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December 11, 2024

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2024-Dec-11 vol. A (PDF)

L195A - Wed 11 Dec 2024 / Mer 11 déc 2024

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 11 December 2024 Mercredi 11 décembre 2024

Orders of the Day

Consideration of Bill Pr58

SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC. Act, 2024

SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC. Act, 2024

Poulak and Rachar Limited Act, 2024

Poulak and Rachar Limited Act, 2024

1485997 Ontario Limited Act, 2024

1485997 Ontario Limited Act, 2024

MS Remedies Inc. Act, 2024

MS Remedies Inc. Act, 2024

The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto) Act, 2024

The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto) Act, 2024

The Oakville Players Act, 2024

The Oakville Players Act, 2024

Judy Hatt Consulting Inc. Act, 2024

Judy Hatt Consulting Inc. Act, 2024

Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc. Act, 2024

Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc. Act, 2024

La Ferme Cantin Inc. Act, 2024

La Ferme Cantin Inc. Act, 2024

Skybolt Construction Company Limited Act, 2024

Skybolt Construction Company Limited Act, 2024

1147946 Ontario Inc. Act, 2024

1147946 Ontario Inc. Act, 2024

Members’ Statements

Holiday messages

Homelessness

Connect4Life

Government accountability

Bakersfield Public School

Health care

Arts and cultural funding

Job creation

Tourism

Public safety

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government contracts

Northern health care

Trucking safety

Job creation

Government contracts

Transportation infrastructure

Employment standards

Medical assistance in dying

Broadband infrastructure

Child care

Public safety

Employee ownership

Rural economic development

Homelessness

Visitor

Deferred Votes

Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à œuvrer pour les travailleurs, six

Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le soutien aux personnes âgées et aux fournisseurs de soins

Employee ownership

Private members’ notices of motions

Petitions

Health care

Land use planning

Orders of the Day

Consideration of Bill 123

Order of business

Heart Valve Disease Awareness Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire

Seniors Month Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Mois des personnes âgées

Injured Workers Day Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la Journée des travailleurs blessés

Improving Dementia Care in Ontario Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur l’amélioration des soins aux personnes atteintes de démence en Ontario

Erin’s Law (Child Sexual Abuse Prevention and Reporting), 2024 / Loi Erin de 2024 sur la prévention et le signalement des mauvais traitements d’ordre sexuel à l’égard des enfants

Planning for Your Silver Years Awareness Week Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la Semaine de sensibilisation à la planification de l’âge d’or

Group of Seven Day Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Jour du Groupe des Sept

Orthodox Christian Week Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la Semaine des chrétiens orthodoxes

Chinese Heritage Month Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Mois du patrimoine chinois

Growing Agritourism Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le développement de l’agrotourisme

Persons Day Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 proclamant la Journée de l’affaire « personne »

Persons Day Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 proclamant la Journée de l’affaire « personne »

Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le Mois du patrimoine ukrainien

House sittings

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Consideration of Bill Pr58

Mr. Steve Clark: I seek unanimous consent that the member for Essex be allowed to move second and third reading of Bill Pr58,

An Act to revive Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc., on behalf of the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Clark is seeking the unanimous consent of the House that the member for Essex be allowed to move second and third reading of Bill Pr58,

An Act to revive Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc., on behalf of the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock. Agreed? Agreed.

SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC. Act, 2024

Mr. Kernaghan moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr46,

An Act to revive SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC.

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

Second reading agreed to.

SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC. Act, 2024

Mr. Kernaghan moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr46,

An Act to revive SOFTWAREREVIEWS.COM INC.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

Poulak and Rachar Limited Act, 2024

Ms. Brady moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr48,

An Act to revive Poulak and Rachar Limited.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Poulak and Rachar Limited Act, 2024

Ms. Brady moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr48,

An Act to revive Poulak and Rachar Limited.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

1485997 Ontario Limited Act, 2024

Mr. Tabuns moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr51,

An Act to revive 1485997 Ontario Limited.

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

Second reading agreed to.

1485997 Ontario Limited Act, 2024

Mr. Tabuns moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr51,

An Act to revive 1485997 Ontario Limited.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

MS Remedies Inc. Act, 2024

Ms. Triantafilopoulos moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr52,

An Act to revive MS Remedies Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

MS Remedies Inc. Act, 2024

Ms. Triantafilopoulos moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr52,

An Act to revive MS Remedies Inc.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto) Act, 2024

Mr. Rakocevic moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr54,

An Act to revive The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto).

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto) Act, 2024

Mr. Rakocevic moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr54,

An Act to revive The Abiezer Pentecostal Church (Toronto).

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

The Oakville Players Act, 2024

Mr. Cuzzetto moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr56,

An Act to revive The Oakville Players

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Oakville Players Act, 2024

Mr. Cuzzetto moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr56,

An Act to revive The Oakville Players

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

Judy Hatt Consulting Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Cuzzetto moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr57,

An Act to revive Judy Hatt Consulting Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Judy Hatt Consulting Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Cuzzetto moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr57,

An Act to revive Judy Hatt Consulting Inc.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Leardi, on behalf of Ms. Scott, moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr58,

An Act to revive Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Leardi, on behalf of Ms. Scott, moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr58,

An Act to revive Lakeside Village Property Owners’ Association Fenelon Township Inc.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

La Ferme Cantin Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Bourgouin moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr59,

An Act to revive La Ferme Cantin Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

La Ferme Cantin Inc. Act, 2024

Mr. Bourgouin moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr59,

An Act to revive La Ferme Cantin Inc.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

Skybolt Construction Company Limited Act, 2024

Ms. Pierre moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr60,

An Act to revive Skybolt Construction Company Limited.

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

Second reading agreed to.

Skybolt Construction Company Limited Act, 2024

Ms. Pierre moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr60,

An Act to revive Skybolt Construction Company Limited.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

1147946 Ontario Inc. Act, 2024

Ms. Hogarth moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr47,

An Act to revive 1147946 Ontario Inc.

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

Second reading agreed to.

1147946 Ontario Inc. Act, 2024

Ms. Hogarth moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr47,

An Act to revive 1147946 Ontario Inc.

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

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

Third reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Orders of the day?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: No further business.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0918 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Holiday messages

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: It is very heartwarming to see the halls of Queen’s Park decorated with festive lights. I have attended a tree lighting ceremony at Celebration Square in Mississauga, and numerous holiday parties are taking place throughout the province. It is clear that the holidays are once again here.

Last weekend, my team and I were out on the streets at the newly renamed Mississauga Auto Mall. It was great to see so many people there for the annual Mississauga Santa Claus Parade. We marched down the street, handed out candies and met with countless people. It was a great time.

Speaker, this season is a time of shopping and gifts, parties and busy schedules, but it’s also time to focus on what matters most: love, joy, hope, family and friends. I encourage everyone to please make the most of this month. Spend lots of time with loved ones. Shop from local small businesses. December 25 is only two weeks away and with Orthodox and Eastern churches, including Coptic, Ukrainian, Armenian, Romanian and Greek churches celebrating on January 7, we are lucky to have an extra two weeks of celebrations.

To everyone in Erin Mills and across Ontario, please accept my season’s greetings and best wishes. Merry Christmas, a blessed holiday season and happy new year.

Homelessness

Mr. Jeff Burch: Richard Tremblay is facing another winter living in his car. His name was added to Niagara’s subsidized housing wait-list last week, and a request for urgent status based on a letter from his doctor is currently under review. Even with urgent status, Niagara residents can remain on the wait-list for a very long time due to a severe lack of affordable housing.

The Premier has said the solution to homelessness is to get an application, drop it off and start working, but according to Feed Ontario, one in four food bank visitors has employment. People with jobs are the fastest-growing demographic of food bank visitors, with a 17% increase since last year.

I wanted to mention some incredible people in organizations doing great work in my community. Jim Butts is from Holy Trinity church and runs a Christmas dinner for those in need. In 2023, they served 500 meals to families throughout Welland, and already have 41 volunteers helping prepare 500 meals this Christmas.

In Port Colborne, the Annual Community Christmas Dinner at Central United Church expects 300 meals to be served. This was started in 1996 by Jack O’Neil, Larry Olm and Mike Feagan. Thank you to them and all the other selfless volunteers giving their time to help those in need this holiday season.

Speaker, there are too many people like Richard without a home. Ontario needs more jobs that pay a living wage, social assistance rates that will keep up so people don’t have to live on the streets, and we need to invest in affordable, social and co-operative housing. We can do better.

Connect4Life

Mr. David Smith: I rise today to recognize Connect4Life, a remarkable organization that has been transforming the lives of people with disability for the past 10 years. This charitable organization is based in the GTA, including Scarborough. Founded by Melanie Taddeo, Connect4Life has opened doors to employment opportunities, enabling individuals with disabilities to actively participate in the community and make meaningful contributions to society.

They also run Canada’s first Internet radio station created for, about and by people with disability in partnership with Voices 4 Ability Radio. Additionally their services have expanded internationally with a new office in South Africa and future work planned with the United Nations.

The need for such organizations has never been more urgent. According to the 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability, 27% of Canadians 15 years and older—approximately eight million individuals—report having at least one disability, a significant increase from 22% in 2017. In Ontario, the disability rate is now 28%, highlighting the growing demand for accessible programs and services, especially in urban areas like Toronto.

I commend them for the great work they are doing in Ontario, fostering better living conditions for people living with disabilities. Please join me in congratulating Connect4Life on their 10th anniversary.

Government accountability

Ms. Catherine Fife: The scandal surrounding this government is like a Sears catalogue of unwanted gifts. There are questions about how the Premier’s office handles sensitive information after it was revealed just last week that months of the chief of staff’s text messages to Metrolinx disappeared quicker than the ghost of Christmas past. But it’s not the ghost of Christmas future that the Premier has to look forward to—it’s the RCMP, as it continues its criminal investigation into the government’s greenbelt scandal.

The past year has been an endless cycle of lumps of coal by this government. It has promised to address Ontario’s housing crisis and has instead turned it into a humanitarian crisis, with encampments in almost every community across Ontario and 234,000 homeless people. Instead, he has created strong-mayor powers that will only result in shunting our communities’ abandoned citizens from one encampment to another. This solves nothing. Where is the heart, where is the compassion and where is the shame?

Time after time this government is making reckless decisions while ignoring evidence and making Ontarians less safe. The Premier is continuing to spin his festive fairy tale of fiscal responsibility, which has been exposed by the latest FAO report: shunting the Ontario Science Centre to a strip mall and shovelling $2.2 billion of taxpayer dollars into a private Austrian spa.

