will be the one building the platform that will track this progress.

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

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Thank you to the Associate Minister of Digital Government for that answer. You know what? It is great to hear how government will continue to improve customer service.

For almost four years, our government has been cutting red tape and putting money back in the pockets of regular Ontarians. As Progressive Conservatives, we will continue to do just that. To continue to lead the world when it comes to health care, protecting workers and building infrastructure, Ontarians need a government committed to providing digital services and solutions and offering government services online.

Mr. Speaker, through you, could the Associate Minister of Digital Government tell us how the promise of a customer service guarantee will help build an Ontario that puts people first?

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member for the question. If passed, this bill will require ministries with service guarantees to track how often they fail to meet their customer service guarantees. From that information, we are going to create publicly available report cards for each ministry so that they are held accountable to their service standards. This approach will encourage all ministries across government to find innovative ways to improve customer service. We at the Ontario Digital Service are excited to help them plan, build and implement those solutions.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Ontario have a right to know if the government isn’t serving them well and if the government isn’t holding up its end of the bargain. With these new transparency requirements, we are helping citizens stay informed and empowering them to hold the government accountable.

Health care funding

Ms. Suze Morrison: My question is for the Premier. After decades of underfunding and additional pressures on our health system from COVID-19, Ontario’s surgical backlog has become unbearable.

I recently spoke with Daria, a constituent in my riding of Toronto Centre. She said, “I am a 27-year-old who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I have been waiting for surgery since August 2021. Surgery is the only treatment for this type of cancer to prevent spread.”

Last month, Daria’s surgery date was cancelled and has not been rescheduled. She doesn’t know when she will get the life-saving cancer surgery she needs. Premier, will this government commit to expanded funding that the Financial Accountability Office says is needed to ensure that Daria can get the surgery that she needs to treat her cancer?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. It is critical that we address the growing needs of people who have been waiting for surgeries or diagnostic procedures in Ontario, so we have made the investments that you’ve suggested. Part of our $1.8-billion investment into hospitals included $300 million in order to speed up those surgeries, to be able to hold them on weekends, in the evenings. To that, we added another $200 million last fall. This funding will ensure the hospitals can expand their hours significantly to address those needs.

But I would also indicate to the member opposite that if someone has had an emerging and urgent surgery that’s life-threatening through the course of this entire pandemic, the necessary steps were taken so that they did receive those surgeries, notwithstanding the provisions of directive 2, which postponed most surgeries. If it was life-threatening, people got those surgeries. In 2020-21, the average Ontario hospital completed 88% of their targeted surgical allocation.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Ms. Suze Morrison: Premier, Daria’s story is just one example of how our health system is barely hanging on by a thread. I’ve heard from nurses who are demoralized because of how they feel treated by this government. One constituent, Damara, who is a nurse, told my office, “Today I find myself working in a profession that does not allow financial compensation to keep up with inflation (for instance, food prices have increased by ... 4%), and I have been informed by my landlord that he wishes to increase my rent by $500 a month.”

I don’t know how this government thinks it can clear a surgical backlog when health care workers like Damara are leaving their jobs because they are so overworked and underpaid. I don’t know who exactly this government thinks can afford a $500-a-month rent increase as a front-line worker in this province.

Speaker, through you to the Premier: Will your government finally provide adequate funding to clear the surgical backlog and repeal Bill 124 so that we can actually keep and recruit enough nurses and health care workers to keep our health system operational?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In addition to the financial increases we’ve made to allow us to catch up with the surgical backlogs, we’ve also invested over $5 billion since this pandemic began to create over 3,100 more beds in Ontario, because they were not dealt with by the previous government. We knew we needed to increase that capacity to deal both with the COVID patients and now with the patients who need our help to deal with those surgeries—$5.1 billion for the beds, which are going to stay open, to allow for us to complete those surgeries.

But we also have a strong health human resources policy now to help those nurses. We know that nurses need more help. We know that some of them are burnt-out. We are training more nurses. We are creating laddering programs to allow them to ladder up.

In addition to having the beds, we know we need to have the people, and we are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to make sure that we have the necessary health human resources in order to deal with those prolonged and protracted surgeries.

Child care

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: My question is for the Premier. Every other province and territory in this country has been able to negotiate a child care agreement with the federal government. Every other Premier and the minister responsible of different party stripes understands the importance of child care to families in their jurisdictions. Every other Premier in the country has understood that at this moment, as the world starts to recover from the COVID pandemic, it’s even more critical for women that they have the support of reliable, affordable child care if they are to return to the workforce.

Every other government has managed to reach a deal before the end of the fiscal year on March 31 so that they could receive the money earmarked for this year.

Does this government plan to reach a deal with the federal government in order to take advantage of the $1 billion that is on the table for this year alone so that families in Ontario can begin to enjoy the same benefit as families across the country?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I will remind her that no other Premier in the history of Ontario since Confederation increased child care prices more than the member opposite. That’s an indefensible record. Families are paying the price: tens of thousands of dollars every single year to pay for an unaffordable system that remains inaccessible, not just in rural but increasingly in urban centres in the province of Ontario. That is the legacy of the former Liberal government.

