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November 17, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Nov-17 vol. A (PDF)

L208A - Tue 17 Nov 2020 / Mar 17 nov 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Tuesday 17 November 2020 Mardi 17 novembre 2020

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

Front-line workers

Small business

Long-term care

Long-term care

Pat Saunders

Richard Rohmer

Nuclear energy

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Assistance to flood victims

Affaires francophones

College standards and accreditation

College standards and accreditation

COVID-19 response

Hospital funding

Logement abordable / Affordable housing

Migrant workers

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Government Agencies

Introduction of Bills

Local Choice for Local Elections Act (Ranked Ballot By-Laws), 2020 / Loi de 2020 favorisant la prise de décisions à l’échelle locale (règlements municipaux sur le scrutin préférentiel)

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

COVID-19 response / Réponse à la COVID-19

Private members’ public business

Petitions

Gasoline prices

Community planning

Health care

Emergency management oversight

Community planning

Anti-vaping initiatives for youth

Community planning

Autism treatment

Long-term care

Multiple sclerosis

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. We’ll begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection. Let us pray.

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 / Loi de 2020 sur la protection, le soutien et la relance face à la COVID-19 (mesures budgétaires)

Mr. Phillips moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 229,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes / Projet de loi 229, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter, à modifier ou à abroger diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll look to the Minister of Finance to lead off the debate.

Hon. Rod Phillips: I’ll just inform the House that I’ll be splitting my time with the member from Willowdale.

Mr. Speaker, 12 days ago I stood here in the Legislature and introduced Ontario’s 2020 budget, the next phase of Ontario’s plan: protect, support and recover. Since then, Ontario has seen COVID-19 case numbers shifting rapidly. That is why our government continues to take action to fight COVID-19. This budget and its enabling legislation, the latest phase of our action plan in response to this deadly virus, is how we will do it.

In March of this year I introduced the first phase of Ontario’s action plan. That urgent response was focused on health care and our initial actions to ensure that everyone could be as safe and healthy as possible. Premier Ford made a simple, non-negotiable promise to the people of Ontario: Our government would do whatever it takes to get the province and its people through the pandemic.

Our front-line health care heroes were risking their safety, so we built more capacity at hospitals and other health care facilities. We purchased hundreds of millions of masks, gloves and gowns. We opened assessment centres at hospitals and in communities. We started contact tracing and tracking and introduced our COVID Alert app. In short, we built the capacity to deal with this health care crisis for the initial wave of COVID-19 and for future waves.

In the last nine months we have learned much about this virus and how we can protect ourselves and who is most at risk. We also know about how people and economies will respond based on our experience here at home and experiences in various jurisdictions. We know how lockdowns affect us and the toll that it takes on our regular day-to-day activities.

We conducted the largest consultation process ever undertaken for a budget in Ontario, whether it was hearing from industry experts through our jobs and recovery ministerial advisory councils or through the more than 500 witnesses who appeared at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs or numerous Zoom round tables and town halls where we got to hear from ordinary Ontarians just worried how they would get through the pandemic; we were listening, and this budget responds.

For many people in our province, there is a real worry about whether their jobs, their businesses, their ability to earn a living and support their family will survive the pandemic. But the people of Ontario have shown incredible resilience—what the Premier calls the Ontario spirit. Whenever there is a challenge, the people of Ontario rise to meet it. Small businesses that previously had only brick-and-mortar storefronts have moved their retail operations online, restaurants and bars kept us fed through take-out and patio dining, and the people of Ontario have been there for each other throughout the pandemic.

Throughout this pandemic, the government of Ontario has been there for the people. When small businesses needed support to go online, we provided funding. When restaurants and coffee shops needed help with PPE, we provided grants. When parents needed help with additional costs for their kids going to school virtually, we provided assistance. Our government has proven that it will do whatever it takes to protect and support the people of Ontario.

Our plan is based on three pillars: protect, support and recover. First, we are taking steps to protect people from this deadly virus by increasing our health investments to $15.2 billion. These investments will help us to continue to build capacity, help health care workers, open new and better facilities for testing and tracing, and make sure that we have more beds in hospitals and in long-term-care homes.

Our second pillar is support. We will build on our earlier relief package to a total of $13.5 billion in direct support for families, workers and employees, and an additional $11.3 billion in cash-flow support.

Third, we are removing barriers to recovery and providing $4.8 billion to protect and create jobs now and in the future. This phase of Ontario’s action plan brings our total COVID-19 response to $45 billion over three years.

Nothing is more important than ensuring the health and safety of the people of Ontario. That is why “protect” is the first pillar of our plan. This year, we are dedicating $8.3 billion to support our front-line health care heroes and protect people from COVID-19. Since March, we have created an additional 3,100 hospital beds. With this budget, we invested an additional $572 million into the hospital system to ensure they have the capacity to deal with COVID-19.

We support our robust testing network—the best in the country—with $1.4 billion to continue to ramp up testing and contact tracing at 174 assessment centres, over 200 pharmacies, and 49 community-based sites and mobile testing units. We are leading the country in testing, with over 5.6 million tests completed since March. Over the last eight months, our testing capacity has increased tenfold, and we are not stopping now.

Our government and the Premier have led the charge to call for the federal government to approve and distribute rapid tests so that people can get quicker results. Antigen-based tests are now being ramped up and will be in use soon. This is good news, because rapid testing needs to be widely deployed across Ontario and across Canada.

The fall and winter are dangerous times for sickness, even beyond COVID-19, and so our government has invested $70 million to purchase flu vaccines, the biggest investment the province has ever seen. Make no mistake, Ontario is also working with the federal government and other provincial and territorial partners to plan for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines when they become available. While we’ve all seen promising progress from Pfizer and Moderna, it is also important to remember that a vaccine is still months away and everyone needs to continue to follow public health advice.

We know that the toll of COVID-19 is not just physical. From our most vulnerable to our youth to our front-line health care workers, many people have had to deal with enormous pressures on their mental health. That is why our government invested $176 million this year to help expand access to critical mental health and related services as people deal with the challenges of COVID-19. This investment is part of our overall $3.8-billion support for our mental health and addictions Roadmap to Wellness, a 10-year plan to get our province mentally healthy.

This support will be targeted to communities for things like mobile crisis teams and more supports for children, youth and other vulnerable populations.

We have also invested $270 million for community and public health. Since the pandemic, we have made close to $800 million available to protect our loved ones in long-term-care homes. We know there are staffing challenges and bed shortages, and our government is acting on that. We will invest $1.7 billion to build more beds and to upgrade existing ones. We will move forward to accelerate the building of four facilities for long-term care by 2022, adding 1,280 beds in Mississauga, Ajax and Toronto. By contrast, under the previous government, only 611 new beds were added between 2011 and 2018. That’s less than one bed per home in Ontario over seven long years.

Now we’ve made a historic commitment to ensure not just the quantity of care but improve the quality of care for our loved ones. I’m proud to reiterate that over the next four years, our government will increase direct care for long-term-care residents to an average of four hours per day. We will be the first province in Canada to make good on this important commitment, one that has been called on for many years by our long-term-care partners.

We know that our long-term-care system is complex, and fulfilling this promise will take a lot of work. We know we need to work with staff, health care workers, homes, labour and others in the sector to ensure that issues in the system are resolved. This government is up to the challenge, and I’m pleased to say we have the support of the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association, who said, “[We] support this monumental shift in health care priority. As the professional association for personal support workers in Ontario, we look forward to continuing building on our important work with the Ministry of Long-Term Care to ensure these targets are met.”

Our government is committed to hiring tens of thousands of new staff to help ensure the quality of care over the next four years and beyond, and, as soon as December, we will begin moving forward with a new staffing strategy. Protecting the people of Ontario is our number one goal in this budget as we continue to navigate the first, second and potentially future waves of COVID-19.

We know that COVID-19 has brought severe economic difficulties for families and employers. No one has been left unaffected by this pandemic. That is why “support” is the next pillar of our budget. Our government made the promise to do whatever it took to get people through this, and we are making key investments to deliver on that promise.

Mr. Speaker, I talked about the necessity of taking care of loved ones in our long-term care system, but that’s not the only place we need to ensure dignity and safety for our seniors. They need our support to stay at home, get basic services and stay active. That is why in March, we provided $75 million in relief by doubling the Guaranteed Annual Income System payment for six months. That helped 194,000 of our lowest-income seniors.

We’ve also put $16 million into the Ontario Community Support Program to help deliver 230,000 meals and other essentials to low-income seniors and people with disabilities. We will extend this program into 2021 so deliveries will continue to their homes during the winter months. We will also increase funding to the Seniors Active Living Centres Program by 22%, making our total investment $17 million. This will help seniors stay active, engaged and independent while respecting public health advice.

For many of our seniors and their families, staying in their homes is difficult. It requires improvements such as wheelchair ramps, stability bars and other items to make homes safer and accessible. That is why we are proposing a new Seniors’ Home Safety Tax Credit. This investment will help tens of thousands of seniors stay in the homes they love longer. The tax credit will be worth 25% of up to $10,000 in eligible expenses and will be available to every senior whether they owe taxes or they do not.

It means a senior, or a family with a grandparent living in the home, could receive $2,500 back for a $10,000 renovation to make their home safer or more accessible. Helping our seniors stay in their homes longer is something we should all support.

Our government also knows that parents are being pulled in many directions through this pandemic. Whether kids are in daycare, at home, learning online, in-person, or a mix, every parent in Ontario is feeling the strain of COVID-19. That is why our government is investing $1.3 billion to support the safe reopening of schools—the most robust and comprehensive plan in the country. Our government is also looking to the future, which is why we’re investing $13 billion over 10 years, including $1.4 billion this year and $1.9 billion next year to build new schools and improve existing facilities.

We have heard from parents that getting the resources needed at home and virtually can be costly. For those going in person to school, we know that parents have had to buy new masks, more hand sanitizer and all sorts of expenses, and, for those learning online, we know they’ve needed upgrades to Internet services and computers. That is why we’re once again providing parents and caregivers with a payment of $200 per child under 12 and $250 per child 21 and under with special needs through our Support for Learners program. We know this will help families directly deal with the costs of COVID-19.

Mr. Speaker, I’ve been reflecting on the important conversations that have been happening across our communities about anti-Black racism. Ontario is a place where every person deserves respect and opportunity, the opportunity to be all that they can be. Unfortunately, systemic racism and other forms of hate persist, and that is simply unacceptable. That is why our government is providing an additional $60 million over the next three years, or doubling the base funding of the Black Youth Action Plan. This plan will support community partners in creating programs to empower Black youth to help them move towards economic and career success.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, small business has unleashed their creativity during COVID-19. These anchors of our community employ our neighbours, our family and our friends. COVID-19 has hit them hard, but in Ontario, they have responded with resolve and resilience—the Ontario spirit. That is why we’ve worked with our partners in the federal and municipal governments to support them, and in this budget, we have dedicated $300 million to assist eligible businesses with fixed costs, including property taxes and energy bills.