Apparently, we’re going to have an early election. The people will have their say, and it will be very different than the taxpayer-funded partisan commercials this government has put out, Mr. Speaker.

Bakersfield Public School

Ms. Laura Smith: Recently, Bakersfield Public School, located in the beautiful community of Thornhill Woods beside Sugarbush park, kicked off the season of giving with a very successful toy drive, collecting donations for children of all ages. Let me tell you, the spirit of the season and holiday cheer were on full display. Despite the cold we had a great time. Hot chocolate and coffee were flowing and the music kept things energized. From board games to Lego to Barbie cars, I’m confident that the generous donations collected will make the holidays a little brighter for so many children.

It was great to see such an impressive turnout to donate to a worthy cause. I want to thank the awesome and strong school council for organizing the Toy Mountain toy drive and all those who volunteered, the teachers who pitched in—always want to thank the teachers—and everyone who donated, with a very special shout-out to principal Joe Gold, who makes learning fun and compassionate.

The generosity of Bakersfield does not stop there. They’re currently hosting a food drive until December 13 and there’s still time to donate canned food and boxes of food containers to make a difference in someone’s holiday season.

I want to thank Bakersfield for their continued commitment to giving back to our community. I also want to wish everyone across Thornhill and Ontario a very joyous holiday season, and to all the students, faculty and parents of Bakersfield a great spirit week leading up to their winter break. I want it to be awesome for them.

Be kind, be proud, be Bakersfield!

Health care

MPP Wayne Gates: Closing the wage gap: In Ontario, there’s a crisis in our community health sector. People across this province are facing an affordability crisis. Despite this, workers in our community health sector are more than $2 billion behind in wages compared to their peers in schools and hospitals. Wages for community health centres have essentially been frozen for nearly a decade, making it incredibly difficult for the centres to recruit and retain qualified staff. That means essential health care services will become more challenging for patients and families to access. Already out of control wait times for care will get even worse.

More people end up in emergency rooms for problems that could have been treated earlier at a community health centre. That’s if the Conservatives haven’t already closed their community emergency department. The staff who do this incredible work day in and day out will continue to struggle financially to make ends meet.

I’m calling on this government to support workers in community health centres by closing the wage gap, investing in funding increases, paying the financial remedy for the attacks on workers through Bill 124 and establishing a community health working group to develop solutions for this sector.

If we don’t act now, this crucial sector of over 200,000 dedicated workers won’t be able to continue providing the vital health services people rely on and need.

Arts and cultural funding

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased to share with my colleagues in the House that the Station Gallery in Whitby has received a grant of approximately $30,000 from the Ontario Arts Council as part of the public art galleries operating program provided through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.

Speaker, with this funding, the hard-working staff at the gallery will be able to continue presenting high-quality contemporary art exhibitions, showcasing regional and national artists and highlighting and sustaining a sense of community cohesion and pride.

Our government recognizes the vital role that culture plays in communities and that the arts play in strengthening Ontario’s communities. We’re committed to supporting organizations like the Station Gallery, as they enrich lives, boost local economies and sustain cultural vitality.

Job creation

Ms. Stephanie Bowman: Last Friday, StatsCan released its jobs data for November, and it’s a very bleak picture in Ontario under this Conservative government. So while they spend millions on ads to tell us what a great job they’re doing on the economy, the facts from StatsCan tell a very different story: Ontario has lost its edge.

When this government took office, Ontario had the third-lowest unemployment rate in the country. Now, it’s the third-highest. Since this government took office, the unemployment rate is worse; the number of manufacturing jobs—worse; youth unemployment—worse. While they say jobs are coming, they ignore the jobs leaving.

Here are the facts: The unemployment rate of 7.6% is the highest since May 2014, excluding the pandemic. Unemployment in manufacturing is at a 10-year high. This Premier promised 300,000 new manufacturing jobs; instead, 18,000 manufacturing jobs have left under his watch. Some 40,000 construction jobs left Ontario in the last two years, the worst contraction since the 1990s recession. Youth unemployment jumped to 17%, the highest since 2012, excluding the pandemic.

Speaker, this government’s record on jobs is abysmal. It’s hurting workers and families in this province, and it’s time the government admitted it.

Tourism

Mr. Brian Saunderson: In Simcoe–Grey, we are blessed with many natural amenities that make my riding a true four-season destination for thousands of families each weekend.

While Wasaga Beach is home to summertime fun, with the largest freshwater beach in the world, the snow has arrived and it is ski season in the Town of the Blue Mountains and the region. That means the hills of the Niagara Escarpment are filled with skiers and snowboarders, and the trails and woods are filled with cross-country skiers and snowshoers enjoying a healthy and active winter weekend.

For the area’s businesses and merchants, the ski industry plays a huge role in the local economy. Just as Honda Canada continues to turbocharge the economy in New Tecumseth in the south end of my riding with new jobs both direct and indirect, the ski industry fuels the economy in the north end.

The Blue Mountains attracts more than 2.5 million visitors annually to the region of South Georgian Bay. Tourism is a huge driver of the local and regional economy, with Blue Mountain Resort and several private ski clubs including Georgian Peaks, Osler Bluff, Craigleith, Devil’s Glen and Alpine Ski Club attracting thousands to the area each weekend. People visit the area and many decide to move there. That is one of the reasons the area is one of the fastest-growing areas in the province and, in fact, in Canada.

This fall, I’m proud to say that the Town of Blue Mountains received a $25.3-million grant from the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund for a critical expansion of the sewage capacity to enable over 2,000 new housing units. This important investment will allow for new housing, attracting new residents to my riding, so that we can continue to grow in a sustainable and intentional way to meet Ontario’s housing target.

Speaker, I’d like to wish everyone in this House and in my riding of Simcoe–Grey and across this great province a very merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and however you choose to enjoy this winter season.

Public safety

Mrs. Daisy Wai: I’m proud to share the ongoing efforts in Richmond Hill to combat auto theft and improve community safety.

As soon as MPP Graham McGregor was appointed as Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform, we immediately invited him to be our guest speaker for Monday Matters. Along with York Regional Police, the mayor and council members of the city of Richmond Hill, we discussed strategies to combat auto theft and enhance public safety. We followed up with our full newsletter sharing the strategies, to keep everyone in the community informed and empowered. We received appreciation on the proactive steps we have taken to protect them.

Through initiatives like Operation Auto Guard 2.0, we have recovered 15 stolen vehicles worth approximately $487,000, which resulted in 17 individuals facing 127 charges. Officers also distributed over 7,000 Faraday bags and 10,000 information cards to educate drivers on preventative measures.

Our government will continue to negotiate with the federal government on bail reform and changes to the Criminal Code to keep criminals behind bars. We are committed to ensuring that Richmond Hill and Ontario stay safe, secure and resilient.

Introduction of Visitors

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: I’d like to welcome to the House this morning my incredible constituency office staff: Heather Zander, Danielle Kershaw, Tina Gates, and co-op student Leland Cuthbert. They’re the very best team in this province—no offence to the rest of you.

And a special shout-out to Charlie the chaplain, whom I’m going to miss immensely—I wish you well as you embark on your new journey.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Mr. Speaker, this morning, I’d like to introduce IAFNER’s strategic initiatives and social policy unit: Jennifer Cooney; Beatrice D’Angelo; Emmanuel Ilori; Zacchary Innes; Alisha Kaba; Trish Malone; Daniella Marciano; Devon Martin; Ammie Singh-Persaud; Emma Stelter; Abigail Veerasingham; Christopher Wright; and last but not least, my daughter Frances Tibollo. Welcome to your House.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: It gives me great pleasure to introduce to the House this morning my dear, dear friend Cindy Brown.

Although he won’t enjoy it, I would also like to introduce my wonderful, patient, charming spouse, Ted Hoyle. Thank you for all you do for me.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I’m delighted to welcome a great entrepreneur who happens to be my first cousin. Please welcome Harley Zaretsky to the Legislature of Ontario.

MPP Jamie West: Up in the gallery, I see my friend Will Noiles. He’s the president for the Golden Horseshoe ONIWG, here to see the debate this afternoon. It’s good to see you, Will.

Hon. George Pirie: I’d like to take a moment to announce a great friend of Timmins. Al Youmans is in the House today.

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s a great honour for me to introduce my good friends from the ETFO Thames Valley Teacher Local: Mike Thomas, the first vice-president—if you look, you might notice he also moonlights as my stunt double—and also Mark MacLeod, the chief negotiator and grievance officer, a busy guy in today’s education reality. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: I’m happy to introduce and recognize an exceptional individual and also my constituent, Sam Surendra, a distinguished computer engineering professor at a polytechnic institute. With an unwavering dedication to education, Professor Surendra has made it his life’s work to inspire thousands of students in the last 25 years. Professor Surendra’s commitment to the transformative power of education serves as a model for educators across the province. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I’d like to give a very warm welcome to tenant organizers and housing advocates who are in the chambers today to support Bill 48, Rent Control for All Tenants Act. We have Cynthia Black from Livmore High Park Tenants’ Association; Chiara Padovani from the York South-Weston Tenant Union; Scott Baird from Fair Rent Ontario; Alex Venuto and Jocelyn Reyes Midghall from the High Park Tenants’ Association and Elizabeth Von Symborski from the Ontario renters for fair housing. Welcome.

Ms. Laura Smith: It is my very great honour to welcome to the House, from Thornhill Secondary School, co-op student Michaella Blond-Shalev, and also, from Westmount Collegiate Institute, co-op student Danielle Halperin.

I’m also privileged to have my friend and colleague the school trustee for wards 4 and 5 of Vaughan, Ms. Estelle Cohen, here.

I also want to welcome Sara Ebenezer, who’s the recipient of the prestigious international Diana Award for young change-makers.

Welcome to the Legislature.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): With the indulgence of the House, I would like to continue with the introduction of visitors.

Hon. Kinga Surma: I’d like to announce that Elyse Miller is the page captain today and she’s from Etobicoke Centre. Her grandfather Winston Miller is here and Tracey Miller, who’s a teacher at Our Lady of Peace, is here with her class today. Welcome to the Legislature.

Mr. David Smith: With great pride, I’d like to recognize the founder of Connect4Life, Melanie Taddeo, and her team: Mark Brown, executive director; Steven Christianson, government relations advisor; Aaisha Hussain, program director; Sean Pickard, station manager of Voices4Ability; Viktoria Drozdiak, board secretary; Peter Drozdiak, board chair; and Joy Al-Saady, volunteer coordinator. Welcome to your House.

