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May 11, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-May-11 (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Thursday 11 May 2023 Jeudi 11 mai 2023

Resignation of member for Scarborough–Guildwood

House sittings

Orders of the Day

Queen’s Park Restoration Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la restauration de Queen’s Park

Members’ Statements

Izumi Aquaculture

Historic architecture in Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas

Fusillade à Bourget

Indigenous health care

Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

Nurses

Police officers

Lyme disease

Lois Fairley Nursing Award

Nurses

Introduction of Visitors

Independent members

Eric Mueller

Question Period

Government accountability

Government accountability

Public transit

Cost of living

Municipal funding

Provincial parks

Health care

Municipal development

Invasive species

Homelessness

Agri-food industry

Government services

Mining industry

Ontario Science Centre

Mental health and addiction services

Birthday of member’s mother

Business of the House

Deferred Votes

Strengthening Members’ Integrity Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à renforcer l’intégrité des députés

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Petitions

Land use planning

Police services

Social assistance

Taxation

Alzheimer’s disease

Gestion des appâts

Domestic violence

Health care workers

Taxation

Health care workers

Orders of the Day

Laurence George South

Bruce Owen

Bill Murdoch

Marion Boyd

Keith MacDonald

Visitors

Private Members’ Public Business

Student mental health / Santé mentale des étudiants

The House met at 0900.

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

Prières / Prayers.

Resignation of member for Scarborough–Guildwood

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that a vacancy has occurred in the membership of the House by reason of the resignation of Mitzie Hunter as the member for the electoral district of Scarborough–Guildwood, effective 6:01 p.m., May 10, 2023. Accordingly, I have issued my warrant to the Chief Electoral Officer for the issue of a writ for a by-election.

House sittings

Hon. Paul Calandra: On a point of order: Pursuant to standing order 78, I wish to inform the House that tonight’s evening meeting is cancelled.

Orders of the Day

Queen’s Park Restoration Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 sur la restauration de Queen’s Park

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 10, 2023, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 75,

An Act to enact the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat Act, 2023, and to make certain amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act / Projet de loi 75, Loi édictant la Loi de 2023 sur le Secrétariat de la restauration de Queen’s Park et apportant certaines modifications à la

Loi sur l’Assemblée législative et à la

Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): When we last debated Bill 75, the member for Peterborough–Kawartha had made his presentation. We are now in questions to the member for Peterborough–Kawartha with respect to his remarks. Questions? Okay.

Further debate?

MPP Jamie West: I’m going to be speaking about the Queen’s Park Restoration Act, but before I begin, I hope that my colleagues will allow me to diverge a bit just to share a message that was shared with me last night that I think will resonate. It’s non-partisan, but I think it will resonate with all of us. It says:

“Big day tomorrow across the province. It’s the district Mine Rescue Competition ...

“And this year, Goderich is hosting ...

“Tomorrow, we will welcome 15 students and their teachers as spectators. These students have an interest in mining and/or emergency services.

“Our local volunteer firefighters will also be in attendance.

“This is the brainchild of my husband, our local mine rescue officer and myself.

“To our knowledge, it’s never been done before.

“Important people at Compass Minerals, Workplace Safety North, and Unifor are paying attention ...

“Not sure how it will go ... but tonight we are pretty excited about it!

“Name tags, flashlights, ear protection and handouts are ready to go ...

“This year’s ‘problem’ was written by an MRO (mine rescue officer) from the southern district.

“The MRO from our region, who wrote the problem was sent up to Timmins to judge and facilitate up there ...

“Because as we all know ... the Hollinger mine disaster is the reason that we have Ontario Mine Rescue at all ....

“This is one of two MROs that train Windsor, Goderich and Hagersville ...

“There are only two teams at districts this year ...

“There should be three.

“We will all be missing our friends from the competition team at Windsor.

“We play hard together, but we learn from each other. We support each other.

“When the tornado hit Goderich in 2011, the only fatality in the whole town was the man who was working the boom, loading boats at the mine.

“Windsor was called in for mutual aid to recover the body. This was a hard job for Windsor because a lot of people on the Windsor team were originally from Goderich ...

“To quote my husband:

“‘We are used to working together.

“‘We are used to learning together.

“‘Salt is always salt. Work is always just work ...

“‘And our miners here hope that Windsor gets back to work because we miss the friendly competition and the opportunity to learn together to keep our workplaces safe ...’”

Thank you, Speaker and my colleagues, for allowing me to share that. I know that we all care about safety for our mining communities.

I’m proud to stand and talk about the Queen’s Park Restoration Act. I’m going to say this bill is exciting and extremely dull. It is exciting because of the work that we’re going to do, but in terms of the bill itself and what’s in the bill, it’s very dry and dull and spells out how to move forward. As a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, I’m going to share some of the process of how we got to here. I’ll also talk about the bill itself, but I think that in the debate we’ve had so far, the meat and potatoes of the bill have been discussed a lot, and there’s a good understanding, I think, from all of my colleagues about what’s in the bill.

This morning when I was thinking about what I was going to say and preparing, I thought of the Greek proverb, “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” Obviously, this was written a long time ago, when it was old men who made the decisions, and so I want to recognize, as well, women and everybody else who makes decisions. But I think that’s the core of the journey we’ve been on in committee when we look at the restoration of Queen’s Park.

When we first started discussing it, we all came to the table with what we wanted, things we’d like to see, even small things in terms of—there’s technology in use here, but there are no charging stations. There’s no way to plug in anything at our desks. I have, a couple of times, had to go to my office to plug in my laptop to let it recharge so I can come back to have it here.

Very quickly, we learned as a committee, as a group, that this really was about planting trees under whose shade we’ll never sit. Some of us might be here when the project is completed. But the reality is that political careers typically do not last a very long time, and this project will probably end after many of our careers have sunsetted—either after we retire or after we’ve been replaced—because as I say often here, we are just renting these chairs.

When that realization hit for all of us, I think what happened for many of us is, we understood the opportunity we had to make this place better for everybody, and that, I think, is when the committee really clicked. It really was a turning point for the committee.

I really enjoyed being on the committee, I have to say—the opportunity to work together, to have very open conversations. A lot of what we do here can feel adversarial at times, but I think that when it comes to what we’re doing for the Queen’s Park restoration, that sense of “adversarial-ness” is gone.

It’s easy for us as parliamentarians to think about what changes we would like to see. For example, many of my colleagues from the government side don’t have a place to put their stuff when they come here. I have an office really close to here, actually, just one floor up, but some of my colleagues on the opposition side have to walk as far as the north wing. Many of the Conservative members, the government members, show up and put their stuff in their car, or they all pile it into the whip’s office, or they’re working in the cafeteria or holding meetings there.

It’s an opportunity to expand in that area and make this a better workplace for the people who want to meet with ministers and to have that flexibility.

But it’s not really about us. We feel sometimes like we’re the centre of the universe. Once you’re elected, everyone here is incredibly nice to you, incredibly polite. I’m reminded of this because the first time I was at Queen’s Park, I was kicked out, as a visitor, for being too rambunctious—and honestly, I deserved to be kicked out, and our group. In the gallery, you’re not allowed to make comments. We were upset and we made a lot of noise, and they cleared the galleries. But the reality is, coming back, it was a whole different experience. When you’re escorted out of this building and then the next time you come back they hold the door and call you, “Sir,” it’s a little startling.

When we come here as MPPs, we feel like the centre of the universe because we’re preparing for debate. The days are very hectic. Yesterday, by noon, it felt like I had done two days of work with the meetings that I had, with everything going on. That’s how it can feel. But in order for us to be effective like that, in order for us as MPPs to be that engaged with our community and bring their voices forward, there is a whole system behind this that also has to be successful. There are our staff, specifically. But there are also the Clerks. There are also the maintenance people. There are also the cleaners.

There are the tour groups and the students who come. There are all these other components to the building that, if you’re not paying attention, you just don’t recognize. These facility upgrades are for them; we’re a small component of it. A lot of the place really works well for most of us.

So there’ll be some tweaks and nudges that will help us as MPPs, but the majority of what we’re doing, the majority of what this project is—that we’re going to plant trees that, for many of us, we may not see the shade—really is about the people who work in this building, who have careers in this building, and the people who visit this building, the students who come here.

It’s also about improving the safety. I’m reminded, for example, that half of this building is made out of wood and half of this building is made out of marble. The reason half of it is made out of marble is because there was a fire. The wooden portion burned down, and they were only able to save half of the building. So the architect who redesigned it chose marble for the building. I don’t want to frighten people to think that this is a fire trap or anything like that, but there are things we can do to lessen the risk of fire, to ensure fire protection services.

That’s something we need to keep in mind, understanding that not only is this our workplace, but this is a tourist destination. This is a place where, all the time, people are wandering around on tour, learning about this historical site.

There have been some renovations that have been done in the past—obviously, there are cameras; when you think of a building from 1893, there wouldn’t have been cameras back then—but there haven’t been a lot. It has been a lot of piecemeal work. I worked in construction for more than a decade, and there is only so much you can do before you’ve got to start from scratch; there’s only so much you can do to tinker and nudge.

We were fortunate, on the standing committee, to go for a tour of this building. Many of us in our offices would recognize there’s some need for improvements. I’m in one of the corner offices of the building before it goes into another hallway, and there is a snake of Cat 5 cables that goes through my office. Our House leader is next door to my office, and there’s probably one less cable in his office and one less in the office after that. But it is literally just a snake of cables all tie-wrapped together that punches a hole through the wall and goes to the next office and the next office.

It’s because there’s no more room to bring it through the walls; there’s no more room to cover it up. We went into the air return system, which is only supposed to be for air coming in and out of the building, to allow some ventilation and clean air, and a lot of that space is being used for cabling and infrastructure to go through. It was shocking to see a lot of this stuff—and not shocking in a Mike Holmes, Holmes on Homes renovation disaster way, but just to understand how flexible the maintenance workers have been in upgrading the building and what has happened.

I want to recognize as well that as a committee, we also went to Ottawa to see the House of Commons, which is already going through a restoration project. That really helped open our eyes about the restoration and what we’re up against. We want to be as fiscally responsible as possible. We know that this is an important project, but we also know that the people of Ontario want to ensure that we’re spending money wisely. The project in Ottawa is massive; it’s much larger than what we’re going to be doing here, but it really helped us understand the scope of what’s happening.

We live in a museum. This is very old building. It’s a lot of historical site—so it’s not the same as renovating your house, where you can just kick down a wall. There are a lot of things that we have to do here to ensure that we preserve the structure around us. Everywhere I look in this room has carvings and, really, art. Our chandeliers themselves are art. The ceiling is painted as art—the cameras can’t pan up there. It’s a beautiful building.