I am pleased to let the members of this Legislature know that the portal employers can apply for assistance on opened yesterday. Businesses that need support can visit ontario.ca/covidsupport to access these resources. Cheques will begin to flow this month to those businesses that apply.

I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage all members of this House to speak to federal counterparts to encourage the smooth and quick passage of Bill C-9, which is currently being debated in the Senate of Canada. Hopefully, this critical federal assistance will be able to flow soon.

Mr. Speaker, as COVID-19 continues to create challenges, we will continue to be there to support the people of Ontario. We have talked about protecting and supporting people and jobs and the importance of providing help right now, but I don’t want to lose sight of how our actions today can make our future brighter. That is why “recover” is the third pillar of Ontario’s action plan. As we all deal with the day-to-day impacts of COVID-19, it may seem ambitious to talk about recovery. But as I said last week, it is important to be prepared and it is important to have a plan, and a good plan means that we need not only to look at what we need now but what we will need to rebuild our economy.

We need to start working today on the recovery. There are gaps in our workforce and in our system that existed before COVID-19, and they still need to be addressed, so we are not waiting to act. We are protecting and creating jobs now and in the future, with a plan that trains workers, a plan that addresses job-killing electricity rates and regulations, a plan to reduce taxes on jobs, and a plan to connect every home, business and farm in Ontario to broadband.

Mr. Speaker, I know that many of our workers lost their jobs during the initial wave of COVID-19 and that there are many people who are still struggling today. And while we are working to support people and create jobs, we also need to recognize that there are jobs that are in demand in Ontario right now. We need workers to continue to build key infrastructure, like hospitals, and to help run the machinery of our factories, including making PPE, that keep our communities running.

Now is the time to invest in retraining our workers so they can be ready to contribute to the recovery of our province. That is why we are providing an additional $181 million in employment services and training to connect workers, especially those in hospitality and tourism and industries hardest hit by COVID-19, to skilled trades training. This includes $100 million through Employment Ontario skills training. It also includes $60 million to help support workers acquire in-demand skills rapidly to support a faster transition to new jobs.

Our government has an unprecedented skilled trades strategy that relies on breaking the stigma, simplifying the system and encouraging employer participation in training and apprenticeships.

Mr. Speaker, our businesses and economy are asking for very basic, very important things from us during this time. They want to be able to stay in business. They want to be able to pay their staff. They want to be able to continue doing the jobs they’re supposed to do.

One of the ways we can support them is by lowering the costs on things that could stop a company either from coming to Ontario or staying in Ontario. We are fixing this with our comprehensive plan to reduce job-killing electricity prices. The price of electricity for commercial businesses increased by 118% from 2008 to 2019. That’s more than five times the rate of inflation, and that’s too much.

Employers large and small have told us that despite all Ontario has to offer, it simply does not make sense for them to come here or expand their operation, because the cost of electricity is so much higher than in competing jurisdictions. That means lost jobs and lost opportunity for people across our province. Which is why, as part of the 2020 budget, we announced our plan to responsibly wind down these high-cost contracts.

Removing these costs from electricity bills will save industrial and commercial employers 14% and 16% respectively. For a mine in northern Ontario, this means a savings of $270,000 a month or $3.2 million a year. For an automotive parts manufacturer in Mississauga, the savings would be about $32,000 per month or nearly $382,000 annually. And for a small gym in Grimsby, the savings would be about $800 a month or $10,000 a year. It is estimated that these changes will create tens of thousands of new jobs in Ontario.

But don’t just take our word for it; Dennis Darby, CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said, “It is clear that manufacturing jobs are a priority of this government, and we appreciate their continued support.”

As part of our comprehensive plan, Ontario will go from being one of the least competitive jurisdictions for the cost of electricity to one of the most competitive, better than the US average and most of the Great Lakes states we compete with for manufacturing and commercial jobs. This will prepare our province not just for more jobs and growth today, but for a stronger economy in the future.

Helping families and employers grow and prosper means eliminating things that would hinder our growth, and that means eliminating taxes that kill jobs. Back in March, we temporarily increased the employer health tax exemption for a business with up to $1-million payroll. We heard from employers across Ontario that this measure helped them keep workers on the job during COVID-19. That is why we are proposing to make this measure permanent. That means 30,000 businesses will no longer pay this tax, a savings of $360 million in 2021-22. That is important, but we need to do more.

Mr. Speaker, property tax, as you know, is one of the costs that businesses cannot avoid, whether they have a successful year or they don’t. In Ontario, there are a wide range of business education tax rates across the province. This creates an unfair challenge for businesses operating in communities where there is a higher rate. We are acting immediately to reduce these high tax rates by $450 million in 2021. For many employers, this represents a reduction of 30%. It means for a small employer, like a hotel in London, they would save $44,000 annually. Over 200,000 business properties, or 94% of the provincial total, are going to benefit starting January 1.

Among the many people who have been supportive of this initiative have been many municipalities. Lynn Dollin, the mayor of Innisfil, said that she was very pleased to see this tax relief for business. Frank Scarpitti, the mayor of Markham, said that he was pleased with the new investments and resources to fight COVID-19. Cam Guthrie, the mayor of Guelph, was pleased to see targeted tax reductions for businesses. Ed Holder, the mayor of London, said that the budget would bring much-needed relief to businesses in London. John Tory, mayor of Toronto, welcomed the cut to the business education tax rate while ensuring funding for education.

Speaking of Mayor Tory, we have also heard from many municipalities, including Toronto, that they want the flexibility to provide targeted relief to the businesses in their communities that need it most during these tough times. That’s why Premier Ford, Minister Sarkaria, MPP Stan Cho, Mayor Tory and I visited the Khorak Supermarket in Willowdale last week to announce our proposal to empower municipalities with a new tool to provide a property tax reduction for their small businesses. Ontario will match these municipal property tax reductions with further reductions in the education property tax.

This means that small businesses across the province could save as much as $385 million in additional property taxes starting next year. Once again, this is help now and for the future.

Mr. Speaker, these days, a lack of reliable Internet can make it almost impossible to earn a living, get an education, see your doctor or stay in touch with loved ones. We want every home, business and farm in Ontario to have high-speed Internet service. That is why we are topping up our initial investments to our historic Improving Connectivity for Ontario plan. In the next four years, we are committing $680 million to the next phase of our plan, bringing our total commitment to rural broadband expansion to nearly $1 billion.

We will work with private and public partners and other governments to develop more broadband infrastructure and connect those communities that have little to no access right now. I’d like to acknowledge our federal partners for coming to the table following our recent announcement with some additional support to ensure Ontarians are connected.

As Allan Thompson, chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, said, “In 2020, connectivity is a necessity, not a luxury.” We appreciate “the substantial increase in funding ... will help make faster broadband a reality for more rural, northern and remote communities. Today’s announcement is a strong signal that Ontario will not leave” its rural and northern “residents behind.”

As COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty in the global economy, we will continue to provide support now and for our recovery in the future.

As I conclude, I had mentioned a number of quotes from health workers, mayors and business leaders, but these only scratch the surface of groups who believe the budget is right for Ontario. Groups as diverse as the Ontario Registered Practical Nurses Association, the Council of Canadian Innovators, the Ontario Mining Association, the Canadian Credit Union Association, the Ontario Craft Brewers association, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association—the list goes on and on in terms of those who have spoken out in their support for elements of our 2020 budget.

Now is not a time to play politics. Now is a time to work together and put in policies that help the people of Ontario stay safe from COVID-19, get their finances in order and build for a prosperous future. So I’m asking today for the support of all those in the House in terms of supporting this legislation. These measures, and many others that my colleagues will touch on, are important to make sure Ontarians are protected, supported and can recover in the future.

Together, we can protect each other, work together and beat COVID-19. Together, we can recover and prosper.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): At the beginning of his address, the minister did say he’d be sharing his time with the member from Willowdale. So we turn now to the member from Willowdale.

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you for the minister’s comments. Good morning to everybody in the chamber.

It was 237 days ago, on March 25, that I rose in this chamber to speak about Ontario’s 2020 action plan responding to COVID-19. It was tabled a mere 10 days after Premier Ford declared a state of emergency, and it was a critical first step in responding to the double threat we all faced: a health emergency coupled with an economic crisis.

That first urgent response injected $3.3 billion into our health care system, invested $3.7 billion in direct supports for people and businesses, and an additional $10 billion in immediate cash flow for entrepreneurs and job creators.

Seemingly overnight, our world had changed, and it was crucial that this government responded and responded quickly. Over those 237 days, the world has continued to change, and it’s been at, really, a breakneck pace. The science has advanced. Our strategies and tactics to contain the virus have evolved, and we’ve learned from watching and learning from other jurisdictions around the world.

In March, we acted quickly to protect schools and long-term-care homes. We set up assessment centres, ramped up testing, protected workers and renters and brought classrooms and businesses online. We made sure that our front-line heroes had the tools and equipment to keep themselves safe, helped factories retool to protect our supply chains, and ensured Ontarians had the information they needed to protect their families and their communities.

Throughout the spring and the summer, as the pandemic advanced, this government invested a further $11 billion to protect Ontarians and Ontario’s economy. We invested $2.8 billion to prepare for the inevitable second wave, shored up hospital capacity, launched the largest flu-shot campaign in our province’s history and increased our testing and contact-tracing capacity. We kept businesses open as long as it was safe to do so, and when it wasn’t, we ensured that they had the direct support they needed to make ends meet.

A little over a week ago, the Minister of Finance set out the next phase of Ontario’s action plan in the 2021 budget. This budget is not the beginning of our fight; it’s the critical next step in our response to COVID-19. It builds on our investments to protect the health and safety of every Ontarian, and that is and remains from the beginning our number one priority. It also begins to lay the foundation for tomorrow, to look around the corner for Ontario’s economic recovery. It’s a plan that provides as much certainty as possible in the most uncertain times.

It’s a plan that is informed by science, a plan that is informed by public health. It’s a plan that is focused on the necessary steps to stay ahead of the virus, and it’s a plan that is ready to meet the needs of the people and the workforce as they navigate the second wave of COVID-19. We’re looking ahead to reopening our economy in a way that’s flexible and adaptive to these ever-changing circumstances.

Speaker, the last 237 days have moved at warp speed. This pandemic has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, and we’ve all had to adapt. Our homes have become offices; they have become classrooms. We’ve been separated from our families and our friends, and masks have become a permanent accessory.