Hon. David Piccini: I’d like to welcome to Queen’s Park today the Ontario General Contractors Association. They have a reception in room 228, so I encourage everyone to go after question period. I welcome Giovanni Cautillo and Andrew Sampogna and all the other members—I see Al Youmans here as well—to Queen’s Park today; looking forward to meeting with them later.

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Once again, I’d like to welcome a good friend of mine; he’s on my riding association and I want to wish him a merry Christmas. Willy Noiles, merry Christmas; welcome to your House. Thank you for being here today.

Mr. Rick Byers: It’s my pleasure to welcome students from the John Diefenbaker Senior School from Neustadt, Ontario; they’ll be here shortly. As we all know, John Diefenbaker was a boy in Neustadt—it’ll be great to see the school here.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: It’s a real pleasure to welcome to the House Juliet van Wyk, one of our pages here. Her proud grandmother is here, joining us this morning: Carol Laderoute. Welcome to the House and I’m sure you’re so proud of your granddaughter.

Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy: It’s my great honour and privilege, and I’m thrilled to welcome, from my riding of Pickering–Uxbridge, the proud parents and grandparents of our local page, Jonah.

I want to welcome his parents, Arlene Martin—you’re up there somewhere; there you are, Arlene—and Hieu Van Nguyen—you’re up there too, Hieu—Philip and Winifred Martin, the grandparents, and then finally Margaret Beuershauper, a family friend.

Welcome to Queen’s Park, everyone.

Mrs. Daisy Wai: It is my pleasure to introduce to the House today page Laura Yahlou and her proud parents: her mother, Kathy Padkapayeva, and her father, Siarhei Yahlou; and her sister, Elias Yahlou.

Laura is a dedicated and hard-working individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and responsibility as part of the page program. I would like to welcome them here, and especially her proud parents. Thank you, and please join me in recognizing and welcoming our page.

Hon. Stan Cho: This is a real privilege for me; I have the three most important women in my life visiting today: first, the one who gave me life, my mother, Sandy; the one who changed my life for the best, my wife, Carolyn; and the one who is my life, born September 16, at 3:27 p.m., Charlotte Isabel Cho, my daughter.

Question Period

Government contracts

Ms. Doly Begum: In Scarborough Southwest, I recently heard from a constituent about how she used to donate to our local food bank, but now she’s their client. She’s not alone. While families across this province are feeling the pinch at the grocery stores and making tough choices to make ends meet, this government is forcing each household in Ontario to pay $400 for the Premier’s vanity project.

How can the Premier justify spending people’s tax dollars on a luxury spa while people’s budgets are getting tighter every day?

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

Hon. Kinga Surma: Michael Lindsay, the CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, spoke to the costs. These costs are not known; they are not finalized. The figures in the AG’s report are only preliminary.

While the NDP and the Liberals abandoned Ontario Place—left it to deteriorate, left it to be constantly flooded—this government is taking action.

The minister’s advisory panel from 2012 said the following: “Recommendation 15

“To achieve its full potential, Ontario Place must become a more flexible model based on strong private-public partnerships.”

Mr. Speaker, Therme, as per the AG’s report, is investing $700 million into the site, $200 million of which will go to public realm space.

It’s very nice that the NDP is making it clear that they don’t believe that Ontario Place should include 50 acres of public realm space. We disagree. Our government is taking action. After 35 years, we’re finally under construction at Ontario Place.

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

Ms. Doly Begum: This minister and maybe this government should take a lesson from people in Ontario instead of CEOs and billionaires in this province.

Life is getting harder for people in Ontario: 23,000 residents just in Scarborough Southwest do not have access to a family doctor. People are falling behind on mortgages, on rent payments, yet they are seeing money go out of their pockets for an Austrian luxury spa. Scarborough residents will have to pay over $87 million for this scheme.

Again to the Premier: How does he justify making Scarborough residents pay for a vanity project while they’re waiting for this government to deliver the basics?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Well, let me talk about the NDP and the Liberal plan. The NDP and the Liberal plan was to let Ontario Place fall apart, rot, deteriorate. In fact, the previous Liberal government was criticized because it subsidized the site. It functioned at a loss for many years—not under the Premier’s leadership.

Ontario Place is going to be a vibrant attraction which will bring in $1 billion worth of rent, as well as close to $1 billion worth of maintenance contributions to the site.

So while the NDP and the Liberals failed Ontario Place, this government will bring it back to life and make it an attraction that everyone in Ontario will enjoy.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The final supplementary?

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, the Conservatives should take a lesson from the Liberals and their gas scandals. This will be their failed legacy.

Housing costs are skyrocketing. Families are—

Interjections.

Ms. Doly Begum: Oh, it hurts. The truth hurts for both the Conservatives and the Liberals.

Housing costs are skyrocketing. Families are having to make tough choices over the holidays—like fewer gifts under the tree, not being able to buy that toy for their kid.

Instead of fixing this problem, the Premier and his government are taking $87 million just from Scarborough to pay for his vanity project.

The people of Scarborough deserve better. Ontarians deserve better.

Is the Premier so obsessed with an Austrian spa that he is willing to take money out of people’s pockets to pay for it?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will please take their seats. The member for Orléans will come to order.

The Minister of Infrastructure may reply.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, we will not be following the actions of the NDP and the Liberals. In fact, polling suggests today that the NDP are in third place in Ontario. So we will not be following in their footsteps.

What this government is focused on is spending $190 billion to make sure that we have the public transit, the highways, the long-term care, the schools in place for families. We are spending $970 million for water infrastructure projects to make sure that municipalities build homes in the province of Ontario. We are making sure that everyone, including those in northern Ontario, is connected to high-speed Internet.

This government is committed to building infrastructure in the province of Ontario, unlike those sitting on the other side of the House.

Northern health care

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker.

Remarks in Anishininiimowin.

In Sioux Lookout, 3,100 people don’t have access to a family doctor. That’s more than half of the population.

The president of the Ontario Medical Association has compared the competition for doctors in the north to the Hunger Games. People across the north have the worst health outcomes and unacceptable access to health care, compared to the rest of Ontario. Why is this acceptable to this government?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: With the greatest of respect, when we expanded the number of medical seats available in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, why did you vote against it?

We are making those investments. Every single medical school in the province of Ontario has new seats because of the investments we have been able to make in this government, under the leadership of Premier Ford. When we make investments, you continuously vote against it.

The Ontario Medical Association knows full well that we are actively negotiating with them right now. Whether they want to participate in a public participation suggesting that we are not—it’s blatantly false. We are very close to settling an agreement with that first year with the OMA, and the OMA leadership knows that, and they shouldn’t be playing political games with this—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to remind the member to make her comments through the Chair and caution her on her choice of words.

Supplementary question?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I met with NOSM a few weeks ago, and one of the things that they said is announcements are okay, but they need resources to be able to implement that change.

Speaker, expectant mothers in the north risk their lives by travelling to bigger centres to give birth and receive proper obstetric care, and that’s if the weather conditions even allow them to travel. At the same time, there are few options for children needing pediatric care. The Trillium reported that the closest pediatric care with ICU beds for children in Kenora is London, Ontario.

Expectant mothers and children need to be closer to home. So I ask, Speaker: Why is this government not providing the ICU beds for children in northern Ontario?

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Health.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Two years ago, we made a $330-million pediatric care investment, and the CEO of the hospital at the time in Ottawa said this is the largest historic investment in pediatric care in the province of Ontario ever. So we are making those investments. We are ensuring it through, yes, working with the Ontario Medical Association to make sure that OB/GYN can continue to be offered and available in all of our communities.

But I would again ask the member opposite: Stop voting against these investments. You are not serving your communities well when you go back to your riding and say, “We saw a 78% increase, and I decided to vote against it.” It’s not how we should be working when we’re dealing with this important file, expanding primary care expansion and ensuring that everyone in Ontario has access to services.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. I’m just going to inform the House that if members continue to make their comments directly across the floor instead of through the Chair, I will interrupt you in mid-sentence.

Start the clock. Final supplementary?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Speaker, the $300 million that she talked about for pediatric services has not made it to the north. It’s very clear. We see it.

But also, Speaker, there’s a health care crisis in the north. There is a mental health crisis. There is an addiction crisis. There is a suicide crisis. The Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre had to convert part of their emergency department to safe rooms, but that’s not enough.

Will the minister commit to funding the in-patient mental health beds in Sioux Lookout that are so desperately needed?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Under the leadership of Premier Ford, we actually have in Ontario the highest percentage of obstetrics and gynecological specialists of anywhere else in Canada, but we are not stopping there.

Ontario’s investments have significantly increased the supply of specialty physicians. We have seen that for two years in a row: CaRMS matching that ensures that every specialist who is chosen has been able to find a position.

The investments that we are making in Kenora, in Sioux Lookout, in Timmins, in Thunder Bay continue to ensure that people are getting access to care closer to home. As we expand the MRIs; as we expand CTs; as we expand, yes, emergency departments in Thunder Bay, as I announced with Minister Holland earlier this week, those are the investments that are going to make a difference in your community and, indeed, across Ontario.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order.

The next question.

Trucking safety

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Highways 11 and 17 are not only part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, they’re our main streets, but many northerners are afraid to drive on them, and it isn’t just winter maintenance. Every day we hear stories—white-knuckle stories of how we’re pushed off the road by commercial trucks, mostly cross-country ones, and that results in highway closures and accidents.

Sadly, northerners weren’t surprised with the CBC Marketplace

article that revealed that there were “allegations of inappropriate and illegal behaviour” at Ontario DriveTest centres. We weren’t surprised at all.

What is the minister going to do to make sure that everyone in Ontario who has a commercial vehicle licence is properly trained and tested?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: In fact, this government has one of the most extensive training programs in the province, in the country and in all of North America, and we continue to improve upon that. We do have some of the safest roads in all of North America and we’ll continue to develop and build upon that. That’s also why we’ve invested in infrastructure on Highway 11, on Highway 17—over 30 kilometres widened and opened to traffic since the project was initiated, Mr. Speaker.

Let’s continue to talk about that. We’ve had my colleague from Brampton West table measures on commercial driving in this House that we’re examining at the moment to improve safety on the roads. We’ll continue to do everything we can to ensure that we have the safest roads, especially those who are training our truck drivers as well as those who are on the roads. We have a great team of enforcement officers ensuring that those roads remain safe and we’ll—

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

And the supplementary question?

