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June 16, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Jun-16 (PDF)

L167 - Tue 16 Jun 2020 / Mar 16 jun 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 16 June 2020 Mardi 16 juin 2020

Report, Integrity Commissioner

Members’ Statements

Garde d’enfants

COVID-19 response

Migrant workers

Somali Hope Academy

Health care workers

Soins de longue durée

Filipino Heritage Month

Long-term care

Ontario Trillium Foundation

Walt Elliot

Member’s birthday

Question Period

Long-term care

Long-term care

Anti-racism activities

COVID-19 response

Police oversight

Anti-racism activities

Assistance to tourism industry

Child care

Youth employment

Migrant and low-wage workers

Housing

Education funding

Assistance to forest industry

Home care

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on General Government

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Motions

House sittings

Petitions

Fish and wildlife management

Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries

Broadband infrastructure

Food safety

Anti-racism activities

Broadband infrastructure

Access to justice

Orders of the Day

Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection contre l’entrée sans autorisation et sur la protection de la salubrité des aliments

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers.

Report, Integrity Commissioner

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that the following document has been tabled: a report concerning the review of cabinet ministers’ and opposition leaders’ expense claims, complete as of May 25, 2020, from the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario.

Members’ Statements

Garde d’enfants

M. Guy Bourgouin: J’ai l’honneur de me lever aujourd’hui pour parler de l’inquiétude des parents de Mushkegowuk–Baie James. Huguette Rodrigue, une résidente de Hearst, est une travailleuse de première ligne. Elle donne tout son temps à l’Équipe de santé familiale Nord-Aski depuis le début de la pandémie. Mais à cause des directives du ministère de l’Éducation, elle n’aura pas de garderie où envoyer ses enfants demain.

Le centre où elle envoie ses enfants ouvrira ses portes à sa clientèle habituelle. Et l’autre garderie en ville n’ouvrira pas ses portes cet été.

Avec toute raison, les garderies doivent assurer la sécurité des enfants et des travailleurs. Mais ils font face à une réduction du nombre d’enfants par salle et à l’achat d’équipement de protection individuel sans avoir des directives claires et de l’aide financière directe du gouvernement.

Monsieur le Président, les résidents de Mushkegowuk–Baie James sont très reconnaissants du travail exceptionnel des éducatrices et des administrateurs pendant ces temps difficiles. C’est maintenant au tour du ministre de l’Éducation de faire sa part et d’investir directement dans nos garderies pour assurer que les travailleuses comme M me Rodrigue puissent continuer à aider nos gens.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’m pleased to rise in the Legislature today to share an important milestone for my community of Sarnia–Lambton. After three very challenging months, as of 9:30 a.m. yesterday, Bluewater Health in Sarnia–Lambton has zero cases of confirmed COVID-19 patients in acute care. This is the first time this has happened since the onset of our community’s first hospitalization due to the virus on March 21, 2020.

Of course, we must recognize that this virus is still in our community, and we must remain vigilant in our efforts to follow public health guidelines, but this does mark a milestone for Sarnia–Lambton.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated front-line workers across Lambton county for their commitment to our community.

The collective efforts to control the spread of the virus by the people of Sarnia–Lambton are starting to pay off. On Friday, our community will proceed to phase 2 of the provincial reopening plan. I’m excited for those businesses in our community that will be reopening after so many weeks of sacrifice, and I’m encouraging everyone in Sarnia–Lambton to once again join together and support the many local businesses that have struggled through these challenging times by committing to shop local.

Together, Mr. Speaker, we can control the spread of this deadly virus and quickly help to build back our important small business community.

Stay safe.

Migrant workers

Mr. Percy Hatfield: Speaker, Ontario welcomes about 20,000 temporary foreign workers each and every year. That’s more or less the entire population of Niagara-on-the-Lake or Amherstburg or Collingwood or Essex or Huntsville or Tecumseh. Generally speaking, they live in open-concept bunkhouses, or too many of them are squeezed into a crowded home, with little privacy.

This pandemic has hit these workers hard. The Globe and Mail claims that 600 migrant workers have already tested positive for COVID-19 in Ontario.

In my area, two young men from Mexico have died. They were 24 and 31 years old.

Canada is failing our temporary foreign workers, and Ontario is failing our migrant workers as well. They come here because Canadians don’t want to do the work. They put in 60 hours a week or more to support their families back home. If they call in sick, they don’t get paid, and that’s a problem.

These are essential workers, but because of their circumstances, they are also treated as expendable and exploitable. Their wages should be protected if they catch COVID-19. We need a wage subsidy for our migrant workers.

Good things grow in Ontario, and we need migrant workers to get local farm fresh fruits and vegetables to our kitchens and tables. We can do better, we must do better, for these essential workers.

Somali Hope Academy

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Mr. Speaker, Bur Salah is a small village in rural Somalia. It’s home to the Somali Hope Academy primary and secondary education school. You might not know this, but the Somali Hope Academy in rural Somalia has a very unique and special relationship with Canada: The school was built and funded by the Somali Hope Foundation, a Canadian-led initiative.

Somali Hope Academy’s development was a dream of Sergeant Mahamud Elmi, an Ottawa resident and sergeant of the Ottawa Police Service, who, in his youth, fled the civil war in Somalia. As a Somali Canadian, Sergeant Elmi works tirelessly to build relationships and make a difference in the Ottawa community. However, he always wanted to make a difference in the country of his birth—a country that has continually suffered immeasurably over the past 30 years. His dream was to contribute to a brighter future for the children of Somalia, and education was a key part of his plan. He envisioned a world in which all Somali children—boys and girls—can pursue free, quality education.

This is a very special year for us as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary. Fundraising began in 2008, supported by Human Concern International, the Somali community, the Ottawa community, the Ottawa Police Service and the Lerner family.

Since the Somali Hope Academy is run entirely by volunteers, 100% of all money raised goes directly to the school.

In 2012, Sergeant Moe Elmi’s dream of providing free education to underprivileged youth in rural Somalia finally became a reality.

This year, we had to cancel our gala because of COVID-19, but we will be doing a virtual gala. I encourage everyone to go to somalihopefoundation.ca to find out more.

Health care workers

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My office has logged 112 different times that nurses have reached out to me during this pandemic. These are the same front-line workers that the Premier calls heroes. In fact, under normal circumstances, I would have invited them here, and they would have come, and they would have sat right over there. Everyone would have clapped and given them a heroes’ welcome to this assembly—except there is a big difference to how I see them as heroes and how this government does.

Last week, the government had to answer a question on their legislation capping nurses’ pay. In February, in Richmond Hill, this meant that this government took back 19 cents an hour from the nurses who worked there.

Nurses are heroes, for sure, but so long as you don’t ask when you are getting paid or for more protective equipment—so long as you come cheap.

These men and women and their response to the pandemic brought our province back. I am tired of seeing them being called heroes then being treated in a way that does not befit a hero. It is not good enough that nurses are heroes only when they are quiet and come cheap. Nurses and all front-line heroes deserve better from this government.

Soins de longue durée

M me Lucille Collard: Ça me fait plaisir de me lever aujourd’hui en Chambre—coïncidence avec la journée de mon anniversaire et ma première déclaration. J’ai décidé de partager une nouvelle positive.

Le bien-être des aînés est devenu une préoccupation majeure partout en Ontario. J’ai visité plusieurs résidences dans ma circonscription avant la pandémie, et j’ai tenu à recommuniquer avec chacune d’elles pendant la pandémie. L’une de ces organisations s’appelle Montfort Renaissance. C’est un centre bilingue qui offre des services d’aide à la vie autonome dans une résidence et aussi des services à domicile et des services de jour pour les aînés.

Cependant, ce qui est exceptionnel avec Montfort Renaissance, c’est qu’il semble que cette résidence ne se soit pas laissée prendre par surprise par cette pandémie. En effet, Montfort Renaissance avait déjà en place un plan de pandémie. Les employés étaient formés sur les meilleures pratiques, et un plan de crise a rapidement été mis en place.

Leur nombre de cas de COVID-19, monsieur le Président, c’est zéro : aucun cas parmi les résidents. Cette organisation appuie donc directement notre système de santé et est un modèle à suivre sur la façon de prendre soin de nos personnes chères avec dignité et respect. Il me fait plaisir aujourd’hui de les féliciter publiquement pour leur succès.

Nous savons tous qu’il faut repenser la qualité des services offerts à notre parenté qui a besoin de soins. Cette réflexion devrait être accompagnée de changements législatifs et du financement nécessaire afin de démontrer le leadership et la responsabilité que les Ontariens sont en droit d’obtenir du gouvernement.

Filipino Heritage Month

Mr. Stan Cho: June is Filipino Heritage Month. This morning, I want to recognize the over 280,000 Filipinos in Ontario, many of whom call my riding of Willowdale home.

Filipinos began immigrating to Canada in the 1930s and, over the past nearly 100 years, have made a great contribution to our country and our province. Over the last few years, I have gotten to know many in the Filipino community. They are some of the warmest, most welcoming, hardest-working and kindest people I have ever met. They are fiercely proud of their heritage and culture, and have shared their wonderfully colourful language, mouth-watering cuisine, and the values of serving their community and the importance of family in our province.

In 2017, I was honoured to join the ranks of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, an international order created to honour and uphold the ideals of Philippine national hero Dr. José Rizal. As Sir Stan, I have enjoyed many special occasions celebrating with my friends in the Filipino community, who never hesitate to invite me into their homes to enjoy great food and to learn about their spirited culture.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, this year, celebrating Philippines Independence Day on June 12 and all that the month usually has to offer wasn’t possible, but I wish all my friends in the Filipino community and across Canada a happy Filipino Heritage Month. I look forward to seeing you again in person and enjoying my favourite summer treat, halo-halo. Salamat po.

Long-term care

Mr. Jamie West: Melodie Hughes from my riding of Sudbury has been raising alarms about issues in long-term care for years, after her family had a devastating experience in 2015. Melodie tells me that her mother, Carol Ann Hughes, was sexually assaulted. She was at Mackenzie Place Long Term Care Home, a Revera Living-managed facility in Newmarket. Melodie says the investigation into her mother’s sexual assault left her with zero closure. She still has no answers and feels that the home was never held accountable.

In 2018, Melodie spoke with the Premier about the urgent need to fix long-term care. The Premier told her he was committed to improving care for seniors in this province, but after reading the Canadian Armed Forces report on long-term care, Melodie believes that Ontario is moving backwards. Reading the CAF report sent Melodie right back to the moment when she learned her mother had been assaulted.