The government has had to adapt, too. Democracies, some would argue, were not built for speed. In a province this vast, this diverse, with this many government programs, in normal times, it takes months, if not years, to develop and implement. We’ve had to change the way we do government. We’ve had to move at warp speed.

But I want to remind the members of this chamber that we weren’t able to do that alone. The measures in this budget are based on the ideas, the feedback and the first-hand experiences of thousands of organizations—businesses, labour unions, health experts, other governments and individual Ontarians who shared their stories and shared their struggles with all of us. It’s thanks to them that we’ve been able to adapt quickly and effectively to protect Ontarians and get them the support they need.

Since March, our government has held a total of 768 consultations with communities across the province. We’ve heard hundreds of hours of consultations, read thousands of pages of submissions and seen first-hand the effects of this pandemic. Now, the response hasn’t been perfect throughout, but at every turn, this government has listened to Ontarians, acted swiftly and done whatever was necessary to keep them safe and to protect their livelihoods.

Our government has been agile, decisive, and we’ve planned for every contingency. It’s what Ontarians expect, it’s what they deserve, and it’s exactly what our 2021 budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover, does. It takes the actions necessary today by investing $15.2 billion to protect Ontarians and our world-class health care system and $13.5 billion to support people, communities and jobs while, as I said earlier, looking around the corner at what comes next and preparing for Ontario’s recovery through $4.8 billion in new measures to create the conditions for future economic growth.

As we look to that future, we must all recognize that we are, that the world is, in uncharted waters. We’ve seen over the past nine months that nothing is certain. We must be ready for the unknown.

Our plan takes that uncertainty into account also. So before I talk about some of the specific initiatives in Ontario’s action plan, I want to take a moment to highlight the prudence that seems to be so often misunderstood by the members opposite—and I heard a chuckle earlier as I mentioned that prudence. From the beginning of this pandemic, our government has set aside historic contingency and reserve funds. Again, as outlined in the plan before us today, we are setting aside another $4 billion next year and $2 billion the year after that. These are contingencies in a dedicated pandemic fund to ensure that the resources we all need are readily available as long as they are necessary.

I’m sure that all members in this House will agree that we need to continue to have funds available to respond, and respond quickly, to this rapidly changing situation. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that things can change on a dime. I believe it would be arrogant to believe that any of us know what will happen next. So I’m often perplexed, even this morning, when I hear the opposition criticize the government for holding money in reserve.

Just yesterday, one member from the opposition cited the Financial Accountability Officer’s first quarter report and accused the government of “hoarding” $9 billion, money which they erroneously claimed remained unspent. And yet, Speaker, if the members opposite read the budget, they would see that the government has, in the past nine months, been able to use these reserves to provide fast, direct relief where and when it’s needed most.

When the federal government asked Ontario to partner on a commercial rent relief program to help struggling small businesses, the funding was available, and it was available quickly. Why? Because this government had the foresight to be prudent.

When our front-line health care workers needed PPE, the province had funds to purchase 300 million masks, 900 million gloves, 50 million gowns and six million face shields. These were all purchased with the contingency funds set aside to respond to the uncertainty of the global pandemic. In fact, Speaker—I hope the members opposite are listening—the budget shows that 80% of the contingency funds set aside at the beginning of this pandemic have been spent or allocated.

In this budget, we’ve continued to top up these contingency accounts, to set aside historic amounts of prudence, so that we can continue to be agile and adapt, so that we can continue to ensure that no cost is spared to protect the health and safety of Ontarians.

As time goes on, the impacts of COVID-19 will begin to recede, and so will the uncertainty. However, we’ve made sure, as I’ve said and the Minister of Finance has said, that because those times are still navigating through uncharted waters, we will have $4 billion in contingencies available next year and $2 billion available for the year after.

There will be a time, and I hope that time will be soon, when we can once again gather in groups in restaurants. I know I miss many of my local restaurants in Willowdale. I miss many of my local theatres. There will be a time when people will be able to go shop for groceries without a mask, but until that time, we continue to ask the people of this province to remain vigilant and to remain prudent. Our government will do the same.

The people of Ontario trust their government to be good fiscal stewards, even in these extraordinary times, and they deserve transparency about how the government is spending their money, now more than ever. And so, along with the historic levels of prudence, this budget also includes three possible economic scenarios that could impact the trajectory of our recovery from COVID-19. These scenarios will help us plan for the future. They will help us with future spending and future supports, and they will also help us picture what recovery looks like from COVID-19. We must, and we are, hoping for the best, but we are absolutely planning for the worst.

We’ve seen over the summer that jobs continue to return to Ontario, and we all know in this chamber that previous to COVID-19, our province was leading the country in job creation. We’ve seen in our budget the economic indicators that have emerged from COVID-19, like the housing market, household spending and consumer confidence. These are all beginning to tick up. But it’s important that our government doesn’t take anything for granted.

Speaker, I’ve talked about my family story a lot in this chamber, and you haven’t heard the last of it because I’m very proud of my background. But growing up in that little convenience store in Rexdale, Ontario, my parents always taught me the importance of saving for a rainy day. I was nine and I distinctly remember when my dad pulled me aside when the store was busy. He told me that these are the times we put away for a rainy day because, in his words, “You never know what’s coming around the corner.”

No one saw this pandemic coming, but it’s thanks to that fiscal prudence, that restraint, that responsibility shown by this government in our first two years in office that we’ve had the capacity to spend, now that the rainy days are here. Those storms continue to brew, but it is thanks to our fiscal prudence that we are able to adapt, and adapt quickly, to this changing situation.

Speaker, while we know that the spending outlined in this budget is not sustainable, we also know that we must spare no expense to ensure that people continue to get the protection and support they need as this pandemic continues.

Protecting the health and safety of every Ontarian is this government’s number one priority. After years of neglect in our hospital system—this system was running at capacity or near capacity before the pandemic hit Ontario. Hallway health care had become the norm under the previous government, and while our government has been working since we took office to build capacity in a system already stretched thin under normal circumstances, the pandemic has pushed our system to its limits.

The urgent investments this government has been making since the pandemic began will help recruit, train and deploy thousands of new front-line health care workers, purchase much-needed equipment and ensure Ontario is ready for the months ahead. If passed, Ontario’s action plan would invest $2.5 billion in immediate operational funding in our hospital sector, a critical investment which I’m sure all members of this House will endorse.

But, Speaker, never again can Ontario be left unprepared in something as critical as emergency health care services. We all expect it to be there when we need it the most. That’s why our government is also investing $18 billion to expand hospitals and build new ones. Under this government, we will see the first net new hospital in Ontario in nearly 30 years. No longer simply maintaining the status quo, this government is taking real steps to ensure we’re expanding capacity, upgrading health care infrastructure and building a better health care system to get us through this pandemic and beyond.

We’re also making investments to protect Ontario’s seniors and long-term-care residents. Almost a year before the pandemic began, our government created a stand-alone Ministry of Long-Term Care. We recognize the immense task of fixing a long-term-care system that had been ignored for nearly two decades. This budget would see more than $1.75 billion invested in building long-term-care capacity, getting rid of ward-style rooms with four residents to a room and replacing them with modern, private and double-occupancy rooms.

Speaker, the tragedy we’ve seen in Ontario’s long-term-care sector should give us all pause. We can and must do better to care for our vulnerable seniors, and while we’re continuing to provide unprecedented levels of funding, it’s not just about the dollars in. We know that the entire system needs change. That’s why this budget will make a nation-leading commitment of providing four hours of average daily care to every long-term-care resident in Ontario.

The scale of this commitment cannot be overstated. It’s truly a paradigm-shifting change that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and which, unfortunately, will not happen overnight. It will mean revolutionizing the way we do long-term care here in Ontario. It will mean recruiting, hiring and training thousands of new personal support workers. It will mean looking at new models of care, new, innovative technologies and, of course, new funding.

I know that our Minister of Long-Term Care and her team are already hard at work. They’ve been working on a new staffing strategy, carefully considering the advice and early recommendations of the independent commission, like the recommendation to move to four hours of average daily care, and working to build new beds faster.

Speaker, our government will always support those most vulnerable in our communities. I know that in my community of Willowdale, our seniors, and especially low-income seniors, are grappling to cope with the side effects of physical distancing. They worry if it’s safe to see their grandkids or if they’ll be able to continue living in their own home. This is a generation that worked hard to provide a better future, a better Ontario for their children and their grandchildren, and these are the people who are at particular risk of infection and severe illness. Many live alone.

They struggle even under normal circumstances to safely complete daily tasks, to shop for groceries, to travel to see a doctor or simply visit family.

If passed, this budget would also invest $3.1 million in seniors’ active living centres. These will offer remote and virtual programing so that seniors living in the community have support and companionship in the community that they are in. Additionally, this budget, if passed, will have $2 million for a new inclusive community grants program to promote and support healthy and active aging while supporting social engagement of older adults with disabilities.

This plan supports seniors living in long-term care and at home. It provides support for parents to assist with the added costs of learning in this new normal. It supports our important arts and cultural institutions and community organizations, large and small, that make our towns, cities and neighbourhoods so great. It invests in supports for the tourism sector, which has been especially hit hard during this pandemic, and it supports our main street businesses with a coordinated approach, alongside our partners in the federal government, to ensure that no business falls through the cracks.

While I’d like to go on at length about these crucial investments, I want to take a few moments to speak about the budget measures focused on Ontario’s recovery. These are measures that, if passed, would provide immediate relief to businesses in our communities, but also lay the groundwork to make Ontario competitive in the global fight for economic recovery.

One day, and hopefully soon, COVID-19 will be in our rear-view mirror. When that time comes, we must remember that every government in this world will be focused on economic recovery, and it is crucial that Ontario be ready to compete. That means laying the foundation now. That means looking around the corner to see what’s coming. That’s why this budget would invest $4.8 billion to reduce commercial and industrial hydro rates, lower property and payroll taxes and ensure broadband access across the province.

Speaker, I’ve been touring this province recently to speak directly with these job creators, with these small businesses, with the businesses in manufacturing. We heard directly from these businesses. Just last week in Kitchener-Waterloo, in Elmira, we spoke with Krystal Darling, who is the CEO of Tri-Mach, a company which employs hundreds of Ontarians. She had to say that she was very grateful that this budget addressed hydro rates, that it addressed the tax on jobs and the BET, the business education tax, which was inconsistent throughout the province—different levels between different jurisdictions.

That has been unified, and our province has reduced our portion to 0.88%. These are real savings that are going to help companies like Tri-Mach to be able to reinvest into creating more jobs, more prosperity for the great people of Kitchener-Waterloo.

Now is also the time to invest in retraining our workers so that they are ready to contribute to that recovery. Our government would invest an additional $181 million over three years to increase microcredentials, grow employment services and expand training programs.