Mr. John Vanthof: The minister constantly says that we have the safest roads in North America—that’s cold comfort for people in Timiskaming. If your car is registered in the district of Timiskaming and it gets into an accident on a provincial road, the chances of dying are four times as high as anywhere else in the province. We also don’t have the safest roads regarding commercial drivers, because commercial vehicles in Ontario have a higher injury and fatality rate than anywhere else in the country.

It gets worse, Speaker. According to the Auditor General, there are over 100 carriers who license their own drivers, and 27 of those carriers are among the worst of carriers in terms of at-fault collisions in the province. The Ministry of Transportation itself, in May 2022, stated that MELT is “not an effective program” and that there is “little evidence of road safety benefit resulting from the ... MELT program.”

Making sure that every driver who has an Ontario licence is qualified, trained and safe is a basic premise of government. Why can’t you deliver that?

Interjections.

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

Once again, I will remind members to make their comments through the Chair.

Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: We require over 103 hours of training as a minimum, Mr. Speaker. That’s the highest in the country and probably across North America.

But here’s the shame: When this government invests in transportation enforcement officers, guess what that member does right over there? He gets up and votes against those measures that will keep our roads safer.

When we put in a $30-million scale in northern Ontario to support highway and road safety, what does that member do? He gets up and votes against that, Mr. Speaker. That’s a shame. That is a $30-million investment in road safety.

When we get up here in the House and we put forward in our budgets and our fall economic statements investments in Highway 11, Highway 17, Highway 144, and other highways across the north, what does that member do? He votes against it.

When we invest $100 million into winter maintenance—over 1,100 pieces of equipment deployed across this province to help and support the winter maintenance and clearing in the north—what does that member do? That member votes against it, Mr. Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The government House leader will come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for Sudbury will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order.

The next question.

Job creation

Ms. Laura Smith: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Across the world, there’s been intense competition to attract job-creating investments. Under the Liberals, Ontario’s business environment was the exact opposite of what companies were looking for. Countries across the world were trying to lure in new investments by cutting costs and reducing red tape but the Liberals were scaring companies away with their costly policies.

Our government knew we had to fix the mess the Liberals left Ontario in. If we wanted companies to come set up shop here, we needed to take action, so we reduced the annual cost of doing business by $8 billion annually and have cut over 550 pieces of red tape.

Speaker, can the minister please tell us how, by lowering costs, we’ve been able to land important investments in my riding of Thornhill and across the province?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Orléans will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

To reply, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Invest Ontario, our investment agency, has helped land over $4 billion in investments that have led to the creation of more than 4,000 jobs. Here are some of the historic investments: Hitachi Rail, $100 million, in North York, 100 jobs; Roche Canada, $130 million, in Mississauga, 250 jobs; Hanon Systems, $155 million, in Woodbridge, 300 jobs; Jungbunzlauer, in Port Colborne, $200 million, 50 jobs; Goodyear, $575 million, in Napanee, 200 new jobs. Speaker, these are some of the many companies who have chosen to invest in Ontario and expand and create those great-paying jobs.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Spadina–Fort York will come to order.

Supplementary question?

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you to the minister for his impactful work for the province of Ontario.

Ontario’s economy was spiralling out of control under the Liberals. Businesses were fleeing our province in droves, taking good-paying jobs with them. But by cutting costs, we’ve restored Ontario’s competitiveness and ability to secure investments. Companies are setting up shop and expanding in our province at record levels.

In our auto sector, we’ve seen $45 billion invested over the last four years alone, and in our life sciences sector, we’ve seen more than $5 billion in new investments. We’ve heard the minister talk about the great things that are happening in these two sectors, but our province’s tech sector is also growing quite rapidly.

Speaker, can the minister please provide the House with an update on how Ontario’s tech sector has been doing?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Speaker, with more than 420,000 tech workers at more than 25,000 tech firms, Ontario is now the global tech leader. Tech employment is up by 100,000 jobs since we took office.

According to CBRE’s 2024 tech talent report, Toronto added more tech jobs than any North American market over the last four years. That same report also showed that London was one of the fastest-growing tech markets in all of North America—go TechAlliance—with tech employment increasing by 88% since 2018 thanks to added growth in Ottawa and Waterloo.

Speaker, artificial intelligence: We have 85,000 AI workers, 30,000 alone in the last two years. Our tech sector is growing rapidly, and the world is taking note. If you’re a tech worker, a researcher or a firm, there is no better place than Ontario.

Government contracts

Ms. Sandy Shaw: My question to the Premier—good morning, Premier: This holiday season, the Premier is gifting his insider pals with a sweet luxury spa deal and sticking taxpayers with the bill. Ontario taxpayers are on the hook for more than $2 billion to build a private luxury spa on public lands at Ontario Place. This is no way to spend taxpayer dollars.

People in Ontario are worried about finding a doctor. Emergency rooms are closing because of your underfunding. But instead—

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: —of focusing on the concerns of Ontario, the Premier is obsessed with this insider deal.

So, my question: When will the Premier cancel this terrible deal?

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

Hon. Kinga Surma: Mr. Speaker, Ontario Place is under construction at the moment. Do you know what Ontario Place is going to look like thanks to Premier Ford’s leadership? We’re going to have a brand new stage operational 365 days of the year. We’re going to have a brand new science centre. We’re going to have 50 acres of public realm space, which the NDP will not support. We will have a wellness centre and a water park, a brand new marina so that families can enjoy.

Mr. Speaker, Michael Lindsay said these were just cost estimates at the moment. But what’s important is that we have $700 million being invested in this site in order to make it an attraction that families and Ontarians can enjoy.

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Speaker, I have to ask, are we going to change the name of Ontario Place to Austria Place now? Because the people of Ontario are not buying it, but they are sure paying for it.

I mean, the minister herself just admitted to the House that the costs are not known, but what we do know is it will cost $400 for every household in Hamilton. In fact, Hamilton taxpayers are on the hook for a staggering $123 million, and I’m pretty sure that no one in Hamilton asked to pay $123 million for a luxury spa in downtown Toronto, especially while Hamilton hospitals are facing a huge deficit. Cancer clinics are being cancelled. Mental health services are forced to close their doors. We should be spending that $123 million on our health care system.

This is a terrible abuse of taxpayer dollars. So, on behalf of the people of Hamilton, I ask: Will the Premier please do the right thing and fire this minister?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Infrastructure.

Hon. Kinga Surma: Speaker, let me tell you what the NDP think is a good idea. The NDP think that subsidizing Ontario Place at a loss for years and years is the appropriate action. The NDP believe that closing down and not investing in the site, in a government asset, is the appropriate action. The NDP think that $700 million of private sector investment into the site, $200 million of which will go to public realm space, shouldn’t be accepted. And they also believe that $2 billion worth of revenue over a 50-year term should not be accepted.

The truth of the matter is they have no plan for Ontario Place, and they have no plan to build Ontario, and the people realize this. That’s why they’re not even in second place. They are in third.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Sudbury will come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for Waterloo will come to order.

The next question.

Transportation infrastructure

Mr. David Smith: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Traffic has been a big problem in Ontario. It slows everyone down. Parents can’t get home on time. Trucks take longer to deliver their goods. Small businesses lose money. People are tired of sitting in traffic.

For years, nothing was done. The Liberals and the NDP did nothing. Roads stayed the same, congestion got worse and families and businesses paid the price. That is why our government took action. That is why we are building the roads and highways to fix the problem of gridlock. Can the minister tell us how our government is rebuilding Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant and member for Hastings–Lennox and Addington.

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the member from Scarborough Centre for the question.

Gridlock impacts all of us, whether it’s parents who are missing dinners with their kids or the small businesses seeing delivery costs rising. Gridlock is holding back Ontario’s full potential.

That’s why, under the leadership of the Premier, we’re acting decisively to reduce congestion. We’re investing in critical projects like Highway 413, the Garden City Skyway and the Bradford Bypass. Unlike the previous government, which ignored these challenges, we’re delivering real solutions to tackle gridlock head-on. Our government is building a stronger Ontario for today and for generations to come.

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

Mr. David Smith: I would like to thank the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington for that response.

Traffic has been a big problem for people in my riding of Scarborough Centre. Roads were crowded. Buses and trains were full. Families wasted hours stuck in their cars. Businesses lost money waiting for goods to arrive. For too long, nothing was done by both the Liberals and the NDP. Projects were cancelled. Promises were broken. Problems only got worse.

But people need results, and our government is acting. We are building new roads and highways. We are building better transit. Our government is delivering results. Can the minister please tell us how our government is building roads, highways and transit to keep Ontario moving?

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you again to the member from Scarborough Centre. We’ve heard the concerns of Ontarians loud and clear. They’re tired of sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. They’re tired of being stuck on crowded buses and subways. That’s why we have a plan to build Ontario. We’re going to get people out of gridlock by building new highways and more public transit all across the province. The Ontario Line alone will remove up to 28,000 cars off the roads every day.

The NDP and the Liberals voted against these projects. They voted against building new highways. They voted against public transit. We’re the only government with a plan to keep our province moving forward, and we will continue to do so.

Employment standards

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Minister of Labour, Immigration and Skills Development. I heard from Nicholas, a construction worker who never got paid for the last two weeks on the job. He filed a complaint with the Ministry of Labour back in June, but he’s still waiting to hear back.

With the holidays just around the corner, workers like Nicholas deserve to be paid for what they’ve earned. Your ministry’s own records show Ontario workers are owed $60 million in unpaid wages since 2017, and less than 30% of that has been collected. Ontarians deserve a government that works for them. Minister, why are you taking so long to get workers the money they’re owed, especially now, when every dollar counts?

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you to the member opposite for that question. As I said to members opposite, we’re addressing these systemic issues. Now, let’s not forget: How did we get here? Over decades, when that party had the balance of power, they did nothing to the Employment Standards Act. They taxed the trades. They made it difficult for contractors, driving manufacturing out of Canada. We’re fixing that.

We’ve worked on the Employment Standards Act. We’ve worked on the Occupational Health and Safety Act. We’ve attracted more women into the trades, statistically; more under-represented groups into the trades, statistically. We lowered the cost of doing business—very fitting, given general contractors are here today. We know the majority of employers are good actors in the province of Ontario who care deeply about their workers, want them to succeed, and they’re benefiting from a Premier that’s actually getting shovels in the ground, building a stronger Ontario. We’re going to fix that like we fixed the litany of other messes left behind and get this province building.

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Minister, the systemic issues behind Nicholas’s case are even more alarming. His employer continues to operate despite questionable practices, echoing the findings in a recent report showing repeat violators face little deterrence for wage theft. Worker advocates have called on harsher penalties and proactive investigations to hold bad actors accountable. Will the government commit today to stop wage theft?