It reminds me, actually, of one evening when I was leaving late, and one of the precinct protection officers, Ralph, was staring at some cabinets on the first floor, on the west side. I was coming down the stairs, and Ralph was looking into the cabinets, and I thought maybe the glass got broken or something, and I asked if everything was okay. He said, “Oh, yes, we just rotate through, and I haven’t been here for a while. They changed the display, and I’m just enjoying it. Are you open to some advice?” I was very new—it was within my first year of being an MPP—and I was open to any kind of advice, so I said yes.

And Ralph said, “Long days, short years. How many times do you rush to the House and walk past the artwork on the walls without stopping to look at them? These are long days that you’re having, but looking back, they’re going to be short years, and one day, you won’t be here anymore.

I would recommend that you enjoy them.” And I do make a point of looking at the different artwork that’s on the walls, the busts, even the marble handrails or the flooring—I don’t know the right term for the flooring, but the tiny little stones, the mosaic in the flooring that someone on their hands and knees placed individually to make the design. Those are all things that I ignored for the first couple of months when I was elected, or took for granted—but recognizing that all of this stuff that is in here makes this place where we work beautiful.

As ugly as it can feel some days—we can really get heated in debate—it’s a beautiful place to work.

Yesterday, the OLIP interns were here, and my first intern kept saying that my office was the most smiley place that she’d ever worked. And one of the reasons I think I’m always smiling here is that I know how privileged we all are to be here and to be the voices of our ridings. No matter what kind of mood I’m in, even if I’m not feeling well, I am always smiling in this building because it is a beautiful place to work, and we’re all so fortunate to be here.

I’m going to go to the bill. I’m feeling more nostalgic about the work that we do, but in terms of the bill, we have real hazards in the building that have to be addressed.

We have a steam heating system. We’re at the time of year, I think, when many of us are happy to be on House duty because there’s a sense of air conditioning in here that we haven’t been transitioned to in our offices. It’s warm outside, but the steam heating system is still running, because if we get a cold snap, it takes a long time to restart it, and so we have to transition. There is a time where it’s very, very warm here, and it’s not comfortable in a suit; it’s not even comfortable in a T-shirt. So we have a steam heating system that is not energy-efficient, to begin with. It’s outdated.

It requires a lot of fabrication in order to repair it—because sometimes the maintenance people have to actually get parts fabricated to fix it. And it’s potentially a fire hazard. Steam can be dangerous under pressure. There’s a lot of work behind that.

We have a wiring system that’s out of date. I talked about the Cat 5 cables, but also, the cable trays are absolutely loaded. There has been a project to remove redundant cable, but it’s hard when they’re buried and twisted. There are areas that have been discovered that have exposed wires, like any building, that are being addressed. I don’t want to panic people, but there’s a lot of work over the time.

Anyone who has been to Queen’s Park will notice that we have Culligan Water containers on every floor, because you can’t drink the water because of the lead pipes that are in the building.

As in most buildings this old, there’s asbestos and lead and PCBs that have to be addressed. So when we do this project, we’re going to have to decant. We can’t all crowd over to the east wing while they do the west wing; it just won’t work. It’s going to be a large project, and going to Ottawa helped us to understand that.

This is going to take a long time to do, like I’ve said often. Best of luck to all of us that we will be here at the end of it, but the history is that many of us may not be. One of the members resigned to pursue another career option recently. So that’s the reality for us. We can come back as visitors. But this really isn’t about making the place great for us; it’s about making this place great for everybody else.

With all the work that’s coming ahead, I want to recognize the members on the committee and the work that they have done together. This is really, I would say, the most non-partisan committee I’ve ever been on. And my colleague was on the committee with me previously—it felt non-partisan then too. It is very non-partisan. I don’t think my mom would ever understand that I get along with Mike Harris. But, quite frankly, that member and I are the co-chairs of the subcommittee, and we have casual conversations, straight-up conversations about concerns and what we can do.

Part of this project really is about, when we do the renovations and we make this investment, that we want to ensure that this building reflects all of the people of Ontario. The quote I said talked about “old men,” and implied in that is “old white men,” in the Greek philosopher days. But the makeup of this province and the leadership of this province is no longer just old white men, and we want that to be reflected. We want newcomers to Canada to be reflected in this building. We want people from different backgrounds to be reflected in this building.

We want this to feel like a place that reflects Ontario and everyone in Ontario. We want people to feel seen when they come into the building. We want to improve the security of the building—not just for ourselves, but for the staff who are here and for the visitors and the tours.

I’m reminded often of this quote: “The sign of a good negotiation is when both sides walk away with a rock in their shoe.” And so our goal, at a minimum, is not to get it so very wrong that people feel like they have more than just a rock in their shoe—that there’s a nudge of something we could have done a little bit better, but they understand that we were absolutely doing the best that we can.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): It’s now time for questions. Questions?

Further debate?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: Before I speak to Bill 75, I’m sad to share that this morning Ontario woke up as a province in grief. Today, as many of us know, we are sadly mourning another officer murdered in the line of duty. We are devastated by the loss of Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Eric Mueller, and we are praying for the other officers who have been injured in this tragedy in eastern Ontario. We anxiously await their recovery. Madam Speaker, as details emerge, we will be moving for a moment of silence later this morning. Our hearts are with the families of the officers impacted by this senseless event.

Our thoughts are also with the brotherhood and sisterhood of the Ontario police community. These are special people who put themselves on the line each and every day. As I’ve said many times here, everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home and community.

Madame la Présidente, tous ont le droit de se sentir en sécurité chez eux et dans leur collectivité.

Again, we will have more to say on this later.

I’m delighted to speak on this bill, because I believe in this place. It’s such an honour for me to be here and sit with my colleagues in this Legislature and be part of a righteous opportunity to be part of democracy each day, a place where we can all contribute to bend the moral arc, the fabric of the values of who we are as Ontarians, and understanding what matters most. This place is utterly magnificent, and it belongs to absolutely everyone who calls Ontario home.

I can tell you, after my election on June 2, proudly representing the people of York Centre, I really entered this building for my very first time. Although I may have been here insignificantly throughout my youth, I don’t remember those visits, unfortunately. When I walked down these stairs for the first time and asked one of our own guides in our home of democracy to show me around, as an elected member, it was overwhelming, the sense of awe that I was here.

We’re here at so many times in our collective history, since this building was built—most recently, just this past Saturday, at the 21-gun salute and ceremony for the coronation of King Charles III. God save the King. We have witnessed so many events and miracles that have been part of this building’s history. Ontario is huge, and we know that, and our views are long because our province is so huge, and we know that as well. But we know that experience tells us never to take a clear sky for granted. Change can be abrupt and dramatic, and the biggest storms seem to appear out of nowhere and challenge even the most experienced forecasters.

When I go back to my first minutes in this building, shortly after my election, and how utterly magnificent this building is—it didn’t dawn on me how many parts of this building have seen generations that need repairs and restoration, because we only see the beauty, we only see the carvings in the wood, we only see the majesty that exists. As I came to know here, as many of us have, walking the stairs, as the member said, in the days prior, where the halls can be hot and in the summer they can be even hotter—we understand that this is a dome of democracy, something amazingly precious. I wonder, if this building could talk about its life, what it could reveal about its story.

Our democracy reminds us that we need to understand change, and we have to understand that change changes with time.

Madam Speaker, the place is defined by our dreams. It speaks to a present written—a current present; not a present, necessarily, that we give somebody, but it could be that as well—by our shared responsibilities, and it speaks to the future potential of those who will succeed us here one day.

When I look around on all sides of the House, it really is gratifying to see how much appreciation people have of this place. And I’m grateful for my colleague and mentor and friend, our government House leader, who has really led the freshman class to appreciating all that this chamber, all that this Legislature tells to us.

These hallowed halls are telling us that we will carry on in past traditions—and that, Madam Speaker, is one of the reasons why you are in the chair. You’re a presiding officer, and this is part of our tradition. But there’s more that exists. There’s the bricks. There is the culture of the stonework. There’s the respect of where these lands sit and how they sit. It talks about our history and those generations who were here long before us.

It’s amazing that we should never lose focus on what this building has meant to the approximate 1,980 people, since Confederation, who were elected to serve here. I remember when the Clerk of the House told me, on my very first few days, my number. Each of us has a number; they can’t take that away from us. My number is 1,947. When I look around the room, those who have been in so many preceding Parliaments—their numbers are lower. When you think about the honour that we have, to be one of less than 2,000 people who call this place home—I still can’t get over that.

I think of the courage, dignity and the respect that our predecessors who were here had that allowed us to serve on this day, that allowed us to serve from different faiths and different backgrounds, that allowed us to understand that this historic building has hosted numerous gatherings over the years.

We’ve celebrated, just in the last number of months since I’ve been here—understanding this is a gathering place for many. Every day, there’s a reception, and when I miss a reception or I don’t know about it, I feel that I’ve missed out on something special in our own building. We’ve celebrated, in recent months, Black History Month, and I want to thank everyone, including our Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity and the member from Ajax, who put on this event. This event happened here in this building.

I think of Persian Heritage Month, with the delicious food and teas that they served, and I thank our Minister of Children, Community and Social Services and the member from Carleton and others who attended that event. I recall the lunar new year celebration and the member from Richmond Hill, who took leadership in that; and the member who led Hellenic Heritage Month, in March—this was a wonderful opportunity—the member from Oakville North–Burlington. We celebrated Sikh Heritage Month. We celebrated Dutch Heritage Month. We celebrated Jewish Heritage Month and Polish Heritage Month and South Asian Heritage Month.

And only in Ontario and only in this building, this magnificent dome of democracy, could we have done something as beautiful, because as the government House leader has said and the Premier has said and I have said, our diversity is what makes Ontario and this Legislature unbelievably special; parce que notre diversité est notre plus grande réussite.

Nothing can ever replicate the diversity that we have in Ontario, and I tell people this in my riding of York Centre that is incredibly diverse; I tell it whenever I travel. It is something that we celebrate. This is something that will never be replicated likely anywhere in the world.

When we look at this building, a building that was built a long time ago, it has not undergone, as the member said, a major renovation in slightly over 100 years—and I would argue it depends on what you call a renovation, because when I saw the old pictures of Premier Davis or Premier Rae or Premier Peterson sitting here, the carpet may have looked different and the chair covers may have looked different.

But really and truly, nothing lasts forever, and we need a building that will serve us for tomorrow. We need to make sure that from a safety perspective and from an operational standards perspective, this building will serve parliamentarians for years to come.

