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March 22, 2021

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Mar-22 (PDF)

L236 - Mon 22 Mar 2021 / Lun 22 mar 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 22 March 2021 Lundi 22 mars 2021

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

Private Members’ Public Business

Awenen Niin Act (Who Am

I) Respecting Identity Documents, 2021 / Loi Awenen Niin (Qui suis-je) de 2021 concernant les pièces d’identité

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Municipal taxation

Water quality

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

COVID-19 response

Journée internationale de la Francophonie

Nowruz

COVID-19 response

University and college funding

Oakville Hospital Foundation / Lighthouse program

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

COVID-19 immunization

COVID-19 response

Affaires francophones

COVID-19 response

Education funding

Mental health and addiction services

Member’s comments

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Hydro rates

COVID-19 immunization

Mental health and addiction services

Deferred Votes

Protecting Ontario Elections Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la protection des élections en Ontario

Legislative reform

Tenant protection

Awenen Niin Act (Who Am

I) Respecting Identity Documents, 2021 / Loi Awenen Niin (Qui suis-je) de 2021 concernant les pièces d’identité

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on General Government

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Introduction of Bills

Whittrick N D T Services Ltd. Act, 2021

2560462 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2021

Petitions

Long-term care

Consumer protection

Internet access

Long-term care

Consumer protection

Multiple sclerosis

Land use planning

Anti-smoking initiatives for youth

Land use planning

Public sector compensation

Documents gouvernementaux

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Private members’ public business

Legislative reform

The House met at 0900.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Good morning. We’re going to begin this morning with a moment of silence for inner thought and personal reflection.

Prayers.

Report, Financial Accountability Officer

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that during the adjournment, the following document has been tabled: a report entitled the Cost of Subsidizing Green Energy Contracts for Industrial and Large Commercial Ratepayers, from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario.

Private Members’ Public Business

Awenen Niin Act (Who Am

I) Respecting Identity Documents, 2021 / Loi Awenen Niin (Qui suis-je) de 2021 concernant les pièces d’identité

Ms. Monteith-Farrell moved second reading of the following bill:

Bill 256,

An Act to amend the Photo Card Act, 2008 and the Vital Statistics Act respecting access to identification documents / Projet de loi 256, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2008 sur les cartes-photo et la

Loi sur les statistiques de l’état civil en ce qui concerne l’accès aux pièces d’identité.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pursuant to standing order 101, the member has 12 minutes for her presentation.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I want to begin by thanking all the health and front-line workers of Thunder Bay–Atikokan and throughout northwestern Ontario. Right now, Thunder Bay is in a crisis because of a pandemic, and I would remiss if I did not do this before I speak to my bill today. We absolutely need for Thunder Bay to be declared a COVID-19 hot spot. Equitable recovery is a goal we all have, and this bill is about equity.

The bill’s name is in honour of the work done by Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic and their ID clinic in Thunder Bay. It will amend “the Photo Card Act, 2008, to provide that no fee shall be charged to an applicant for a photo card. The bill also amends the Vital Statistics Act to provide that no fee shall be charged in connection with registering a birth, adding to or changing a birth registration, having a search made for the registration of a birth or obtaining a birth certificate. No fee shall be charged in connection with obtaining a certified copy of a registration of birth, change of name, death or still-birth.

“The Vital Statistics Act is also amended to require the Minister of Government and Consumer Services to establish an advisory committee. The committee’s mandate is to make recommendations to end systemic procedural and systemic barriers to obtaining personal identification documents in Ontario. The committee is required to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including, at minimum, the stakeholders specified in the bill. The committee is required to report its recommendations to the minister. The minister is required to inform the assembly of the recommendations the minister will implement.”

This bill, if passed, would allow access to the information that people require in order to participate in programs and services in this province and of their rights to status under the Indian Act. Without this documentation the roadblocks are daunting, with bureaucratic red tape and fees.

I went into politics because after years of advocating for individuals, I realized that making things better involves changing the systems. The problems with this process became clear when I became an MPP. For those who cannot afford fees, they become a daunting obstacle and yet another way the systems in place let them down and block their way to prospering in this province.

Past governments have acknowledged that these fees are a barrier, especially to those with fewer financial resources. In response, they put in place complicated service systems and grant programs to legal aid clinics, shelters and other community groups to access money to pay the fees. That approach needs to be recognized as a barrier in itself. These service systems and supports do not exist in all communities and their limited funding is coming to an end, and many don’t know that these helps even exist.

In my own riding, the Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic has an ID clinic. People working in the clinic have told me that many of their clients who face barriers are Indigenous people who lack access to social services. Mr. Speaker, user fees like these prevent already marginalized groups with limited financial resources from getting something as simple as identification. Forcing them to seek it through intermediaries only reduces their ability to live independently and with dignity.