Hon. David Piccini: I mean, that member’s got a real opportunity to put her money where her mouth is and support measures we’ve introduced in Working for Workers Six that are getting tough on bad actors, introducing mandatory minimums for those most exceptional cases in the province of Ontario. We’ve taken a number of actions—

Interjections.

Hon. David Piccini: And they’re not interested. You see, Speaker? Especially that member from Windsor. That member from Windsor has done nothing to advance the interest of workers in her community: $14 million in payroll; unions that once supported her that are supporting us because we’re getting the job done, building a stronger Ontario. And we’re coming. We’re coming. This is her last Christmas in this place, potentially, because we’re coming for that member in Windsor. Unions are backing us—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. I have to say that to the Minister of Labour—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Windsor West will come to order. The Minister of Labour, Immigration and Training will come to order.

I consider that comment to be unparliamentary. The Minister of Labour, Immigration and Training will rise in his place and withdraw.

Hon. David Piccini: Withdraw, Speaker.

Interjections.

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

Next question.

Medical assistance in dying

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: My question is to the Premier. We are supposed to be in the season of hope, but sadly, here in Ontario, we are experiencing what my friend from Guelph has dubbed a crisis in caring. MAID euthanasia was initiated to provide compassion and dignity to those suffering through their final days with terminal illness. However, the horror is clear as we learn people with socio-economic and psychological suffering are literally being driven to appointments with death providers instead of getting the necessary counselling and supports they need.

Ontarians with a history of mental illness, suicidality, substance abuse, lack of housing and social vulnerability see no hope, as their issues are inadequately addressed or ignored in favour of a permanent so-called solution to what could be a temporary or manageable issue. The truth is before us.

Speaker, through you to the Premier: What is this government doing to ensure those marginalized by society are safeguarded with respect to MAID?

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

Hon. Sylvia Jones: As the member opposite would know, medical assistance in dying is of course a federal piece of legislation. We have controls in Ontario to ensure that individuals who request it have to go through an appropriate process to make sure that it is the appropriate way for them to decide to finish their life here in Ontario.

I will say that the investments our government has been making in mental health and addictions, in health care support, ensuring that we have adequate services—almost 400 new treatment beds available in the province of Ontario that didn’t exist before Premier Ford came into government. We are making those investments because we know that every individual deserves the opportunity to have a pathway, hope and treatment.

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

Ms. Bobbi Ann Brady: It’s interesting the minister says that it is a federal issue, but the concerns I’m raising today are straight from a report from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario. It’s here on my desk. Last year, a quarter of all MAID providers heard from the coroner’s office about possible violations of criminal law, yet not a single instance was referred to the police. Only one was sent to the regulatory college.

Government should not be normalizing homicide as a medical treatment or allowing it to become an industry. Ontario’s coroner’s office sees problems with the way MAID is being delivered in Ontario. Many examples abound: people requiring cancer care, people with post-vaccine injuries, depression, substance abuse problems and even the homeless. Services are not adequate.

Speaker, I regret that this is far from cheery or merry today at this time of the year; however, people have lost hope with this government, which has had six years to make investments.

So, Speaker, again, through you to the Premier: Should a lack of social supports or health services make someone eligible for euthanasia in Ontario?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Perhaps it would interest the member opposite to understand that at the last meeting of the provincial health ministers we actually all raised concerns about any expansion that the federal government was considering in medical assistance in dying. To their credit, the federal government has paused any expansion, which obviously is very good news for Ontario residents and indeed across Canada.

We are making sure that we have the services and supports needed to ensure that everyone gets those appropriate services, whether it is expansions in mental health treatment beds, whether it is expansions in our hospital system—50 different capital builds—we are making those investments to ensure that people have that hope and that opportunity to get treatment in their community closer to home.

Broadband infrastructure

Mr. Dave Smith: I know that it’s almost the Christmas break. There’s a lot of “Bah, humbug” coming from the opposition benches. I’m hoping for a little Christmas cheer from our Minister of Infrastructure.

People across Ontario rely on the Internet every day, whether it’s for work, school or keeping in touch with loved ones. High-speed Internet is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. For far too long, rural, remote and northern communities have been left out. My riding is no different. The Canadian Shield starts in my riding. We have a lot of rock. We have a lot of trees. I know it’s difficult to run fibre in a lot of those areas.

We’ve been waiting for years for reliable connections. The previous Liberal government made promises, but they simply didn’t deliver. Years of inaction left many in our community behind. But our government is committed to connecting every Ontarian to high-speed Internet by 2025. We’re taking action and delivering results.

Speaker, can the minister please explain how we’re delivering broadband infrastructure to communities across the province?

Hon. Kinga Surma: Thank you very much to the hard-working member for the question. He is correct: We have made a commitment to connect every single Ontarian to high-speed Internet by the end of 2025. We’ve invested $2.5 billion for over 270 projects across the province of Ontario. We’re looking at fibre, satellite, fixed wireless and any innovative solution in order to make sure every premise is connected.

Perth county, Grey county, Six Nations of the Grand River, Timiskaming, White River: These are communities that we have connected thus far and, under Premier Ford’s leadership, we will not stop until every single household is connected to high-speed Internet in the province of Ontario.

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

Mr. Dave Smith: I’m hoping that the minister can spread a little more Christmas cheer for me on this one as well.

We know how important it is to connect every home, business and community to reliable, high-speed Internet. For years, people living in rural, remote and northern communities simply have been left waiting. They’ve heard promises from the previous Liberal government that led to nothing but frustration, delays and the sounds of dial-up. They’ve heard promises from the previous Liberal government that have left them frustrated with those delays.

Our government is committed to doing something better. We’re delivering real results and we’re getting it done. Recently, I heard about a new initiative, a new innovative solution, that’s being used to bring broadband to hard-to-reach places, including using satellite technology.

Speaker, can the minister please tell us more about our government’s innovative new programs and how we’re getting people connected to faster and more reliable broadband?

Hon. Kinga Surma: We are being innovative. We were innovative with the reverse auction, which was successful, and we’re using innovative technology. I had the privilege of going up to Sudbury, where we announced our partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink, through our ONSAT Program. This will help connect 15,000 premises, particularly in northern Ontario, in rural communities and in remote communities.

We were also able to negotiate additional benefits for Ontarians, and that’s funding for installation, a customer service line, as well as engagement with First Nation communities. In the new year we will be sharing information with Ontarians as to how they can register for this program.

Again, this is a government that shows results and delivers for the people of Ontario. We will make sure that every premise is connected by the end of 2025.

Child care

MPP Jill Andrew: To the Premier: Affordable child care is a game-changer for families. It helps parents, especially women, enter and remain in the workforce, while knowing their kids are well taken care of. It’s critical for single dads, working and middle-class parents, who are also finding it difficult to keep up.

Due to this Conservative government’s faulty child care funding formula, countless parents in my community learned, with little warning, that their daycares, including Curious Caterpillars on College View and many other for-profit providers, will be pulling out of the CWELCC $10-a-day child care program. Michael W., Angel, Melissa, Michael M. and several other parents who have reached out to me say their daycare costs will jump from hundreds per month to thousands per month on January 1, 2025. They can barely afford housing. This is too much.

My question to the Premier: What is the government doing today to help these parents in St. Paul’s who are desperate for $10-a-day child care? Are you going to give it to them?

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

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Speaker, when it comes to child care, our government’s commitment is unwavering. A reliable child care program means a stronger Ontario economy. It means that moms can get back to work, dads can get back to work. It supports our families.

Our new cost-based funding formula, which was informed by extensive consultations with the child care sector, prioritizes a simple and easy-to-administer system that is consistent across the province and is representative of the true costs of operating child care centres.

I can assure the member across that we have been working collaboratively with the federal government. I was in Prince Edward Island two weeks ago as part of the FPT, where the provinces had an opportunity to talk with the federal minister collaboratively about what we can do to assure sustainable funding for the CWELCC program, as well as look at flexibility for parents across the system.

I want to assure all members of the House that our new—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Response.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: —support families in ensuring that they have adequate child care spaces across the province.

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

MPP Jill Andrew: This government is not working for the parents of St. Paul’s who have no daycare for their children.

Wait-lists for subsidized daycare are years long. My families will see their kids in kindergarten before they are accepted into another daycare. Angel is number 17 on a daycare wait-list, with no family in Canada to help them in the meantime. Michael is self-employed and unsure whether he can afford daycare in our area. Sabrina is just trying to survive. Wait-lists are long and there are no spaces available, EarlyON Child and Family Centres have been underfunded for years, and early childhood educators remain underpaid and undervalued by this government—all this, while the Conservative government won’t even keep track of how many child care centres are withdrawing from the $10-a-day program.

My question is back to the Premier. Families in St. Paul’s want affordable child care options, including not-for-profit child care. What is this government doing to increase the availability of non-profit, public child care—or is there interest only in incentivizing for-profit daycares to jump ship and leave the program?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: I know that families not just in St. Paul’s but across Ontario want access to child care spaces and to affordable child care spaces. That’s why we are working with our provincial counterparts and also working with the federal minister, who I actually spoke to yesterday. We are working collaboratively to ensure that we have adequate spaces across the province. That’s why I have asked the minister to be flexible with the ratio so that parents can choose the child care that they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with the federal government collaboratively to ensure that we have adequate spaces and we have sustainable child care spaces across the province.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Toronto–St. Paul’s will come to order. The Minister of Long-Term Care will come to order.

The next question.

Mr. Michael Mantha: Year after year, we try to raise issues with this government in regard to the state of health care across northern Ontario, particularly in Algoma–Manitoulin. Over 42,000 orphaned patients are facing the lack of doctors who are there. It’s a challenge each and every day. Not only is it difficult for them to obtain a doctor, it’s difficult for them to get to the hospital or to the clinic to meet up with a doctor because of the challenges that we have on our roads.

My question is twofold: What is this government doing in regard to getting more doctors in northern Ontario, and what are they doing in order to give them the safe opportunity to get to their destination in order to get the health care that they’re looking for?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll ask the minister to take her seat.

We’ll move on to the next question.

Public safety

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: My question is for the Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform. People in my riding of Brampton West are concerned about the rise in auto theft cases across Ontario. Since 2015, auto theft has risen by 45% nationwide, with Toronto seeing a staggering 328% increase. This alarming surge is a direct result of the federal government’s failure to act on bail reform and their soft-on-crime policies.

Unlike the federal Liberals, our government takes public safety seriously. We’re doing everything in our power to protect the people of this province from auto theft and criminals.

Can the associate minister please outline the measures our government is taking to combat auto theft?