Speaker, we need a long-term-care judicial find-and-fix inquiry that will compel this government to fix the problems in care that everyone knows have existed for far too long. No one should have to go through what Carol Ann experienced. No senior should have to experience the appalling conditions in our long-term-care homes.

Melodie is calling on us to take action. Will this government listen to Melodie and the millions of Ontarians calling for a find-and-fix inquiry?

Ontario Trillium Foundation

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Today I’m honoured to stand here in the Legislature to acknowledge recipients in my Oakville riding of important financial grants from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and sincerely appreciate their recognition by the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.

There are four recipients of the grants. The first is Acclaim Health, which is a registered charity that has been operating for 85 years, with programs that support physical and mental well-being through independent living, reduced social isolation, dementia care and end-of-life care. Their grow grant will help reduce social isolation for caregivers of people living with dementia in the Halton region.

The next organization is the YMCA of Oakville, which has been operating in the community since 1956. The YMCA of Oakville has played a role in improving the quality of life for thousands of people in Oakville. Their seed grant is provided for them to pilot a free 12-week group fitness and peer support program for young people, aged 13 to 18, who are struggling with their mental health.

Another recipient is Home Suite Hope, whose aim is to break the cycle of poverty for single parents and their children. Their seed grant helps them scale up their Homeward Bound program to help young, single mothers find careers.

Finally, the Halton Environmental Network has been working to support and enhance the capacity for local climate action and environmental sustainability across our community.

Congratulations to all these great organizations for their grants, and thank you for making a positive difference in our community.

Walt Elliot

Mr. Parm Gill: I rise today in recognition of a former Liberal member of provincial Parliament, Walt Elliot. Mr. Elliot peacefully passed away on June 4, at the age of 87. He and his beloved wife, Anne, recently celebrated 60 years of marriage.

Walt Elliot faithfully represented the former riding of Halton North from 1987 to 1990.

Before entering into politics, Mr. Elliot worked in his community as a school teacher and later as a principal. He was actively involved in fundraising for many community organizations, including but not limited to the United Way, the children’s aid society, the Ontario Agricultural Museum, the Halton Region Museum and McMaster University.

During his time in this House, under Premier Peterson, he served as the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Housing.

On behalf of all of my colleagues in this House, I want to pass our most sincere condolences to the Elliot family—and the way we can all strive to serve our communities as honourably as Mr. Elliot, Mr. Speaker.

Member’s birthday

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa South has informed me that he wishes to raise a point of order. I recognize the member for Ottawa South.

Mr. John Fraser: Thank you. I’d like to wish a happy birthday—joyeux anniversaire à notre collègue la députée d’Ottawa–Vanier.

Happy birthday.

Applause.

Question Period

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. Ontario families are continuing to deal with the crisis in our long-term-care homes: 1,792 seniors have lost their lives, and six more homes are reporting outbreaks.

Last week, the Premier told a reporter asking about long-term care, “We didn’t fail. We’ve thrown every tool we have at these long-term-care homes.”

Speaker, does the Premier truly believe that his government made no mistakes and that his government truly did everything they could when it comes to protecting seniors in long-term care?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I can say yes, truly we threw everything we possibly could at it, absolutely everything. When we ended up getting calls about outbreaks, we sent hospitals in there. We did have inspections, over 3,000 over the prior year. We made sure the military came in to the red homes.

I’ll give you an update from May 28, Mr. Speaker. We had 2,589 cases. That’s a combination of residents and staff. On June 12, the total confirmed cases was 1,154. Still, that’s a high number, but what is good news—and we’re getting there; we still have a tremendous amount of work—we went from 123 outbreaks in long-term-care homes, with 172 long-term-care homes resolved, down to 63 long-term-care outbreaks and 238 long-term-care homes resolved.

We’re putting every resource we have at these long-term-care homes, and if the Leader of the Opposition has any other ideas, she can send them over.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’ve sent many over, and unfortunately, they go unanswered.

Having said that, there are almost 1,800 people who have lost their lives in long-term care to COVID-19.

This morning, I spoke with Maureen McDermott, whose mother resides in the for-profit River Glen Haven long-term-care facility in York–Simcoe, where 20 residents have died from COVID-19. She began raising the alarms about the state of care in that home back in April, filing formal complaints with the government after staff repeatedly hung up on her when she called to get updates on her mother, desperate for information. And for weeks, the government refused to take over that facility.

Can the Premier honestly tell Maureen that his government did everything they possibly could have done to protect seniors in this home?

Hon. Doug Ford: My heart breaks for Maureen and families like Maureen’s. No one wants to see deaths. It doesn’t matter what political stripe you come from—no matter if it’s from the orange party, blue party, red party or green party. Everyone is doing their best to make sure we resolve cases.

We have enough PPE—within 24 hours, if a home is out of PPE, we end up sending it over immediately. Again, we send hospitals in there to take care of the homes. Actually, we’ve brought in hospitals and we’ve taken a licence off one home, and we’ve brought the hospitals in to run the entire home, numerous homes, when we see the cases escalate.

Mr. Speaker, we are doing everything possible in our power, sparing not a penny, to make sure we resolve these issues that we’re seeing in long-term-care homes. We’re making headway. The numbers show it. They prove it.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, families like Maureen’s have been pleading with the Premier to take action for months, and instead, he kept control in the hands of for-profit operators. In April, while the Premier was telling families there was an “iron ring” around long-term-care facilities, the administrator of that facility was telling local reporters, “We can only isolate to a certain degree because all the residents on the second floor are wanderers.”

There was no iron ring at River Glen Haven, and the Premier either knew that or he wasn’t doing his job.

Will the Premier now admit that his government did fail and apologize to Maureen and thousands of families like hers?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: Again, my heart breaks for Maureen and so many other families that have gone through this tragedy.

It’s not just here in Ontario; we’ve seen it around the world. We’ve seen it in our neighbours to the east of us, in Quebec. Again, we’re putting every single resource we have, and it’s a terrible tragedy.

But what has gone on for decades under the previous government, under the NDP propping up the previous government—they never did anything, nothing at all. We are going to fix the problem that we inherited, and which has been around for decades, absolutely decades. This is coming to an end. We’re going to fix the problem, moving forward, for good. It’s very simple. All the other governments talk a lot, but they did absolutely nothing, including the opposition party, who stood by for decades and didn’t do anything. We’re doing something now.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier.

Unfortunately, a broken heart isn’t good enough for all of those seniors who have lost their lives in long-term care.

In fact, other governments right here in Canada took early action to respond to COVID-19 in long-term care. The results show those actions were faster and better than Ontario’s. British Columbia intervened in March to take control of for-profit long-term-care homes that weren’t coping with outbreaks and, in March, took control of staffing to ensure that staff would work at one facility and have the proper equipment to protect themselves and residents—back in March, Speaker.

BC, at this point, has seen 168 seniors lost to COVID-19 in long-term-care homes. Almost 1,800 have died in Ontario’s long-term-care homes. Why was Ontario unable to actually forge an iron ring around long-term care, like BC in fact did?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I love how the leader of the opposition uses BC all the time. I have a great deal of respect for Premier Horgan. I consulted with him numerous times and continue to consult with him. But what the leader of the opposition is missing is that they’re one third our size. They were a month earlier than we were. Have we all learned a lot of lessons? Absolutely, we’ve learned a lot of lessons. That’s the first step—admitting where there are cracks in the ship. We saw massive cracks in the ship; there’s no denying it. I was the first one to come out and say, “There are massive cracks in the ship,” and that’s why we’ve asked for an independent commission.

We need answers. We aren’t shying away from problems in long-term care; we’re tackling these problems. We’re meeting them head-on, unlike previous governments that totally ignored them and swept them underneath the carpet. I don’t look at it as profit or non-profit. I look at all long-term-care homes equally because they all have the most vulnerable people in the homes. We’re going to fix this problem, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: To fix a problem, you have to admit that you had one, Speaker, and I think this Premier still refuses to acknowledge that they should have moved more swiftly and more decisively when it came to our vulnerable seniors in long-term care.

For months, the Premier ignored pleas from front-line workers who were calling on the government to intervene and take control of failing for-profit homes. For months, those pleas were ignored, Speaker. And for months, the Ford government insisted that it just wasn’t necessary, that these for-profit homes were protected by an iron ring that really didn’t exist and that such takeovers would not even be possible under Ontario’s system. That’s what the Premier was saying, Speaker.

The Premier says, “Ontario did not fail our seniors.” Why did this government fail to take decisive action other provinces did and instead leave control of long-term care in the hands of operators who are now being investigated for potentially criminal levels of negligence?

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

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

Looking across the globe, long-term-care homes and our most vulnerable people in society have been tragically affected by COVID-19. There is no doubt; we must all acknowledge that. It is fact.

Looking across Ontario, even at the peak of our COVID-19 outbreak, 70% of our homes were not in outbreak, and most of the time, 80%.

My heart breaks for everyone who’s been affected by this terrible virus and our most vulnerable people.

Our government did act swiftly—and I know there is a narrative out there about inspections, about not taking action. We acted early. We acted early on some of the measures, earlier than some of the other provinces. We have a geographic difference; we have a population difference. Every measure and every tool has been used and will be used: calling in hospital teams, infection prevention and control teams, additional staffing with portals, our hospital integration.

We’re looking at an integrated process forward to rejuvenate long-term care. We will fix this problem.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Premier’s words were, “We didn’t fail,” but nobody believes him because he did, he failed. The Premier failed to listen to Maureen and others when they told him that their loved ones weren’t safe at River Glen Haven. He failed to read the emails from women like Cathy Parkes, who was sounding the alarm bell about abuse and neglect at Orchard Villa.

Will the Premier now admit that his government, in fact, did fail and apologize to Maureen and thousands of other families like hers?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for the question.

Looking at families across Ontario, we understand the hardship that they have faced during COVID-19. COVID-19 has been a challenge in many, many ways, and we acknowledge that.

Our homes have been supported. We’ve taken measures left, right and centre, and we will continue to take measures as we move forward.

When we look at the funding that we put forward very early to make sure our homes could have more cleanliness, more sanitization—we had our inspectors in there on an ongoing basis as soon as they could go in safely. In fact, our homes have had in-person inspections on a regular basis, despite the narrative from other corners.

The truth is, we have taken responsible actions—swift and decisive actions—over and over again, and we will continue to do that.

It is our number one priority to keep our long-term-care residents safe.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier.

Across the world, governments are fundamentally re-evaluating the state of policing in their communities. Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in the streets demanding systemic change and action to address anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism.