When we were in Sudbury last week we visited Milman Industries, and I spoke with the owner, Milad. Milad is an incredible success story. It warmed my heart to speak to an individual who in one generation had moved to this country, to this province, with little more than the clothes on his back, and is now able to employ 70 people for the great city of Sudbury.

Speaker, the biggest challenge that Milad told me about was his ability to attract skilled workers. He has the jobs, Speaker. He has the jobs available, good-paying jobs, good careers, but he told me about his struggles to attract people into those jobs. He was grateful that we’ve launched an unprecedented skilled trades strategy, breaking the stigma, simplifying the system and encouraging employer participation in training and apprenticeships. These are real measures that will help industries like Milman, help them create more jobs, to fill those job vacancies that exist.

Taken together, these initiatives will help job seekers, particularly those hit hardest by COVID-19, get the skills they need and help employers access the world-class talent to compete on a global stage.

Of course, that’s not the only businesses we’ve heard from over the last nine months. I’ve met with hundreds of them. I’ve heard from the mom-and-pop shops and family-owned grocery and convenience stores in my riding of Willowdale and throughout this entire province. I’ve heard from farmers, advanced manufacturers, miners, breweries, banks, retailers and automakers in every corner of our province.

These businesses know that they are in a fight for survival. They know that they are competing against what will be a post-pandemic world. They will need that competitive edge, Mr. Speaker, because these businesses, which drive Canada’s economy—well, they’re our jewel. They’re the ones that drive our economy forward, and we know that they are going to be critical if Ontario is going to remain on that competitive edge. That’s why it’s so crucial to make those investments now.

I want to remind the members that this coordinated effort with all levels of government—and, Speaker, from the beginning of this pandemic, I had mentioned how this was indeed not a time for politics, that this was a time to collaborate with all levels of government. All members will know that from the beginning I have said that that collaborated effort has borne fruit.

In our most recent update, the federal government, I’m glad, has listened to our request to provide a tenant-led rent relief program. The federal government agreed to help with the rent, to help with the wage subsidy, and on our end, our Minister of Finance, who worked very hard on this budget, made sure to fill the gaps on the fixed costs. That’s where that $4.8 billion in new funding is going, Mr. Speaker. That’s why, as the feds work on the wages and the rents, we fill the gaps when it comes to helping with hydro, with the business education tax credit, which I’ll remind members gives fairness across the province, as well as the small business property tax rate.

This is a tool for municipalities to help retool their small businesses up and down main street, and our government will match the reductions at that level. If a municipality like Toronto wanted to distinguish that there is indeed a difference between two coffee shops next to each other, one being Starbucks and one being Mom and Dad’s Java, the municipalities now have the authority or the tools to create an additional small business tax class to be able to provide additional support for those mom-and-pop shops, and our province will match the funding there to provide relief.

We also heard from many businesses, from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, who requested that we keep the EHT reductions, the tax on jobs, permanent. Speaker, I’m glad that our government listened, because we went one step further and we actually raised the ceiling from $490,000 on annual wages for a small business to $1 million a year. To be clear, a business now with a payroll of up to $1 million a year, whether that’s 10 employees or 20 employees, will pay no EHT at all. This eliminates that tax on jobs and allows these small businesses to reinvest those savings on tax into creating more jobs.

Best of all, that’s a permanent measure, a competitive edge as we get through our economic recovery.

We also heard from some medium-sized businesses who said that they needed relief when it came to EHT as well, and that’s why businesses with a payroll from $1 million to $5 million a year will have an EHT reduction of 50%. This is tens of thousands of dollars in real relief. I’m sure that up and down and throughout every single one of the members opposite’s ridings, there will be small businesses that welcome these tax reductions, because that is more dollars in their pocket during a time that they absolutely need it.

We’re also making sure that we help with electricity rates for industrial and commercial employers. We know that the hydro in this province has been going up for a very long time. It’s because of bad contracts, terrible contracts, that are signed out till 2040 for energy we don’t need—from the mistakes of the past government, supported by the opposition, that have led to the hydro situation we have today. I wish we had a magic wand that could just undo the mistakes of the past, but we don’t. Ontarians have been paying for the mistakes of past governments when it comes to hydro for a long time.

So this government took decisive action to make sure that that would no longer be the case. These job creators will see a hydro reduction of between 14% and 16%. We know that this is going to provide real relief for businesses.

I heard this direct from Morty’s Pub in the beautiful city of Kitchener. The owners, Jay and Soupy, who sat down with me to have lunch, told me that their hydro was out of control, that they had seen it nearly double in just a decade, and that this meant that they had to make very tough business decisions. Sadly, often the toughest business decisions are made at the expense of jobs. I’m glad to report to the House that Jay and Soupy were thrilled that they were seeing that relief, if passed, of 14% to 16% on their hydro bill.

This, in conjunction with the other supports that have been made available, will save Morty’s tens of thousands of dollars a year, in a time when they told me they really need it the most. Again, Mr. Speaker, these are funds that can go to funding additional jobs.

I remember back to earlier this year, in January, when I was touring the province for our pre-budget consultations. I went to the great riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington and I visited with a company called Dajcor Aluminum. Dajcor had found great success. They were founded before the hydro file became a big mess and they were prospering. They created hundreds of jobs throughout the Chatham and Windsor area. When I met with the owners, they were proud to tell me that they had now expanded their business to the point where they needed to open a second facility.

But sadly, that second facility is not being opened in Ontario; it’s being opened in Kentucky. When I asked the owners of Dajcor, “Why Kentucky, when you found such great success in Ontario?”, they told me simply that the hydro rates were too high.

It’s not unique just to Dajcor. We heard the same from GM, a job creator of thousands in the province of Ontario, many in the great riding of Oshawa. These are the real stories of the businesses throughout this province. So I encourage the members opposite to engage with these sectors, because they are the ones telling us that they welcome this relief. They welcome the relief of 14% to 16% off their hydro bills because it allows them to remain competitive.

I was able to speak with Dajcor and remind the owners, when they expand again, to consider Ontario as the location for their next expansion. Those are the conditions that we need to create. That’s what we mean by laying the foundation for the future, for one day when COVID-19 is behind us and but a distant memory. We will have planted the seeds of that competitive edge so that Ontario can lead the world in job creation. Not investing in the people of Ontario today will cost them tomorrow. So these measures are designed to focus on those very seeds, to make sure that we are planting competitiveness for the future.

While we cannot deny that these are challenging times, we cannot forget that we face them together, that no one is alone. We face these challenges together with our families and our communities, as Team Ontario. We know, Speaker, that it will be hard, and it has been hard, but we will get through this together, because Ontarians are strong, and our government will do everything necessary to protect them.

Speaker, this pandemic has moved very quickly, and this situation has changed not daily, but by the hour. But thanks to the dedication of Ontario’s health officials, our public service and leaders at all three levels of government, we have acted just as quickly. We know that this fight isn’t over, and I call on all members of this House to put partisan differences aside, to work collaboratively, as all levels of government have done throughout this pandemic, to make sure that we are talking about the best possible outcomes for the people of this province.

Speaker, our Premier said it time in and time out: Now is not the time for partisan games; now is the time to band together, to show that true Ontario spirit, to join our collective fight to protect Ontario’s world-class health care system, to support families and businesses and to lay the groundwork for our future economic success. I encourage all members of this Legislature to vote in favour of Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): We now have time for questions and responses.

Mr. Jamie West: Thank you to the members opposite for their debate. The member from Willowdale, earlier on, said nothing is uncertain, we must be ready for the unknown—and so I want to remind him that Ontario has had over 2,000 COVID-19 deaths in long-term care. Two days ago, I read that we have 1,248 new cases and 20 deaths in long-term care. In March, the fiscal plan had a forecast of $4.63 billion for long-term care, and that was the same month that the Premier said, famously, “We’re putting an iron ring of protection around our seniors,” and that no expense would be spared to protect long-term care.

It was also said by the member opposite. Meanwhile, in the city of Sudbury, St. Joe’s hospital has been fighting since July to get N95 PPE; we’re nearly into December.

My question, Speaker: Why is the budget for long-term care $10 billion less than the March forecast?

Mr. Stan Cho: Thanks to the member from Sudbury for the question. I want to remind that member that there’s been a huge amount of new funding for long-term care. So if we’re going to just look to the only measure of success to be the funding, well, it’s unprecedented in our history, with $1.75 billion in new funding, $785 million alone in this latest budget. So I want to remind the member that we have to look outside of funding if indeed the system is broken.

We acknowledge that the system is broken, because it was the members opposite who supported the Liberals when they did nothing to help long-term care: 611 beds built throughout a decade, Mr. Speaker, and we all know that it takes three years—years—to build the infrastructure for those necessary beds. That’s why we have created a stand-alone ministry; that’s why we have dedicated record funding towards that end. No matter what, we will make sure that we protect those residents in our long-term-care system.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Next question?

Mr. Lorne Coe: As we debate the budget bill today, we have 4.6 million seniors in the province, and that represents about 16% of the population in Ontario. This budget, Speaker, as you heard today, has a home renovation tax credit available to seniors. I’d like the member from Willowdale to talk about the projected effect of that particular program on seniors in their day-to-day lives. What type of uptake does he anticipate, as well, with this program?

Mr. Stan Cho: Thank you for the very important question from the member from Whitby. The member is absolutely right. We have to invest in our seniors. They built this country; they built this province. That’s why this budget, along with a series of other measures announced—to the member’s point, a $30-million package to make sure that seniors can make their homes safer, they can make their homes more accessible. I discussed in my remarks some of the ways in which seniors can do this, but there’s a lot of flexibility built into this program.

One thing I didn’t mention in my remarks as well, Mr. Speaker, is that relief, that refund of $2,500—I’d like to remind members that it’s whether you pay taxes or not—that’s available whether a senior owns their home or not. In Willowdale, I’ve got many multi-generational homes. In the great riding of Brampton South, I know there are many multi-generational homes. Even if seniors are living with their kids, that $2,500 will be available to those seniors so they can also make their homes safer and they can do what they wanted to do, which is to age at home.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Next question.

Mr. Joel Harden: The member from Willowdale would like us to relax our critical faculties, I guess, and all band together to support his government without any criticism from this side of the House. I would beg him to remember that our job is actually to ask questions. I’m sorry if that’s uncomfortable for the member, but that’s our job.

I do have a question. The government this year has ordered half the amount of flu vaccines that it did previously. Our vaccination target for seniors in this province is 75%. Dr. Alykhan Abdulla from Ottawa has told me that in his practice, he has a thousand seniors and he has 30 high-dose vaccines to give to them.

So I’m wondering if the member from Willowdale has some advice for Dr. Abdulla: Should he do a raffle for those 30 to figure out which seniors get inoculated during a pandemic for flu? Can he provide a justification for us as to why his government has ordered half the amount of flu vaccines that it did last year, while we’re living in a pandemic?