Hon. Graham McGregor: I want to thank the member from Brampton West for raising this serious question. It’s a fact that after nine years of this federal government, crime is on the rise in our communities, not only here in Brampton, but also all the way across Ontario and across our country. A new study from the Fraser Institute shows that the property crime stats are 27.5% higher than in the United States. This is simply unacceptable.

Under the Premier’s leadership, our government is delivering results by investing in local police forces. In Durham region, auto theft is down nearly 10% this year due to this government’s investment in Project Attire. This initiative targets hot spots and disrupts organized crime involved in vehicle theft and resale.

Speaker, we are committed to protecting the property rights of all Ontarians. We hope the federal government will step up and join us in this effort.

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

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: Thank you to the associate minister for the response. My constituents are encouraged to see that our government is taking decisive action to protect the property.

However, Speaker, a critical issue remains: Repeat offenders are out on bail, continuing to commit auto thefts and other crimes. It is clear that we are the only party in this House holding the federal government accountable. That is why Ontarians are looking to our government for leadership. They want to see our government continue to take action that will crack down on repeat offenders.

Can the associate minister update the House on what steps Ontario is taking to ensure repeat offenders are held in custody until their day in court?

Hon. Graham McGregor: It’s frustrating and terrifying for many communities when you see the same repeat violent offenders committing the same offence three, four, five, six, seven, eight different times. We have called for federal Criminal Code reform to our bail system, and we’ve called on the federal government to take reasonable action, including (1) restoring mandatory minimum sentences for gun crime, (2) removing bail availability for offenders charged with serious violent offences and (3) reinstating restrictions on conditional sentences for serious offenders.

Unfortunately, the federal government has not acted on anything in this regard, but our government is stepping up. That’s why our government has introduced legislation to suspend drivers’ licences for those convicted of auto theft, with lifetime bans for repeat offenders, and new penalties for VIN fraud: up to six months in jail and $100,000 fines. We’re also investing $51 million over three years to support police efforts and raise awareness on auto theft prevention.

Ontario, under this government, will always prioritize the safety of law-abiding citizens, ensuring criminals stay behind bars.

Employee ownership

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Time is of the essence. This chamber just heard the Minister of Labour admitting that there’s an early election in the works when he said to the MPP from Windsor West that this is most likely her last Christmas in this House.

So my question is to the Premier. Over the next 10 years, Canada risks losing $2 trillion in investments. Yesterday, I introduced my motion to keep money and jobs in Ontario, the NDP employee ownership strategy. It would promote, encourage and support employee ownership.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce said, “By moving forward with this strategy, we can strengthen our economy and our communities for years to come.” Why would Conservatives vote against a plan endorsed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader will come to order.

The Associate Minister of Small Business.

Hon. Nina Tangri: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. This Premier and this government are committed to continuing to understand the needs of our businesses right across our province. To do so, I’ve been hosting a series of round tables with key sectors right through our province. We’ve engaged with leaders from many different sectors: manufacturing, construction, trades, incubators in technologies, agriculture, tourism, hospitality, as well as retail and personal services, just to name a few.

These engagements created a dedicated forum for me to convene dozens of diverse stakeholders right across all sectors of our economy, helping them build and expand across existing relationships.

These meetings are also providing us with valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities each sector is facing, including succession planning. The feedback we’ve been receiving has been helping shape a small business success strategy that we’re working on diligently. Ontario is going to remain a thriving place for business innovation and continued success today—

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

The supplementary question?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: Back to the Premier: This Conservative government claims to support small businesses and workers, yet today, they are the roadblock. The stats supporting the strategy are clear: Employee owners are 92% wealthier. We can preserve jobs, retain local wealth and support business owners to keep their legacy alive by helping them sell to their honoured employees.

My question is back to the Premier: What possible reason could his government have to vote against employees becoming owners?

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader will come to order.

The Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Hon. David Piccini: There’s nothing to stop that. I appreciate the question from the comrade opposite—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member will withdraw.

Hon. David Piccini: Withdraw.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That was an unparliamentary remark. That’s why I asked you to withdraw, in case you’re wondering.

Start the clock. The minister can reply.

Hon. David Piccini: Thank you, Speaker. It’s Christmas.

But I will say that this government will not support a command economy where government controls the means of production and gets involved in private sector business dealings.

I met with businesses this morning—

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s the Ontario Chamber of Commerce—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for London North Centre will come to order.

The minister may conclude his reply.

Hon. David Piccini: It’s with that passion, that member knows, that that’s how they would control business: in a command economy, where government controls the means of production.

We don’t support that. We create the conditions for jobs, economic opportunity. We’re doing just that in the province of Ontario. We’re not going to get involved in business dealings. We see it all the time where through succession planning, businesses hand the business to their employees. We encourage that through creating competitive—

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

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Ottawa Centre will come to order.

Next question.

Rural economic development

Mr. Brian Saunderson: My question is for the Minister of Rural Affairs. Rural communities like Everett, Lisle, Glencairn, Stayner and Ivy in my riding of Simcoe–Grey are the backbone of Ontario. From small towns to our local farms, they drive our economy and support countless families. But for years, they were overlooked and ignored by the previous Liberal and NDP governments. Many rural areas struggled to attract new businesses, keep young people in their towns and improve local infrastructure.

Our rural communities deserve better. They need programs that create jobs, encourage investment and build a stronger future. That is why our government is committed to supporting rural Ontario and ensuring these areas have the resources they need to thrive.

Can the minister please share how our government is supporting rural economies and ensuring programs like the Rural Economic Development Program are delivering results for our communities?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: I totally agree with the member from Simcoe–Grey, because I remember, in 2011, what inspired me to run was the fact that rural Ontario had lost its voice under the Liberal government. I am so proud to stand here today and share with everyone watching and everyone in the House that under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is shining a spotlight on the vitality and the potential of small-town rural Ontario. With supports that we’re bringing through like the Rural Economic Development Program, there’s so much opportunity.

I think it’s important to recognize that since we formed government, since 2018-19, we’ve invested $27.4 million that actually has seen well over $200 million leveraged in investment to attract business, retain business, attract workforces. There’re so many projects, from revitalization in downtown Belleville through destination strategies, like I’ve seen at Hotel Kenney in Leeds–Grenville–Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. There are amazing projects that I look forward to continuing to talk about in the supplemental.

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

Mr. Brian Saunderson: Thank you to the minister for that answer.

Speaker, rural Ontario is vital to the success of our province. My riding of Simcoe–Grey is home to several vibrant communities that serve as a four-season destination for residents and businesses. All the communities in my riding play an important role in our province’s economic strength. From small businesses to family farms, these communities drive growth and create opportunities, but they also face unique challenges, like attracting investments and supporting local development.

Last week, in my riding, we celebrated a big announcement and saw first-hand how programs like the Rural Economic Development Program can make a real difference. Investments in infrastructure and housing planning services are helpful to strengthen our community and improve the quality of life for all our residents.

Can the minister please share how our government is supporting the city of Collingwood through these important Rural Economic Development Programs?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: The project that the member from Simcoe–Grey just referenced is a perfect example of how our government is partnering with local municipalities to ensure that we’re continuing to grow.

The particular rural economic development project that was announced by the MPP from Lambton–Kent–Middlesex and parliamentary assistant to rural affairs with the member, just last week, demonstrated that we understand the importance of streamlining processes so that housing and building can move forward at an effective pace.

I just want to share a quote from the mayor of Collingwood: This cost-share initiative “is an investment in our community that will ensure a quicker development approval process. This means a more affordable housing supply in Collingwood. Thank you” to the member for Simcoe–Grey “and the Ministry of Rural Affairs, for this funding.”

You know, Speaker, I can’t stress enough how important rural economic development is. Over the span of six short years, we have supported 485 ec dev projects in small-town, rural Ontario. Just this past intake alone, we approved 85 projects—

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

The next question.

Homelessness

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Premier. Ford Conservatives have failed to deliver on housing and as a result, encampments are growing—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll remind the member to refer to other members by their ministerial title or riding name, as applicable.

Back to the member for Parkdale–High Park.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Speaker, the Premier has failed to deliver on housing and, as a result, encampments are growing.

The Premier’s plan is to remove encampments from parks. Let’s say encampments are cleared from parks and, somehow, the Premier manages to stop people from setting up tents again the next day. Shelters are full. There’s a 10-year wait-list for subsidized housing. So the moment the Premier removes people from encampments, where are the people going to end up—subway stations, coffee shops, people’s backyards?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I will ask members to please take their seats.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, do you know what? The member, I think, raises a very important point and really hits the nail on the head. We know that we have to clear encampments. We know that we want our parks back for our children. We want our downtowns and our main streets to be centres of commerce where small businesses can succeed. But we also know that people who are in parks are suffering from mental health and addictions. That is why we are going to ensure tomorrow that we provide additional resources so that we can deal with the challenges that people who are living in tents and parks might be having.

But make no mistake about it, Speaker: We want our parks back, we want them to be safe, we want them to be clean and we want children to return to parks and to have fun. At the same time, we want to ensure that those who need help get the help that they need. Tomorrow, we’ll have some additional answers, some additional resources to do just that.

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order.

Supplementary?

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: People should be able to take their children to their parks, for sure, because people should not be living in the parks. But the reality on the ground is that life is unaffordable. Even people who work full-time cannot afford housing. What about people who can’t find a job? Ontario has the highest unemployment rate in the country right now. People have ended up in parks for a reason. The Premier has failed to provide the basic necessities.

The government has an opportunity today. They can close the rent control exemption and ensure that all tenants are protected under rent control so that they don’t end up in encampment parks. Will you support my bill today?

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

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Look, I agree with the member in the sense that we have to clear out the parks. A park is no place for somebody who is suffering from mental health and addictions to be. A park is for children. A park is where families should go, and people should feel safe in their communities to go to a park. They should feel safe in their communities to go to their downtowns and their main streets. Our business people should not fear having customers come to them.

So, what we’re going to do is this, Mr. Speaker: We’re going to put tools on the table so that our municipal partners and law enforcement can deal with the illegal things that might be happening in encampments. At the same time, before we do that, we’re going to provide additional resources so those who are in encampments can have another place to live, and if they require wraparound services, we’ll have that available to them.

But make no mistake about it: We’re taking back our parks, we’re taking back our streets and we’re delivering a bigger, better—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): That concludes our question period, but I’m going to remind—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Members will take their seats. The member for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas will come to order. The member for Hamilton Mountain will come to order. The member for Toronto–St. Paul’s will come to order.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I believe the member for Parkdale–High Park has a point of order.