The average cost to obtain one of these identifications ranges from $25 to $75. While this may seem like a small sum, it is a prohibitive expense for many who are barely getting by, who rely on social services and have a low income. For example, a resident in my riding is an avid volunteer in her community. She struggles with MS and has difficulty moving without assistance. A few weeks ago, she was robbed and all her identification was stolen. The cost to replace her ID was beyond what her ODSP cheque for the month would cover after she finished subtracting her monthly expenses.

To make matters worse, the ODSP system she relied on for support denied her request for funding assistance to help her cover the costs of replacing her stolen identification. While she was fortunate enough to receive financial and legal assistance from Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic, the fact of the matter is it would have been much easier for her to obtain the ID herself at no cost.

The small amount of revenue these fees generate for the provincial government have a much bigger impact on the lives of those already in difficult circumstances. It would be a clear benefit to Ontarians to see them waived. They force people living at their means to make difficult choices. As John Pateman, the chief librarian of the Thunder Bay Public Library, told me in his letter of support, “If one had to chose between obtaining and paying for ID or ensuring that a hot lunch is provided for your children, what would you choose?”

Two stories from my riding represent the disproportionate impact these identification requirements are having on young and underprivileged Ontarians. A woman in Thunder Bay was about to age out of care and was in need of a birth certificate to begin the process of signing up for her support programs. Without money of her own, her social worker needed to scramble to obtain these documents for this young woman before she was left without financial assistance or access to government resources she required.

Cost is not the only barrier to obtaining identification either. Often, the time and energy and commitment to negotiate with the bureaucracies can be an overwhelming demand for people’s schedules. This was the case for the family of a newborn in Thunder Bay, whose adoptive parents could not get access to birth registration or a certificate because the original copy had not been signed by the birth mother.

With no way to contact the mother, the baby’s family were forced to go to court to have a judge give them legal custody of the child just so that they could move forward on the process of actually registering the baby. A newborn child shouldn’t be caught in a legal limbo because of administrative barriers that are within our power as elected representatives to remove.

The identification of other obstacles to obtaining identification by a special committee is a priority of this bill so that no Ontarian faces unnecessary barriers in accessing their own ID. Numerous representatives from my riding have recognized the need to remove the barriers associated with identification documents, and they have expressed their support for my bill.

Sara Williamson, a representative for Poverty Free Thunder Bay, has told me that her organization supports the removal of these fees as a means of poverty reduction that will benefit the least well-off among us. She believes that the removal of financial requirements in exchange for ID will help individuals access services they are entitled to with greater ease.

The Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group also supports this bill and its proposal to remove fees. They acknowledged, “No one should be denied access to identification documents because they do not have the financial resources to pay the government fees required to obtain them.”

Lakehead University community legal clinic has seen first-hand how these financial barriers have prevented many of their clients from getting access to legal documentation in northwestern Ontario. They recognize that this bill will provide a direct means of helping Ontarians gain identification to access support systems while also investigating other ways to remove barriers.

All of these supporters realize the struggle faced by many Ontarians in need of assistance who are confronted by exploitative financial barriers at service desks. This bill will remove those barriers and identify others that also need to be gotten rid of.

Madam Speaker, I am aware that a program to waive user fees for birth certificates already exists, thanks to the Office of the Registrar General, but it is insufficient for many reasons: First, this program only applies to birth certificates and does nothing to alleviate the financial burden for those in need of an Ontario photo ID card; second, it only applies to those who are homeless or at the risk of immediately becoming homeless; and third, this program requires external organizations to apply for funding ahead of time before they can act as representatives on behalf of Ontarians who need ID.

In 2019, the Globe and Mail reported that fewer than 20 organizations qualified. The Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic was one of the only programs who qualified in northern Ontario. Relying on these organizations to administer funding takes away autonomy from our citizens and makes them reliant on someone else to apply on their behalf, rather than empowering them and removing barriers.

All the challenges that I have presented today are not new, Speaker. The co-founders of Kinna-aweya were both aware of how prohibitive identification requirements were—and still are—for so many people when they started their legal clinic. If I may, I would like to share some of what Helen Brizard, the surviving co-founder and the wife of Louis Brizard, had to say on the matter: “My late husband, Louis, and I both understood the importance of how difficult it could be to access birth certificates due to location, transportation and affordability....

When Louis was asked to help name Kinna-aweya Legal Clinic’s ID clinic, I helped my husband. While brainstorming, we finally decided to use Awenen Niin because it expressed the true meaning of identification. To translate, Awenen Niin means ‘Who am I.’ Having a birth certificate confirms your identity and helps to obtain other ID cards to access health, social services, employment, and education.”