No one believes that Steven Del Duca is going to be the great saviour of affordability. When the opportunity was before members opposite to allow $1.8 billion, roughly $1,200 in literal cash payments to parents, to help offset this pandemic, you voted against that. But the Premier of this province is going to stand up to Justin Trudeau to get the best deal for the people of this province.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Again, I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair.

Supplementary question.

Ms. Kathleen O. Wynne: Well, Mr. Speaker, what is challenging to understand is why this government doesn’t believe that working with the federal government is the way to access that $10-plus billion that’s on the table for Ontario. This government, as recently as last week, has not even sent a detailed plan to the federal government. They are not even in negotiations. They have not engaged with the federal government. They are not going to be able to get a deal if they don’t have that conversation.

You know, many times this government has sung the praises of itself, of its own actions in building child care spaces, which actually was a continuation of the work that we were doing. They are building the next tranche of the 100,000 child care spaces that we began to build. But, Mr. Speaker, at the time that we were in government, there was not $10-plus billion on the table for affordable child care.

Why has this government not given a fully detailed plan to the federal government? Why are they not engaged? And when will they sign a child care deal for the people of Ontario?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We’re going to continue to work hard, continue to negotiate with the federal government.

Where we differentiate with the Del Duca Liberals is that we’re prepared to stand up to our federal cousins for the interests of Ontario taxpayers. We’re prepared to stand up for the people of this province who demand the province of Ontario get the best deal for Ontario families. We are not going to abdicate that responsibility. We’re not going to play second fiddle to the Prime Minister. We’re going to defend the interests of families, we’re going to get a $10 deal, and we’re not going to rest until we deliver that for the people of this province.

Dental care

Miss Monique Taylor: Sue McKeen is a constituent in my riding. She has experienced dental deterioration over her life, which has led her to having her teeth removed. She cannot wear regular dentures because of the multiple physical issues she has with her jaw and mouth. This means that Sue has not eaten solid food in three years.

Several oral surgeons have tried to help Sue, but the cost to fix these issues is astronomical. It will cost Sue over $80,000 to completely fix her mouth, which she cannot afford to do.

I’m asking the Premier, will you grant Sue financial assistance to cover the cost of this urgent medical procedure through OHIP?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member opposite for the question. Certainly, we have many programs available for people that can’t afford certain procedures or surgeries. I’d need to know more about your constituent’s personal information. I’d be happy to look into it to see what we would be able to do specifically to help support her.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Miss Monique Taylor: Sue’s physical and mental health have continued to deteriorate. I’ve sent the minister several letters since October 2021. Her staff continues to tell us to wait for an answer and that an answer is coming. It is now the end of February 2022. I will hand to a page—if they could please take this over to the minister.

Minister, it’s unacceptable that my constituent has had to wait this long for an answer—with continuous work from my office. So, in the hopes that she will now read this letter, I’m hoping we will get the answer that we’re looking for. Can the minister commit today to granting Sue the financial assistance she needs so that she can get the surgery she so desperately requires?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member for bringing this specifically to my attention, and I can certainly undertake to provide a response as quickly as possible. I can’t commit at this moment because I need to understand the specific circumstances and what the issues are, but I will commit that I will look into this straight away for your constituent.

Trucking industry

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Minister of Transportation. It was reported that 39 trucking businesses that were involved in the protest in Ottawa were shut down and put out of work after the Premier called the protests an “illegal occupation,” rashly invoked a state of emergency and put in place emergency measures to shut down businesses without due process.

Can the minister let us know what investigation or due process was afforded to these trucking businesses by the ministry when their businesses were shut down?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To respond, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think we were very clear. We had highlighted well in advance of taking action with respect to those people who were part of an illegal protest that enforcement was coming. The Premier, of course, instituted a state of emergency in the province of Ontario so that we could provide maximum assistance to the Ottawa Police Service.

Now having said that, due diligence will be taken to ensure that those people who may have their CVORs revoked from them—to ensure that they were, in fact, the people who were there. The rule of law will still be followed, and if they were part of an illegal protest, there will of course have to be consequences for that action.

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

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Now that the Premier has withdrawn his state of emergency and the Premier’s ally, the Prime Minister, did the same, are there any plans to allow for these 39 trucking businesses to get back to work?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, to be very clear, a vast majority of the truckers, who are so important to this economy, were vaccinated or are vaccinated and were continuing to work during this protest.

Let’s also be very clear: What we saw in Ottawa and what we saw at Queen’s Park and in other places wasn’t just about truckers, Speaker. It wasn’t just about truckers, and I think we do a disservice to those people who were there because of the high cost of living, who were there because the carbon tax is making it too difficult for farmers to fuel up their tractors or whatever other reasons they were there for. We have to do a better job, I think, on both sides of this House of better understanding what it was that brought people to protest illegally on Parliament Hill and in other places across this country.

Do we want people to get back to work? Yes, Mr. Speaker. Are we going to do everything we can to build a better, stronger province of Ontario? Yes. Will we work with our partners to ensure that Canada is even stronger than before? Absolutely.