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: I missed introducing the parent of our page Ekam Dosanjh, who is page captain today. We are joined by his mom, Margaret Dosanjh. Welcome.

Deferred Votes

Working for Workers Six Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 visant à œuvrer pour les travailleurs, six

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

Bill 229,

An Act to enact the Skilled Trades Week Act, 2024 and to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters / Projet de loi 229, Loi édictant la Loi de 2024 sur la Semaine des métiers spécialisés et modifiant diverses lois relatives à l’emploi et au travail ainsi qu’à d’autres questions.

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

The division bells rang from 1147 to 1152.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): On November 28, 2024, Mr. Piccini moved second reading of Bill 229,

An Act to enact the Skilled Trades Week Act, 2024 and to amend various statutes with respect to employment and labour and other matters.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Begum, Doly

Bell, Jessica

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Blais, Stephen

Bouma, Will

Bourgouin, Guy

Bowman, Stephanie

Brady, Bobbi Ann

Bresee, Ric

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clancy, Aislinn

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Collard, Lucille

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Fedeli, Victor

Fife, Catherine

Flack, Rob

Fraser, John

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hamid, Zee

Hardeman, Ernie

Harden, Joel

Hogarth, Christine

Hsu, Ted

Jama, Sarah

Jones, Sylvia

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Kerzner, Michael S.

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

McGregor, Graham

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Mulroney, Caroline

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Pasma, Chandra

Piccini, David

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rae, Matthew

Rakocevic, Tom

Riddell, Brian

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sarrazin, Stéphane

Sattler, Peggy

Saunderson, Brian

Schreiner, Mike

Shaw, Sandy

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Surma, Kinga

Tabuns, Peter

Tangri, Nina

Taylor, Monique

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Vanthof, John

Wai, Daisy

West, Jamie

Williams, Charmaine A.

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

Yakabuski, John

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 100; the nays are 0.

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to the order of the House dated December 10, 2024, the bill is ordered for third reading.

Support for Seniors and Caregivers Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur le soutien aux personnes âgées et aux fournisseurs de soins

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

Bill 235,

An Act to amend the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 / Projet de loi 235, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2021 sur le redressement des soins de longue durée et la Loi de 2010 sur les maisons de retraite.

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

Interjection: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Same vote? No? I heard a no.

The division bells rang from 1157 to 1158.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): On December 5, 2024, Ms. Kusendova-Bashta moved second reading of Bill 235,

An Act to amend the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and the Retirement Homes Act, 2010.

All those in favour of the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Anand, Deepak

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Begum, Doly

Bell, Jessica

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Blais, Stephen

Bouma, Will

Bourgouin, Guy

Brady, Bobbi Ann

Bresee, Ric

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clancy, Aislinn

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Collard, Lucille

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Fedeli, Victor

Fife, Catherine

Flack, Rob

Fraser, John

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hamid, Zee

Hardeman, Ernie

Harden, Joel

Hogarth, Christine

Hsu, Ted

Jama, Sarah

Jones, Sylvia

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Kerzner, Michael S.

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

McGregor, Graham

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Mulroney, Caroline

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Pasma, Chandra

Piccini, David

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rae, Matthew

Rakocevic, Tom

Riddell, Brian

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sarrazin, Stéphane

Sattler, Peggy

Saunderson, Brian

Schreiner, Mike

Shaw, Sandy

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Surma, Kinga

Tabuns, Peter

Tangri, Nina

Taylor, Monique

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Vanthof, John

Wai, Daisy

West, Jamie

Williams, Charmaine A.

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

Yakabuski, John

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): All those opposed to the motion will please rise one at a time and be recognized by the Clerk.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 98; the nays are 0.

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the bill be ordered for third reading? I heard a no. I look to the minister for a committee referral.

Hon. Natalia Kusendova-Bashta: The Standing Committee on Social Policy.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The bill is therefore referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy.

Employee ownership

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, we have a deferred vote on private member’s notice of motion number 152.

Call in the members. This is a five-minute bell.

Interjections: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I heard a no.

The division bells rang from 1202 to 1203.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): MPP Kernaghan has moved private member’s notice of motion number 152.

All those in favour will please rise and remain standing until recognized by the Clerk.

Ayes

Andrew, Jill

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Begum, Doly

Bell, Jessica

Bourgouin, Guy

Clancy, Aislinn

Fife, Catherine

Gates, Wayne

Gélinas, France

Glover, Chris

Gretzky, Lisa

Harden, Joel

Jama, Sarah

Karpoche, Bhutila

Kernaghan, Terence

Mamakwa, Sol

Mantha, Michael

Pasma, Chandra

Rakocevic, Tom

Sattler, Peggy

Shaw, Sandy

Stevens, Jennifer (Jennie)

Tabuns, Peter

Taylor, Monique

Vanthof, John

West, Jamie

Wong-Tam, Kristyn

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

Nays

Anand, Deepak

Bailey, Robert

Barnes, Patrice

Bethlenfalvy, Peter

Blais, Stephen

Bouma, Will

Brady, Bobbi Ann

Bresee, Ric

Byers, Rick

Calandra, Paul

Cho, Raymond Sung Joon

Cho, Stan

Clark, Steve

Coe, Lorne

Collard, Lucille

Crawford, Stephen

Cuzzetto, Rudy

Dixon, Jess

Dowie, Andrew

Downey, Doug

Dunlop, Jill

Fedeli, Victor

Flack, Rob

Fraser, John

Gallagher Murphy, Dawn

Grewal, Hardeep Singh

Hamid, Zee

Hardeman, Ernie

Hogarth, Christine

Hsu, Ted

Jones, Sylvia

Jones, Trevor

Jordan, John

Kanapathi, Logan

Kerzner, Michael S.

Kusendova-Bashta, Natalia

Leardi, Anthony

Lecce, Stephen

Lumsden, Neil

Martin, Robin

McCarthy, Todd J.

McGregor, Graham

McMahon, Mary-Margaret

Mulroney, Caroline

Pang, Billy

Parsa, Michael

Piccini, David

Pierre, Natalie

Pirie, George

Quinn, Nolan

Rae, Matthew

Riddell, Brian

Romano, Ross

Sabawy, Sheref

Sandhu, Amarjot

Sarkaria, Prabmeet Singh

Sarrazin, Stéphane

Saunderson, Brian

Shamji, Adil

Skelly, Donna

Smith, Dave

Smith, David

Smith, Graydon

Smith, Laura

Surma, Kinga

Tangri, Nina

Thompson, Lisa M.

Tibollo, Michael A.

Triantafilopoulos, Effie J.

Wai, Daisy

Williams, Charmaine A.

Yakabuski, John

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Trevor Day): The ayes are 27; the nays are 72.

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

Motion negatived.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): There being no further business at this time, this House stands in recess until 3 p.m.

The House recessed from 1206 to 1500.

Private members’ notices of motions

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m going to ask for the attention of the House for a moment. As we near the end of this fall meeting period, I’d like to take this opportunity to address a procedural issue which I’ve observed over the course of this Parliament on the subject of private members’ notices of motion.

It is the right of every private member to place notices of motion on the orders and notices paper. There is no limit to the number of motions that may be placed on notice by any one member. However, there are a number of rules governing the orderliness of the motions themselves, some of which are written into the standing orders while others are based on practice and precedent. It may have been some time since members have been advised of these rules, so I’d like to remind everyone of best practices at this time. Fortunately, this House is a body of precedents, which we are able to consult for guidance, as Speakers before me have addressed this very matter on multiple occasions.

It has been well established in this House that all private members’ motions must be worded in such a way that, if they are adopted, they become resolutions or expressions of the opinion of the House. This is achieved by commencing each motion with the words, “That, in the opinion of this House.” Members have been quite diligent in adhering to this formula, and I thank them for that.

Additionally, private members’ motions should not be prefaced by recitals or

preambles. This rule goes back to 1901 and is currently captured in standing order 3, which provides certain guidelines for the broad category of substantive motions, a category that includes private members’ motions. The written rule is connected with the principle that motions should not contain arguments, which are more appropriately expressed in the course of debate.

On April 26, 1999, Speaker Stockwell explained this principle to members in a letter, which he followed with a statement in the House. Speaker Stockwell wrote as follows: “Many motions put on the orders and notices paper are technically out of order because they contain long

preambles and recitals. Most often, these

preambles contain arguments or the justifications for the subsequent resolution; these points anticipate the ensuing debate, and deserve to be raised then, not in the motion itself....

“Ensuring motions are not self-contained debates that precede the main debate they purport to raise is, in my view, in the interests of all members and will make the best use of the time of the House.”

Speaker Carr reiterated this principle in a ruling on October 15, 2001, at page 2,632 of the debates, as follows: “A motion should indicate some succinct, specific opinion that the House agrees to, or some specific action the House agrees should be taken. A motion should not include the arguments as to why an opinion should be adopted, or why a certain action should be taken; those arguments belong in the debate on the motion itself, when members have the opportunity to persuade their colleagues either to accept or reject the proposition.

A simple, argument-free proposal before the House gives the House the best chance to clearly decide, and maximizes the chance that the proposal, being uncluttered by extraneous and possibly irrelevant argument, will find acceptance among a large number of members.”

Rather than containing

preambles and arguments, a motion should simply be a concise statement of resolve on a single issue that the House can easily debate and decide upon. This gives the House the best opportunity to make clear decisions on the questions before it.

It seems that in some instances we have strayed from these principles, as a number of the motions that have come before the House in this session have been quite lengthy, containing justifications and arguments. It is my intention to ensure that our rules and practices will be more carefully observed going forward.

Standing order 15 provides that, “Whenever the Speaker is of the opinion that a motion offered to the House is contrary to the rules and privileges of Parliament, the Speaker shall rule it out of order....” This authority was exercised in 2001, when Speaker Carr identified several private members’ notices of motion that were out of order and directed that they be removed from the orders and notices paper. It is not my desire to take such a strict approach at this time.

However, going forward, I have advised the table that any private members’ notices of motion that do not comply with the rules and practices as outlined today will be inadmissible and shall not be placed on the orders and notices paper. Members would be well advised to consult with the table when drafting motions to ensure that they are in order.

I sincerely thank all members for their co-operation in this matter and for listening to my long speech.

Petitions

Health care

Mr. Ted Hsu: I have a petition today from my constituents in Kingston and the Islands in support of Dr. Elaine Ma, who ran mass vaccination clinics to get thousands and thousands of people vaccinated during COVID. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan decided to audit Dr. Ma and demanded repayment of billings. She appealed to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, which denied her appeal.