My bill seeks to honour the importance of one’s identity and will replace the program offered by the Office of the Registrar General. It will improve on it by expanding its scope to all Ontarians regardless of housing status and by helping them access additional pieces of personal identification without the assistance of a third-party agency. This bill will help empower Ontarians, especially marginalized Ontarians, by removing the barriers they face in obtaining ID documents that are necessary. Ontarians deserve the right to their own identity. This bill will help them exercise that right.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: I rise today to speak to the bill brought forward by the member opposite from Thunder Bay–Atikokan. The member opposite has introduced this bill with good intent. However, this bill represents a misunderstanding of the process for issuing identity documents and the costs associated with providing them to Ontarians.

Currently, the Ontario government charges modest fees that offset the real cost it takes to produce identity products. These are real costs related to real operational expenses that go into registering an adoption or a change of name, obtaining a birth certificate, death certificate or change-of-name certificate, or obtaining a copy of any number of identity records. The fees for these products range in price from $15 to $50, and are collected to offset the cost of delivering vital events services. Other vital events registrations occur at no cost, such as the registration of the birth of a newborn during the first year of life.

We have all had the experience of losing or needing to update an identity document. We go to a ServiceOntario centre and go to the ServiceOntario website, we provide our information and we pay a fee. We do that because, whether in person or digitally, we respect that it will take time and resources to produce the product we are requesting.

Now, our government, and the Minister of Government and Consumer Services most specifically, has been working hard to get these costs down. We are a Conservative government after all, and we have a goal of saving Ontarians money wherever possible.

In my role as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation, I was excited when our government introduced French accents to drivers’ licences and Ontario photo cards. And we made it free to replace these products. Ontario is now among the first provinces in Canada to offer French-language characters on drivers’ licences and photo cards, let alone make it so easy and affordable. This is just the first step in our province’s plan to make these and other characters available on all Ontario government products.

Earlier this month, the minister rose in this Legislature to announce an easier and cheaper process for correcting errors on birth certificates. Registering the birth of a child on our phones leads to all sorts of typos. We are the first government to make it easy to correct these mistakes when they happen.

The bottom line is we are always working to make the fees charged to produce and provide copies of identity products more reasonable. We are making sure that for low-income Ontarians fees can be covered. A fee-waiver program is available to not-for-profit corporations that have a mandate to assist homeless and marginally housed individuals to overcome barriers to obtaining a birth certificate. There are 27 corporations currently participating in the program. In 2019, the Ontario Registrar General issued 6,056 certificates with waived fees.

It is important to recognize that the fees Ontario does have in place for vital events documents and services are in line with the fees charged by other Canadian jurisdictions. No other jurisdiction in Canada provides these documents and services for free. It takes the team at the MGCS Office of the Registrar General to register all births, deaths, marriages, stillbirths, adoptions and changes of name in Ontario. The office, and our government, is in the business of providing helpful, high-quality service to individuals and families at some of the most emotional and infrequent times of their lives.

To eliminate the fees that support the work of the Office of the Registrar General, the opposition may not be saying it outright but they are proposing to either hamstring the hard-working employees or send taxpayers the bill. As we look to recovery from COVID-19, it is critical that we keep the money in the pockets of families and individuals that need it.

In closing, Madam Speaker, I want to make clear that broadly eliminating all fees is not likely to achieve the bill’s intent of increasing access to vital events documents, as it doesn’t account for other known issues such as lack of Internet access. I’m certain our recent announcements on investments in broadband expansion will have a much greater effect. In the meantime, as we have from day one, our government will continue to work with its partners and interested parties to ensure fair and equitable access to identity documents in Ontario, and we will do it without creating hardship.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate.

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: It’s an honour to stand and support the bill that my colleague from Thunder Bay has put forward. When I walked in this morning, I was excited to support her bill because it is so crucial for people experiencing poverty—and I’ll talk about that in a minute—but after having listened to the member opposite, my blood is boiling.

I think that it is outrageous for somebody earning upwards of a $100,000 a year to talk about modest fees when it comes getting something as basic as an identity document that is your gateway towards being able to access the services that you often need to stay alive. As my colleague from Thunder Bay was explaining, the barriers that exist at the moment, the doors that people have to get through in order to be able to have those fees waived, are themselves prohibitive.

I think it’s really important. The thing I have been banging on about ever since I took a seat in this chamber almost three years ago is the way that systemic barriers exist that make it really difficult for people who are experiencing poverty. People don’t choose to be poor. People don’t choose to not have the means. They are driven into poverty, extreme poverty and homelessness, by exactly the kinds of systemic barriers that we’re talking about here today. This means particularly Indigenous people, Black people and folks who are disabled.