Mr. Stan Cho: I welcome the challenge from the opposition. That’s what you’re here to do; there’s no question about that. But we need to deal in fact. So when the members opposite talk about contingency funds and sitting on $9 billion, which is factually incorrect, the members opposite need to be challenged on that fact.

Let’s deal in additional facts, Mr. Speaker: record contingency funds for the health and safety of the people that we serve, $8.3 billion. That’s why we were able to respond to the requests of the front-line health care workers very quickly to provide more PPE. That’s why there’s $572 million to support hospitals for costs incurred during the pandemic, including testing assessment centres and lab and medical equipment. That’s why we’re making sure we have the necessary funds during these uncertain times to be able to move to those uncertainties and move quickly in a prudent way to help the people of this province.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Next question.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: I want to take an opportunity to ask the member from Willowdale—he’s done incredible work and delivered the first budget in the middle of a global pandemic. Myself, as the son of two small business owners, and I know the member himself is the son of two small business owners—he did extensive consultation across the province on what supports are needed not just today but to make businesses competitive into the future.

I was wondering if he could update the House and tell us about some of those measures, permanent measures, that he’s implementing through this budget that will make Ontario more competitive, that will put more money into the pockets of hard-working business owners, and allow them to create more opportunities in the province of Ontario.

Mr. Stan Cho: I want to thank the minister for that very important question. Some of these measures that we heard throughout the pandemic from small business owners that were temporary, meant to be only for the pandemic—we heard them request that they remain permanent. We are talking about the reductions in EHT. We all know this is simply a tax on jobs. We not only kept that measure permanent, but we increased the ceiling to which businesses could apply. Now a small business will have an EHT exemption of 100% if their payroll is under $1 million a year.

But we went further, Mr. Speaker, and heard the small business owners throughout Brampton South, throughout Willowdale, throughout Whitby, throughout Burlington, and we heard them say, “What about medium-sized businesses?” So if you have a payroll between $1 million and $5 million, now those businesses receive an EHT reduction of 50% as well as several other supports to make sure we will weather this storm.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The next question.

Ms. Jessica Bell: This government has talked a good talk about building new transit projects, including the four priority transit projects, including the project that is going into the member for Willowdale’s riding. The problem is that when we look at this budget, it shows a cut for transit infrastructure spending for this year from $5.5 billion to $4.7 billion. When you take into account the rounding, that’s a $700-million cut. Investing in transit infrastructure is critical to an economic recovery. So why is this government cutting transit infrastructure spending?

Mr. Stan Cho: I will refer the member to page 183 of the budget, which outlines our line expenditures, which show me investments into transit. We have to remember to include the Safe Restart Agreement, which had $4 billion for municipalities and transit systems. This includes spending into the other programs. I want to encourage members to dive deep into the figures, because the figures actually outline, line by line, those investments into critical transit.

I want to thank the member for mentioning the transit expansion in Willowdale. It is the only riding that I know of that has the dubious distinction of having two transit lines, two subway lines that just dead-end in my riding. So $28.5 billion is going to go—and I’m so happy to say this, I can’t stop smiling—to make sure that that is no longer the case, that Willowdale will see a transit expansion, that we will extend the Yonge North line to the great city of Richmond Hill and extend the Ontario Line so we have a relief line downtown.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): The next question.

Mr. Lorne Coe: Like many members here in the chamber today, we’ve hosted virtual town halls with members of our small business community, but in particular the travel and cultural sectors of my riding have certainly been challenged by the pandemic. I’d like the member from Willowdale to talk about the feature within the Ontario budget that’s going to address some of the challenges within the travel industry, but more importantly, for the broader community.

Mr. Stan Cho: I have limited time to talk about this, but $100 million over two years for the community building fund to support tourism, culture and sport organizations, and one-time emergency funding of $25 million for Ontario’s arts institutions to help cover operating losses. And I can’t wait to talk about the year of the staycation in 2021, when the conditions are safe to do so.

The Acting Speaker (Mr. Percy Hatfield): Thank you. Are we ready for statements? We’re a little bit early, but rather than take a recess.

Second reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Front-line workers

Mr. Gurratan Singh: Kulvir, like many Bramptonians, is an essential worker who lives at home with his wife, his kids and his parents. One day, his dad was complaining about a cough. He was a healthy guy with no underlying health issues, but just to be safe, Kulvir dropped his dad off at the hospital. He didn’t know, but that would be the last time he would ever see his dad. His dad died from COVID-19.

His story is the story of Brampton. We are a city of essential workers who don’t have the privilege to work from home. Is that our fault? We are city of workers who literally risk their lives every day moving our economy in trucking and in factories so that others can work from home. Is that our fault?

Now Bramptonians are being told that we’re to blame for the spread of COVID-19 in our city. Well, are we to blame for the fact that we’re a city of over 600,000 people with only one hospital? Are we to blame for the fact that our health care system is broken, and this Conservative government, just like the Liberals before them, has decided to do nothing? Are we to blame for the fact that this Conservative government has voted no to a 15-student class size cap—and the resulting COVID-19 outbreaks in our schools? Are we to blame for the fact that this Conservative government has abandoned Brampton during a pandemic?

Well, I won’t. I’m going to stand up for Brampton because I love this city. Our city deserves better. We deserve more than one hospital. We deserve a health care system that works. We’re a city of fighters. We’re going to keep on fighting until we get the support that we need so Brampton can beat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Small business

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Last Thursday, Minister Phillips and I had the privilege of hearing directly from small business owners in Niagara West in a virtual town hall organized by three of our local chambers of commerce.

Minister Phillips highlighted how measures in the 2020 Ontario budget are directly helping Niagara’s job creators and across the province by ensuring that we have a strong economy by lowering electricity prices, providing property tax relief, cutting red tape and supporting in-demand trades through training and upgrading skills.

The minister and I heard from several local business owners as they stressed the importance of reducing business education tax rates, supports for new businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs, promoting our local grape and wine industry and addressing Ontario’s job-killing electricity prices.

I am proud to be part of a team, including Premier Doug Ford and the Minister of Finance, who understand the challenges facing job creators. Almost 98% of employer businesses in Canada are small businesses, and Ontario has the highest number of small businesses in the country. Small businesses are the engine of our economy and vital to our recovery from COVID-19 and the future prosperity of our province.

I want to thank Rebecca Shelley, executive director of the Grimsby and District Chamber of Commerce; Anna Murre, executive director of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce; and Denise Potter, executive director of the West Lincoln Chamber of Commerce for hosting last Thursday’s virtual town hall and for all the hard work local chambers do to support small businesses in our region.

Our action plan to protect, support and recover is further proof that our government stands side by side with small business owners in Niagara and across the province.

Long-term care

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Last week we held a town hall on long-term care in Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas, and I want to thank everyone for participating and for sharing your stories and your concerns about what’s happening to the workers and to our residents living in long-term care. I imagine our conversation was very similar to ones that are taking place at kitchen tables across Ontario as people continue to worry about residents and our seniors in long-term care.

We talked about the awful lessons we all learned during the first wave; the shocking Canadian Armed Forces report; the need for full-time, well-paid PSWs; the need to mandate and to fund a minimum of four hours of hands-on care; and evidence that tells us residents in for-profit long-term-care homes are four times more likely to die than those in publicly funded homes. We all agreed that urgent action was needed before we lost more lives.

We listened to the Premier and Minister Fullerton say all the right words while we waited for action, but we now know without a shadow of a doubt that those were empty words, because, instead of action to protect our seniors, the Premier rushed through Bill 218. This is a terrible bill that will protect for-profit long-term-care corporations from any liability or accountability for death during the first wave and now for deaths that are happening in the second wave.

Instead of protection for residents in long-term care, this government is protecting for-profit long-term-care corporations. Instead of an iron ring around our loved ones, the Premier is putting an iron ring around bad operators in long-term care. This is a cold-blooded bill, and the Premier and the Minister of Long-Term Care should be ashamed of themselves.

Long-term care

Mr. Billy Pang: This month I attended Union Villa Long-Term Care’s 50th anniversary celebration. For 50 years, the wonderful facility, staff and volunteers have given outstanding care to their residents through kindness, love and respect. Throughout this pandemic, they continued to find innovative and safe ways to entertain and ensure its residents are connected to their families and community. I want to congratulate Union Villa Long-Term Care for this memorable milestone.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to serve and protect long-term-care residents, staff and visitors. That’s why over the next five years our government is investing $1.75 billion in long-term-care homes, and introduced a redesigned funding model that will help build and modernize care homes and deliver the government’s commitment to creating 30,000 long-term-care beds over 10 years.

To help seniors on long-term-care wait-lists, our government launched the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care program in five communities across the province. This $5-million program will leverage the skills of paramedicine practitioners and provide seniors on the wait-list with access to health care 24/7 and in-home testing procedures.

Mr. Speaker, our seniors built our province, and our government is committed to taking every measure and action possible to support them now and beyond.

Pat Saunders

Miss Monique Taylor: Today I want to recognize Pat Saunders, a trailblazer and long-time community activist in my city of Hamilton. Pat recently celebrated her 90th birthday, and I want to wish her a very happy birthday.

Pat has contributed to more than 60 years of community service in the area of women’s well-being, civic engagement, mental health and heritage. Her list of accomplishments is long. She helped found the first women’s centre and helped create the Women of Distinction Awards. She was a founding member of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Hamilton branch, and helped establish a mental health clinic to serve our community.

She was the first woman chair of the Hamilton-Wentworth Police Services Board, and she is still very active in local history and heritage groups. She has saved historical buildings from demolition and moved the city of Hamilton to better recognize local historical figures.

In 2019, Pat was inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction for her substantial and lasting impact on our city.

On her 90th birthday, Pat wore a T-shirt that read, “The first 90 years of childhood are always the hardest.” That is Pat’s spirit. She is a spitfire.

Happy birthday, Pat. Thank you for all of your hard work that you have done and continue to do to make Hamilton a better place to live for us all. Happy birthday.

Richard Rohmer

M me Lucille Collard: It is my pleasure to rise to honour the long service and courage of Lieutenant General Richard Rohmer, a many-times decorated veteran with decades of service in the Canadian Armed Forces. Having enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force at the age of 18, Lieutenant General Rohmer served as a fighter-reconnaissance pilot during the Second World War. He took

part in the D-Day operation in Normandy and served in Holland, Belgium and Germany, completing a 135-mission tour of operations in November of 1944, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

A lawyer of aviation and commercial litigation—and as far as I know, apparently he still practises—author, historian, raconteur and friend of the royal family, Lieutenant General Rohmer is one of the most highly decorated Canadians ever. He remains an active member of the community, and he also helped to create the veterans memorial here at Queen’s Park. Lieutenant General Rohmer, now 96 years old, continues to be a strong advocate for veterans and faithfully participates each year in Remembrance Day ceremonies.