The petitioners ask the Premier and the health minister to demonstrate their commitment to Ontario’s health care workers and those who go out of the way to serve and protect us, and to order OHIP to set aside the HSARB decision and to cease demanding repayment of billings.

Land use planning

Mr. Ted Hsu: I have a petition entitled “No Farms, No Food.” These petitioners ask the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately take steps to stop the expropriation of prime agricultural land, and call on the government of Ontario to have a transparent and collaborative conversation with Waterloo region officials and farmers to promote sustainable development in that region.

Orders of the Day

Consideration of Bill 123

Mr. Steve Clark: I seek unanimous consent for the sponsorship of Bill 123,

An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, standing in the name of the member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, to be transferred to the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock and the member for Kitchener South–Hespeler.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Clark is seeking the unanimous consent of the House for the sponsorship of Bill 123,

An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, standing in the name of the member for Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry, to be transferred to the member for Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock and the member for Kitchener South–Hespeler. Agreed? Agreed.

Order of business

Mr. Steve Clark: I seek unanimous consent to move a motion without notice regarding public private members’ public bills.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Clark is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to move a motion without notice regarding private members’ public bills. Agreed? Agreed.

I recognize the government House leader.

Mr. Steve Clark: I move that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House,

That when the order for second reading of Bill 211,

An Act to proclaim Persons Day is called, the Speaker shall put every question necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill without further debate or amendment; and

That, upon receiving the second reading, Bill 211 shall be ordered for third reading, which order may be called the same day; and

That the order of the House dated March 22, 2023, referring Bill 70,

An Act proclaim the month of June as Seniors Month to the Standing Committee on Social Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated March 6, 2024, referring Bill 158,

An Act to proclaim Group of Seven Day, to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated May 30, 2024, referring Bill 118,

An Act to proclaim Injured Workers Day to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated October 4, 2023, referring Bill 123,

An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention and reporting, to the Standing Committee on Social Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated March 19, 2024, referring Bill 167,

An Act to proclaim Orthodox Christian Week, to the Standing Committee on Social Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated May 14, 2024, referring Bill 183,

An Act to proclaim the month of February as Chinese Heritage Month, to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That the order of the House dated November 27, 2024, referring Bill 215,

An Act to proclaim the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month, to the Committee of the Whole House be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading; and

That when the orders for third reading of Bill 66,

An Act to proclaim Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day and Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week; Bill 70,

An Act to proclaim the month of June as Seniors Month; Bill 118,

An Act to proclaim Injured Workers Day; Bill 121,

An Act to enact the Improving Dementia Care in Ontario Act, 2023; Bill 123,

An Act to amend the Education Act with respect to child sexual abuse prevention and reporting; Bill 137,

An Act to proclaim Planning for Your Silver Years Awareness Week; Bill 158,

An Act to proclaim Group of Seven Day; Bill 167,

An Act to proclaim Orthodox Christian Week; Bill 183,

An Act to proclaim the month of February as Chinese Heritage Month; Bill 186,

An Act to limit the liability in respect of agritourism; Bill 211,

An Act to proclaim Persons Day; and Bill 215,

An Act to proclaim the month of September as Ukrainian Heritage Month, are called, 15 minutes shall be allotted to debate on the motion for third reading of each bill, with five minutes allotted for members of His Majesty’s government, five minutes allotted for members of His Majesty’s loyal opposition, and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Clark has moved that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House,

That when the order for second reading of Bill 211,

An Act to proclaim Persons Day is called, the Speaker—

Interjection: Dispense.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Dispense? Dispense.

Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

Motion agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the member for Windsor West.

MPP Lisa Gretzky: I seek unanimous consent that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House, the order of the House dated April 10, 2024, referring Bill 173,

An Act respecting intimate partner violence, to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading, which order shall immediately be called; and

That 15 minutes shall be allotted to debate on the motion for third reading of the bill, with five minutes allotted for members of His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted for members of His Majesty’s government, and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): MPP Gretzky is seeking unanimous consent of the House that, notwithstanding any standing order or special order of the House, the order of the House dated April 10, 2024, referring Bill 173,

An Act respecting intimate partner violence, to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy be discharged and the bill be ordered for third reading, which order shall immediately be called; and

That 15 minutes shall be allotted to debate on the motion for third reading of the bill, with five minutes allotted to members of His Majesty’s loyal opposition, five minutes allotted to members of His Majesty’s government and five minutes allotted to the independent members as a group. Agreed? I heard a no.

Orders of the day.

Heart Valve Disease Awareness Act, 2024 / Loi de 2024 sur la sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire

Mr. Cuzzetto moved third reading of the following bill:

Bill 66,

An Act to proclaim Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day and Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week / Projet de loi 66, Loi proclamant la Journée de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire et la Semaine de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I look to the member to lead off the debate.

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: I’m honoured to rise today to speak on the third reading of Bill 66, the Heart Valve Disease Awareness Act, and I want to thank the members from both sides of the House for their support on this bill through second reading at social policy committee and again here, tonight.

I want to thank the Chair, who is now the government House leader, and the member from Eglinton–Lawrence, for handling clause-by-clause while I was away at the groundbreaking for the new patient-care tower at the Queensway Health Centre.

I also want to thank Ellen Ross and Len Crispino and their team at Heart Valve Voice Canada for all their support, both with Bill 66 and with the free stethoscope check events that were hosted together in Mississauga–Lakeshore and here at Queen’s Park.

And most of all I want to thank all the front-line health care workers, from cardiologists to cardiac surgeons, family doctors and nurse practitioners, for everything they do to care for patients living with heart valve disease and for everything they’re doing to help raise awareness.

In particular, I want to thank the heart valve disease working group at the Canadian Cardiovascular Society for everything they do to help encourage everyone to get a regular stethoscope check, because over one million Canadians are now living with heart valve disease. That includes at least one in 40 Ontarians and at least one in eight seniors over the age of 75. And with Ontario’s aging population, the number of people living with heart valve disease is expected to double by 2040 or triple by 2060.

Fortunately, heart valve disease is a very treatable condition when it’s detected early. Unfortunately, the symptoms are hard to detect, and it is easy to dismiss them as just a normal sign of aging. Fortunately, a simple stethoscope check can detect murmurs and other sounds that can indicate heart valve disease. But unfortunately, only about a quarter of adult Canadians had a stethoscope check in the last year. Speaker, in France, today, over 75% of visits to family doctors include stethoscope checks. We need to do better here in Ontario.

Regular screening is essential and critical to Ontarians at a high risk, including those over the age of 60, those with a family history of heart valve disease and those with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other risk factors for heart disease.

In my case, I was born with a condition called a bicuspid aortic valve, in which the heart’s main artery has only two flaps instead of three. Arnold Schwarzenegger had the same condition. He had his valve replaced in 1997; I had mine replaced 15 years ago, in 2009. My family doctor, Eric Farkas, and later, Linda Sabetti, diagnosed me with a heart murmur. Then a cardiologist in Toronto, Dr. Peter Fountas, confirmed that my bicuspid aortic valve had to be replaced. Dr. Christopher Feindel, one of the top cardiac surgeons in the world, did the surgery, just across the street at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

Again, I want to wish Dr. Feindel the best in his retirement, because I’m living a normal and healthy life because of him.

Since I had my surgery, there has been significant progress on new treatment options. Now, heart valves can be replaced or repaired with only minimally invasive surgery. New valves can be inserted through your artery with just a small incision in the groin. But again, in order to take advantage of this incredible new technology, it is critical to detect heart valve disease early.

In closing, again, I want to thank all the members for their support on Bill 66, and again, I want to encourage here and everyone watching to please get a regular stethoscope check. Listen to your heart. It saved my life; it could save yours. Thank you.

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

Mr. John Fraser: I’d simply like to congratulate the member for Mississauga–Lakeshore for putting this bill forward. I will be supporting it.

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

M me France Gélinas: And I, too, would like to thank the member for bringing this bill forward. The bill is quite simple: It will make sure that more and more Ontarians know about heart valve diseases. It will make sure that on February 22, which will come soon, of each year is proclaimed Heart Valve Disease Awareness Day, an opportunity for each of us to talk more about the need to get your heart checked, and for this particular line of disease, it’s pretty easy. Anybody who’s used a stethoscope before has been trained to listen to those heart murmurs, and then the treatment can begin.

Not only will we have a date February; we will also have the week of the third Monday of September each year that will be proclaimed as Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week, again, an opportunity for more and more people.

Unfortunately, I and the member, we both know people who had heart valve problems. They did not know they had heart valve problems and died suddenly. All of this can be prevented.

Ça me fait extrêmement plaisir d’appuyer le projet de loi pour proclamer la Journée de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire et la Semaine de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire. Le projet de loi est très simple. Le projet de loi proclame le 22 février chaque année comme la Journée de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire et la troisième semaine du mois de septembre—commençant le lundi—de chaque année comme la Semaine de sensibilisation à la cardiopathie valvulaire.

C’est un problème qui affecte beaucoup de gens, et le plus que les gens savent de se faire vérifier, tout simplement avec un stéthoscope, le plus de vies qu’on peut sauver.

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

MPP Wayne Gates: I’d like to thank the member for bringing this bill forward. He talked about having a heart valve replacement. I had my heart valve replaced 19 years ago, and I was lucky it got caught when I had my open-heart surgery, but it was different back then. They cut me from stem to stern, as they used to say, and it was Dr. Chu from Hamilton. I want to say to Dr. Chu, thank you very much for what you did—to the doctors, to Hamilton Health Sciences.

But what’s happened since then—and it’s always why I’ve always been up here talking about early detection, when I talk about the PSA bill—early detection saves lives. By me getting caught early, I was able to end up in Hamilton, got rushed to Hamilton. They check, they go through the groin, and then they open me up. So it’s important for the awareness, and I can’t say enough about getting checked, because when mine was done, like I said, they opened me right up.

But today, because of research and how far they’ve come, they can now either go through your wrist, which is a very small cut; they go through your side now, where they go in; they do it with machines now. It’s incredible what’s gone on, but it’s all about awareness.

All I really wanted to say to all the doctors—I know a lot of people think I don’t have a heart, but they found one. At the end of the day, I want to say to all the doctors and to the nurses in Hamilton—and the other thing I want to say is—and I haven’t said this, I think, publicly before—Dr. Chu, when I went in, I told him I didn’t want to watch all the movies, because I can’t stand blood. I told him, “Just make sure I come out, because it’s close to my birthday.” He worked extra hard on me, because I died on the table, and when I finished my surgery