Northern Health Travel Grant

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: My question is for the Premier. My office has been receiving many calls about the Northern Health Travel Grant. People are saying claims and appeals are taking a very long time and constituents have reported back to me that appeals weren’t even being heard for over a year. People are waiting for answers, and they’re waiting for their money. They can’t afford the health care they need. Premier, what is the government going to do to fix the Northern Health Travel Grant?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. The Northern Health Travel Grant, of course, is very important to many people in the north who have to have medical procedures done, who need to travel from one place to another. We know this is very difficult in certain times of the year because of the times, the distances, the road conditions and so on. We have changed the system significantly to allow for people to be paid at the appropriate time. We do know that in the past, people had to wait for long periods of time. We are accelerating that procedure so that people are able to receive the help that they need.

But I think it’s also important that we’re also advancing virtual health care. This isn’t relevant for some people; I know that, of course. But for many people, it is. It allows them to be able to receive the care they need in their own home community and without the need for having the Northern Health Travel Grant. It is necessary for some situations, but virtual health care is going to make a huge difference in reducing the numbers of people who will need that.

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

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Back to the Premier: I’ve introduced two bills to fix the Northern Health Travel Grant in my time at Queen’s Park. The first time around, the member from Eglinton–Lawrence said, “The Northern Health Travel Grant is also currently undergoing an operational process review to correct inefficiencies and process bottlenecks. These changes and improvements will go a long way to addressing the concerns and improvements proposed by the member opposite....” That was three years ago, and the problems still exist. People across the north are looking for answers. Virtual care is not the solution. You can’t have heart surgery virtually.

What has this government done to help the people who use this program? When is this government going to keep its word and improve the Northern Health Travel Grant to ensure equitable access to health care for people in the north?

Hon. Christine Elliott: We are working on improving the Northern Health Travel Grant to make sure that the people who need it can receive their payment in a timely manner. We know that in the past there were long periods of time that passed before people were able to receive reimbursement. We want to make sure that they can receive the reimbursement as soon as possible, because we know that there are significant costs related to this. Is the work done yet? No. We’re still working on it, but we have made significant improvements in the last three or four years.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. That concludes our question period for this morning.

I want to remind members that our pages are in the chamber to assist MPPs in appropriate ways, including delivering private notes and messages from one member to another. However, it’s not appropriate to ask one of our pages to deliver documents during question period while you have the floor. I would ask members to keep this in mind during future sittings of the Legislature.

There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1137 to 1300.

Introduction of Bills

Working for Workers Act, 2022 / Loi de 2022 visant à oeuvrer pour les travailleurs

Mr. McNaughton moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 88,

An Act to enact, amend and repeal various statutes / Projet de loi 88, Loi édictant, modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll invite the Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development to briefly explain his bill.

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to begin by sincerely thanking my chief of staff, Josh Workman, and our entire team, as well as Deputy Minister Greg Meredith and his team for their work on this legislation to build a stronger Ontario and help everyday people get ahead. The Working for Workers Act, 2022, is how we’re protecting our workers, helping them earn bigger paycheques and giving them greater opportunities here in Ontario.

Superior Corporate Services Limited Act, 2022

Mr. Fraser moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr63,

An Act to revive Superior Corporate Services Limited.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 89, this bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

COVID-19 protocols at the Legislative Assembly

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this House and announce the end of the special legislative procedures our Parliament instituted in response to COVID-19. I’ll be the first to admit that there have been times in the last two years when I found it difficult to see a return to normal, but that time has finally come. As of tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1, we will fully resume normal legislative business in this House and in our committees.

As the members will know, in early 2020, COVID-19 threatened the very functioning of our democratic institutions. Important public health measures meant that normal legislative business was not possible if we were to successfully fight COVID-19. It was our priority to ensure the Legislature could still operate and elected members of provincial Parliament could do their jobs, passing legislation and holding the government to account.

Measures including the ability to sit at any desk and to speak from any seat, the cohorting agreement between the government and opposition parties, the protocol for voting in our lobbies and virtual participation in committee business all allowed us to adapt to the realities of the pandemic.

But as we have been able to expedite the reopening plan, thanks to the hard work and commitment of all Ontarians, we are also in a position to return to full legislative business, as our constituents expect. It is a sign of how far we’ve come together in the fight against this virus. We are moving in the right direction. We are overcoming this pandemic and returning to our normal lives.

To all members, assembly staff, political staff, the Ontario public service and the Legislative Protective Service: Thank you. Thank you for working to make our COVID-19 legislative procedures effective so we could all serve the people of Ontario over the last two years.

Mr. Speaker, I will be indicating that, beginning tomorrow, all COVID-19 measures in this House, with the exception of masking, are no longer necessary and shall be lifted. Caucus cohorts will end and all members will be able to return to this place. Committee business will resume in person. Question period may have full attendance and during recorded divisions members will be counted here in this chamber.

We were one of quickest Parliaments to adopt COVID-19 protocols. Our protocols allowed this assembly to continue doing business while keeping everyone safe. These protocols allowed us to pass remarkable government legislation, such as the Build Ontario Act, the Working for Workers Act, and the Providing More Care, Protecting Seniors, and Building More Beds Act. We were able to pass some outstanding private members’ bills, such as the Emancipation Month Act, the Anti-Asian Racism Education Month Act and the Provincial Day of Service Act, to name just a few.

These measures also allowed us to maintain fulsome committee work, including a historic study on the economic impacts of COVID-19, conducted by the finance and economic affairs committee, and monthly meetings of the Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight. And we were able to hold lengthy consultations on government bills.