In less than two months, three Black Ontarians have died during interactions with police. Regis Korchinski-Paquet, D’Andre Campbell, and Caleb Tubila Njoko all lived with mental health issues. They were loved, and they should be with us today. No one should die after calling 911 for help.

What is the Premier’s plan to address this urgent call from communities for fundamental change to policing in Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Solicitor General to reply for the government.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I think we all understand and recognize that policing and community safety has changed in the last number of years. The issues faced today by police services and the communities they serve are increasingly complex.

As part of our government’s $174-million commitment to address mental health and addiction in fiscal year 2019-20, the Ministry of the Solicitor General and the Ministry of Health announced $18.3 million in new funding to support those affected by mental health and addiction challenges in the justice sector. This includes $6.95 million for new mobile crisis teams with dedicated safe beds and transitional case managers.

Speaker, I think we all understand that when almost 40% of police calls are interacting with individuals who have mental health or addiction issues, we need to do things differently. That’s why our government has made such a strong commitment to mental health and—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: For decades, governments ignored the crisis of communities, whether it was the Liberals’ failure to act on recommendations from the Roots of Youth Violence report, which they commissioned, or the Ford government’s decision to roll back police oversight, cut millions from anti-racism and education programs, and axe $335 million in mental health funding.

Tackling systemic racism requires real action. The SIU must include public, independent oversight. We need to truly end carding. And we have to fix the imbalance between policing costs and armed crisis response versus meagre investments in community supports and mental health—ollbacks that this government has made.

Will the Premier commit to take these long-overdue first steps to address systemic racism in the province of Ontario?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: There are so many parts of that statement—it’s not really a question—that I could delve further into, but let’s start with the Anti-Racism Directorate. There has been zero change in the amount of budget that they have. Frankly, they have done some incredible things already, including mediating partnerships between the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board and the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion to support Black youth in the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. I would have thought the member opposite would have known about that, since it was in Hamilton.

We’ve supported the Toronto District School Board and the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto to address anti-Black racism in their respective organizations. The Anti-Racism Directorate has supported the Durham region school board with developing anti-Black racism training for kindergarten teachers. And there are so many things that we are doing at the Ontario Police College to make sure that our front-line police officers, who are doing very challenging work during challenging times, have the training and skills needed to make sure we serve all of Ontario.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Parm Gill: My question is for the Premier. Premier, last week, many Ontarians were relieved to hear that case numbers had dropped and that many parts of Ontario could reopen. Yesterday, even more of Ontario was told that businesses, both big and small, could reopen.

This news is encouraging for everyone in the Legislature, my constituents, and all Ontarians in those regions and across our great province. It would also be a relief for businesses who have been closed for a number of months and can finally reopen and support their local communities.

Will the Premier please tell us more about what these announcements mean for the people and the businesses of our great province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I want to thank the member from Milton. As always, he’s doing an incredible job out in Milton.

When I stood in front of Ontario last week, I announced our plan to reopen Ontario. I wanted my message to be clear: We support you and we will get through this together. That’s the reason we’ve seen the numbers come all the way down like this—it’s because of the people of Ontario. We announced that 24 regions were going to open up last week. Yesterday, we announced another seven more regions that are opening up. And hopefully, in a very short while, we’ll announce that we’ll be able to open up Windsor-Essex, and we’ll be able to open up Toronto and Peel.

We understand—but we’re always going to listen to the health and science first. We’ve seen the numbers come down. We’re confident the numbers are going to continue coming down. We had over 24,000 tests. Again, the numbers of COVID-19 cases are down—

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

Mr. Parm Gill: I want to thank the Premier for the answer and for his great leadership.

It is always encouraging to hear that Ontarians are coming together and ensuring we can all get back to work sooner. I am proud to work—and I want to also thank the dedication, the leadership that my constituents have shown during these difficult times.

I know that we need to keep public health in mind when we approach our reopening. Case numbers and testing are critical factors when it comes to assessing what stage we can move into.

Can the Premier tell us more about what has been done to get us even closer to stage 2 of province-wide reopening?

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you again to the member for Milton.

I want to be clear: The public health trends across the province are headed in the right direction. They’re actually headed in such a great direction that we have the lowest cases against any region in North America—states our size, provinces; I guess the most comparable would be Quebec. We have the lowest cases per 100,000 in all of North America.

The system is working, Mr. Speaker. Our plan is working. The people are supporting the plan, and it’s amazing. When everyone is pulling in the same direction, it’s amazing how much work you get done.

Rather than playing politics and nattering back and forth, I have an idea: Why doesn’t the opposition support us on some of these ideas? Come out and help us, just like their federal counterparts with the federal Liberals, who are working like this together—calls every single day, working together, seeing how we can source more PPE, how they can support each other.

That’s what we need in this province. We don’t need the bickering and the fighting constantly, when this problem has just happened over the last five, six—

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

Police oversight

Mr. Gurratan Singh: My question is to the Premier.

D’Andre Campbell was a 26-year-old Black man from Brampton. He was suffering from a mental health crisis, so he decided to call the police. He didn’t survive that phone call. He was tasered twice and shot and killed by police in his own home.

Two months later, the officer who killed D’Andre Campbell has not had to answer a single SIU question about what happened, and because this Premier has delayed legislation that would have required officers to participate in investigations, there’s nothing the SIU can do to bring this officer to the table.

This complete failure of accountability lies squarely at the feet of this government. Enough is enough. We need justice.

Will the Premier act now to fix our broken SIU so that this officer and every officer involved in police killings is investigated so that justice can be served?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Attorney General to reply for the government.

Hon. Doug Downey: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Public safety is a top priority for our government. We’re committed to providing front-line police officers with the tools and the resources and the supports they need to keep the community safe. That’s why the government passed the act that you referenced—the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, the COPS Act. It will work to help the people of Ontario. It will help front-line policing. It will help policing partners. It also provides for some oversight.

The SIU is an independent body that does work to make sure that matters are investigated without political interference. As such, obviously I can’t comment on any particular case, but rest assured that the system is independent, that it’s structured with the tools that it needs and will continue to do its job.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary question, the member for Beaches–East York.

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: My question is also for the Premier.

Calls for reform to police oversight have echoed unanswered in this province for years. From protests in the streets to expert reports, no one has been able to convince this government or the Liberal government before it that Black lives matter enough to change the law and make it stick.

While the Premier takes turns denying the problem exists or delaying solutions, the families of D’Andre Campbell, of Regis Korchinski-Paquet and of far too many other Black Ontarians seek answers, knowing they can’t depend on the SIU to find the answers for them.

My question is simple: Will the Premier commit today to reform the SIU and police oversight in Ontario without delay?

Hon. Doug Downey: I thank the other member for the question.

We have been adjusting the way that oversight works. We have not adjusted the independence, and we have not adjusted the arm’s-length nature of it, but we have adjusted the tools that they have, and we will further strengthen the already independent and effective police oversight.

The COPS Act includes a new, stand-alone Community Safety and Policing Act. It will, when in force, rename the OIPRD as well—the law enforcement complaints agency—and start a new legal framework for that agency.

Mr. Speaker, we are proactively picking up the pieces left by the previous Liberal government, and we are making sure the system works more effectively than it has in a very long time.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier.

Systemic racism has always existed in Ontario, but many are just beginning to understand and appreciate just how deep and how entrenched it is in our society and our institutions.

When our public school system was founded by Egerton Ryerson, it included residential schools for Indigenous children. It underfunded and segregated schools for Black students. Higher education at the time was reserved for boys.

Racism is not inevitable. It is designed. It is learned.

Addressing systemic anti-Black racism early in our education system will remove barriers to success for Black students.

Will the Premier today instruct his Minister of Education to mandate that the true history of Black Canadians be taught as a mandatory part of Ontario’s education curriculum?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: As you know, obviously, this government takes anti-Black racism very seriously, as I know all members of this House do. We have been as concerned as anybody has with the events that have occurred over the last number of weeks across North America.

I will take the member’s comments under advisement and make sure that they are forwarded to the Minister of Education.

At the same time, the member will know that the Premier worked very quickly prior to this, in December, and appointed Jamil Jivani to advance opportunities in the community. I’m sure the member opposite will agree that he is a very passionate voice and somebody who I know members on this side of the House are anxious to work with.

As I said, I will take the member’s recommendations and forward them to the Minister of Education.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Back to the Premier: Premier, we heard in this House that this government will not tolerate any racism in its government, but the urgency is here. Lives and futures are at stake. We know that systemic racism cannot be rooted out until we understand how deep it truly goes in this province. Despite this knowledge, this government is still underfunding and hindering the work of the Anti-Racism Directorate. You are ignoring the tools that are there to address this problem.

Other provinces, like Quebec, have set up an action committee to combat racism, yet Ontario has only provided the words, without meaningful action. We must work together to change the outcomes for Black, Indigenous and other people of colour in this province.

My question to you, Premier, is will you support the creation of an all-party committee to take action on the many dozens of reports that have been presented about the issue of anti-Black racism in this province? Will you do that today, Premier? Yes or no?

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

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks to the member opposite for the question.

What we have done here on this side is we’ve introduced a new council a couple of weeks ago. Jamil Jivani will be heading up that council. It’s called the Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity, and it’s focused on making sure that there are mentors for individuals in the communities that the member opposite referenced—But not only mentors. There is a game plan, Mr. Speaker, and Jamil is putting together the council right now. They have until Thursday to put their names forward to be a member of this council, which is actually going to make a substantial difference in the lives of these individuals.

Working with our partners that we already fund in this sector, we have 50 different members in the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan that our ministry and other ministries are funding—Black-led groups, for the most part, that will be expanded as a result of financial incentives that were announced a couple of weeks ago to the tune of about $1.5 million, to ensure that we’re getting better outcomes and creating better opportunities for members of these communities across the province.

Assistance to tourism industry

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. While sitting on the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, I had the opportunity to listen to tourism and attraction owner-operators who are looking for support and investments to help with future planning and marketing initiatives following COVID-19. I know the minister has been speaking to stakeholders frequently to listen to their concerns and collect invaluable real-time data that has helped guide her ministry to provide investment and supports that will provide much-needed relief to the $36-billion tourism industry.

We know that our government and this minister are listening to Ontario’s tourism operators. In fact, at committee, Ms. Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, said, “I want to begin ... by thanking the government of Ontario for being accessible and responsive to our needs and for pivoting quickly in these unprecedented times.”