I wanted to take the time today to recognize the remarkable contributions that he has made to this province, to this country, to our military. Thank you, Lieutenant General Rohmer, for your many years of distinguished service.

Nuclear energy

Ms. Lindsey Park: On Friday, I had the privilege of joining our Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Ontario Power Generation at the Darlington nuclear generating station in Clarington for some very exciting news. OPG announced that they are resuming planning activities to host an on-grid small modular reactor for future nuclear power generation at Darlington.

Speaker, earlier this year, I was pleased to table motion 91 in the Ontario Legislature, a motion to include nuclear energy and the development of small modular reactors as a clean energy option in its environment, climate change and clean energy planning and policies. Friday’s announcement is a step towards that vision, a step towards our clean energy future.

Climate change is a challenge facing us all. This global challenge requires serious solutions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Ontario and across the globe. Nuclear power is one of those solutions. Because of nuclear power, Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world. Nuclear energy is clean energy. Now is the time to commit—and we recognize it—to including clean, reliable nuclear technology in our clean energy future for the next generation in Ontario and around the world.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: It’s a very, very important situation that we’re facing with COVID-19 and the second wave coming up, specifically around long-term-care homes. We have seen that it hasn’t gotten better, and the government lacked the planning for the second wave.

There were many lessons learned in the first wave that we could have adopted; for example, having the right PPE, making sure that every home had access to the PPE that they needed; making sure that PSWs had full-time jobs where they were only able to work in one location so that they wouldn’t be spreading it from place to place; making sure that PSW jobs were a living wage, respecting the work that they did. But not only that—because if we had those things in place, like the Time to Care bill, where we had four hours of direct, hands-on care, we would have saved lives.

Our loved ones, our grandparents who built this province, who raised us, deserve so much better than what’s been happening right now.

It’s true—and the government has known this for a long time; successive governments have known this for so many years—we have not acted when we’re supposed to. Now, we have an opportunity, and the government announced in 2025 that they’re going to have an average of four hours of care. That isn’t what’s needed. From report after report, expert after expert, it needs to be four hours minimum of direct, hands-on care. That’s why I ask this government again to pass my Time to Care bill.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased to rise today about exciting research related to early detection of COVID-19 in waste water. As identified last week in the provincial budget, waste water testing can be a crucial component in preparing for future waves of COVID.

Researchers from Ontario Tech University’s faculty of science are working with the Durham region public health department, the regional works department and other key partners to collect and test dozens of untreated sewage samples weekly from multiple water pollution control plants across Durham.

This waste water monitoring will provide reliable data for potential infections within a particular area—in some cases, between five and 10 days before residents start to show infection symptoms—providing community health officials with new tools to protect the public.

Not only does this research have broad applications across communities, but I understand it can be specifically targeted to long-term-care homes eventually to improve the protection of our seniors. I’m proud to inform the Legislature about this vital work in Durham region led by Ontario Tech University to protect Ontario during this pandemic and potential future ones.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The time for members’ statements has expired.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins on a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Mr. Speaker, as you know, our leader is doing a pre-op medical exam tomorrow, and we’re seeking unanimous consent for opposition day 2 in the name of Ms. Horwath, scheduled to be debated on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, to be rescheduled to be debated today, Tuesday, November 17.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins is seeking the unanimous consent of the House for opposition day 2 in the name of Ms. Horwath, scheduled to be debated on Wednesday, November 18, 2020, to be rescheduled to be debated on Tuesday, November 17, 2020. Agreed? I heard a no.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins on a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Seeing that the government has said no, I seek unanimous consent for the member from Brampton Centre to move the opposition day motion instead of Ms. Horwath on Wednesday.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member from Timmins is seeking unanimous consent of the House to allow the member for Brampton Centre to move the opposition day motion on Wednesday instead of Ms. Horwath. Agreed? I heard a no.

Another point of order?

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I’m just asking the government House leader if we’re expecting the Premier. We may need to stand down our lead.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Once again, I will ask all members not to make explicit reference to the absence of any member of the House for obvious reasons at this time. It’s never in order; it’s especially inappropriate at this time.

But I think I did hear you say you’re seeking unanimous consent of the House to stand down the leads, which is an appropriate thing to seek. Agreed? I heard a no.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. I will call the House to order so that we can commence question period.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier told reporters, “I won’t hesitate to lock things down.” Unfortunately, it seems obvious to everyone—perhaps except for the Premier—that he will hesitate to put recommended public health measures in place even when lives are at stake.

If the Premier meant what he said yesterday, perhaps then he could tell us today exactly what the threshold will be for this lockdown.

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question, Mr. Speaker. All throughout this pandemic, what we do as a team and as a province—we listen to our professional health experts. That’s what we are going to continue to do, listen to the health experts and listen to Dr. Williams and the health team.

When we see the numbers going up as we did, we acted immediately. When we saw numbers potentially hitting 6,500 cases a day, again, we acted immediately. We lowered the threshold, and I know the health experts around the province thanked us for doing that, along with many local mayors right across the regions.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, in fact, on this side of the House, we are siding with doctors and front-line health experts calling for a “circuit breaker” to halt the pandemic spread, and support for small businesses being devastated by the second wave of the pandemic. Sadly, the Premier has decided to gamble with people’s lives, even when his own health experts begged him not to.

At what point will the Premier admit that crushing the virus is, in fact, the best way to protect small businesses and jobs, and offer the financial support that businesses need to survive instead of leaving them on their own?

Hon. Doug Ford: First of all, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t vote against our budgets, supporting small businesses to the tune of billions and billions of dollars, and then come out and say: What are we doing for small businesses? There has never been a more pro small business government ever in the history of this province than this government that we have right here.

Mr. Speaker, throughout the budget that our great finance minister put together, we put a tax reduction that will reduce all BET rates by 0.88%. That equals thousands and thousands of dollars for these small businesses. It will benefit, as a matter of fact, over 200,000 businesses and properties, or 94% of all business properties in Ontario. This represents a reduction of 30% for businesses subject to the highest rates, Mr. Speaker.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I have news for the Premier: A business education tax reduction is not going to matter if you can’t pay your bills and you’re out of business boarding up your front windows and doors.

The Premier needs to realize, however, that there are lives at stake here. It isn’t a time for empty promises and make-believe claims about flattening the curve.

Yesterday, the Chief Medical Officer of Health for this province actually said Ontario could be in the green zone by Christmas, yet the government’s current path actually leaves us racing in exactly the opposite direction.

When will the Premier make crushing the virus the priority, put health measures in place that will actually slow the spread and offer direct, immediate support to businesses to help them survive, which is what they’ve been asking for and still don’t have?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, not only are we lowering the BET, we’re also looking at the EHT, the payroll exemption of about $490,000 to $1 million, which is absolutely huge. This meant 90% of Ontario private sector employers are exempt from paying the EHT. That’s, again, money being put in the pockets of small businesses. We also have $14,500 monthly rent that they could save over a certain period of time—that’s roughly 90% of rent relief.

Mr. Speaker, we have put in billions and billions of dollars, no matter if it’s 65% of the payroll, if it’s 90% with co-operation with the federal government, 90% with rent subsidy. We’re there to help the small businesses. I just wish the Leader of the Opposition would vote for some of these bills that support small businesses than always vote against small businesses and the hard-working people of Ontario.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier, but I think everybody who understands what the EHT is knows that small businesses are not going to benefit, because it’s about businesses with big payrolls, not small businesses. We know what the threshold was, we know what the new threshold is, and it’s really clear that the Premier is trying to make something out of nothing.

But nonetheless, throughout the pandemic the Premier has repeatedly insisted, “You know what I know.” But it’s become even more clear over the last week that that is just not the case. It has not been the case, and it’s become more clear. Yesterday, Toronto’s Board of Health was informed that every member of the provincial table providing public health advice to senior government officials has been made to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

If the Premier wants us all to know what he knows, why is he muzzling people who are advising the government?

Hon. Doug Ford: Going back to businesses from the beginning of this, unfortunately, through COVID, there were 1.1 million jobs that disappeared because of COVID. From June to October, Ontario gained 868,000 more jobs back; 144,000 more manufacturing jobs we’ve regained from June to October. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, we have more manufacturing jobs now than we did pre-pandemic. We’re going to continue supporting the small businesses.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, Her Majesty’s loyal opposition is going to keep asking the Premier to be transparent about the decisions he’s making on COVID-19. Muzzling health experts would be concerning at any time, but it’s especially concerning in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. It is outright dangerous when you have a Premier who has already proven that he will claim he has the support of health experts even when they disagree with him. Will the government stop muzzling these experts, make all recommendations from the COVID-19 tables public today—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize. Stop the clock. The Minister of Education, come to order. The Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, come to order.

Start the clock. The Leader of the Opposition can resume.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Thank you, Speaker. Will the government stop muzzling these experts, make all recommendations from the COVID-19 tables public today and tear up those non-disclosure agreements?

Hon. Doug Ford: I feel it’s very insulting towards our great medical team that’s been working here day in and day out. That being said, there is no government, there is no elected official that has been out there every single day like we have. Our team has been out there at 1 o’clock. If you want to know what’s going on, Mr. Speaker—I’m being transparent—it’s at 1 o’clock that we go out there every single day.

What I don’t accept, someone criticizing me—the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Liberals, they’ve been hiding out like Bonnie and Clyde for the last seven months. That’s what bothers me.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, you know what? That kind of nonsense from the Premier of Ontario in the midst of the global pandemic is nothing less than shameful and irresponsible. He has to answer questions of the official opposition whether he likes it or he doesn’t.

It became tragically clear last week that the Premier will claim that he has the support of medical experts even when those experts disagree with him during a pandemic when people’s lives are at stake. The people of Ontario have a right to know when the Premier is following the best medical advice and when he’s rolling the dice with their health and with their well-being.

How can anyone believe the Premier is following the advice of experts when he’s actually literally muzzling them, preventing them from sharing the advice with the public?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, our government has been completely transparent with the public since this pandemic began with the briefings that we have every day at 1 o’clock where the Premier comes out and answers questions from the media on a whole variety of topics. We also have Dr. Williams coming out two times a week to independently answer questions. All of that is completely independent. People can ask whatever questions they wish to ask. We also have our modelling experts come out.

As to the suggestion that every single member of the pandemic table should be coming out with their views of things one bit at a time, that’s not the way this thing works. What happens is, we receive the recommendations through Dr. Williams. That is something that cabinet then discusses and makes final decisions upon. That is the way any private sector organization or not-for-profit operates. You don’t have all the directors speaking; you have one representative speaking—and that representative is Dr. Williams. We rely on his advice every single time.