We have accomplished tremendous things these past few years while fighting a pandemic. And while there are only a few short months until the people of Ontario return to the polls, we have still much work left to do. Our government has a fulsome legislative agenda ahead of us, and I am very pleased that we are in a position to bring bills forward for debate in front of a full House of MPPs from all parties.

Again, I can’t express enough the gratitude I have for members on both sides of this House and the staff who support us. We came through this together, we adapted and we continued to work on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario. I am confident that, as we return to this new normal, while we may disagree on policy and politics, we will continue to work together in the best interests of the people of this great province.

Again, Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all members of this Legislature, may I just congratulate and thank you and of course our exceptional table officers and all of the employees of this Legislative Assembly who made this the first Legislature to come back, the first Legislature to avoid being completely virtual. I think it’s something that we should all be very, very proud of. This Legislature, I think, led North America in the ability of the opposition to hold us accountable and in the ability of the government to continue on with the people’s work.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Responses?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I would like to congratulate the minister on what I believe is his first official ministerial statement as the Minister of Legislative Affairs.

Speaker, all Ontarians are tired of COVID. We all wish it was over so that we could return to normal, but we can’t just wish it away. Pretending it is over when it isn’t is not the solution to the fatigue that we are all feeling.

The Legislative Assembly should be setting the example. We have seen over the course of the last two painful years and successive waves of infection, hospitalizations and deaths just how dangerous this virus is, and the importance of clear and consistent messaging about the importance of vaccination and the importance of putting in place responsible measures to minimize risk.

We recognize that the changes to the standing orders that allowed the lobby voting process, and the efforts of the Clerks to make that process as effective and successful as they were, as well as the motions to allow members to speak from any seat in the House, were put in place for the duration of the 42nd Parliament, but they were always able to be lifted at the discretion of the government House leader. So it is certainly his prerogative to direct that they no longer remain in place without any consultation or discussion with MPPs about whether we, collectively, believe that that should be happening.

As the minister knows, in a letter this morning the official opposition formally requested that members continue to be able to speak and vote from any seat in the chamber. As I said, we have been using the lobby voting process for two years. We have perfected it. It was always working from the day it was first implemented, and there is no real reason for it to be prematurely lifted.

Speaker, we must continue to exercise caution and prudence. This virus is not over. Thank you.

Mr. John Fraser: I want to start by thanking all of my colleagues here but, more importantly, the Clerk, the table, you, Speaker, the Sergeant-at-Arms and everyone who works in this building.

This hasn’t been easy, and I would argue that we actually have been functioning fully. Maybe not with all of us being here, and maybe it didn’t feel the way that it did before, but it worked, and it’s not because we made it work. We were here. A whole bunch of people made it work for us and made it work for Ontario families, and I think we owe them a debt of gratitude.

So if we can just show our appreciation right now by actually coming together on making sure this next step works, that as we come out of this COVID wave that we’re in, we move deliberately, sure-footedly towards making sure that we’re all safe. That means respecting each other. That means understanding that some people may or may not be comfortable with wearing masks or not. We need to reflect that outside of this building because there are some people who are still concerned. In media scrums, do I keep my mask on? Do I take it off?

I keep mine on just because I think the people in the media feel more comfortable. That’s not a judgement on anyone else. That’s what I feel comfortable with. We have to think about the people around us.

As we get into this place and fill it up, we’re going to be closer together. I know that masking is staying on. I think that’s a good thing. We have to, like I say, be sure-footed as we do this, when you see how important it is to be ready in case something changes. Things have changed four or five times in this pandemic, so we have to be ready for that.

We may have another challenge that comes up before us. We’ve got lots of tools. We’ve got masks; we’ve got vaccinations. I think we need to do more as a Legislature to promote vaccinations—not just the first two doses but the booster dose and especially for our kids. We’re in about seventh or eighth place in Canada amongst all the provinces for getting our five-year-olds to 11-year-olds vaccinated. We know the most important thing we can do to reduce severe disease and keep people out of hospitals, ICUs and, for some people, even death, is to make sure they get vaccinated. We need to do more here to promote that.

I appreciate what the minister said with regard to the things that were accomplished here in this Legislature over that time, and again back to the people who helped to make it happen.

There’s one thing that’s going on right now, and it’s like the sky. It covers this whole debate. It covers everything that’s happening, not just in Ontario, not just in Canada, but in the world. There is a very serious situation going on in Ukraine. They need our help, and the government’s contribution last week of $300,000 was a great contribution. We need to do more. We need to do a matching program to augment the contributions of Ontarians because they want to give, and we have to express their desire to help the people of Ukraine. I’m asking the government to do that and to be generous.

Here’s the other really important thing: We’ve moved with lightning speed in this Legislature to do the things we had to do to protect the people of Ontario—lightning speed. We’ve all agreed to not debate things. Right now, governments around the world are moving at lightning speed to cut banking off, to send aid to Ukraine and build new allegiances and alliances to support Ukraine, and we here have to move at lightning speed to enhance the contributions of Ontarians to the humanitarian efforts that the people of Ukraine so desperately need.

I’d like to propose a motion right now, but I’m not going to, because we haven’t had a chance to discuss it. I think we should do that before we propose motions or ask for unanimous consent. It just makes things easier. But I think all of us here—and I include members on all sides—want us to move quickly on this, to do more for the people of Ukraine than we’re doing right now, and to do it quickly.