Can the minister please update the House on what our government is doing to directly support tourism operators to ensure they’ll be in the best position to welcome back visitors when it is safe to do so again?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to thank the member from Oakville for his question and also for his leadership. He recently chaired a meeting for me with a regional tourism organization in Hamilton, Halton and Brant. He’s also been a leader on the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs as we do a sector-led initiative with respect to tourism and hospitality.

I have to say, AS A long-standing member of this Legislature for the past 14 years, 140 different presenters appeared before that committee; That is unprecedented. We have held six telephone town halls with well over 1,200 stakeholders in each one of them. We have retooled the Tourism Development and Recovery Fund. We’ve tripled that funding. We have flowed $9 million already for festivals that aren’t able to continue, but we want to see them back in 2021.

In the member’s own riding, we have flowed over $875,000 through the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and as of today, we will be flowing $350,000 in marketing funding, because of the hard work of that member, to his region.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Minister, that’s great news. I’m very happy to hear that.

I know these measures and supports are greatly appreciated. Local investments go a long way in promoting the wonderful destinations and attractions that our communities and regions have to offer Ontarians, particularly as they may be considering a staycation with their friends and family this summer.

Rick Layzell, CEO of the Boating Ontario Association agrees, noting at committee that our “tireless efforts are sincerely appreciated, not only by our industry but by the thousands of Ontario families who are out there actively and safely boating today.”

Minister, can you please tell us how our government has continued to support tourism operators throughout this summer season?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Thank you very much to the member.

Obviously, in terms of the economy, the hardest hit, the first hit and the longest to recover will be our tourism, culture, and sport industries. We are right now facing a triple threat on our spectacular double bottom line. I’ve often said in this House that we are responsible for the cultural fabric of the province of Ontario, but also $75 billion in economic activity. Unfortunately, we are now facing that triple threat—first, the public health crisis; second, the economic crisis; and now, third, the social crisis—in trying to make sure consumer behaviour is not inhibited, particularly as it pertains to our tourism and our culture sectors.

That’s why our government has announced, just yesterday, $13 million in marketing funding; $350,000 of that will go to this member’s riding. But we have continued to flow that money across the province—$1 million to Ottawa on Friday, $1 million to the Brockville and Leeds–Grenville area on Saturday, over $350,000 in Muskoka on Sunday.

And, of course, Speaker, I’ll be at Blue Mountain today and in Niagara Falls on Friday, as we continue to support our tourism operators and those local communities.

Child care

Ms. Doly Begum: My question is to the Premier. Since this government announced the child care reopening in this province, without ever talking to any operators, any parents, ECEs—people who actually operate on the ground, people who actually need child care spaces. Without consulting with any of these people, they decided suddenly, with three days’ notice, to open up child care centres.

Since then, we have heard from parents who are worried sick. They’re worried about the future of their children. We have heard from parents who have been told that fees are going up. We have been told that these parents, who are already paying fees more than their mortgage, more than their rent—we’re now experiencing the highest child care costs in this province, and now these child care costs will go up.

We’ve also heard from essential workers, people who this Premier calls our heroes, who are afraid of losing their spaces. We’re hearing from front-line workers who are losing their emergency child care spaces and have no alternative.

My question is, will this government admit that their lack of a plan is hurting families and step up with the funding child care centres need, and make the recovery easier and safer for everyone?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, as you know, the minister worked very closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health to put in place a plan that would support our child care operators as they began to reopen up.

The member will know that while child care centres are allowed to reopen, they’re not mandated to reopen. They can only do so and should only do so when their workers are safe and the people they’re taking care of are safe as well, Mr. Speaker.

To suggest we didn’t work with them is just simply wrong. As you know, this is a very important sector to us. It’s important to the economy. As we start to reopen, we understand how important child care is for individuals who are returning to work. Funding has been put in place to ensure that child care centres do not increase the costs to parents.

We will continue to work very closely with the sector to make sure that our children are safe and, equally importantly, that the people who provide the care are safe as well.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for University–Rosedale.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: The government’s lack of a child care plan is hurting families and child care operators.

Jeff, a supervisor at Friends Day Care in my riding, said the Conservatives’ plan fails to address capacity issues, fails to address the increased cost of reopening and fails to provide proper funding and direction for staffing. Some child care centres might never reopen.

Premier, how can you expect child care centres to provide child care for parents so they can return to work if these child care centres can’t even afford to pay their own staff?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we worked very closely with the sector well in advance of the announcement that the sector could begin to open. As you know, there was an emergency order put in place earlier on that would allow for essential workers to have the provision of child care. We’ve advanced some of those sectoral guidance—the minister working closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, working with the Minister of Labour. We’ve put funding in place to ensure that centres, when they do decide to open, can do so safely.

We’ve expressed that it’s important that all child care workers are tested. There’s funding in place for PPE. There’s funding in place for disinfecting.

We will continue to work very closely with the sector, Mr. Speaker, because as you know, as we begin to open up the economy—as the Premier announced earlier today—this is a very important sector. We want to make sure that the people providing services and the kids they are taking care of are safe.

M me Lucille Collard: My question is to the Attorney General.

Vendredi dernier, la Cour suprême du Canada, dans une décision importante et historique, a affirmé que les francophones de tout le pays ont droit à la même qualité d’enseignement que leurs voisins anglophones. Cette décision aide à corriger une inégalité dans la qualité des services gouvernementaux fournis dans nos deux langues officielles.

Allez-vous saisir cette opportunité afin de garantir que les francophones et les anglophones aient accès à des services d’aide juridique de qualité équivalente dans la langue officielle de leur choix, peu importe où ils vivent dans notre province?

L’hon. Doug Downey: Je veux remercier la députée pour la question—et joyeux anniversaire.

We are determined to work with the francophone community to improve access to justice in French in Ontario. Bill 161 contains proposals to improve the way the justice system operates every day to provide people faster, more affordable access to justice.

I’m very pleased that for the very first time ever, the proposed legislation would mandate Legal Aid Ontario to consider the needs of francophone individuals and communities when it is providing legal aid services. Our government is proposing this legislative change in recognition of the importance of ensuring that Franco-Ontarians can access legal services in French.

I’ll have more to say in my supplementary.

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

M me Lucille Collard: I’m glad to hear what the minister has to say about the importance of francophone services.

I’m calling on the government to support my proposed amendment to

schedule 16 of Bill 161, which will protect equal rights for both francophones and anglophones in Ontario to access legal aid services in the official language of their choice. It’s very important that these rights are recognized in equality.

Will your government support this amendment during the clause-by-clause review of Bill 161 tomorrow? I would take that as a really great birthday gift.

Hon. Doug Downey: I thank the member opposite for the question.

The amendments deadline was last night, so I have not had a chance to see them yet. Certainly, we will review all of the proposed amendments from the opposition parties with this in mind, with our commitment that every person in Ontario should have access to the justice system in the official language of their choice. So the committee will look at the amendments, our government will look at the amendments with that in mind.

I want to thank you for working with us through the justice committee as it reviewed the bill, and as it goes clause-by-clause this week.

Youth employment

Mr. Stan Cho: My question is to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Young people are the future in this province, but for decades youth from disadvantaged communities have faced significant barriers to succeeding in our society and in our economy. We know these barriers aren’t new, Mr. Speaker, and we know that in many cases COVID-19 has made these issues far worse. At a time when Ontario is facing some of the most significant challenges in our history, we must do everything we can to equip the next generation of leaders in communities across this province with the skills necessary to overcome the social and economic barriers they face.

Minister, could you tell the House more about the recent announcement on the Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity and the positive impacts this will have for youth in Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: I would like to thank the member from Willowdale for the great question this morning.

Our government is looking for a group of diverse leaders who will form our new Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity. The council will include young people between the ages of 18 and 29 and adults with expertise in areas such as community organizations, not-for-profits, business and education.

The council is going to be chaired by Jamil Jivani. He is the province’s advocate for community opportunities when the province was introduced to just a couple of weeks ago by the Premier. He will work with the government to ensure that young workers, especially disadvantaged youth, have the opportunity to succeed in Ontario’s rapidly changing economy. It will engage directly with young people in communities across the province to identify strategies to address the challenges facing many young people today, such as completing an education or accessing stable employment.

We’re going to work with our community partners, and there are many that we’re working with in the Black Youth Action Plan: Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham, in the riding of the Minister of Finance; Goldilocks Productions—

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

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you, Minister. This collaboration between young people and the leaders in our community is crucially important. With approximately one in 10 youth in Ontario between the ages of 15 and 24 not in work and not in education, it is more important than ever to challenge the status quo and connect our young people to employment and the right training and supports to help them succeed. That’s why the work of this council is going to be crucially important, and it’s going to be important that they move quickly and decisively.

Are you able to tell us more about what our government and the Premier’s Council on Equality of Opportunity will do to start addressing the barriers that prevent young people from succeeding to their full potential here in Ontario?

Hon. Todd Smith: Thanks again to the member from Willowdale for the question.

Our government recognizes the impact that COVID-19 and the outbreak in our province is having, and the need to move quickly to address some of those concerns and to take action. That’s why we announced $1.5 million in funding to organizations, like some of the ones that I mentioned earlier, that will provide urgent COVID-19 supports and address the immediate needs of Black children, youth and families in the province.

Moving forward, the council’s first priority will be to work collaboratively with government, communities and young people to identify additional strategies to support vulnerable and marginalized youth to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak.

I’d like to take this opportunity again to encourage all youth who are interested in being a voice for their community to apply before the June 18 deadline—that’s Thursday, Mr. Speaker—and have the opportunity to advocate and provide insight to government as one of the council’s youth advocates.

Migrant and low-wage workers

Mr. Percy Hatfield: My question is to the government House leader. Good morning, sir.

Speaker, as you know, good things grow in Ontario. But what people don’t know, or pay little attention to, is that those who help ensure that good things grow aren’t getting the basic supports and protection they need to keep themselves safe. Hundreds of migrant farm workers in southwestern Ontario are ill, two young men have died, and still the government refuses to ensure these essential workers have the pandemic pay they deserve.

Speaker, when will this government step up and help Ontario’s agricultural community with a real plan for migrant workers fighting COVID-19?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Let me just say that I agree with the member. This is obviously a very important sector. My hometown of Markham–Stouffville is home to many workers, and they do very, very valuable work for the people of Ontario.

As you know, we’ve been working closely with the agri-food sector to ensure that resources have been put in place, that there is additional funding to ensure the provision of PPE both to increase and improve hygiene and sanitation standards on sites. I know at the same time, the Minister of Labour had mentioned previously—over 200 site visits with over 60 orders.