Even when it comes to safety—and again, I want to thank the leaders of the Clerk’s office and the Speaker’s office and the government House leader’s office who take the emergency preparedness so seriously. When we look forward, we’re confronted with new challenges that we never, historically, had to deal with. It is still a great honour, with ease, as a member—or as we have our staff be able to walk through our building with such ease and comfort. But there are technological improvements that must be made as science and technology changes, and we have to be part of that change. We can’t take our safety for granted. We can’t compromise on this.

We must make the investments necessary to ensure that everyone who works here is not only safe but works in a healthy workplace. This is absolutely important.

I want to acknowledge the importance of the visitors and dignitaries who come in this building. Again, we are so excited to showcase this building because it is magnificent. We don’t tell our dignitaries and our guests—the behind-the-scenes tour. But we know that in order for us to continue showing off this building for generations to come, it has to have the physical improvements and infrastructure changes that it needs.

I want to recognize in this workplace, in this special dome of democracy, the members and the staff and the legislative staff and the custodial staff, the special constables and peace officers who keep us safe—these are amazing people—the librarians, and everyone else who works as part of the House of democracy.

When we have a safe community, we have absolutely everything, and I spoke about this when I started my remarks. When we have a Queen’s Park for tomorrow that will allow this to go another 100 years, our successors many generations down will thank us for the efforts and leadership we did in 2023 to pass this bill—understanding that we are now laying the seeds for a foundation for tomorrow, just like those when this building was built did. So this bill is a big deal.

If passed, the Queen’s Park Restoration Act, 2023, will establish a secretariat within government tasked with planning and executing a full-scale restoration of the Legislative Building at Queen’s Park, including temporary relocation of operations. As the government House leader has said and others who are on the committee have said, we’re learning from people who have done this. We’re not reinventing the wheel to start with nothing. That’s the beauty of seeing other houses of democracy that have already gone through the restoration—to have the best practices, to learn what they have learned, to take the nuggets of the information forward so that we can benefit.

This government will leverage its significant expertise in managing this large-scale infrastructure project—and we’re doing that. You just have to look behind Whitney Block, and you see that we’re taking buildings, the Hearst Block and the Macdonald Block that needed renovations, so that we will have offices for those people in Ontario public service—first-class offices, safe offices—and for the people who work here and for the members. We deserve nothing less.

The Queen’s Park Restoration Act, 2023, will provide a strong foundation on which government is given the authority and accountability necessary to execute this in a timely matter.

As I wrap up some final thoughts, I want to say how proud we all should feel that we took our place in this building in a moment in time, because it doesn’t happen to everyone; we’re not all that fortunate—that those who saw fit to elect us brought us to this place. That’s why, each time I walk in the door, I always say to myself, “How blessed are we?”—not “how blessed am I?”—because it doesn’t matter who we are or who we love or who we worship or how we worship or where we came from or how we got here, this place is ours. It belongs to everyone, and what matters is that we’re here together, diverse and different and absolutely incredible.

I really want to again give my thanks to everyone for their dedication who works in this building, because they are heroes.

As I consider myself proud that this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand for election, to run for election and to be right here, it just reminds me of how blessed we are.

So I hope everyone will support Bill 75, because we believe in our province and in our future; parce que nous croyons en notre province et en notre avenir.

We will all take inspiration in knowing—and I’ve said this before, but the lines fit again. This province is big. It’s bigger than all of us. It’s more important than any of us. Ontario was here before us; it will be here long after us, and most importantly, it belongs to every one of us.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Merci. Meegwetch.

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

Mr. Calandra has moved third reading of Bill 75,

An Act to enact the Queen’s Park Restoration Secretariat Act, 2023, and to make certain amendments to the Legislative Assembly Act and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? In my opinion, it is carried.

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Orders of the day?

Hon. Paul Calandra: No further business.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): We will now recess until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0939 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Izumi Aquaculture

Mr. Ric Bresee: I’m very pleased to rise today to speak about an innovative company that is joining us here today in the Legislature. Most of us will recognize the name Izumi from countless sport fishing championships and an incredible 38-year television show highlighting places to fish all across Ontario—the best recreational fishing in the world.

To the members of this House, I want to let you know that Izumi Aquaculture, led by brothers Wayne and Bob Izumi, are here today to tell us about the tremendous new industry that they’re helping to build. They are utilizing floating raceways in former pit and quarry sites, in a manner that actually improves the surrounding environment, while building our capacity to feed ourselves and so many more.

Fresh fish is a dietary staple, a wonderfully nutritious and delicious protein that adds to the very wide palette that is “Good Things Grow in Ontario.” Upper Canada steelhead salmon is delicious. All of us are invited to join the Izumi brothers and several other members of the team at Izumi Aquaculture to sample the delectable treat that is locally sourced and expands our food security and capacity.

I hope you will all join us today after question period in room 230 for a taste and to learn more about this innovative approach.

Historic architecture in Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I had the honour of attending the opening for the Auchmar Manor, which is a historic building in my riding. The Auchmar Manor was built in 1855 by Sir Isaac Buchanan, a political leader who represented Hamilton in the Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario pre-Confederation.

The manor is just one of the magnificent buildings in the area that are an important legacy of our history. Walking through Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, you can visit historic locations like Dundurn Castle, once the family home of Queen Camilla’s great-great-grandmother. Everywhere you go, there’s a celebration of the pairing between food and heritage. You can grab a bite at the Collins Brewhouse, built in 1840, dine at Quatrefoil, built in the 1860s, grab a beer at the Coach and Lantern, built in the 1700s and used during the War of 1812, or meet friends at the vibrant Café Domestique, which was built in 1911.

The organization that hosted me is Doors Open Hamilton, who prepare these buildings for tours, offer walking tours and do advocacy for their preservation locally and here at Queen’s Park. I want to thank the organizers who gave their time, especially local historians Stan Nowak, Diane Dent, Richard Allen, Shannon Kyles and the many, many others, the many volunteers who give their time to honour and preserve these great buildings to make sure that they are standing for many future generations to enjoy. Thank you so much for all that you do in the riding of Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas.

Fusillade à Bourget

M. Stéphane Sarrazin: C’est avec tristesse que je me lève en Chambre ce matin pour vous dire qu’il y a une tragédie qui a eu lieu dans notre circonscription cette nuit. J’ai été réveillé ce matin par le président des comtés unis de Prescott et Russell pour m’annoncer que trois officiers de police ont répondu à un appel domestique dans le village de Bourget. Il y a eu une fusillade, et un de ces policiers n’est plus parmi nous, donc a perdu la vie.

J’aimerais dire que nos pensées sont avec les amis et la famille de l’officier Mueller puis aussi dire à nos premiers répondants que nous sommes là pour les aider et que nous pensons à eux. Pour une petite communauté comme Bourget où il y a pratiquement 500 habitants, ou peut-être un peu plus, ce sont des choses auxquelles on ne s’attend pas.

Je dois dire que je suis fier de faire

partie d’un gouvernement qui supporte les policiers puis qui fait sûr qu’ils aient les outils pour venir en aide, pour le bon travail qu’ils font tous les jours. Pour cette raison, j’aimerais remercier tous les premiers répondants. On pense à eux. J’espère qu’ils vont avoir les ressources nécessaires pour passer par-dessus cet évènement-là. Nos pensées sont avec les familles.

Indigenous health care

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Good morning. Mino-gigizheb.

This week is nurses’ week, and I’d like to talk about nurses in the north. Federal nurses working in fly-in First Nations clinics are in a crisis. They work 24-hour shifts in out-of-date facilities, thousands of miles away from their homes and families. I know this takes a toll on their mental and physical health, and the burnout is at an all-time high. The health care crisis faced by the people of Kiiwetinoong is made worse by these conditions, which leads to unnecessary suffering and needless deaths.

All levels of government have a treaty obligation to provide health care.

Rather than dealing with the causes of this recruitment and retention crisis, the federal government spends millions of dollars contracting out work to private nursing agencies, and we know Ontario does the exact same thing. This approach leaves patients in the north without the consistency and the quality of care they deserve and creates a situation where staff and nurses are working alongside freelance workers at double their salaries. We cannot continue to accept this. This is not normal, and we need to improve.

I’d like to say to the nurses: Meegwetch. Thank you for the work that you do in the north.

Oakville Awards for Business Excellence

Mr. Stephen Crawford: I’m incredibly proud to recognize and celebrate the achievements of some of Oakville’s most innovative businesses and successful entrepreneurs at the 28th annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence. The event was organized by the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Oakville West.

I would like to extend my congratulations and recognize the award recipients, the recipients of:

—the RBC Large Business of the Year award, Reunion Coffee Roasters;

—the Bell Community Builder award, the Oakville Community Foundation;

—the O’Connor MacLeod Hanna Professional Services Provider of the Year award, Wellness for the Body;

—the Cogeco Entrepreneur of the Year award, Star Quality Private Investigations;

—the Henderson Partners Mid-size Business of the Year award, Ultimate Pool Service;

—the Visit Oakville tourism award, Paradiso Restaurants;

—the CN not-for-profit excellence award, the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides;

—the Media Resources Service Industry of the Year award, Soccer World;

—the KPMG Small Business of the Year award, On The Spot carpet cleaning;

—the Sagen young professional of the year award, Rebecca Pointon of Spinco Oakville; and finally

—the Business Icon Award, Siemens Canada, which proudly has its Canadian head office in Oakville.

Congratulations, once again, to all the award recipients. Your passion and dedication to your businesses and our community is inspiring.

Nurses

Ms. Chandra Pasma: As we celebrate Nursing Week in Ontario, I’d like to take a moment to thank the hard-working nurses of Ottawa West–Nepean and all across Ontario, including the amazing nurses of ONA Local 83 at the Ottawa Hospital, Local 84 at the Queensway Carleton Hospital and the wonderful RPNs of CUPE 4000 and CUPE 2875.

Their dedication and unwavering commitment to patient care has supported so many of us through so many difficult, challenging, heartbreaking and life-affirming moments of the past few years, and they have done all of this incredible work in spite of the very challenging conditions they’ve had to work in and the serious disrespect with which they have been treated by this government.

A sincere and heartfelt thank you for all of the work that you do and keep on doing.

Now it’s time for us to have your back. It’s time for the government to negotiate a fair contract, to stop fighting the court’s decision on Bill 124. It’s time to stop the privatization agenda that is pulling nurses out of the public health care system, leaving public hospitals short-staffed and contributing to longer wait times and frustrated patients. It’s time to stop the temp agency insanity that puts profits in the pockets of investors while treating nurses on the public payroll unfairly. It’s time for the government to show nurses the respect you so deserve so that you can keep on doing the job you love.