Long-term care

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: My question is to the Premier. As outbreaks in long-term care continue to grow faster and larger by the day, the minister continues to pretend that everything is A-okay; their stats show they’ve got everything under control. But while this government downplays how many seniors are getting sick or dying, nearly 250 more residents have already lost their lives in this new wave of outbreaks.

Speaker, the minister and the Premier want a pat on the back for saying things are going better than the first wave, when over 1,800 seniors lost their lives in long-term-care homes, but the cold statistics can’t hide the fact that families are losing their loved ones. The people who have lost their lives are more than just statistics. Their families are devastated.

Why won’t this government act now?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Long-Term Care.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government has been absolutely clear that the top priority is the safety and well-being of residents, staff and loved ones in long-term care; there is no doubt about that. We have put every measure behind that, starting with the urgent and decisive action that we took at the beginning of this pandemic—$243 million to help stabilize the sector, that went out.

Recently, we announced another over half a billion dollars—$540 million—including staffing supports, including dollars for operational specs to improve infection prevention and control.

The list goes on in terms of the dollars that we have resourced our long-term-care sector to support them in their time of need—$40 million to support homes that have been impacted by the changes in the occupancy that we’ve had to address because of ward rooms and the 1972-built homes that were so badly neglected by the previous government and supported by the NDP; and the PPE, getting all of these measures to our long-term-care homes.

We have taken decisive action for the benefit of—

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

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Speaker, I’m asking the Premier. The government’s handling of the first wave was so bad that families of those who died at Orchard Villa, one of the worst-hit homes in the first wave, are now concerned that not only are these homes covering up the number of people who died from COVID-19, but they’re also concerned about deaths that the homes say were from COVID-19—but they believe that they’re really from starvation, dehydration and neglect. This is what the families are saying. That’s what they want to know.

They planned to take Orchard Villa to court in order to get answers, but the government has now changed the law, making it nearly impossible to take for-profit homes to court.

Why are the Premier and the minister still protecting their friends running private, for-profit long-term-care homes? When are they going to do the right thing and just take over all these homes and ensure that this gets sorted out and that this never happens again?

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: Let me be absolutely clear: Individuals and organizations that ignore public health guidance and act with gross negligence or intentional misconduct will not be protected by this legislation. The narrow-targeted civil liability protection in this legislation has only to do with the inadvertent transmission of COVID-19 and nothing else.

This legislation does not protect any other type of negligence that we heard from the opposition in this House or at committee, like if a resident is not given proper medication, or if a long-term-care provider fails to provide the necessities of life, or if a long-term-care operator communicates inadequately with families. Ontarians will continue to be able to file claims and seek justice in the court for all of these matters.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Rick Nicholls: My question is to the Premier: Premier, as we work through the second wave of COVID-19, now more than ever we have to make sure our health care heroes have the access to the critical PPE they need to keep themselves and others safe.

Early in the pandemic our government mobilized our manufacturing sources to make masks, gloves, face shields, hand sanitizer and other supplies we need. This was all able to happen in just a matter of months, not years. The response we’ve received has been incredible and inspiring. Ontario businesses moved fast, they innovated, they adapted, and now it’s time for the government to do the same. We need to be smarter about getting those critical supplies into the hands of the front-line health care heroes.

Premier, you pushed the government to move at the speed of the private sector, and we need to make sure we’re spending tax dollars wisely. When families are shopping, you go to a place, let’s say a Costco, to buy groceries in bulk so you can save money, so, Premier, can you please elaborate further on how our government is ensuring that we are protecting taxpayer money—

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

The Premier to reply.

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you so much. I want to thank the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington for doing a great job. Again, people love him out there. When I go out there it’s absolutely fantastic.

I want to demonstrate to everyone the current situation in Ontario—I used Canadian Tire as a good example. They have 50,000 SKUs, 50,000 different products; they have 65 procurement officers—purchasing agents—compared to Ontario here that has 7,000 purchasing agents. The system’s broken, very simply.

Through the great work of our Minister of Economic Development, he has created a separate organization called Supply Ontario. Supply Ontario is going to centralize procurement, standardize procurement. Rather than going out and buying pens and paper from 10 different locations through distributors, jacking up the price, we’re going to go directly to the source and we’re going to be buying the pens and paper and every other supply that they need in a central procurement system. We’re the first government in the history of this country that’s doing that, municipally, federally or provincially—

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

The supplementary question.

Mr. Rick Nicholls: Premier, that is absolutely great news, to hear that. This new initiative will ensure that it is easier for businesses of all sizes to work with the government of Ontario. From the mom-and-pop shops to the larger companies, our government wants to purchase and promote more Ontario-made products. Premier, thanks to your leadership, Ontario is once again a manufacturing leader in the country and in North America.

Our industries and local manufacturers have proven time and time again during this pandemic they can make anything happen. Ontario-made products are second to none in quality and excellence. With these investments and today’s announcement, we are making sure that Ontario will never ever be left at the mercy of other countries and leaders when it comes to the critical supplies that we need.

Can the Premier please share with my constituents and all Ontarians about our government’s efforts to ensure that manufacturing jobs are coming back to Ontario, especially as it relates to PPE?

Hon. Doug Ford: I thank the member there. I’m so excited to announce that we signed a contract with a company called PRIMED. PRIMED is going to make 50 million surgical masks, which is amazing. And it’s amazing for the people of Cambridge. Congratulations, Cambridge, for attracting such a great company, to see them expand.

Not only PRIMED, but, as you remember, Mr. Speaker, we signed a great deal with 3M over in Brockville, again, to produce millions and millions of N95 respirators, which is great, great news. We also want to thank Linamar and O-Two Medical Technologies for investing in ventilators.

Now we don’t have to rely on anyone; we’re under no one’s thumbs. We can manufacture anything here in Ontario. We’re doing that. We’re going to be self-sufficient. Not only are we going to supply Ontario, we’re going to supply the rest of the country when they need PPE.

COVID-19 response

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre. Ontario hospitals are struggling with a tidal wave of COVID patients, and cases continue to spike every single day. The strain on our system caused by the government’s chronic underfunding and slow adoption of public health recommendations will have a lifelong impact on children awaiting pediatric surgery. At SickKids, two thirds of the children waiting for surgery are now outside of the developmental window for when their surgery should have been performed.

The government refused to listen to advice, and now COVID cases are surging in our hospitals and 4,750 children are languishing on surgical wait-lists. Why did the government refuse to listen to the best medical advice from our hospitals?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. This is a really important topic. But we have been listening to the experts. In fact, continuing with the surgeries and procedures that were postponed during wave 1 is part of our fall preparedness plan. We want to make sure that even as we’re dealing with increases in cases of COVID-19 and dealing with the flu season, we can continue with those surgeries and procedures.

It is particularly concerning with respect to children. I have been involved in several conversations with the children’s hospitals and with parents of some of those children who are very concerned that these procedures need to go on so that their children can continue to develop, continue with their normal development and, in some cases, be able to walk with some of the supports they’re receiving. This is something that is particularly important to us and one of the key parts of our fall preparedness plan that we need to keep moving so that these children get the support they need.

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

M me France Gélinas: The disturbing pattern of increased cases has only made the situation in our hospitals more desperate. It should never have come to this.

By adopting recommendations from our hospitals early and making proactive investments, this exponential spread could all have been avoided and these children could have gotten the surgeries they need. As Dr. Kelley said, children with scoliosis, cleft palate, hip dysplasia and limb deficiencies are losing developmental ground they will not be able to make up.

Make no mistake, Speaker: Once the window is gone, it never comes back. But the government has prioritized businesses over the health of sick Ontario children. Why do doctors and public health experts in our hospitals have to beg for help from this government?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say to the member opposite, through you, Mr. Speaker, that it’s absolutely to the contrary. The health and well-being of all Ontarians, particularly our children, is our top priority, full stop. We want to make sure that everybody gets the help they need, and we know through discussions with the Hospital for Sick Children, CHEO and others that there are many procedures for children that need to be advanced.

That is why we have created additional capacity in our hospitals. We’ve added more than 3,000 new hospital beds since the beginning of this pandemic to be able to handle the additional capacity, and that, of course, includes in our children’s hospitals: CHEO, the Hospital for Sick Children, McMaster. All the hospitals that are providing support to children are getting the resources and the help they need, because health is our number one priority and we need to make sure that all of these children get the support they need right now, because it’s key to their development.

Assistance to flood victims

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Good morning, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. After Hurricane Hazel claimed 81 lives, destroyed nearly 2,000 homes and cost us $1.3 billion in 1954 dollars, Ontario strengthened the mandate for conservation authorities to protect us from flooding. Their work has been a huge success. A resident in the Grand River watershed pays just $2.81 per year to protect their lives and property from flood damage. It’s a bargain, especially when you consider that the average cost of cleaning up a basement flood is $43,000.

Speaker, one of the tragic lessons we’ve learned from COVID is that failing to listen to scientists can have catastrophic consequences, so I ask, why is the Premier risking people’s lives and billions of dollars in property damage by gutting the non-partisan, science-based expertise conservation authorities—

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

The government House leader to reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I completely disagree with the member opposite. In fact, the proposed legislation does just the opposite. It refocuses the conservation authorities on their core mandate, on, as the member opposite mentioned, flood mitigation. That’s what is very, very important. It changes the composition of the boards of conservation authorities to ensure that elected officials are part of those boards. It goes a little bit further than that. It ensures there are representatives of the agricultural community on that.

I agree with the honourable gentleman: The conservation authorities do have an important role to play, and that role is flood mitigation. This legislation will redouble their efforts on that while making it more accountable to the people.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, with all due respect to that answer, I would suggest that the government House leader actually read the legislation, because what it does is it takes the power of conservation authorities to make science- and evidence-based decisions and puts it in the hands of the minister to make politically based decisions that can put development in the wrong place.

Here’s the bottom line, Speaker, and this something I really believe the government needs to understand: When you allow development to happen in the wrong places, it can have catastrophic consequences. When you pave over wetlands and green space, there is no place for floodwater to go. It can only go into our streets. It can only go to places that damage our infrastructure. It floods people’s basements.

The Premier says, “Call me if you have a problem.” So if your basement is flooded, can people call the Premier and ask for the $43,000 to clean up the mess this decision—

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: One would wonder, if the conservation authorities were doing such a good job, why there are flooded basements at all across the province of Ontario. What the member talks about is completely wrong. What we’re doing is strengthening conservation authorities to do exactly what he says: to bring it back to its core mandate, Mr. Speaker.

Now, I know that—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Leader of the Opposition, come to order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: —the opposition are opposed to accountability, and that’s why they are against the changes that we’re proposing on the conservation authorities, by making sure that elected officials are—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I know that they’re not in favour of enhancing the roles of agricultural communities when it comes to conservation. We believe just the opposite. That’s why this legislation does that.