The member is correct: It is a very important sector. That’s why we’re treating it as importantly as we are. We have put in place funding to help those farms that may need additional supports when it comes to housing, and we will continue to do that work.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question, thw member for Sudbury.

Mr. Jamie West: My question is also to the Premier.

Not only is this government failing those who grow our food, but it is also failing the workers who helped ensure that throughout this crisis we had food on our table.

The pandemic made clear the vital work done by Ontario’s front-line retail workers. But while some companies did step up with pandemic pay, that’s now also being cut in the middle of the pandemic. Now workers are being told to make ends meet with the low minimum wage that this government also rolled back.

The pandemic didn’t magically disappear this week. These workers still face threats every day. They are still heroes. And after putting their lives on the line for us for months, these workers deserve a paycheque that reflects their hard work and their sacrifice. We’re now in a new normal. Workplaces have changed. The risks workers face every day have changed. Their jobs and responsibilities have changed.

Going back to normal is not enough. Ontario needs real change to help recover from this crisis. Why won’t this government step up for low-wage workers and the families that they support and increase our minimum wage?

Hon. Paul Calandra: This government has been working right from the beginning to ensure that the people who provide service in small, medium and large enterprises are well supported. That’s why we’ve reduced taxes across the sector. We’ve improved the workplace standards for our employees.

Specifically to the question of migrant workers, we understand how important they are to the agri-food sector in the province of Ontario. Frankly, we could not accomplish all that we do in this sector without them. That’s why the Minister of Labour, working in consultation with the Minister of Agriculture, moved very quickly to ensure that there was sectoral guidance in the sector. We provided additional funding to make sure that the health and safety of these very valuable workers could be improved. There have been over 200 site visits and over 60 orders.

Is there more to do? Absolutely. Is this a new normal? Probably for a long period of time. That’s why the ministers will continue to work very closely with their partners to make sure that we enhance the safety and security of the people who come here and do valuable work for the people of the province of Ontario.

Housing

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I just want to give a special shout-out to my summer intern, Katherine Colbert, who I know is watching live.

My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. COVID-19 and the need to shelter in place has shown our province how important it is that every Ontarian has a place to call home. I am proud that this minister is working to make that a reality.

The various programs administered through his ministry are making a positive impact, not just for the people in my riding of Carleton, but for people across Ottawa and Ontario.

Could the honourable minister please explain how this government has increased funding to our various housing initiatives and how they’re making an impact through these unprecedented times?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for Carleton for the question and for her tremendous advocacy both in her riding and in the Ottawa area.

Our government has made it a priority to invest new money in our communities and to partner with the federal government on new projects. This year, my ministry invested $148 million to help our most vulnerable in response to COVID-19 through the Social Services Relief Fund.

In 2020-21, we are also investing an additional $55.7 million into programs like the National Housing Strategy and the Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative. In fact, this year, our government will invest close to $1 billion through our Community Housing Renewal Strategy to help build, retain and grow our community housing system in our province, and to help people experiencing homelessness.

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

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: Thank you to the honourable member for that response. It’s a team effort, and the reason I can advocate for the people in the area is because I’m supported and surrounded by such fantastic ministers like the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Long-Term Care and also the minister of heritage, tourism, culture and sport.

Mr. Speaker, through you: We know that the federal government has renewed its interest in the housing space and made funds available through the National Housing Strategy. Could the minister explain how our government has partnered with the federal government to leverage these funds and continue to help Ontarians find homes?

Hon. Steve Clark: Again, another great question from a great member.

Last December, federal minister Hussen and I announced the signing of the $1.4-billion Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit, and I’m proud that our government was the first in Canada to sign this bilateral agreement under the National Housing Strategy.

The Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit is a portable benefit. It will help Ontarians find homes in their communities that meet their needs and their budget. As of June 1, 1,600 families have already received direct assistance through this program, and by the end of the year, that number could grow to as many as 5,200 families. Over the nine years of the program, more and more Ontarians will be helped each year, ensuring that we can continue to help low-income Ontarians stay close to the supports that they need.

Education funding

Ms. Marit Stiles: My question is for the Premier. It has been a rocky few months of emergency, distanced, remote learning, and we know that a return to in-class instruction this fall is not going to be easy. Students are going to need new supports. They’re going to need mental health workers, they’re going to need extra time with educational assistants, and they are going to need much smaller classes that allow for safe distancing. Schools are going to need PPE and more staff to do the extra cleaning.

Yet despite all of those looming challenges, we are months overdue for school board funding. Front-line teachers and other education workers are telling us they haven’t even been consulted on any of the plans for reopening.

With the mess that this government has made in child care reopening, how can we trust them to deliver a safe and orderly return to classes for Ontario’s two million students?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I guess I’m a little bit more optimistic than the member opposite is. I think that our partners in education have done a wonderful job dealing with the emergency that evolved in COVID-19. I know that my kids have—well, not ideally, but have been online with their teachers quite often, doing their lessons and doing some great work. So I guess I’m a little bit more optimistic. I’m a little bit more grateful for the hard work that our partners in education have done, dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. I know that we will continue to work very closely with them.

The minister, in particular, has been working with our partners in the education system to ensure that when kids do return to school it’s done safely and that parents have the confidence that the schools that they return to will be safe, while at the same time making sure that we have the resources in place should parents decide not to send their kids back to school. I know that the Minister of Infrastructure has been working to increase broadband across the province. We will be ready because we have been ready, and we will not fail our students. We never have and we never will.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Mushkegowuk–James Bay, the supplementary question.

Mr. Guy Bourgouin: My question is to the Premier. The Minister of Education likes to talk about using virtual resources to keep students engaged. But in northern Ontario, students and teachers don’t have access to the technology that makes that happen. Over 120,000 northern Ontarians lack the access to reliable broadband, of which 70% reside in northeastern Ontario. While the Minister of Education speaks of equitable access to education, students on the remote James Bay coast have to carefully use the limited bandwidth shared with health care, public services and households.

To showcase virtual resources while thousands of students in northern Ontario lack the technology to use them is contradictory at best.

Can the Premier explain to students in northern Ontario that do not have access to reliable Internet at home what “equitable access to education” means?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member is correct. We want to make sure that students across the province of Ontario have access to the highest-quality education system available. That is something that we’ve been working on since we came to government.

I know that we have talked constantly about the disparity between urban and rural. It’s something that we’ve been focused on. That’s why the Minister of Infrastructure has been working so hard to bring forward a plan that would increase broadband access across the province of Ontario. We get that, Mr. Speaker. That’s why the Minister of Energy, for instance, has made sure that we’ve brought down hydro rates so that people can afford it during this COVID-19 crisis.

We understand; this COVID-19 crisis happened and we are dealing with it. The minister is working very closely with his partners in northern Ontario, with the boards in northern Ontario, to make sure that the students there, whether it’s virtually, whether it’s through busing, whether it’s a return to school, have the best-quality education.

There should be no difference between urban and rural, and that’s what this government is focused on—making sure that all kids have the best-quality education.

Assistance to forest industry

Mr. Robert Bailey: My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

I am proud that our government has been actively monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on Ontario’s economy and taking action to support our job creators and workers. Ontario’s forest industry is critical to the provincial economy and many northern and rural communities, generating over $18 billion in revenue and supporting approximately 155,000 direct and indirect jobs. This vital role this industry plays is especially evident during the COVID-19 outbreak—providing essential forest products for hygiene, food, and medical supplies, as well as packaging and shipping products.

Can the minister update the House on how our government is supporting this sector, the heart and soul of this great province?

Hon. John Yakabuski: I want to thank the great member from Sarnia–Lambton for that question.

As we safely and gradually reopen the province, our government is doing everything possible to support businesses and protect jobs. We recognize the importance of the forestry sector and the critical economic role that it plays, particularly in northern and rural communities. That’s why my ministry moved quickly to ensure that the forestry sector was identified as an essential service.

I recently completed virtual consultations with leaders from the sector. We discussed their issues and concerns as Ontario reopens the economy during the COVID-19 outbreak within guidelines from the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We’re working with our partners to understand what’s needed to protect and support people and our economy as we move forward.

I will have more to say in the supplementary.

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

Mr. Robert Bailey: Thank you, Minister. It’s great to hear that our forestry sector, with your leadership, is stepping up to the plate and helping Ontarians get through this outbreak. I was not surprised to learn the forestry companies have donated N95 masks to local hospitals and emergency service teams, and even hired new employees to assist in their efforts during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Something I know the people of Ontario and our government are committed to is protecting our environment. We want to be responsible stewards of the land in order to preserve our beautiful, natural environment for generations to come. Wood products are a renewable resource, and the industry works hard to ensure that forests are sustainably managed for the well-being of the ecosystem, our economy and our own enjoyment.

Minister, how are we helping the industry maintain its emphasis on sustainability during this difficult time?

Hon. John Yakabuski: Thank you again to the great member from Sarnia–Lambton.

Our industry stepped up to the plate, and our government is stepping up to the plate as well. They stepped up to the plate, ensuring the sustainability of our forests through reforestation, which is a key principle of Ontario’s forest management system.

Our government has made $3.5 million available to help put protective measures in place for workers who plant trees this season. This will help the industry expand existing facilities and modify operations to ensure that those helping to renew Ontario forests can work in a safe environment during the COVID-19 outbreak. With these measures, we’re also securing the planting of 70 million trees this year in Ontario forests.

During these unprecedented times, our government is committed to supporting the forest industry and the communities that depend on it by protecting forestry workers and forestry and ensuring forestry workers’ safety.

Thank you. And I hope the opposition will join us in supporting—

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

Home care

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My question is to the Premier.

There is nothing more important than a family knowing their loved ones are safe while Niagara reopens for the second phase this week.

In St. Catharines, Jennifer’s mother is receiving home care. She is concerned that the local for-profit home care provider she has is adhering to weak PPE guidelines and only providing one mask per day for her mom’s PSW. That’s the same amount of masks that McDonald’s offers to their employees for one shift. The same PSW can visit up to 10 homes each day.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier: If it was your family member receiving home care from a PSW, would you feel comfortable knowing that their PPE and the same mask was being reused throughout the day while the PSW was visiting multiple residents and different homes? Would you feel comfortable?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member for the question.

As part of our comprehensive plan to build healthier communities and to end hallway health care, we are modernizing our system of home and community care to bring it into the 21st century.

That being said, we know that the people who are doing these visitations, whether they’re nurses, personal support workers or whomever, need to have the appropriate personal protective equipment in order to be able to do that, for their own safety and for the safety of the people they’re caring for.