Police officers

Ms. Jess Dixon: I had a topic in mind that was far more cheerful, and then I woke up this morning and found out that we had lost another police officer in the line of duty, Sergeant Eric Mueller. Part of me considered just standing here for the remainder of my time, because there really are no words, but what I wanted to say was, to the officers out there and the friends and the family, how deeply sorry I am.

I was the partner of a police officer for quite some time, and we were together during the period of the Nova Scotia shooting. He wasn’t even a patrol officer; he was in major crimes, so not generally responding to calls. But after that happened, I experienced these incredible panic attacks when I would call him and he didn’t immediately answer his phone. I would have this fear that he was dead even though most of the murders that had happened now had not even happened at that point in time.

All this to say that I understand, in some small way, what the families of these officers feel when they say goodbye and they go to work in the morning, no longer knowing if they will come home safely. I will continue to be an advocate for them, and again, just express how deeply, deeply sorry I am to all of these officers.

Lyme disease

Mr. Michael Mantha: May is National Lyme Disease Awareness Month across Canada. It is an opportunity for Lyme patients, advocates and educators to spread awareness about how to prevent Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

I want to recognize some of the groups working tirelessly across Ontario to improve the lives of people who have Lyme disease: Linda Kelso and the Ontario Lyme Alliance; CanLyme; Rossana Magnotta and the G. Magnotta Foundation for Vector-Borne Diseases; as well as Dr. Melanie Wills with the University of Guelph Lyme disease research lab. They are all advocating for more resources for patients with Lyme disease across Ontario and Canada.

Lyme disease is a significant and growing health issue across our province. It is a tick-borne bacterial infection. Lyme-carrying ticks are on the rise across Canada, and the highest rates of human-acquired cases are in Ontario. If left undiagnosed and untreated, Lyme can mimic other diseases like ALS, multiple sclerosis and lupus.

Speaker, once May is over, people with Lyme disease will still be suffering. Ontario needs to do more to help those already diagnosed with Lyme and to prevent further spread of the disease.

I encourage this government to help tackle Lyme in Ontario by implementing all 10 recommendations from the 2018 Report of the Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Illnesses Task Force.

Speaker, I challenge all MPPs to join me and take a bite out of Lyme on the front lawn this afternoon, right after question period.

Lois Fairley Nursing Award

Mr. Andrew Dowie: I proudly rise to carry on a great Nursing Week tradition, begun by my predecessor Percy Hatfield, to recognize in the House the recipient of this year’s RNAO Lois Fairley Nursing Award, Mary Cunningham. Mary has been serving for 46 years and has been part of the intensive care unit at our Ouellette Campus since 1990. Mary mentors and guides all those who have had the privilege to work with her. She has helped develop the provincial standards for nursing in critical care, as well as for end-of-life programs.

It is Mary’s work to care for families that truly shines through, while consistently giving of her knowledge to our community’s newest nurses. Her colleagues have rightfully described her passion for caregiving as being contagious.

The Fairley family and the Windsor-Essex

chapter of the RNAO selected Mary from among nominations received from the public. Lois Fairley, the namesake of the award, was both a graduate and an employee of Windsor’s Grace Hospital for 38 years. Lois served as a director of RNAO and president of the Ontario Nurses Association, as well as sitting on the St. Clair College nursing program advisory committee.

Mary Cunningham demonstrates, just as Lois Fairley did, that amazing people work in nursing, and it’s truly fitting that she’s bestowed with this honour.

Thank you so much, Mary, for your service to us in Windsor-Essex and to the province of Ontario.

Nurses

Ms. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: I really want to thank all the colleagues who have mentioned Nursing Week. It’s truly heartwarming to receive all those wishes.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, this week is National Nursing Week, a chance for us to recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions that registered nurses, registered practical nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students make to our health care system everyday. This year’s theme is “Our Nurses. Our Future.” using the hashtag #HeyNurse—showcasing the many roles nurses play in a patient’s journey to wellness, connecting patients to the high-quality care they need closer to home.

As a registered nurse and a clinician myself, I recognize the invaluable contributions nurses make to our province, being the gentler touch in health care, the face of dignity and the voice of compassion that so many of our patients need. As we know, nurses have worked through unprecedented challenges and have continued to rise to the occasion. That is why the theme “Our Nurses. Our Future.” is synonymous to me with investing into the success of our nursing students, and that is exactly what our government is doing.

The Learn and Stay program provides free tuition and textbooks for RN and NP students located in priority communities, and with this level of investment, it is no surprise that in 2022, Ontario experienced a record-breaking enrolment, recruiting 30,000 nursing students to grow the workforce for future generations.

Today, colleagues, let’s use the hashtag #HeyNurse to thank exceptional nurses in our community.

Happy National Nursing Week.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m pleased to recognize the presence in the chamber today of a former member of this assembly, the member for Toronto Centre in the 42nd Parliament: Suze Morrison.

Welcome back to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Ric Bresee: I’m pleased to rise today to introduce three members of the Izumi Aquaculture group: Mr. Gerry McGuire, Mr. Ryan Smith, and two-time Canadian open-fishing champion Mr. Wayne Izumi. Welcome to the House.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker. This morning, I’d like to introduce the policy and the communications team from the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. They are here in the members’ gallery: Abigail Hill; Tessa Jourdain; Chelsea Combot; Jennifer McPhee; Sarah Lukaszczyk; Stan Williams; Annie Mackillican; Francene Antone; Randi Jacob; Jada Reynolds; and, again, the former member for Toronto Centre, Suze Morrison.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, and meegwetch for the important work that you do.

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: I’d like to introduce Marilyn Heinz and Charles Taylor from beautiful Burlington. Marilyn was recently recognized as a 25-year volunteer with Acclaim Health. She connects with people through the Tele-Touch program. And this is Charles’s first visit to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Deepak Anand: It is my pleasure to welcome Chris Rankin, Jen Rankin and Kyle Rankin, the proud family of page Mackenzie Rankin from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I am very pleased today to welcome to the chamber my new constituency assistant, Amy Lester.

Welcome, Amy.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: It’s my honour today to welcome John and Nicki Groenewegen, constituents of mine from Guelph who have come for a tour of the Legislature and who will have lunch with me today as part of a fundraiser for the Rotary Club of Guelph.

I would also like to acknowledge that Tessa Jourdain from the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres is also a constituent of mine from Guelph.

Thanks for being here at Queen’s Park today.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I’d like to welcome, from my constituency of Vaughan–Woodbridge, Nicholas Vine and Aleksandra Dowiat, whose daughter Sophie is page captain today.

Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Catherine Fife: I’d like to welcome Wanda Deschamps and her son Adrien here to Queen’s Park. Wanda is a local EDA volunteer, and she’s also the founder of Liberty Co, which advocates for increasing neurodivergent employment in Ontario.

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Ahnaf Al Habib, Si Ya Li, Fiona Mooney, Mahir Tasnif and Kaeyaan Rashid in the Speaker’s gallery. They’re from Greenbelt Youth Action at Riverdale Collegiate in my riding.

Welcome to the Legislature.

Ms. Doly Begum: I am very pleased to introduce and welcome Mr. Fayzul Karim to the House. He has joined our constituency team, and it has been wonderful.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: I’d like to welcome a former constituent of mine from the Merritton area. He was a former page, too.

Jackson Burch, happy birthday to you, and welcome to your House.

Independent members

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I wish to take a moment to inform the House of a change in the allocation for independent members’ participation in House proceedings, as there are now 11 members sitting as independents, seven of whom are representatives of the Liberal Party. Fortunately, I’ve been able to consult precedents from the previous Parliament, when at times we had the same proportion of independent members, and we now need to revert to practices that were previously in place.

During question period on days the House sits, I will continue to recognize one independent member to ask a question each day and a second independent member to ask a question every Tuesday. On Wednesdays, we will return to having a second question for independent members on alternating weeks.

With regard to members’ statements, there will continue to be one statement allotted to an independent member every sessional day, with each individual member entitled to make a statement once per 11-day period.

As a result of the resignation of the member for Scarborough–Guildwood, there are now seven Liberal independent members rather than eight, which changes the amount of speaking time available to the Liberal independent members as a group.

At the beginning of this Parliament, I explained that in order for each independent member to have an opportunity to participate in debate on second and third reading of government bills and on substantive government motions proportional to what any other individual member might have, each independent member would be allotted three minutes of speaking time per debate. As there are now seven Liberal independent members, and since standing order 26(

a) does not permit speeches longer than 20 minutes, I am now prepared to recognize any of the Liberal independent members for one speech of up to 20 minutes. This time may be shared amongst the Liberal independent members pursuant to standing order 26(d), but it may not be banked.

Thank you for your attention.

Eric Mueller

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I understand the Solicitor General has a point of order.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: With a heavy heart, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for this House to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Eric Mueller, who was tragically killed in the line of duty earlier this morning in Bourget.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Solicitor General is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to observe a moment of silence in remembrance of Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Eric Mueller, who was tragically killed in the line of duty earlier this morning in Bourget. Agreed? Agreed.

Members, please rise.

The House observed a moment’s silence.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you very much. Members may please take their seats.

Question Period

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: The Premier and the housing minister told the Integrity Commissioner that they only learned about the proposal to remove 15 giant swaths of land from the greenbelt shortly before the public did on November 4, 2022. Remember that date: November 4, 2022. Because new evidence revealed just this morning suggests that those in the Premier’s inner circle were aware of it much earlier—before August of that same year.

To the Premier: What was the exact date when he was made aware of this greenbelt proposal?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think the Premier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing have been very clear on that, and they have, of course, worked with the commissioner on this.

Having said that, it is clear to me, and I think it’s clear to all of us on this side of the House anyway, that this is really more about the NDP’s ideological opposition to building more homes for the people of the province of Ontario. Whether it is for long-term-care homes, which they yesterday talked against, whether it is for more housing in all different types of communities, whether it’s purpose-built rental housing—that is what this is really about for the opposition.

As I have said on many occasions, whether it is as part of long-term care or as part of building homes in communities where people are desperate to have them, we will not be swayed. We will continue to remove obstacles that are in the way of people owning their first home, renting their first apartment, so that our economy can continue to grow. We will not be swayed from that mission on behalf of the people of the province of Ontario.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I’d like it in the record that the Premier is sitting right here and did not answer that question, and I really did want to hear specifically from the Premier on this matter.

Interjections.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I can say he’s here.

Speaker, timing matters—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Let me clarify this. Stop the clock.

We can’t make reference to the absence of another member. It’s also true that the standing orders allow any minister to answer the question.

Leader of the Opposition.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Speaker. I would like to go back to the Premier, because he’s right sitting here—and I would like him to answer this question, because it is to him.