Petitions

Anti-racism activities

Mr. Chris Glover: My petition is called “Take Action on Islamophobia: Support Our London Family Act.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas on June 6, 2021, three generations of the Afzaal family were killed in an Islamophobic terror attack in London, Ontario;

“Whereas hate crimes and anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise, and words are not enough;

“Whereas no one should be scared to go for a walk while wearing a hijab, and no one should fear worshipping at a masjid;

“Whereas Ontario should be a province in which people can live without fear, regardless of the religion they practise, their clothes or the colour of their skin;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support the Our London Family Act ... and to follow the calls to action directed at provincial governments in the NCCM’s recommendations to the National Summit on Islamophobia, including:

“—creating a provincial hate crimes accountability unit;

“—dismantling white supremacist groups by preventing them from registering as societies, and preventing acts of intimidation;

“—restoring the provincial Anti-Racism Directorate; and

“—giving Ontario schools new tools to help young people understand Islamophobia.”

I fully support this petition. I will pass it to page Lucia to take to the table.

Dog ownership

Ms. Jessica Bell: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas aggressive dogs are found among many breeds or crossbreeds; and

“Breed-specific legislation and breed bans are not effective solutions to the problem of dog attacks; and

“The problem of dog attacks is best dealt with through comprehensive programs of education, training and legislation encouraging responsible ownership of all breeds;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support a bill repealing breed-specific language from the Dog Owners’ Liability Act and the Animals for Research Act, and instead implement a comprehensive bite-prevention strategy that encourages responsible ownership of all breeds.”

I’ll be giving this to page Tanisha.

Optometry services

Mr. Jamie West: I thank the citizens of Sudbury. As you know, during COVID, it’s difficult to get petitions. So I just wanted to formally thank all the people who took the time to mail the “save eye care in Ontario” petitions to my office.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I support this petition. I’ll affix my signature and provide it to the table through our page Morgan.

Anti-racism activities

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: This petition is entitled “Take Action on Islamophobia: Support Our London Family Act.”

“Whereas on June 6, 2021, three generations of the Afzaal family were killed in an Islamophobic terror attack in London, Ontario;

“Whereas hate crimes and anti-Muslim hate crimes are on the rise, and words are not enough;

“Whereas no one should be scared to go for a walk while wearing a hijab, and no one should fear worshipping at a masjid;

“Whereas Ontario should be a province in which people can live without fear, regardless of the religion they practise, their clothes or the colour of their skin;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to support the Our London Family Act presented by NDP leader Andrea Horwath, and to follow the calls to action directed at provincial governments in the NCCM’s recommendations to the National Summit on Islamophobia, including:

“—creating a provincial hate crimes accountability unit;

“—dismantling white supremacist groups by preventing them from registering as societies, and preventing acts of intimidation;

“—restoring the provincial Anti-Racism Directorate; and

“—giving Ontario schools new tools to help young people understand Islamophobia.”

I certainly support this petition, will be affixing my signature to it and giving it to page Pania.

Optometry services

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: “Petition to Save Eye Care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I fully support the petition. I will give it to Kristian and I will sign the petition.

Education funding

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I have a petition entitled “Stop Ford’s Education Cuts.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Doug Ford’s new education scheme seeks to dramatically increase class sizes starting in grade 4;

“Whereas the changes will mean thousands fewer teachers and education workers and less help for every student;

“Whereas secondary students will now be forced to take at least four of their classes online, with as many as 35 students in each course;

“Whereas Ford’s changes will rip over $1 billion out of Ontario’s education system by the end of the government’s term; and

“Whereas kids in Ontario deserve more opportunities, not fewer;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to:

“Demand that the government halt the cuts to classrooms and invest to strengthen public education in Ontario.”

I support this petition. I will affix my name to that of my constituents.

Optometry services

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: This petition is to save eye care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I will add my signature and send this down to the Clerk.

Optometry services

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I’m proud to read a petition that proves petitions do matter. We’re still getting this one in.

“Petition to Save Eye Care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

Once again, I certainly support this petition and will be giving it to page Benjamin and putting my signature on it.

Optometry services

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have a petition to save eye care in Ontario. It reads as follows:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP; and

“Whereas optometrists have never been given a formal negotiation process with the government; and

“Whereas the government’s continued neglect resulted in 96% of Ontario optometrists voting to withdraw OHIP services beginning September 1, 2021;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I fully support it, Speaker. I’m going to turn it over to Daunte to bring down to the table.

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas:

“—In the past 10 years in Ontario, 86% of all movies with on-screen smoking were rated for youth;

“—The tobacco industry has a long, well-documented history of promoting tobacco use on screen;

“—A scientific report released by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit estimated that 185,000 children in Ontario today will be recruited to smoking by exposure to on-screen smoking;

“—More than 59,000 will eventually die from tobacco-related cancers, strokes, heart disease and emphysema, incurring at least $1.1 billion in health care costs; and

whereas an adult rating (18A) for movies that promote on-screen tobacco in Ontario would save at least 30,000 lives and half a billion health care dollars;

“—The Ontario government has a stated goal to achieve the lowest smoking rates in Canada;

“—79% of Ontarians support not allowing smoking in movies rated ... PG, 14A (increased from 73% in 2011);

“—The Minister of Government and Consumer Services has the authority to amend the regulations of the Film Classification Act via cabinet;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“—To request the Standing Committee on Government Agencies examine the ways in which the regulations of the Film Classification Act could be amended to reduce smoking in youth-rated films released in Ontario;

“—That the committee report back on its findings to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and that the Minister of Government and Consumer Services prepare a response.”