But I agree with the honourable gentleman: For far too long, our conservation authorities have strayed from their mandate. That’s why we have flooding in basements. That’s why the people of Mississauga have had to endure so many challenges. This legislation brings us back to the original mandate while making it more responsible to elected officials.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Could you please stop the clock for a second? We’ve got about halfway to go. I think the people of Ontario would expect a certain standard of professionalism and decorum in the House today.

Start the clock. The next question.

Affaires francophones

M. Sam Oosterhoff: Ma question s’adresse à la ministre des Affaires francophones.

La pandémie a été particulièrement difficile pour les organismes à but non lucratif francophones, qui offrent des services essentiels à leur communauté. Qu’est-ce que le gouvernement a fait pour répondre aux besoins des organismes à but non lucratif francophones?

L’hon. Caroline Mulroney: Je remercie mon collègue pour sa question. Dès le début de la pandémie, j’ai établi un conseil consultatif sur la relance économique francophone afin de comprendre et de répondre aux besoins de la communauté francophone. Nous avons répondu à la recommandation première du comité, soit d’investir 500 000 $ dans la création d’un réseau économique francophone et dans une campagne de promotion de produits et de services franco-ontariens.

J’étais fière d’obtenir l’appui de Glenn O’Farrell, conseiller spécial en développement économique francophone pour ces projets. Il a déclaré : « Cette mesure concrète du gouvernement répond aux besoins clairement exprimés lors des consultations de la ministre. Les entrepreneurs et le milieu des affaires francophones de l’Ontario tireront certainement parti de ces deux initiatives complémentaires qui contribueront à renforcer l’avantage économique que représente la francophonie de l’Ontario. »

Monsieur le Président, dans le cadre du budget 2020, nous avons annoncé un investissement de 2 millions de dollars pour un fonds de secours pour les organismes—

Le Président (L’hon. Ted Arnott): Merci.

The supplementary question.

M. Sam Oosterhoff: Merci pour cette réponse. Je remercie la ministre pour tout son travail au soutien de la communauté francophone. Peut-elle expliquer aux députés ci-présents comment elle travaille directement avec les communautés franco-ontariennes pour répondre à leurs besoins importants?

L’hon. Caroline Mulroney: Je remercie mon collègue encore une fois pour sa question.

Dans le cadre du budget 2020, nous avons mis sur place un nouveau groupe de travail unissant le ministère des Affaires francophones et l’Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario afin de maximiser l’aide aux organismes à travers les différents programmes gouvernementaux qui existent déjà.

Sur ce nouveau groupe de travail, Carol Jolin, le président de l’AFO, a déclaré : « Je suis heureux que le gouvernement de l’Ontario, et plus particulièrement la ministre des Affaires francophones, nous ait entendus et souhaite poursuivre la discussion au sein du groupe de travail. »

Monsieur le Président, nous avons également mis en place plusieurs recommandations du conseil consultatif lors du budget pour répondre aux besoins et aux aspirations des francophones : notamment, un investissement de 680 millions de dollars dans l’amélioration du service Internet à large bande, un investissement de 59,5 millions de dollars dans une stratégie de micro-crédit en relation avec les métiers spécialisés et un financement d’urgence en arts et en culture de 25 millions de dollars.

College standards and accreditation

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: My question is to the Premier. Mr. Speaker, Ontarians are outraged that the Premier’s long-time political supporter Charles McVety is getting a new university from this government. It’s a strange coincidence that in the PC race just over two years ago, the Premier used Canada Christian College as a voter booth for his party leadership. The Premier tweeted for his supporters to go to the college to vote for him, following weeks of campaigning for him by Charles McVety, but strangely, neither the college nor the Premier himself have claimed this on their charity returns or on the leadership campaign expenses.

Ontarians deserve to know why this government, in the middle of a pandemic, has prioritized legislation to give Charles McVety a degree-granting university. Did the Premier insert this

section in the bill as payback for Charles McVety’s support in his leadership race—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): —imputing motive, and I would caution the member: You can’t impute motive. It was raised as a question.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities to reply.

Hon. Ross Romano: The answer is simple, Mr. Speaker: There are three universities or colleges that are seeking university status in the legislation that is presently before this House, presently being debated. All of those institutions are moving forward in a process.

The institution that has been referenced here is in the midst of the process, which is—as I’ve explained numerous times in this House and will continue to explain—part of a process that we have put together to ensure the most transparent and accountable way of ensuring that we follow the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees that every individual has the right to life, liberty and security of the person, and not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.

Mr. Speaker, every person has the right to be equal before and under the law, and they have the benefit of equal protection and equal benefits under the law without discrimination. We have a fair, transparent process, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: Upholding election law is fundamental to our roles as legislators. Elections Ontario rules are clear that the Premier’s renting of space at the college should have been recorded as an expense, but no one can find that kind of an expense anywhere.

This legislation would give Charles McVety an even bigger platform to spew his hatred, bigotry and intolerance, and Ontarians remain committed to ensuring that we uphold people’s human rights. They are reaching out to me, asking, “Why is this prioritized in this legislation?”

So far, the Premier has sat silent while Charles McVety took nearly a million dollars in loans from the college, and he has nothing to say about Charles McVety’s hateful rhetoric or intolerance. So will the Premier finally speak up and tell Ontarians whether Bill 213 is a reward for Mr. McVety or if Bill 213 is actually supposed to be there to help small businesses?

Hon. Ross Romano: As we indicated—and will indicate time and time again—this bill is about reducing red tape. This is about something that we’ve done in the past and we will continue to do moving forward. We have created a system for obtaining this type of status that is clear. It is transparent. It is accountable. It follows the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

We have continually spoken about this, and we have continually indicated that we are creating the most fair and transparent process. We took a ministerial consent process and we made it entirely independent and reviewed by an independent body.

We have legislation which is here in this House that is being debated openly in this House—transparently, Mr. Speaker. Why does the opposition—all members of the opposition—continually ask us to interfere with an independent process? It’s illegal, Mr. Speaker. You can’t interfere with independent processes.

College standards and accreditation

Mr. John Fraser: My question is for the Premier.

I had a question about the flu shot, but all week long, I’ve been—last week, when I was back home in my riding—thinking about one thing: There are thousands of Muslim families who live in my riding, thousands of Muslim children who go to Ontario’s publicly funded schools. There are more than 600,000 Muslims in Ontario. Many of them live here in Toronto—in your riding, Premier, as well—thousands of children in school. Charles McVety, amongst the other hateful things that he has said about the Muslim faith, has said that it’s not a faith, that it’s a hostile takeover. What he’s saying to those children and to those families is, “Your faith is a threat.” I can’t think of anything worse.

So Premier, through the Speaker to you, can you stand up today and disavow yourself of that statement that Charles McVety made? I need you to stand up—Ontario’s Muslims need you to stand up and say that.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I remind all members to make their comments through the Chair. Please make your comments through the Chair.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities to respond.

Hon. Ross Romano: Again, to the member opposite, to all the members of the opposition: It is impossible to interfere with an independent process. I know they have no respect for the charter; they demonstrate that over and over again. On this side of the House, we believe in the values of the charter. We believe in the values of fundamental justice. We believe in process, Mr. Speaker—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The official opposition will come to order and allow the minister to respond.

The Minister of Colleges and Universities.

Hon. Ross Romano: As the member from Hamilton Centre, I believe, indicated, there is a licensing process, and when any individual applies for a licence or a designation of this nature, they have the right to make that application. The application, under ministerial consent, goes directly to the independent reviewing body. We have no influence. We have no part to play in it. That application goes directly to that body. What would the opposition have me do? Hack the computer systems? I’m not sure what they think we can do. There is no basis to interfere with—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Supplementary question.

Mr. John Fraser: That was disappointing.

I’ll try to put it another way. In this building, in this room, there are people of the Muslim faith. They work all the way through government, in hospitals, in long-term-care homes, all across this province. Charles McVety has said that their faith is a threat. He’s getting a special deal. There’s no question about that. We know that. It’s evident. Members are uncomfortable all over this House. I can see it in their faces. This can’t continue.

Leadership means sometimes you stand up and say, “We’re going this way,” and then everybody else has to follow. So what we need is for the Premier to stand up today and say, “I am instructing my House leader to remove

schedule 2 from Bill 213,” and put an end to this debacle.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the Liberal member—he can play politics and bring in the Muslim community. What he hasn’t done that I have done, our family has done—we brought a young Muslim boy into our family, who lived with us for 10 years—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I apologize to the Premier. I have to interrupt.

I’m asking the official opposition to come to order. The clock is ticking.

The Premier has the floor to respond.

Hon. Doug Ford: I call Mohsine my Muslim brother, who I shared a room with, I shared my clothes with, I shared my food with for 10 years. That’s what you don’t understand. You’re playing politics. I don’t play politics. I support the Muslim community unequivocally, 1,000%—no arguments.

Interjection.

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

The member for Ottawa Centre will withdraw his unparliamentary comment.

Mr. Joel Harden: I can’t withdraw, Speaker. This man is supporting a bigot.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I will give the member for Ottawa Centre one more opportunity to withdraw his unparliamentary comment.

Mr. Joel Harden: Withdraw, Speaker.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. The government House leader will come to order. The member for Ottawa Centre withdrew the comment.

Restart the clock. The next question.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Jane McKenna: My question is to the Minister of Government and Consumer Services. In response to COVID-19, Ontario’s inventory of PPE and other critical supplies is strong, but it did not get that way overnight. At the start of the pandemic, we discovered the existing fragmented supply chain system put us in a precarious position. We didn’t have guaranteed access to the products we needed.

But our government quickly adapted and in a cross-government effort, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services worked with Sol Gen to get masks to firefighters, with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to supply the food industry, with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to get med students N95s, and with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to meet the needs of women’s shelters. The list goes on and on.

On Monday, MGCS announced the next step in our coordinated effort to shore up our supply chain and ensure we are never left with low quantities again. Can the Minister of Government and Consumer Services explain how our new supply chain agency, Supply Ontario, will ensure that we have stable access to critical supplies?

Hon. Lisa M. Thompson: Thank you to the member for Burlington for this very important question, because I want to recognize the efforts of our ministries, which have worked so well together to ensure that we modernized a fragmented system that had thousands of entities purchasing. Now, through our leadership, our government—Ontario—is going to buy as one.

In short, Supply Ontario will lead by example when it comes to supply management. We will manage inventory to ensure that we have the supply that meets our demand from sector to sector, ultimately ensuring that we have the resources to keep Ontarians safe and secure.

It will leverage, also, the experience that we have of the businesses that stepped up during the pandemic and answered the Premier’s call. We also had hundreds of consultations, whereby people wanted to be involved in this modernized appro