Speaker, the timing matters; timing matters quite a lot. In 2018, this government swore up and down that they wouldn’t touch the greenbelt, but the evidence suggests that no later than August 2022, they were considering breaking that promise. And that matters, because in September, one developer, Rice Commercial Group, purchased two parcels of land for $80 million—parcels of land that could not be developed because they were fully in the greenbelt, land that is now worth considerably more because it can be developed. The developer also happens to be a major donor to the Conservative Party.

To the Premier: Did the Conservatives tip off one of their major donors that they were planning to carve up the greenbelt?

Interjections.

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

Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I think the Premier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing have been clear on that, and they continue to work with the commissioner on that.

But the member opposite is correct; in 2018, we said, very clearly, that we were going to do our best to build more homes for the people of the province of Ontario, and it started in 2018, with transit-oriented communities. We said that we were going to build housing around the transit that we were building across the province of Ontario. Whether it was the subways in Toronto or the GO train expansion across the GTA, we were very clear that we were going to do that. They voted against that.

We’ve also been very clear in this Parliament that we were going to start to ensure that 1.5 million homes were built for the people of the province of Ontario. We are in a housing crisis, and for years we saw the NDP and the Liberals put obstacles in the way of new construction coming online. We are going to remove those obstacles; we are going to build homes for the people of the province of Ontario so that the younger generation can enjoy all of the benefits that we did, when we—

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Ontarians know that this isn’t about building housing—not one unit. Ontarians deserve a government they can trust. One way this government could clear this whole thing up is by releasing the unredacted records.

Speaker, back to the Premier, sitting right in front of me: If they have nothing to hide, when will they release the full records related to their greenbelt grab?

Interjections.

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

I see nothing out of order for a member to make reference to the presence of another member.

Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: They can call it anything that they want, but the people of the province of Ontario know very well the record of the NDP and the Liberals, when it comes to building housing in the province of Ontario. Systemically, over 15 years, they put obstacles in the way that have brought us into the position where, one of the largest jurisdictions land masses—in the world, frankly—has a housing crisis. We’re going to remove those obstacles for the next generation of Ontarians who want the same dream that we all had the benefit of.

Since I’ve been in this House, they’ve talked about ethics. The only person I know of who has breached the ethics in this House was the member for Waterloo—that’s the only person in the time that I have been here.

We are going to double down for the people of the province of Ontario, so that all of those people who are out there making offer after offer and can’t have a home—we have your backs. We are going to build more homes. Despite what they say, despite what they did, we will get it done.

Interjections.

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

I’m going to caution all members of the House that personal attacks are out of order. We have to ensure that our language is civil so as to ensure that we can have a constructive debate this morning in question period.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Start the clock. Leader of the Opposition.

Government accountability

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, this government just loves a backroom deal; it’s like they can’t help themselves. We just learned of another one in Caledon.

Last year, the then mayor secretly requested a ministerial zoning order from the housing minister so a developer could build a warehouse on prime farmland. The town council and local planning staff did not support this project. Local residents weren’t even notified, much less consulted. But the then mayor ignored the wishes of his democratically elected council and asked the housing minister for an MZO, which he was given.

To the Premier: Does he think that those secret, undemocratic dealings are acceptable? And will he revoke this MZO?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Let me get this straight: A democratically elected mayor asked for an MZO so that he could bring jobs into his community. Not only are they against housing, but they’re against jobs for the people of Ontario. They tie it up nicely in a bow. It highlights why Ontarians, election after election after election, have turned their backs on the NDP and why in the last election they shrunk the caucus by over 10 members.

Are we going to put MZOs in place for people who can bring jobs to the province of Ontario? You’re darned right we are. We’re going to do that. Are we going to continue to bring MZOs in those communities that want to work with us to bring more housing, jobs and opportunity? Yes. Will we go even further and bring MZOs in those communities that fight jobs and opportunity—but that we know are good for the people of the province of Ontario? You’re darned right we will, because we have a mandate to grow the economy, build jobs and continue to make this the most prosperous province in Canada, and we’ll get it done.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: This MZO was first requested by Rice Commercial Group. Just to remind everyone, that’s the same developer who bought $80 million of protected greenbelt land just two months before the Conservative government opened it up to be paved over. In January 2022, the developer asked Caledon for an MZO. By September, without the support of the town council, they had it.

I’m going to give the Premier another chance to clear the air right now, and if he won’t do it, maybe at least the minister will stand up.

To the Premier: Were there any conversations that occurred between anyone in his government and the Rice Group before the mayor requested this MZO?

Interjections.

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

Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I said, the Premier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing have worked with the commissioner, as you would expect, Speaker.

Now we’ve got the full triumvirate complete: They’re against jobs, they’re against housing, and now they’re against a hospital being built in Newmarket, the new Southlake hospital. Yesterday, they were against long-term-care homes being built in Pickering.

This is the mandate of the NDP: Oppose everything, oppose growth, oppose jobs, oppose the people of the province of Ontario. Don’t build rental housing. Ensure that the next generation of this province only has to rely on the government. That is the strategy of the NDP. That’s when they’re happiest—when people rely on government.

What we want to do is to give people the opportunity to succeed, because when we do that, this province and this country prosper, and that is what has grown this province for generations. It is why millions upon millions of people come here. They don’t want a handout. They want the opportunity to succeed, and we’ll give them that.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, do you know what we will oppose? We will oppose every time this government gives out favours to wealthy insiders and donors to the Conservative Party. It’s despicable.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Government side, come to order.

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, I have tabled legislation that is going to bring some integrity and transparency and accountability back to government—a bill that’s going to help prevent this government from continuing to put their insider friends first. It goes to a vote in less than an hour.

To the Premier: Will his government support my legislation for much stronger integrity rules?

Interjections.

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

To reply, government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: As I said, in the five years that I have been here, the only person who has breached the integrity rules was the member from Waterloo. That hasn’t stopped the NDP from making all kinds of spurious allegations against members of the Conservative Party, but not once has a member of the Conservative Party been found to be in breach. So what do the NDP do? They want to change the rules. We don’t need to change the rules, because we have good rules in the province of Ontario. It is not our problem that the NDP get caught up in breaching those rules.

What we’re going to focus on—and again, while they try and stray and move all over the place. Yesterday, I was reminded that they voted against mining. They voted against new subways in Toronto. They voted against housing. They voted against purpose-built rentals. They voted against long-term care. Now we hear that the Leader of the Opposition does not want new hospitals built in the province of Ontario. What they want is a province and a generation of Ontarians whose only source is the government. They want people to rely on the government.

We want people to succeed. We’ll give them the resources and the tools they need to succeed, like we have done for generations, when Progressive Conservatives have been in charge.

Public transit

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, my question is to the Premier.

People in Scarborough are once again feeling abandoned as the SRT is being decommissioned without an adequate replacement. The original plan was that the Scarborough RT routes would be converted to a dedicated off-street busway during the seven-year closure of the line. This would save riders 10 minutes compared to on-street service. However, this month it was reported that buses would continue to operate on-street, and even though council has voted to convert the busway, they lack the funding to do so.

Speaker, why is the government refusing to help the long-suffering residents of Scarborough?

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

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for the question.

I think she knows very well that our government has been the first government to be there for the residents of Scarborough when it comes to transit. Our government, under the leadership of this Premier, put forward a plan for a three-stop subway extension in Scarborough for the first time. We did that not just on our own; we did it with city of Toronto support—city council supported it. Unfortunately for the residents of Scarborough, that member opposite and the entire NDP caucus voted against our plan for the residents of Scarborough.

We’ve been there for the residents of Scarborough with respect to transit, with respect to health care, and with respect to housing.

This is an infrastructure deficit we inherited from the Liberals that we are addressing—but the members opposite continually vote against.

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

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, the people of Scarborough have no idea when that Scarborough subway will be built—and especially after the chaos with Metrolinx and the 12-year delay of the Eglinton LRT, this government should not be talking about building subways or anything. That is embarrassing. That reputation for Metrolinx is embarrassing.

Scarborough transit users already have some of the longest commute times in the city because the government has failed to provide the needed operating funding for the TTC. On top of that, regardless of what this government will say, with recent service cuts, guess which routes are most affected? In Scarborough—with increasing commute times once again for commuters.

Now this government is refusing to fund the $2.9-million investment necessary to ensure residents in Scarborough get the dedicated bus line and SRT replacement while they’re waiting for that subway.

So my question again to the Premier: Will this government commit to funding an adequate replacement service for the people of Scarborough?

Interjections.

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

To reply, the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I called Scarborough the forgotten city until this party, the PC Party, came into office—they were no longer forgotten. They were ignored under the previous two governments, NDP and Liberal, when it came to hospitals—zero funding. They were ignored when it came to the medical school—zero funding. And when it came to the Scarborough subway, not one single member of the NDP, not one single member from the Liberals that had all their members in Scarborough, even tried to attempt to do the Scarborough subway. They voted against the hospital, they voted against the medical school, they voted against the subway—and the nerve to stand up here?

We’re tunnelling a Scarborough subway. but not only that, we’re going to continue expanding the Scarborough subway right across Scarborough and make sure that 630,000 people finally have a voice after decades of being ignored—

Interjections.

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

Interjections.

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

Start the clock.

The next question.

Cost of living

Mr. Trevor Jones: My question is for the Minister of Finance.

Our province, much like the rest of the world, is in a time of great economic uncertainty. Ongoing supply chain disruptions, inflation and increased interest rates have created pressures for people across Ontario. Individuals and families are looking to our government for leadership and help during these challenging times to provide support so that life can be more affordable. They need to see that our government is continuing to focus on initiatives and investments that will provide financial relief.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is continuing to work on behalf of all Ontarians during these challenging economic times?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant and member for Oakville.

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the great member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington for that great question.

Speaker, our government has a responsible plan to ensure that our province remains on a strong and steady economic path forward. Our economic plan to build Ontario is grounded in our commitment to supporting families, empowering our workers and strengthening our business partners. We have laid a strong fiscal foundation on which our government will continue to build Ontario with a plan for recovery.

We eliminated licence plate renewal fees as well as licence plate stickers and refunded the past two years’ fees for eligible vehicles.

We extended the current gas tax and fuel tax cuts until December 31, 2023.

That puts real money back into the pockets of Ontarians. This is what the people of Ontario expect and deserve from their government.

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

Mr. Trevor Jones: Thank you to our amazing parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance for that response. It’s very reassuring to hear that our government is consistently introducing measures that will put money back in our pockets.

That said, the people of our province expect that their government will continue to look for further ways to reduce costs and make life easier.

Unlike the previous Liberal government that was out of touch with the people of Ontario, our government remains committed to focusing on issues that will help individuals and families in their everyday lives.

Speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please explain how our government is making life more affordable for all Ontarians?

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you again to the member for that question.