That has been one of the issues that we’ve been dealing with throughout COVID-19—ensuring a safe and steady supply of PPE. But we’ve had Ontario companies that have stepped up to the plate to assist us, and they are doing things like manufacturing gowns, hand sanitizer, face masks and everything else in between.

We are supplying amounts to the home and community care suppliers that they need. If they need further supplies they can contact us, and we will send it to them within a day. There should be no necessity for anybody to have to re-wear a mask to many, many people they see in the community. That is something that we said from the beginning—was to prepare and protect the health and safety of all Ontarians. We’re continuing to do so, especially with respect to the provision of PPE for pandemic purposes. We have it in our warehouse—

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

Deferred Votes

Time allocation

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on government notice of motion number 80 relating to allocation of time on Bill 159,

An Act to amend various statutes in respect of consumer protection; and Bill 184,

An Act to amend the Building Code Act, 1992, the Housing Services Act, 2011 and the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 and to enact the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation Repeal Act, 2020.

In accordance with the order of the House to this effect, voting will occur in the two members’ lobbies for the first time in the history of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Members voting aye, please use the east lobby. Members voting nay, please use the west lobby. As they say in Westminster, ayes to the right, nays to the left. Don’t get it wrong.

I will ask members to leave the chamber and proceed to line up along the hallways in the east and west wings, depending upon which lobby you’ll be voting in. When I’m informed that the members are ready to commence voting and the lobby clerks are prepared, I will put 30 minutes on the clock and start the division bell ringing. The bell will ring throughout the voting process, and when 30 minutes have elapsed and the bell stops, the vote is ended. The Clerk will then receive the vote results and announce them to me in the usual way.

The division bells rang from 1139 to 1209.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 60; the nays are 22.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I declare the motion carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1210 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on General Government

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on General Government and move its adoption.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Valerie Quioc Lim): Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:

Bill 156,

An Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply / Projet de loi 156, Loi visant à protéger les fermes et les animaux d’élevage en Ontario contre les entrées sans autorisation et d’autres actes susceptibles de les déranger et à prévenir la contamination de l’approvisionnement alimentaire en Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to the order of the House dated June 2, 2020, the bill is ordered for third reading.

Standing Committee on Social Policy

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on Social Policy and move its adoption.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Ms. Valerie Quioc Lim): Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:

Bill 171,

An Act to enact the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 and make related amendments to other Acts / Projet de loi 171, Loi édictant la Loi de 2020 sur la construction plus rapide de transport en commun et apportant des modifications connexes à d’autres lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed? Agreed.

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to the order of the House dated June 2, 2020, the bill is ordered for third reading.

Motions

House sittings

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I move that, pursuant to standing order 7(d)(iii), the House shall continue to meet past 6 p.m. until midnight on Tuesday, June 16, 2020; Wednesday, June 17, 2020; Tuesday, June 23, 2020; Wednesday, June 24, 2020; Monday, July 6, 2020; Tuesday, July 7, 2020; Wednesday, July 8, 2020; Monday, July 13, 2020; Tuesday, July 14, 2020; Wednesday, July 15, 2020; Monday, July 20, 2020; Tuesday, July 21, 2020; and Wednesday, July 22, 2020, for the purpose of considering government business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Khanjin has moved government notice of motion number 81. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

All those in favour of the motion will please say “aye.”

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it. The motion is carried.

Motion agreed to.

Petitions

Fish and wildlife management

Ms. Goldie Ghamari: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the ban on hunting and trapping in sections of Ontario to protect the eastern hybrid wolf was put in place without regard for the overall ecosystem;

“Whereas this ban has adversely affected the ability of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), hunters and trappers to properly manage animal populations and Ontario’s ecosystem;

“Whereas this ban is no longer needed and is in fact causing more damage to Ontario’s ecosystem and increasing unnecessary encounters between wildlife and Ontarians;

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

“That the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry immediately lift the ban on hunting and trapping set in place to protect the eastern hybrid wolf.”

I proudly affix my signature to the petition, and I will deliver it to the Clerk.

Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries

Ms. Jessica Bell: This is a petition called “Keep Mount Pleasant Public by Updating the Legislation.

“Whereas Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries (MPGC) was established as a public trust by the Ontario Legislature in the 1800s. The trust was funded 100% by the public, who continue to subsidize it today...;

“Whereas the public’s original investment has grown to an approximately $3-billion asset encompassing 1,222 acres around the” GTA...;

“Whereas the trust operated with public participation for over 150 years until the late 1980s...;

“Whereas both the McGuinty and Wynne governments refused to provide leadership or action, in order to protect the trust by enforcing Ontario legislation, Friends of Toronto” Mount Pleasant “Cemeteries made an application to Superior Court...;

“Whereas, in a shocking decision on May 5, 2020, the Court of Appeal overturned the Ontario Superior Court’s decision and ‘adapted’ the legislation to give the $3-billion asset to the eight private individuals who had taken over;

“Whereas the appeal court confirmed that the trust was created by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, which can re-legislate the trust as it sees fit;

“Whereas our plea to you: ‘Please update the legislation that governs the public trust’” to return Mount Pleasant Cemeteries to public control.

This is signed by one individual due to COVID. However, hundreds of people have signed this petition, and I will be handing these signatures, as well as the petition, to the Clerk.

Broadband infrastructure

Mrs. Gila Martow: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas now more than ever, people across Ontario need reliable broadband to work, learn and connect with friends and family; and

“Whereas too many people in our province lack reliable Internet or cellular access—or don’t have any connectivity at all; and

“Whereas the digital divide has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically for rural and northern Ontarians;

“Whereas rural and northern Ontario businesses continue to face challenges accessing the 21st century digital economy which creates a serious economic disadvantage when following the advice of health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

“Whereas as Ontario carefully reopens the economy, every region and every community must play a role in attracting jobs and investments to restore economic prosperity to the province; and

“Whereas investing in reliable broadband and cellular service creates greater opportunity for families, farmers and small business owners in rural and remote areas not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but after the pandemic ends;

“Whereas Ontario is investing $150 million in a new program that, when leveraged with partner funding, has the potential to result in a total investment of $500 million to improve broadband and cellular coverage service in underserved and unserved communities;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Urge the federal Minister of Infrastructure, the federal Minister of” Women and “Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and the federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry to provide Ontario with its fair share of funding through the Universal Broadband Fund and to commit additional funding to the province so that:

“

(1) All of Ontario’s underserved and unserved communities can access reliable broadband service;

“

(2) Ontario’s rural and northern communities can have the same opportunities for economic growth, recovery and participation in the 21st century digital economy as urban municipalities;

“

(3) Ontarians in rural and northern communities can access government services, conduct business and connect with loved ones especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Of course, I affix my signature and I will give it to a page.

Food safety

Mr. Dave Smith: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas people who are on a farm without consent may not be aware that they can actually spread diseases and contaminants which can cause stress and harm to the animals;

“Whereas many farmers across Ontario are worried about trespassers putting their animals and the farmers’ families at risk. For many farmers their home and their work is the same place and everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home;

“Whereas despite the right of people to participate in legal protests, it does not include the right to trespass on private property, to make farmers feel unsafe in their homes or to risk introducing disease or contaminants to our animals or food supply;

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

“Proceed as effectively as possible to protect farmers, their animals, livestock transporters, and the integrity of Ontario’s food supply, while also ensuring that farmers feel safe in their homes and at the workplace by maintaining animal health and safety by immediately passing Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, so that:

“

(1) Persons are prohibited from entering in or on the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises;

“

(2) Persons are prohibited from interfering or interacting with farm animals in or on the animal protection zones or from carrying out prescribed activities in or on the animal protection zones without the prior consent of the owner or occupier of the farm, facility or premises;

“

(3) Persons are prohibited from interfering with a motor vehicle that is transporting farm animals and from interfering or interacting with the farm animals in the motor vehicle without the prior consent of the driver of the motor vehicle.”

I’ll sign my name to this petition because I fully endorse it.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas, on December 29, 2019, five people were maliciously killed at the home of an ultra-Orthodox rabbi during Hanukkah celebrations in Monsey, New York;

“Whereas the horrendous events that took place on December 29, 2019, in Monsey, New York, coincide with an upward trend of instances of egregious acts of anti-Semitic behaviour, including within the province of Ontario;

“Whereas anti-Semitism can manifest in various different ways and cannot be adequately countered if it cannot be properly identified; moreover, anti-Semitism is a multi-faceted problem that requires a multi-faceted solution;

“Whereas the province of Ontario prides itself on being a safe and welcoming place free from religious-based hate;

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

“Proceed as effectively as possible to ensure that all Ontarians are protected from discrimination and hate amounting to anti-Semitism by immediately passing Bill 168, the Combating Antisemitism Act, 2019, so that the government of Ontario be guided by the working definition of anti-Semitism and the list of illustrative examples of it, adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance plenary on May 26, 2016, when it interprets acts, regulations and policies designed to protect Ontarians from discrimination and hate amounting to anti-Semitism.”

I fully support this petition and affix my signature to it.

Broadband infrastructure

Mr. Vincent Ke: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas, now more than ever, people across Ontario need reliable broadband to work, learn and connect with” their “friends and family; and

“Whereas too many people in our province lack reliable Internet or cellular access—or don’t have any connectivity at all; and

“Whereas the digital divide has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for rural and northern Ontarians; and

“Whereas rural and northern Ontario businesses continue to face challenges accessing the 21st century digital economy which creates a serious economic disadvantage when following the advice of health officials during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

“Whereas, as Ontario carefully reopens the economy, every region and every community must play a role in attracting jobs and investment to restore economic prosperity to the province; and

“Whereas investing in reliable broadband and cellular service creates greater opportunity for families, farmers and small business owners in rural and remote areas not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but after the pandemic ends;

“Whereas Ontario is investing $150 million in a new program that, when leveraged with partner funding, has the potential to result in a total investment of $500 million to improve broadband and cellular coverage service in underserved and unserved communities;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“Urge the federal Minister of Infrastructure, the federal Minister of Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development and the federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry to provide Ontario with its fair share of funding through the Universal Broadband Fund and to commit additional funding to the province so that:

“

(1) All of Ontario’s underserved and unserved communities can access reliable broadband service;

“

(2) Ontario’s rural and northern communities can have the same opportunities for economic growth, recovery and participation in the 21st century digital economy as urban municipalities;

“

(3) Ontarians in rural and northern communities can access government services, conduct business and connect with loved ones especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

I support this petition and will sign it and give it to the page.