I fully support this petition, sign it and deliver it to page Pania for the table.

Education funding

Mr. Joel Harden: I have a petition here entitled, “Stop” Premier “Ford’s Education Cuts.” I’m going to make an abbreviated version of this so there’s enough time for other colleagues to read petitions. I will read:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas” the Premier’s education policies seek “to dramatically increase class sizes starting in grade 4;

“Whereas” the Premier’s policies on education will take “over $1 billion out of Ontario’s education system by the end of the government’s term;

“Whereas kids in Ontario deserve more opportunities, not fewer;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Demand that the government halt the cuts to classrooms and invest to strengthen public education in Ontario.”

I wholeheartedly agree with this petition. I’m happy to sign it and send with page Leah to the Clerks’ table.

Optometry services

Ms. Jessica Bell: This is a petition to save eye care in Ontario.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the Ontario government has underfunded optometric eye care for 30 years; and

“Whereas the government only pays on average $44.65 for an OHIP-insured visit—the lowest rate in Canada; and

“Whereas optometrists are being forced to pay substantially out of their own pocket to provide over four million services each year to Ontarians under OHIP;...

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To instruct the Ontario government to immediately commit to legally binding, formal negotiations to ensure any future OHIP-insured optometry services are, at a minimum, funded at the cost of delivery.”

I support this petition, and I’ll be giving it to page Owen.

Opposition Day

Health care funding / Financement des soins de santé

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I move opposition day motion number 1, and would like to speak to it.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I return the floor to Ms. Horwath.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The motion is as follows:

Whereas it has been estimated that up to a million Ontarians have been forced to postpone surgeries, including cancer surgeries, heart bypass surgeries and knee and hip replacements, and people have been forced to delay cancer screenings, CT and MRI scans and other medically necessary procedures—and many will have to wait almost three years before receiving care; and

Whereas more than 80% of Ontarians have listed the backlog of services among their top health care concerns; and

Whereas Ontarians in rural areas are often forced to wait even longer than those in urban areas for treatment, and are regularly required to leave their communities for care; and

Whereas the former Liberal government froze hospital budgets and cut 1,600 nurses, and the Ford government’s failure to adequately fund hospitals and community clinics only worsened the impact of the pandemic; and

Whereas the Ford government’s 2021 budget promised less than half of the funding Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer and the Ontario Medical Association identified as necessary to clear the surgical backlog in 2021; and

Whereas the cost of the backlog has likely grown as a result of additional surgical delays brought about by the January 2022 directive to cancel 8,000 to 10,000 surgeries and procedures during the Omicron wave;

Therefore, the Legislative Assembly calls on the Ford government to follow the advice of Ontario’s Financial Accountability Officer and immediately allocate a minimum of $1.3 billion in new funding to address the backlog; work in consultation with communities and locally based service providers to develop and implement a strategy to provide additional funding and supports necessary to address health care needs in rural and small-town Ontario; and extend support for local hospitals and community clinics via a health care hiring strategy that includes the repeal of Bill 124.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I return the floor to Ms. Horwath.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’m really proud to be debating this motion today, and I’m really hopeful that the other parties will see how much of a priority our health care system is for the people of Ontario and will join us in approving this motion and then implementing the solutions that are contained therein.

We all know what’s happening out there. People are waiting extraordinary amounts of time. They’re waiting endlessly to get the health care they so desperately need. What’s happening as a result is that they’re living in pain, they’re living with anxiety, they’re living with worsening conditions.

Of course, we all know and have known for a very long time that when it comes to small-town Ontario and rural Ontario, folks from those smaller communities deserve to have access to health care like everybody else. But we know that in those circumstances, that’s not what’s happening. For very many years now, smaller communities have not kept up in terms of access to health care.

It’s definitely the case that we have to deal with what COVID-19 brought us in terms of the stresses on our health care system, but the way you do that is by investing, something that this government doesn’t like to do. Almost 20 million patients right now are waiting for surgeries, diagnostic procedures etc.: a million urgent surgeries for things like cancer, heart bypass, hip replacements; and the other 19 million out of that 20 million are waiting for things like cancer screenings, diagnostic tests like MRIs and CT scans, mammograms, colonoscopies. These are the things that are preventive in terms of preventing people from having a condition that goes undiagnosed.

I’ve heard a number of the stories over the last number of months, as have many of us. We’ve seen stories that have been published in the newspapers about what people are suffering, and that’s something that is our responsibility to address—the government’s responsibility to address. Unfortunately, they don’t see it that way.

Once such example is—oh, by the way, there’s something like almost 2,000 undiagnosed malignant melanomas and 46,000 undiagnosed squamous cell carcinomas due to the backlog. This an estimate based on previous instances.