We are making transit more affordable by eliminating double fares for most local transit services in the greater Toronto area for commuters and also those who use GO Transit services. Our government is also working to expand this initiative to support more people commuting into Toronto.

For low-income seniors in Ontario, these uncertain times are even more challenging. That is why we temporarily doubled the Guaranteed Annual Income System payments for eligible seniors until December 2023 to ensure more seniors who need financial help will get it. And we’ll be introducing legislation to expand the GAINS program, starting in July 2024, to see about 100,000 additional seniors be eligible for the program, for a 50% increase in recipients. We are also proposing to adjust this benefit annually so that it will increase with inflation.

Our government continues to support the people of Ontario.

Municipal funding

Mr. Jeff Burch: Speaker, through you to the Premier: Ontario municipalities say they are facing financial disaster due to revenue losses caused by Bill 23.

A recent Peel region report said Bill 23 will cost the region $2 billion to $6 billion in lost revenues. To replace those lost revenues, Peel will need to raise property taxes by at least 25% and more than double the utility rate. And Brampton says it will need to raise property taxes by 80% because of Bill 23.

Last year, the minister promised to make municipalities “whole” for these revenue losses. So why doesn’t his budget include a single penny to do so?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, the member opposite was on local council; so was I; so were many of the individuals in this chamber. I never blamed anybody for my budgets. I sat at the budget table. I made decisions that were based on the best interests of my constituents when I was an elected official. I did the same thing when I was a CAO.

Municipalities control their own destiny in terms of what they decide—the service levels and the taxation levels for them. We work with municipalities. We’ve indicated that we want to better understand the impacts of More Homes Built Faster. That’s why we announced recently the appointment of auditors who will work with a select group of municipalities, and what we find will inform us on our decision moving forward.

But to sit there and try to draw a line from this government to a decision made in a local council—the member knows better than that.

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

Mr. Jeff Burch: Speaker, there is no money in the budget to make municipalities whole, as this minister promised. Not only that, according to expenditure estimates, this government is actually cutting the Streamline Development Approval Fund by 25% and cutting the Municipal Modernization Program by 70% compared to last year’s estimates. These programs fund initiatives to speed up housing development approvals and fund audits.

If the minister is really holding off on compensating municipalities for Bill 23 because he wants to perform audits first and make sure municipalities are speeding up approvals, why is he cutting the very programs that fund these initiatives?

Interjections.

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

The Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: I’ve heard this whole song and dance before. Have I ever seen a municipality, have I ever seen a politician—outside of ours—that doesn’t love spending money? You guys love spending money. The municipalities love spending money.

Mr. Speaker, when I went down to city hall, I heard the same song and dance. First meeting with the CAO—“We’ve got to raise taxes 30%.” Well, guess what? We found a billion dollars, did a 0% tax increase, never went once to the province hat in hand.

We’re there to help the municipalities—but isn’t it amazing that they forget about all the new income and revenues up to the city coffers when they start building homes? The tax revenue—they forget about that.

We don’t have an income problem at the city halls across the province; we have a spending problem. That’s the issue.

Provincial parks

Mr. Dave Smith: I think it’s time for some good news today—so I’m going to ask the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

As summer approaches, many Ontarians are looking forward to enjoying the natural surroundings, facilities and trails at Ontario’s parks. Our park system has been referred to as the hidden gem of Canada, but it’s no secret that they’re becoming widely known and very popular. With attendance numbers showing that there is a greater demand for our provincial parks, it’s important that our government continues to invest in upgrades and amenities that individuals and families can enjoy.

Speaker, can the minister please explain what our government is doing to make the Ontario Parks experience even better than it has been in the past?

Hon. David Piccini: I appreciate the question from the member opposite. I, too, am a Petes fan.

On to another subject: We’ll talk about Ontario Parks. He’s completely right; Ontario parks are no longer the hidden gem of Canada. Every year, we know more and more people are visiting Ontario’s beautiful provincial parks. In every corner of this province, there is an Ontario park just ready to be explored.

I’m proud that under this Premier’s leadership we’re expanding recreational opportunities for Ontarians—Alfred Bog, a new non-operating provincial park in the National Capital Region; Mississagi Provincial Park, a tripartite agreement with Serpent River and Mississauga First Nations and the city of Elliot Lake; or the brand new, urban provincial park that we just announced intent to create in Uxbridge. Wherever you look, there is a beautiful provincial park in Ontario.

That’s why our government has made a historic commitment in the next two years of over $42 million to support the beautiful infrastructure at Ontario provincial parks so families can make memories—

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

Mr. Dave Smith: That was such good news that not a single member of the NDP heckled.

My constituents appreciate the importance of our parks system, having the privilege of living near the Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park and the Petroglyphs Provincial Park, where there are so many opportunities to experience the outdoors.

Ontario’s provincial parks operate in many regions across our province. While they vary in size and location, our park system is vitally important to the tourism sector, as well as preserving ecosystems and contributing to the overall well-being of Ontarians. For this reason, our government must continue to make investments into infrastructure and programming that will help to draw even more visitors to Ontario parks.

Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to expand and build upon the provincial parks system?

Hon. David Piccini: I think that member spoke a little too soon. I might get cheeky in my response, so I’m sure I will get heckled.

This Premier made a historic commitment to expand capital and announced not one but two new provincial parks. And we announced just recently—by our incredible member, PA Yakabuski—over $3.3 million in vital infrastructure upgrades to Algonquin Provincial Park.

Speaker, when we make these historic investments in the budget for new provincial parks—it’s regrettable that the NDP and members opposite voted no. They voted no to expanded recreational opportunities for Ontarians; it’s just shocking. I’m not surprised they voted no to public transit. They voted no to tax cuts on low-income families. They voted no to record infrastructure spending in rural communities.

On this side of the House, we’re going to grow Ontario for all income brackets, for all Ontarians, regardless of your background, while also expanding—

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

Health care

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: My question is to the Premier.

My constituent Bill is an 87-year-old who reached out to my office in March. With failing vision, he urgently needed cataract surgery. But Bill was told he would have to wait 19 months for his surgery in a public clinic—over a year and a half wait. The underfunded public system forced Bill into a private clinic.

To the Premier: What is normal about this government making seniors go to private clinics for their vital health care?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: You do understand that community clinics, including cataract clinics that we have expanded on the first of this year in Windsor, in Kitchener-Waterloo and in Ottawa, are now, today, performing more cataract surgeries so that your constituents, my constituents, the people of Ontario who have been languishing on wait-lists do not have to have that experience?

The suggestion that when you go into a community surgical centre you are paying with anything but your OHIP card is categorically false.

I think the member opposite should be spending more time explaining to Bill how Bill 60 is actually going to improve that access and continue to decrease wait times in the province of Ontario—which, by the way, in Canada, we actually lead.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The supplementary question.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Back to the Premier: Clearly, the minister understands that people in Ontario are being fleeced because of this government and for-profit health care privatization.

Bill couldn’t wait. He’s a lifeline for his partner because he drives. In Conservative Ontario, an 87-year-old senior was burdened with $4,510 to pay. It is unconscionable, and it’s on this government. I highly doubt this government has any clue what the private clinic is pulling from the public purse on top of this ridiculous amount. This clinic actually nickel-and-dimed Bill for COVID-19, adding a $10 charge on his invoice.

Again to the Premier: What is normal about an 87-year-old getting gouged for their essential health care?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: And what is acceptable about a status quo that means that individuals have to wait 19 months for surgery?

By expanding our community’s surgical access through Bill 60, we are actually ensuring that people get those shortened wait times to make sure they can be back with their family, back in their jobs, back with community.

Bill 60 has some additional parameters that will ensure people know exactly what the OHIP-funded services are in that clinic. But more importantly, what we are doing is ensuring we are expanding access so that individuals do not have to travel as far and get access faster. What part of that process is the member opposite concerned about? Because what I see is a win, where people get shorter wait times, back in community, faster service.

Municipal development

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through you to the honourable member: It was quite a day yesterday at committee, I have to say, and some of her questions were—I wasn’t sure where she was going.

But the government House leader has been pretty clear this morning about where we’re going. We’re going to continue to use those planning tools, minister’s zoning orders, Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerators, to get priority projects done.

We’ve got more active cranes in Toronto right now than most American cities put together—I gave you the list the other day: Chicago; Washington, DC; San Francisco and Seattle, combined.

Again, let the honourable member know what she’s actually voting against when she votes against the use of MZOs—4,420 long-term-care beds, a big step forward in our government’s mandate to provide 30,000—under her government’s watch, 600 beds.

We’re going to continue to use these tools to move forward—

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

Ms. Mary-Margaret McMahon: Once again, thank you. I’m always grateful for your non-answers.

In committee, I was just simply asking whether you respected planners and conservation authorities. Those are pretty clear questions that weren’t answered.

Mr. Speaker, Bill 97 contains a new Planning Act definition of “areas of employment” that excludes institutional buildings, stand-alone retail and offices. Employment lands that currently have these Planning Act protections will lose them from their removal of conversion to permit residential uses. Under Bill 97, residential uses will always outbid job-creating uses such as offices, retail and other commercial uses. In Toronto, this could impact up to 25% of all employment lands, along with 150,000 jobs on these lands.

Will the government consider allowing service uses that workers need close to their place of employment that are not captured in this new definition? Because we know that the distance from place of work to residence is the most critical factor for a better quality of life.

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

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: Again, Speaker, she’s all over the place in terms of what she’s putting on the record.

The facts are clear: We’re supporting the building of long-term-care homes through some of our planning tools. We’re supporting 117,000 housing units, 650 supportive housing units, 152,000 new jobs, because of the minister’s zoning orders that we’re using.

I was in your city last night with the Toronto Rotary Club and the Homes for Heroes Foundation, whom we partnered with in Kingston. The executive director of the foundation was pretty clear to Rotarians in this city that our MZO in Kingston saved him half a million dollars and got shovels in the ground faster to help 20 homeless vets who didn’t have a place to call home. Those are the partnerships that we’re creating.

Under the Liberals, they’re going to continue to vote against all of our measures that create housing, create jobs—

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

The next question.

Invasive species

Mr. Trevor Jones: My question is for the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.

Aquatic invasive species can have a devastating impact on Ontario’s lakes, rivers and fisheries. We must protect Ontario’s biodiversity and maintain our ability for recreational activities in the water, like fishing, swimming and boating.

Unfortunately, when watercraft move between lakes and rivers, they can spread invasive species. Without taking proper steps, these invasive species can introduce and spread disease into our waterways, costing us millions to repair the damage. It’s vital that our government takes the necessary action to help stop the spread of invasive species and protect our environment.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is protecting Ontario’s waterways?