Access to justice

Mr. Dave Smith: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas after 15 years of neglect under successive Liberal governments the justice system grew outdated and unnecessarily complex;

“Whereas Ontario’s class action legislation has not been significantly updated in more than 25 years. The current system is outdated, slow and doesn’t always put people at the centre of class actions in Ontario;

“Whereas lives can be—and have been—destroyed by serious crimes like sharing intimate images without consent. Cyberbullies can communicate broadly and quickly, making targets feel like they have no escape and often causing enduring mental and emotional harm;

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

“Proceed as effectively as possible to stand up for victims and law-abiding citizens, provide better, more affordable justice for families and consumers, and simplify a complex and outdated justice system to better serve the people of Ontario by immediately passing Bill 161,

An Act to enact the Legal Aid Services Act, 2019 and to make various amendments to other Acts dealing with the courts and other justice matters, so that:

“

(1) A flexible, sustainable and accountable legal aid system is built...;

“

(2) Ontario’s outdated class action legislation is updated...;

“

(3) Criminals don’t profit from crimes...;

“

(4) How a small estate is handled is simplified...;

“

(5) Notary and commissioner services are modernized...;

“

(6) It is made easier for cyberbullying victims to sue their offender...;

“

(7) In the tragic death of a loved one families are given closure...;

“

(8) Who can perform marriage ceremonies is expanded...;

“

(9) Lawyers and paralegals are held to the highest ethical standards...;

“

(10) Juror privacy and security is protected...;

“

(11) Reappointing case management masters is more efficient...;

“

(12) Taxpayer dollars are no longer used to pay legal fees for judicial officials removed from office....”

I will endorse this petition, sign my name to it and give it to the page.

Orders of the Day

Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection contre l’entrée sans autorisation et sur la protection de la salubrité des aliments

Mr. Hardeman moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 156,

An Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply / Projet de loi 156, Loi visant à protéger les fermes et les animaux d’élevage en Ontario contre les entrées sans autorisation et d’autres actes susceptibles de les déranger et à prévenir la contamination de l’approvisionnement alimentaire en Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Hardeman has moved third reading of Bill 156,

An Act to protect Ontario’s farms and farm animals from trespassers and other forms of interference and to prevent contamination of Ontario’s food supply.

Leading off the debate, I look to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Hon. Ernie Hardeman: Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased to rise today to begin third reading of Bill 156 and speak in support of the proposed Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020.

Before I begin, I want to thank my two parliamentary assistants, the member from Perth–Wellington and the member from Haldimand–Norfolk, for their hard work and dedication throughout the process of developing this legislation.

Everyone has a right to be safe in the workplace. This is especially true for farmers, whose home and places of work are often the same place. The people of Ontario should also have the assurance that they will continue to have steady access to some of the safest, highest-quality food in the world.

Just as when we first introduced this legislation in the House back in early December, it is essential that we protect our farmers and agri-food workers. Bill 156 aims to strengthen trespass laws to deter trespassers from unlawfully entering agri-food premises; to establish new rules regarding interfering with the transportation of livestock as well as interacting with animals being transported; and to take steps to improve protection from unauthorized entry into food processing facilities to better protect the province’s food supply and maintain Ontario’s high standards of biosecurity.

We rely on our farmers and food processors to work hard every day to keep the food supply chain strong and to keep food on the shelves and kitchen tables for the people of Ontario. In order to do that, farmers have to feel safe in their homes and workplaces. People have a right to participate in legal protests, but that right has never included trespassing on farms or interacting with the transportation of livestock.

Unauthorized people who enter a farm are often unaware of the farm’s biosecurity protocols. They may unknowingly introduce risks such as disease for both the animals and themselves, as well as create undue stress to the animals they claim to want to protect.

We’ve heard many concerns from farmers and food processors who are frustrated that not enough is being done to ensure that unauthorized trespassing is addressed. That’s why our government has put forward the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, 2020 to create protection for farmers, livestock and Ontario’s food supply.

If passed, this bill would protect the food supply chain and farm animals from biosecurity risks, as well as the safety of farmers, their families, their employees and the people responsible for the safe transportation of our livestock.

If passed, the bill would provide the necessary deterrents to trespassers, including:

—increasing the fines of up to $15,000 for the first offence and $25,000 for subsequent offences;

—allowing the court to consider aggravating factors when determining the appropriate fine;

—allowing the court to issue a restitution order, requiring the trespassers to pay restitution for damages caused during the trespass; and

—increasing protection for farmers, owners, occupiers or drivers against civil liability from people who were hurt while trespassing, provided that there is no intent to do harm to the trespasser.

Our government has heard the concerns of our farmers. We are committed to food safety and taking action to strengthen protection for the agriculture workers and the integrity of our food system.

Mr. Speaker, from its early development through first and second readings to public hearings to third reading, we have worked hard to ensure that this bill, Bill 156, meets the needs of Ontario’s farmers, agri-food processors and the livestock transportation sector.

The world today is a different place from when we started discussing trespass challenges with stakeholders, drafted the bill, introduced it back in December and got it through second reading in early March. The COVID outbreak has reinforced that our home should be a place where we can feel safe. Many people have spent the last two months staying home in an effort to stop the spread and to protect themselves. I want to commend those people for doing their part.

However, we cannot, on one hand, ask people to stay home and practise social distancing while simultaneously allowing others to enter someone else’s private property and put our farmers at risk, to advance their own agenda. The COVID-19 outbreak has reinforced the importance of a steady and reliable food supply, as well as the health and safety of those who feed us. Our government has to do its part to protect the food system.

At the onset of this crisis, our government was quick to declare the entire food supply chain as an essential service, recognizing the critical importance of our farmers who grow our food, the stores working hard to keep their shelves full, and everyone in between. The agri-food sector and the contributions of its workers have been, and continue to be, critical to ensuring the province’s food supply chain remains strong.

I want to take a minute to speak directly to all the people who have continued to work over the last few months to ensure that the people of Ontario had the food on the table then, now and in the months to come. To the people working in the sector—the farmers, those in food processing, trucking, and grocery retail—I want to again say thank you. The people of Ontario recognize how important you are, and we all appreciate your efforts.

Mr. Speaker, we owe our front-line agri-food heroes our thanks and a huge debt of gratitude for ensuring Ontario’s food supply remains stable at all times. By working together to keep our food supply chain strong, we continue to demonstrate what Premier Ford often talks about: the true Ontario spirit. That value is based on support for one another and ensuring that people are fed and nourished during this unprecedented time.

While we support our agri-food heroes who are going above and beyond during this crisis, it’s also imperative that we maintain Ontario’s high levels of biosecurity on farms and in processing plants to reduce the risk of any large disease spread. Our government is working diligently to ensure that workers in Ontario’s agri-food sector are able to safely conduct their work. We have a duty to support them in their work and ensure that they continue to work safely.

We began a proactive food processing inspection blitz on April 8, 2020. Thus far, we have conducted over 170 inspections at food processing facilities. That’s why our government announced last week an expansion of the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program, committing up to $15 million to enhance health and safety measures on farms and in food processing facilities. This bill, if passed, would provide farmers and food processing workers with further protection and peace of mind.

I also want to take a moment to talk about our temporary foreign workers and the recent spike in positive COVID-19 cases on some of the farms in southwestern Ontario. I would like to express my condolences to the families of the two migrant workers who have died of COVID-19. I want our farm owners and farm workers to know that our government is always with you. If you need help, please give us a call, and we will be there.

We would also encourage our farm workers to get proactively tested for the COVID-19. The more information we have about which farms are dealing with the outbreak of this virus, the easier it is for us to make sure that you have the right resources you need to slow the spread. There is no need to be scared about being tested. This is a matter of life and death, and we want to protect as many people as we can.

Mr. Speaker, I’m very committed. I am more committed than ever to support our farmers, food processors, our farm families, and the farm animal transport sector: the front-line heroes who have worked so hard to keep food on our grocery shelves and our kitchen tables throughout this crisis. Part of this commitment is to strongly support for third reading Bill 156. It is not only the right thing to do to protect these essential workers and services in primary agriculture and food processing; it is also the right thing to do for all Ontarians.

Mr. Speaker, as Bill 156 moves through the legislative process, we continue to consult and engage. This has been the cornerstone of our approach to the development of Bill 156. These discussions started last fall, when we held engagement sessions with a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, livestock commodity groups, general farm organizations, farm operators, processing facilities, livestock transporters, policing representatives and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. They helped us to better understand the challenges that farmers and rural communities are facing, and to begin developing options to enhance protection and help.

Our consultations continued in February with a series of round table discussions that took us across eastern, central and southwestern Ontario to places like Cornwall, Lindsay, Chesley and Petrolia. Farmers told me they simply did not feel safe in their home anymore. They also told me that they fear for the safety of their workers, animals and, in fact, all Ontarians due to the threat that trespassers pose to their vital food supply.

We heard that in order to continue to feed us and to do a good job at it, the farmers need to feel safe and they need to be able to protect their families, their employees and their animals. Nobody in this province, whether you’re in an urban centre or a rural community, would accept being pressured or coerced by others in order to gain entry to their homes or their workplace. That’s not an acceptable practice anywhere, and it certainly should not be in rural Ontario.

Since this bill was first introduced, we’ve heard the opposition raise concerns on the question of citizen’s arrest and what farmers should be doing when they confront trespassers. Let’s be clear: Bill 156 does not give farmers any extra powers that they currently do not already have when it comes to a citizen’s arrest.

Sections 9 and 10 of the Trespass to Property Act outline what the arrest provisions are on private property, including that the owner or occupier of the property can, if needed, conduct a citizen’s arrest of a trespasser and then hand that person over to the police right away.

All

section 7 of Bill 156 does is state that when the owner or occupier is in an animal protection zone, they have the same rights as they do anywhere else on the property. We amended

section 7 to clarify that those provisions are only applicable if the offender is on your property. We do not condone chasing trespassers down the street or causing them harm.

If an owner or occupier finds a person in or on an animal protection zone that they believe should not be there, they should immediately contact the police for support. Following that, they can also request the person to provide their name and address, request that the person stop what they are doing, and request that the person leave the premises.

The opposition have tried to criticize us for not including calling the police as an option open to farmers. Since everyone in Ontario has a right to contact the police when they feel unsafe or are dealing with trespassers, adding it in this seemed to me to be unnecessary. I also want to stress that a citizen’s arrest should only be used as a last resort and only using reasonable force. Again, this is a right that Ontarians already have, and we do not believe in removing rights that people already have.

Although the opposition seemed to think otherwise, we do not see why you should not be able to do something in an animal protection zone that you can do everywhere else on the property and everywhere else in the province.