Shelley Brownlee, 40 years old: Shelley has children, and she was diagnosed with cancer in her abdomen. She has been waiting months for her surgery. They went public with their story because of how untenable their life is, waiting for this surgery, waiting desperately as cancer grows in Shelley’s abdomen. Her partner, Jonathan, said, “This is excruciating waiting, not having an end point so we know for sure she’ll be able to get the surgery.” The cancer has spread throughout her abdomen, and the longer wait could worsen her prognosis.

I was at the LCBO the other day, Speaker, to buy some red wine for the pot roast that I made for Sunday dinner, and ran into a person I know who works there. She was telling me about not only her mother’s cancer, which she passed away from, in fact, at the end of last summer, but also her own wait for a hysterectomy that she has been waiting for for some time.

People like the woman from the liquor store in Hamilton, millions of folks like her, like Shelley, are waiting in pain, and they’re worried. They’re worrying that their conditions are worsening, and we know that there are millions of loved ones that they have who are worrying right along with them.

As things stand, this government’s plan is absolutely unacceptable. People deserve so much better than what this government is prepared to provide: over two years of wait time for knee replacements and cataract surgeries, a year and a half for hip replacements, 14 months for heart bypasses, 11 months for MRIs.

Our crisis in our health care system isn’t new. We all know that. We watched for decades as Ontarians had their health care reduced, their wait times lengthened by both Liberal and Conservative governments who decided the best thing to do was to save money and cut health care services for people, cut the funding of hospitals, cut the health care services. That’s what Conservatives like to do, and we saw that that’s exactly what Liberals did as well. In fact, Liberals fired 1,600 nurses and hundreds of other health care workers as well. But instead of helping, Doug Ford has made it worse.

We’ve had a double whammy here with the pandemic and a Ford government, and it’s really having serious impacts on the health care of Ontarians. Instead of helping, what does this government do? They continue to cut. They continue to give short shrift, in terms of the investments necessary. They’ve basically created chaos in our health care system.

Instead of supporting and showing our respect for the health care workers of this province, this Premier decided to hit them with Bill 124, which insults the front-line health care heroes we all relied on during the pandemic. It insults nurses, health care heroes. It drives them further away from the job they love. We’ve watched an exodus of front-line health care workers, particularly nurses, in the last little while. Why? Because they’re burnt-out. They are burnt-out, they’re frustrated and they’re disrespected by their government. They are not getting the kinds of supports they need to stay engaged in the field, and that is a problem for all of us.

The staffing shortages have been there for a long time. The Liberals made it worse, and Doug Ford didn’t do anything to deal with it in in the last four years. But it is at a crisis point right now, an absolute crisis point. The shortages for nurses are at an all-time high. Of course, we all know that the situation in Ontario is that we have—because this government likes it that way and so did the Liberals, apparently—the lowest ratio of RNs to patients, the lowest of all of the provinces and territories in our country. That is nothing to be proud of.

Michael Hurley, the president of the CUPE Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, said this: “There is a morale crisis driving the exodus of health care workers in Ontario. The combination of wages held down while inflation surges, understaffing, the lack of full-time work, the pressures of relentless shift and weekend work, a high level of violence from patients and families and the refusal to provide them with the equipment they need to work safely have left them feeling profoundly unvalued and unsafe.”

As I said, that is happening everywhere in the province, but rural Ontario, particularly, faces an even more difficult situation. They face the worst of it, frankly. There has been a long-standing lack of primary care physicians and primary care clinics in rural Ontario. You add that to the burnout that the health care heroes are experiencing and you have a significant disaster. Only 1,483 of the 34,000 Ontario doctors who are seeing patients work in rural or remote areas.

I met recently with a woman from Ingersoll. She was generous enough to share her story with the media and myself because she wants it to be known that these are real people and they have real, serious health concerns that this government has decided to just put on the back burner and let slowly simmer away instead of pushing this crisis up to the front burner and investing the necessary dollars to clear the backlogs.

She is living in pain. She is waiting for two separate surgeries. The hospital in the rural community where she lives has a limited capacity and, of course, delays because of COVID. She needs a hip replacement. It’s been a seven-month wait. She’ll get it in June, apparently—she’s hoping, still crossing her fingers. She has needed a hysterectomy since June 2021, almost a year now. She said she had to wait all along the process for the surgeries—not just for a final date; she had to wait at each stage in the diagnosis, waiting for biopsy results and now waiting for her procedures. Nine months later she is going to be able to get her other surgery, and that will be in April.

Do you know what she said when we talked? Her quality of life has completely taken a dive. She is in so much pain now she literally can’t walk up and down her stairs. She is terrified of falling down the stairs because she just can’t take it. She can’t take the pain.

We’ve heard these stories for a long time. I heard them when the Liberals were in office, particularly in rural Ontario. I think I was with the member for London–Fanshawe when we met with, if I’m not mistaken, a hip-and-knee surgeon from that part of rural Ontario—Oxford county—who was describing how horrified he is that he can’t get the operating time to help people and reduce their pain.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. I guess that’s the important lesson that we have today for the Conservative government. In other jurisdictions, they were much quicker to roll out the necessary plans, as well as funding, to deal with the backlog. I think of BC, particularly. I know I’m getting looks from my House leader here; I’m wondering how much more time I have. I could go on and on. Other provinces have done a better job. In fact, in BC, by July 2021, 98.7% of their backlog was cleared, from May 2020 to July 2021.