Hon. Graydon Smith: Thank you to the member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington. The member so nicely gets to ask questions twice today.

Speaker, Ontario is one of the most biodiverse provinces in Canada. That rich biodiversity includes more than 30,000 species, over a million hectares of forest, and more than 250,000 lakes, representing over one fifth of the world’s fresh water.

Last week, I joined the Invasive Species Centre in Port Sydney, my hometown, to learn about their boat-cleaning unit used to protect our lakes and rivers—Speaker, don’t tell my mother I was in town; I didn’t get by for a visit. The unit is equipped with a series of tools designed to help boaters quickly and easily clean their boat of any invasive plants or small invasive like zebra or quagga mussels.

At the start of the boating season, we’re encouraging boaters to do three simple things: clean, drain, and dry their boat to prevent invasive species from travelling from one lake to another.

Working together, we’re protecting our natural resources, mitigating damage to our economy and keeping Ontario’s natural resources safe for future generations.

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

Mr. Trevor Jones: It’s so important to know that our government is actually taking action to protect Ontario’s natural resources.

In my beautiful community of Chatham-Kent–Leamington, we’re literally surrounded by the Great Lakes. We also enjoy fishing, one of our most important recreational summer activities.

We know that even bait for fishing can pose significant risks and lead to the spread of invasive species and fish diseases. For this reason, it’s critical that our government partners with agencies like the Invasive Species Centre to address major areas of concern. Our government must do all we can do to help reduce the harm caused by invasive species to Ontario’s environment and our economy.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how the ministry works with the Invasive Species Centre and other organizations to protect Ontario’s natural resources and our precious environment?

Hon. Graydon Smith: I want to again thank the member across the way for the thoughtful question.

We work collaboratively with organizations and experts dedicated to protecting our province from harmful invaders. That’s why Ontario is investing an additional $1 million this year with the Invasive Species Centre and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help combat the threat of invasive species. Half of that funding will support the implementation of a comprehensive plan to fight phragmites in Ontario.

That plan, developed by the Green Shovels Collaborative, will enable stakeholder and partner engagement, multi-year planning and site assessment as well as Indigenous and public engagement in preparation for the broader management of phragmites in the province. The rest of the funding will be used to support projects led by community partners that will respond and reduce the current harm caused by invasive species.

Our long-term partnership with ISC has been central to the ministry’s efforts to prevent and reduce the harm caused by invasives in Ontario affecting our environment and impacting our economy.

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

I’ve given this matter serious consideration, and even though the standing orders are silent on this matter, I would strongly advise the Minister of Natural Resources, the next time he’s home, to visit his mother.

Laughter.

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

The next question.

Homelessness

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is for the Premier.

The homelessness crisis is escalating across Ontario, with municipalities now declaring a state of emergency on homelessness—Niagara, Hamilton—and with over 10,000 people who are unhoused right now in Toronto, city council is poised to declare a state of emergency of homelessness this week. Cities across the province are in crisis, and the Ford Conservative government is abandoning them.

Will this government enact a homelessness strategy and work with municipalities to improve the lives of unhoused people in Ontario?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, it’s hard to comprehend the New Democrats and some of the questions.

Over the last two weeks, we have had municipal councils from all across the province celebrate our Homelessness Prevention Program and the fact that our government recognizes the fact that we are adding an additional $202 million to make our commitment almost $700 million; the fact that under the leadership of Premier Ford, we negotiated a historic agreement with the federal government during the pandemic and provided $4 billion to our municipal partners for a variety of measures, but most importantly, the $1.2 billion we provided them under the social services relief fund.

Literally, our municipal partners saved lives in the middle of the pandemic because of their quick action with the dollars that we provided them.

Do we have additional work to do with municipalities? Absolutely. All of our service managers now have a by-name list in effect, and we want to continue to work with them so that we can move people—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. Supplementary question, the member for Toronto Centre.

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: While the housing crisis worsens every single day in every single city across the province, my constituent is staying in a shelter. His name is Fred. He’s facing transphobic violence. He’s living with bedbugs. Fred desperately wants out of the shelter. He wants to find affordable and safe housing, he wants work, and he wants to complete his master’s degree, but the stress of shelter life is really eroding his mental health.

When will the Premier finally answer the call from cities begging for help and produce a real plan to build real affordable housing for constituents like Fred?

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

Hon. Nina Tangri: I do want to thank the member for her question.

Speaker, it is this Premier and it’s this government that recognized the desperate need for more housing supply. The previous Liberals, supported by the NDP, never, ever made housing a priority—on the contrary, they were closing schools, they fired nurses, and they let our hospitals crumble. Well, no more. It’s this PC government that will get housing built for everyone.

Our plan is working. Record purpose-built rentals in the past two years; record housing starts; record funding for the Homelessness Prevention Program, the highest going to the city of Toronto; protection for tenants and landlords; providing those wraparound services for those in supportive housing; and doubling the adjudicators on the Landlord and Tenant Board—all while reducing red tape to get more housing built. It’s this Premier and this government that will get it done for everyone in Ontario.

Agri-food industry

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the great Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. We should all be proud of the robust agri-food sector that Ontario has worked so hard to create. Because of the hard work and dedication of so many farmers, the production of chickens, turkeys and eggs contributes over $1.8 billion to our province’s economy. Ontario’s poultry industry is integral to our agri-food sector and provides food products to our province’s growing population.

However, in order to remain prosperous and competitive, it is vital that our government continues to prioritize investments into industries that are part of our province’s agri-food and rural sectors.

Speaker, can the minister explain how our government is continuing to support the expansion of Ontario’s poultry sector?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I appreciate the question from the member from Brantford–Brant, because it’s very important to recognize the amazing work that our feather boards are doing on behalf of Ontarians and Canadians and people around the world.

When you take a look at what Ontario chicken, Ontario egg, Ontario turkey and Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission are doing collectively—they’re growing the demand for good, safe, quality chicken around the world. I’m so very pleased to stand with them to further research that will enable them to continue to increase production to satisfy the demand not only in Canada but around the world. We’re partnering with the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario, the four poultry organizations, as well as the University of Guelph to create and stand up and build a state-of-the-art research facility near Elora that will prove to set best practices around the world.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: Speaker, this is great news for Ontario’s poultry sector and for farmers in communities across Ontario. Investments made by our government into infrastructure and programs that will improve practices in the poultry sector are vital to increasing food production and expanding business operations.

Ontario has a long history as a leader in agriculture and food production. We must continue to support this growth. The people of Ontario expect that our government will advocate for farmers and for food producers. This work is essential for the health and well-being of all residents and for growing a stronger Ontario.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how investments by our government will support agri-food businesses across Ontario?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: This investment absolutely demonstrates our commitment to our Grow Ontario Strategy. We have three pillars in that strategy whereby we’re looking to enhance a secure and stable supply chain, we’re looking to continue to invest in research and innovation, all the while attracting the best talent. When we’re investing in research, we’re going to be attracting interested talent from around this world.

That research centre near Elora that the poultry industry will be building on behalf of so many will look to drive new advancements in animal health, nutrition, best practices when it comes to biosecurity and housing, and also address consumer-oriented research. This is going to be a state-of-the-art facility that people around the world will look to.

Again, Ontario is leading by example. We’re growing confidence and enabling our farmers to be the very best in the world as well.

Government services

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is for the Premier.

A year and a half ago, this government decided that it would no longer be sending mailed reminders to Ontarians when their driver’s licence, health card or licence plate was in need of renewal. The communication on this initiative has been abysmal. This out-of-touch decision means that many Ontarians with busy lives to lead are only discovering these important documents are expired when they arrive at an emergency room or have already been pulled over by the police, facing a $110 fine.

Why is it that this government can’t maintain a simple service we’ve had for decades or, at the very least, have a strategy to transition into a new program which makes the lives of Ontarians better?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery.

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member for the question.

Speaker, first of all, I would like to take the time to thank the staff at amazing ServiceOntario for the incredible work they do each and every day.

I’ve said this many, many times in the House: We are modernizing our system. Thank you to the Minister of Transportation for her great support.

We are now offering renewal reminders online as well. Individuals can go to ontario.ca/serviceontario or ontario.ca/renewals as we continue to modernize our system and make sure that everyone is able to get their renewals done on time.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: The ServiceOntario staff are so frustrated right now because they weren’t consulted, and the renewal program is not working.

Mr. Speaker, this government likes to talk about how it’s saving Ontarians money, but this is an example of how they’re costing good Ontarians money. A ticket for an expired licence plate is $110. One person said they may be eliminating one fee, but they’re certainly making up that difference in fines.

In February of this year, the police in Waterloo region, for instance, issued 47 tickets for expired licence plates in a six-hour period.

A parent who needs health care for their child is asked to pay $75 if their health card has expired.

These aren’t bad people; these are hard-working Ontarians; they’re people who need a reminder. Why is this government choosing to penalize them?

Hon. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member opposite for their question.

I would also suggest to the member opposite that, once in a while, when they are sending out their notices or their information to their constituents, they can also remind them that there are renewal options available. Just try one time and you will see. You will get a better experience as well.

We have heard from Ontarians that they want more options when accessing government services, and that is why the changes we have implemented are just the beginning of government services and our commitment to building the ServiceOntario of the future and, honestly, to make life easy for the people of this province. That’s what we are doing as a government. I know you don’t like to do that, as an opposition. You want to make their lives more difficult. But as a government, we continue to make their lives easy, and we will continue to do it.

At the end of the day, the people of this province always—

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

The member for Brantford–Brant.

Mining industry

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the Minister of Mines. We hear plenty of talk from the official opposition about how important critical minerals are for the future of our economy. We hear them talk about how important the mining sector is for the constituents they represent. Yet time and time again, the NDP vote against our government’s investments, our programs and our legislation that will help this vital sector grow and thrive.

There is tremendous potential in northern and Indigenous communities to create jobs and to promote economic prosperity for their regions and, indeed, for the entire province. Unlike the opposition and the previous Liberal government, our government cannot let this once-in-a-lifetime and once-in-a-generation opportunity slip away.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how our government is taking action to advance Ontario’s mining sector?

Hon. George Pirie: I want to thank the member from Brantford–Brant for the question.

The people of Ontario, including the great riding of Timmins, a mining community, voted in a historic PC majority because they wanted action. They know we have a generational opportunity to build the supply chain from mining critical minerals in the north to manufacturing electrical vehicles in the south, but we can’t take 15 years to build a mine if we’re going to get it done. The NDP and the Liberals think it’s acceptable to take 15 years to build a mine, but I’ll tell you who won’t accept these timelines. It’s not acceptable for our government or for mining companies, and it’s not acceptable for the people living in northern NDP ridings who rely on this sector to put food on their tables.