During my consultations, I heard moving stories from farmers and farm organizations. They told us what they are experiencing on the farm, in the food processing facilities and on the road. We listened as they described the stress felt by everyone along the food chain. Farmers have said that it has been a struggle for several years when it comes to people interfering with their livelihood and their livestock. They’ve seen an escalation in the overall number of trespassers in recent years, as well as the severity of harm that they’re causing, including additional stress and anxiety for farm families, employees and animals.

Gone are the days where people would simply protest outside the farm to show their disapproval for animal agriculture, which farmers understood and did not object to. In fact, they still understand and still do not object to peaceful protest on public property. But unfortunately, some of those peaceful protests have been replaced with threats of violence, harassment, intimidation and trespassing.

As parents, the biggest priority is to protect their children and grandchildren who live on the farm. Earlier this year, I met with Jackie Rombouts, both farmer and mayor of Warwick, who told me that she has fears every day that when her young children go out to the barn to check on their livestock or to turn the lights off at the end of the day, they may run into trespassers. That’s not how it should be anywhere in Ontario.

The concept of invading private property was a recurring theme I and my colleagues heard during many of the consultations. Farmers pointed out that most people would not like it if someone went trampling up to their front door or was in their house uninvited, and yet that’s exactly what trespassers are doing. They are on private property at someone’s home.

Many farmers have told me that they are concerned about the health and safety of trespassers themselves. They don’t want anyone hurt on their farms. Trespassers may not be familiar with life on a farm and farm safety. That’s why so many in the farming community as a whole said they want to be proactive rather than reactive to address this issue.

We heard from farmers saying that when their way of life is under attack like this, it has an impact on their mental health. They are wondering why animal rights supersede the rights of farmers, their families and their employees to be safe on their property.

We’ve heard from farmers that our approach will give them a sense of security, because the safety of their families and the welfare of the animals under their care are things that they take very seriously. And they’re pleased with our commitment to preserve the integrity of the farm and the food system.

Interestingly, they also told us that they were pleased that the end result is balanced and fair, and that their property and their rights will be protected, but not at the expense of people’s right to participate in lawful public protests. Stakeholders appreciate that, Mr. Speaker, because they feel the right to protest is a very important value for our province and our country, and they don’t want it to be eroded.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture, representing more than 38,000 farm members across the province, told us that they are encouraged by the process that brought this bill in place. They are pleased that the farm community worked on this issue collectively to find solutions alongside my ministry and the Ministry of the Solicitor General as well as the Ministry of the Attorney General.

They are also appreciative of the strong support they received from the municipalities. Nearly 130 municipalities have called on our government to take action on this issue, and I’m proud that our stakeholders and our government worked closely with them on this bill.

Municipalities have also reaffirmed their belief in people’s right to protest, but they said they are very concerned when that right infringes on personal and private property and threatens families, employees and the entire value chain. They are very pleased to see government taking action to protect these properties.

The Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, representing more than 4,000 farm members, also said they were encouraged that farmers would be taken seriously if someone comes to their property uninvited. They are assured that the consequences for trespassing would now be more serious and that the proposed bill would have more teeth than the current legislation, to better protect their family businesses and their homes from the potential harm of unauthorized and uninvited visitors.

The food industry has seen numerous cases over the last number of years where protocols to enter the processing floor have been broken. This has created food safety concerns for the companies and for the general public.

Food and Beverage Ontario told us that it is good news for this industry that the law is being made more robust to prevent anyone from accessing processing floors and potentially creating food safety problems.

The livestock trucking industry told us that it has enough challenges attracting drivers without adding the danger for both the drivers and others caused by those who interfere with the transport of farm animals or try to interact with the farm animals while they’re in transport.

Livestock transport operators told us about incidents when people stopped trucks from gaining access to the processing plant. There are cases when they stepped up in front of the transport trucks, creating unsafe conditions for the driver and the animals in transport. In some circumstances, they forcibly opened the cab doors and threatened the driver’s safety and the safety of the animals in transit. On occasion, they have interacted or interfered with animals in transport, thereby creating animal health and food safety concerns. The transport industry wants to do their job of delivering animals to the processing plants safely and should not have to deal with this added risk.

We’ve also received strong support from municipalities. As I mentioned earlier, nearly 130 municipalities have passed or supported council resolutions that call on the government to strengthen protection for farms and the agri-food premises from the township of Warwick and the municipality of Brockton. Several municipal representatives who participated in our discussion told us that they need this legislation to increase important protection for many farms located within rural municipalities across the province. They felt that the public would be happy about the balance the bill proposes for everyone concerned.

Our proposed bill balances the security of farmers, their families and our food supply while protecting the right for people to participate in legal protests as well as to express their views about animal agriculture. These are serious and complex matters, and they matter to all Ontarians. I’m very proud of the time and effort we put into stakeholder engagement and consultation on this proposed legislation.

From the early days of this proposed legislation taking shape, we recognized the strong need to have clear communications on it. We knew we needed to collaborate closely with individual groups and organizations across the board to truly understand their concerns and the risk of trespassing. It’s not something that we have taken lightly; the overwhelming support from our stakeholders is proof of that.

I want to expand a bit on one aspect of protecting the food supply chain, and that is to strengthen biosecurity at farms, processing facilities and during livestock transit. Through our consultation and engagement, we heard multiple times how important it is to protect farm animals from outside contamination, disease and stress.

To draw a parallel, we’ve learned over the last few months the importance and value of taking a number of measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. For example, physical distancing, frequent hand-washing, using masks and Plexiglas panels as pathogen barriers, and self-isolating when sick are helpful and efficient. Similar principles apply to the protection of animal health. Measures such as effective sanitation, disinfection of farms, restricting entry to farm personnel, changing into dedicated boots and coveralls upon entering, and putting replacement stock in quarantine all help to protect farm animals from contamination and disease.

Ontario farmers have excellent biosecurity practices in place and are working very hard to maintain these protocols and restrict access and to have strict requirements for off-farm visitors and service providers because they know that what’s at stake is more than just keeping their animals healthy; it is their very livelihood and their ability to keep feeding people, be they here in Ontario, in another province or abroad. They know that food safety and integrity are essential in maintaining markets for their animals. So if you want to protect our food supply and farmers’ livelihood, we must provide strong support for farmers’ biosecurity efforts.

During my province-wide tour in February, I heard from several farmers who expressed concerns about how on-farm trespasser incidents and the anxiety of potential trespass incidents had been negatively impacting their mental health. This was reiterated in last week’s committee hearings during the presentation of Dr. Andria Jones-Bitton.

Dr. Jones-Bitton is a veterinarian, epidemiologist, professor and director of well-being programming at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph. She has been studying the issue of farm mental health, and, for many years now, has published several articles on the topic. Her work has shown that farmers tend to experience higher levels of stress, mental illness and suicide compared to the rest of the population.

In her presentation, she went on in some detail about the national survey that she and her team conducted on farmers’ mental health. She stated that the participants of the survey described the heavy mental strain that farm trespass events had, including personal attacks and an increased sense of fear.

Dr. Jones-Bitton stated, “It is completely reasonable for someone to experience fear and intimidation when strangers, particularly strangers who disagree with your entire way of life, come on to your property, where you and your family live and work.

“Participants also describe safety concerns for their animals. For example, one participant shared, ‘We have to lock our barns now because we’re afraid of people coming into our barns and doing things to our animals.’

“These participants described fears around people harming and/or causing extreme stress to” farm animals.

“Biosecurity concerns were also described, being associated with trespassing and people entering the barns, ignoring or not being aware of the serious disease risks that they pose. These participants discuss the biosecurity and food safety risks associated with activists entering their barns or interacting with animals during transport.

“Finally, participants described a need to now be hyper-vigilant and constantly on guard, which compounds their already high levels of stress and adds to their occupational stressors. For example, one participant said, ‘I get jumpy every time someone stops on the road to take a picture of my cows in the field, or an unfamiliar car drives in the laneway. I used to embrace it.’”

Mr. Speaker, mental health is a very serious issue, and it is our duty to ensure our farmers have peace of mind at work and at home, which for a vast majority of farmers is usually the same place. Bill 156 does just that.

Since May 2019, MPPs across the province, including me, have received more than 5,000 letters of support for this bill. The letters primarily focus on concerns over the growing number of trespass incidents, express frustration over charges not being pursued in the judicial system, and call upon the government for assurances of a more rigid process from a prevention as well as an enforcement perspective. We’re addressing those issues in this proposed bill.

The COVID-19 outbreak recent correspondence we’ve received has also stressed how important and connected food security and the food supply chain are. Support for Bill 156 from industry representatives from Ontario dairy, grain, pork, beef, sheep, ag and land use sectors have been resounding and sustained. They said it was a much-needed piece of legislation. We will continue to seek input from those groups and others as we set out to work on regulations.

Industry groups support peaceful protest on public property as a right enjoyed by all Canadian citizens. But when trespassers cross the line between legal and illegal activities, those are instances Bill 156 is trying to address. Every effort has been made and will continue to be made to hear directly from those impacted by trespassing and from other stakeholders as well to ensure legislation that is fair and appropriate. We are striving to address those concerns in a way that is balanced.

The bill would not infringe on peoples’ rights to participate in peaceful protest on public property, and those protesters can continue to express their opposition to animal agriculture. The Ontario government supports their right to peaceful and lawful protest and will always protect the right of freedom of expression. It’s very important to say this again: The proposed legislation will not impact the right to participate in legal protests on public property and therefore the right of expression as well.

Legal protests are those that do not include trespassing on farms and agri-food businesses or interfering with livestock and transport.

The bill is also not intended to infringe in any way on Indigenous and treaty rights in this province. We took great care when drafting the bill to ensure that Indigenous people engaged in animal farming or agri-businesses are protected against the dangers trespassing represents, while also protecting their treaty rights within Ontario. We met with an Indigenous group who had concerns regarding perceived impacts of the proposed bill on existing Indigenous and treaty rights to identify possible solutions.

The ministry also sent out more than 250 letters to various Indigenous communities within Ontario providing information on Bill 156 and inviting those with questions to contact my office directly. The government is always interested in hearing from and getting the perspective and thoughts of the Indigenous people of Ontario and how any Ontario law may affect their treaty rights. We are thankful for this continued discussion with Indigenous leaders and want to continue to work together in this positive way to develop regulations under the proposed bill, should it pass.

I would also like to take a moment to thank Ontario Regional Chief RoseAnne Archibald and her leadership council for meeting with me virtually last week to continue our discussion on this legislation and how we can work together to ensure that there are no unintended impacts. We aspire to deliver the