We still have to make the investments here in Ontario to make that happen, to get the backlog clear. The Financial Accountability Officer estimates $1.3 billion is necessary to clear the backlog, but the Premier of this province doesn’t want to invest that money. He doesn’t want to invest that money. He pretends that he saves people money. Well, you can’t go and buy a knee replacement surgery in Ontario. You rely on our publicly funded health care system. That is what you do.

But when the Ford government decides he is not going to invest the money, he would rather give tax cuts to the wealthy, then we’re all left without the health care we need. The wealthy, mind you, can fly to other jurisdictions and pay for their surgeries, but the rest of us are left with a public health care system that’s severely underfunded.

The reality is, they’ve underfunded this effort by at least $700 million, and that’s shameful; it’s absolutely shameful. They’re not making the investments to get the backlogs cleared. Canadian Nurses Association President Tim Guest says this: “It doesn’t matter how many beds you add to the system”—this government’s really good at adding beds—“if there aren’t any nurses to provide the care.” The beds meaning nothing. It’s the nurses who provide the care at the bedside. Without the nurses, there is no care, says Mr. Guest.

We know that the health care system overall is being underfunded by this government, so yes, the crisis and the backlog is huge, and it’s affecting rural and small-town Ontario much more than other parts of Ontario, the bigger centres, but the Financial Accountability Office is projecting a $61.9-billion shortfall in terms of this government’s plan over the next several years. So not only are you not getting the health care you need now, but for the next several years the government is going to shortchange the health care system even more, to the tune of $61.9 billion.

When the government throws gimmicks out the door and tries to get your support, remember what the most important thing is. It’s your health, and we have a government that has refused to make the investments necessary.

Now, we all know that the Liberals left the hospital system on its knees. We all know that the Liberals ignored long-term care and that horror stories were happening day in and day out in our long-term-care system before the Ford government came to office. I think that’s one thing I would agree with the Ford government on, the mess that the Liberals left our health care system in. What I don’t agree with is making it even worse, which is what the Ford government is doing: making it even worse.

But it can be fixed, and that’s why we’re here today, to talk about what some of those solutions are, including immediately repealing Bill 124—show those workers the respect they deserve—and a moratorium on any more layoffs of nurses and health care workers. A staffing blitz should have been done a long time ago. We were calling for that in the first summer of COVID: a staffing blitz, at that time for PSWs, but now we know PSWs, nurses, all kinds of health care workers are necessary.

We have to expand the nurse retention bonus. We have to have a plan to not only recruit but retain our health care staff, our health care workers, and make sure that those who have left—because this government ignored them and treated them so badly, they left the profession. We can try to find ways to bring those folks back. So, retain, return and recruit: That’s what we have to have, an actual staffing plan.

We can make the wage enhancement program for PSWs permanent so that they can actually get the kinds of wages they deserve with the hard work they do. We can ensure that we’re doing all of the work necessary to staff up our home care system, which has literally fallen apart, as well as our long-term-care system. In fact, there are just a lot of different solutions that we could bring to the table if only we had a government that cared about people’s health as much as they care about their buddies. We don’t have that, unfortunately. When it comes to this government, the priorities are the Premier’s buddies and not the health and well-being of everyday Ontarians.

Let’s do what we need to do here. Let’s stop the cuts, stop the freezes. Let’s make the investments necessary so that we can get people the surgeries they need, and we can make sure that they’re getting the scans and the procedures necessary to prevent the possibility of severe surgeries they might need in the future.

People are suffering everywhere in Ontario, but in small-town Ontario and rural Ontario, they’re used to getting the short end of the stick when it comes to health care. That can be fixed, too. They need to be prioritized. It’s literally not only the quality of life that people have, but their ability to do the basic things that they want to do.

Whether it’s work, whether it’s gardening—I don’t know if the member from London–Fanshawe remembers, but one story we heard a couple of years ago now was that the one passion that literally kept this gentlemen going day in and day out was his ability to putter around in his garden, and that had been stolen from him by the Liberals. It’s still the same here with the Premier. I’m sure there are many, many people who have had to curtail their everyday activities because they simply don’t have a government that is prepared to make the investments necessary.

I think that the most important thing that we can do today is look at the solutions that are in this motion and agree—it would be great if everybody in this House agreed that the provision of health care to Ontarians is the top priority, not the Premier giving a plum new job with a plum new raise to his friends at the WSIB—by the way, a raise that’s a $66,000 raise, which is $10,000 in a raise more than the average salary of an Ontarian. That’s what’s happening here in our province. Eight times the average salary is what this new buddy of the Premier is getting at the WSIB.

Those dollars could be used to fund hospital services. They could be used to staff up more clinics, more primary care for rural and small-town Ontario. That’s what the priority should be.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: I want to thank our NDP leader for bringing this motion forward, because it isn’t the first time that we have—myself and all the NDP colleagues—talked about this. The leader talked about some of the stories that we had heard years ago under the Liberals.

We’ve raised alarms about the increasing surgery backlog, and hopefully this time this government will listen and take action, because this government has let the backlog wait-list grow far too long. According to the Ontario Medical Association, the pandemic has created a huge backlog that’s nearly 20 million in health care services. The leader mentioned those servic