The members opposite had a chance to support their constituents by voting in favour of the Building More Mines Act, but they chose to vote no.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: It is encouraging news that our government is implementing measures that will strengthen Ontario’s communities and our economy.

Unfortunately, I think it’s obvious to everyone in here today that the NDP don’t care about what’s important to the people of their ridings. The NDP are still the party of no—no to jobs; no to economic investments for rural, remote and northern communities; no to electric vehicle production and supporting our manufacturing sector; and no to creating a stronger economic future for all Ontarians.

The important work by our government in launching the Critical Minerals Strategy is because we believe in making investments to support the made-in-Ontario supply chain for electric vehicles.

Can the minister please expand on what actions our government is taking to secure the critical minerals that are needed to produce electric vehicles?

Hon. George Pirie: Thank you again for the question.

The Building More Mines Act is all about keeping pace with business so we can build a supply chain that connects critical minerals in the north with manufacturing in the south. The EV revolution has already begun, and this bill will ensure Ontario continues to lead the charge—but the opposition still voted no; I’m not surprised, because they also voted no to our Critical Minerals Strategy investments, include $35 million for exploration to find the mines of the future and $5 million to solve the supply chain challenges through innovation.

Speaker, the people of Ontario, especially in the north, will always be supported by this government, despite the party of no.

Our government, under the leadership of this Premier, will secure the critical minerals we need to realize this opportunity of a lifetime.

Ontario Science Centre

Mr. Peter Tabuns: My question is to the Premier.

The Premier’s plan to move the Ontario Science Centre to Ontario Place and cut its size by 50% has caused concern across Ontario. The Ontario Science Centre has a 20,000-square-foot workshop building world-class exhibits that are shipped around the world—Kuwait, Thailand, China, and here in Ontario, Science North. This Premier is cutting the centre in half, and it’s a pretty safe bet that the exhibit-building facilities won’t be part of the new package.

Why is the Premier putting at risk a critical piece of museum infrastructure, the Ontario Science Centre workshops, that is a point of pride for the people of this province?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Thank you for the question.

I get excited when we start talking about the Ontario Science Centre and what it means. It has been a beacon for not only Ontario but across Canada for the tourism industry for a lot of years—for over half a century, actually.

When you talk about space, you’ve got to talk about workable space. We won’t get to that—because you were speculating.

But what we will talk about is what the Ontario Science Centre represents to Ontario and the rest of the country, and the upcoming move to a world-class situation down in Ontario Place. When we talk about that move—that beacon that I spoke of is going to get even brighter for tourism.

Tourism supports almost 400,000 jobs, and when we talk about what’s going to go on in Ontario Place—that raises the bar for everybody. I get really concerned and almost take it—not quite—personally when we talk about not developing tourism in this province, because it drives industry, it drives the GDP, and it’s important. It lands in every riding that we represent—every one—so let’s not keep saying no—

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

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Boy, if any answer says to me that that world-class workshop is in trouble—that is the answer that gives that response.

Speaker, the Ontario Science Centre is not just a source of pride for educators, academics and parents, but it’s also a place where skilled Ontario workers—carpenters, electricians, electronics designers—provide science exhibits to science centres around the whole world. If the government destroys the ability to create new exhibits, then you can’t regularly upgrade and revitalize the centre with new exhibits as time goes by.

Is it the plan of the government to move the centre, let it deteriorate and then wipe it out completely at another date?

Hon. Neil Lumsden: Mr. Speaker, we’re talking about long-term plans here; we’re talking about not allowing something to happen; we’re talking about speculation—all sorts of things.

When we talk about the Ontario Science Centre as it stands right now—which is, by the way, still opening and doing a great business. The people there are doing a fantastic job, whether they’re building the exhibits or they’re opening the doors for spectators. Let’s make that clear.

The other side of it is usable space—having opportunities for more exhibits, better-placed exhibits, the next generation of exhibits, and building them on-site. Just because something gets a little bit smaller doesn’t mean we’re taking away usable space to either display or build. Don’t make those assumptions. That’s the wrong road to go down.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Ric Bresee: My question is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Speaker, we all know that across Ontario, many people are affected by mental health issues or addiction challenges, and this can have a serious impact on their quality of life and that of their families and everyone around them.

We know that Indigenous communities have been disproportionately impacted by mental health and addiction challenges, and sadly, many of these individuals face barriers in accessing safe and effective care. For Indigenous peoples, mental health and addiction care must respect the unique needs of their communities and honour their culture and traditions.

Speaker, can the associate minister please explain how our government is expanding access to critical mental health and addiction services for Indigenous communities?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the fantastic member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington for the important question.

He’s right; for many Indigenous communities across the province, the consequences of addiction and mental illness are far too real.

Last week, I had the privilege to spend time in Middlesex county to meet with the chiefs of the Chippewas of the Thames, the Oneida of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware First Nations to talk about investments we’re making to improve mental health and addictions services for Indigenous communities across the province.

I announced recently that our government has provided $33 million in additional investments for important capital projects, as well as for culturally safe and appropriate services in Indigenous communities—investments, for instance, like the $1 million going to my hosts last week, the Chippewas of the Thames, to build a mental health and addictions crisis management centre. This is how we’re going to plug Indigenous communities into the recovery-oriented continuum of care that our government is building to ensure that everyone gets the supports they need, where and when they need them.

Birthday of member’s mother

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Point of order, Speaker: I would like to wish my mother a happy 90th birthday.

Business of the House

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the government House leader under standing order 59.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Let me just thank all members for another very productive week on behalf of the people of the province.

On Monday, May 15, after the routine, we will have a ministerial statement on Police Week; and in the afternoon, we will commence third reading of Bill 85, which is the budget bill.

On the morning of Tuesday, May 16, we will have third reading of Bill 85; in the afternoon, we will continue with Bill 85; and in the evening, private member’s motion number 51 standing in the name of the member for Oakville.

On Wednesday, May 17, we will continue with Bill 85 in the morning; we will continue with Bill 85 in the afternoon; and in the evening, we will have a private member’s bill, Bill 101.

On Thursday, May 18, we will continue again on the budget bill, Bill 85; in the afternoon routine, a ministerial statement on the Ministry of Francophone Affairs annual report; and in the afternoon of that day, we will deal with private bills.

Deferred Votes

Strengthening Members’ Integrity Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à renforcer l’intégrité des députés

Deferred vote on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 100,

An Act to amend the Members’ Integrity Act, 1994 with respect to fees, gifts and personal benefits / Projet de loi 100, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1994 sur l’intégrité des députés en ce qui concerne les honoraires, les dons et les avantages personnels.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Call in the members. This will be a five-minute bell.

The division bells rang from 1147 to 1152.

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

On May 10, 2023, MPP Stiles moved second reading of Bill 100,

An Act to amend the Members’ Integrity Act, 1994 with respect to fees, gifts and personal benefits. All those in favour will please rise one at a time and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Begum, Doly

Bell, Jessica

Blais, Stephen

Bourgouin, Guy

Bowman, Stephanie

Burch, Jeff

Fife, Catherine

Fraser, John

French, Jennifer K.

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Harden, Joel

Hsu, Ted

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Pasma, Chandra

Sattler, Peggy

Schreiner, Mike

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Stiles, Marit

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

Vaugeois, Lise

West, Jamie

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Nays

Anand, Deepak

Babikian, Aris

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Bouma, Will

Bresee, Ric

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Fedeli, Victor

Flack, Rob

Ford, Michael D.

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Ghamari, Goldie

Gill, Parm

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hardeman, Ernie

Hogarth, Christine

Holland, Kevin

Jones, Sylvia

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Kerzner, Michael S.

Khanjin, Andrea

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

McGregor, Graham

Mulroney, Caroline

Oosterhoff, Sam

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Piccini, David

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rasheed, Kaleed

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sarrazin, Stéphane

Saunderson, Brian

Scott, Laurie

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Smith, Todd

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thanigasalam, Vijay

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Williams, Charmaine A.

Yakabuski, John

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 30; the nays are 71.

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

Second reading negatived.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1157 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Justice Policy

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

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

Bill 91,

An Act to enact two Acts, amend various Acts and revoke various regulations / Projet de loi 91, Loi visant à édicter deux lois, à modifier diverses lois et à abroger divers règlements.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): Shall the report be received and adopted? Agreed.

Report adopted.

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): The bill is therefore ordered for third reading.

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

The Deputy Speaker (Ms. Donna Skelly): I beg to inform the House that today the Clerk received the report on intended appointments dated May 11, 2023, of the Standing Committee on Government Agencies. Pursuant to standing order 110(f)(9), the report is deemed to be adopted by the House.

Report deemed adopted.

Petitions

Land use planning

Mr. Peter Tabuns: I’m pleased to read this petition.

Petition to “Protect the Greenbelt.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government has removed 7,400 acres of land from the greenbelt;

“Whereas the government says it will replace the lost land with land elsewhere—but many of the proposed additions are already protected;

“Whereas the government has eroded environmental protections to make it easier to build badly planned housing developments;

“Whereas Ontario is already losing 319.6 acres of farmland daily to development;

“Whereas the government Housing Affordability Task Force found there are plenty of places to build homes without destroying the greenbelt;

“Whereas the government’s repeated moves to tear up farmland and bulldoze wetlands have never been about housing, but are about making the rich richer;

“Whereas green spaces and farmland are what we rely on to grow our food, support natural habitats and prevent flooding;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to stop all plans to remove protected land from the greenbelt and protect existing farmland and sensitive wetlands.”

I agree with this petition, I affix my signature and I give it to page Maya for the table.

Police services

Mr. Ric Bresee: I’d like to present the petition “Petition in Support of Ontario Getting More Boots on the Ground by Making It Easier to Recruit and Train Police Officers.

“To the Solicitor General:

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to ensuring the safety of Ontario communities; and

“Whereas the government of Ontario is committed to supporting our hard-working women and men in blue, who put their lives on the line every day in police forces across the province of Ontario to keep our communities safe;

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

“To support the passage of Bill 102, Strengthening Safety and Modernizing Justice Act, 2023, to ensure the following:

“

(1) Make it easier for police services across the province to recruit and train more police officers by removing tuition fees for the basic constable training program at the Ontario Police College”—OPC—“and immediately expand the number of recruits that could be trained each year;

“

(2) To expand the Basic Constable Training Program at the Ontario Police College ... immediately to accommodate an additional 70 recruits per cohort from 480 to 550;

“

(3) Starting in 2024, expand the Basic Constable Training Program to four cohorts per year instead of three;

“

(4) Additionally, to support recruitment efforts at a time when local police officers have signalled challenges in doing so, introduce legislation that, if passed, will eliminate the post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer as set o