If you look at the ranks of the homeless who are in encampments today, for instance, the vast majority of them are Black, Indigenous and/or disabled. ODSP is not enough to pay your rent. It’s not enough to keep you housed. And often, at the end of the month, people who are on ODSP don’t even have enough to eat. People on ODSP are applying for medically assisted death.

These things are things that this government has to understand so that when somebody says, “Here’s a way that we can actually reduce these barriers so that we can allow people to get their identity documents in such a basic way that will allow them to get the services they need,” we could approach it in a more compassionate way.

I am, as I’ve mentioned a number of times, a very proud mother of a trans daughter. I know the difficulty that my daughter had to go through in changing her ID. It was an extremely emotionally difficult process, in part because of the way that she was dealt with at every step of the way. She had me to backstop her financially, so that was not an issue for her, but I know that for so many trans people, it is. And the government needs to be more compassionate.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate.

Mr. Deepak Anand: It’s always a pleasure to rise in this House. I rise today to speak on the bill brought forward by the member opposite from Thunder Bay–Atikokan. Before I start, Madam Speaker, I want to start by sharing what I miss today: the hustle and bustle that we used to have before COVID-19. I remember the time when Queen’s Park used to be full of members, their staff, stakeholders and visitors—for example, the new Canadians; the visitors from Ontario; the visitors from Canada, coast to coast; the visitors from the world, coming here, visiting us, watching us working together collaboratively.

And what I miss the most is the visitors from school—the school students. I do remember when they would come here. They would see us in action. They’d get inspired. Those young women, when they look at the members or the ministers—or, many times, they have seen the Leader of the Opposition, they have seen the former Premier. They get inspired. That’s what I miss here.

But I want to say one thing: As we know, we’re in a tough time. I want to say thank you to those heroes who on the front line who have supported us so far, and those who are hidden, their families, who have supported us. But the hope is here. The vaccine is coming. We are ready, and I would say to everyone in Ontario: Please get ready to get your vaccine as soon as possible.

Now, speaking about the bill, Madam Speaker: The member opposite has introduced a bill, and I believe it is with good intent; however, I’d like to echo the same sentiment as my colleague the member from Scarborough–Rouge Park, that the bill represents a misunderstanding of the process for issuing identity documents and the costs associated with providing them to Ontarians. Our government is already taking action to improve access to vital event and identity documents and reducing the fees along the way, so this bill is duplicative.

The bill is not proposing any efficiencies. It is not proposing how we can work together to reduce the cost. All it is saying is to move the cost. It’s not fair in that it would increase the burden on taxpayers by shifting the cost of the individual identity products, such as birth and death certificates, to the broader tax base. I’m sure it is not lost on anyone in this Legislature that this would be happening at a time when families and individuals are recovering from the challenges of the pandemic.

This bill also adds risk to our society. Considering that there is no cost, many individuals may choose to order additional unneeded copies of critical identity documents that could be lost or stolen, or choose to misuse those products. Law enforcement may not support this approach, as the increase in the number of documents in circulation may lead to an increase in fraudulent activities as well. Fees deter this type of behaviour. We have seen it in the past. When there is no cost, you will see the number of documents increasing, and that in turn can result in fraud, creating false identities.

Although only entitled individuals may obtain a birth product, anyone may apply for a change-of-name certificate or birth certificate and anyone may apply for a search for any vital event registration. Again, if the fees were to be removed, fraudsters could see this as an opportunity for phishing of personal information to a larger scale across the board. These implications would undermine the goal of increasing access to identity documents. Our current fees help eliminate bad actors and reduce the number of documents in circulation and that, in turn—this way, we’re able to help the vulnerable, from fraud.

Again, I want to say—I want to echo again—I’m not questioning the intent of the member’s PMB, but we have to look at the overall picture. It is the reality of fraud management for any government, and it must be considered. As my colleague shared, our government continues to work with partners and interested parties towards fair and equitable access to identity documents for the individuals who need them.

We understand this money could be a huge amount for some. That is why a fee-waiver program is available to not-for-profit corporations that have a mandate to assist homeless and marginally housed individuals to overcome barriers in obtaining a birth certificate. There are 27 corporations currently participating in the program. Madam Speaker, I want to share the data: In 2019, the Ontario Registrar General issued 6,056 certificates with waived fees.

I understand the PMB calls for the formation of a statutory advisory committee on efficient identification document services. I want to share with the member that the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services is already engaged with numerous partners, such as the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, to address community-specific barriers to accessing identification documentation.

The ministry has consulted with stakeholders to develop to remove sex information from Ontario health cards and allow Ontarians to select M, F or X on their driver’s licence and Ontario photo card. The ministry is also conducting a ServiceOntario fee review, which includes fees for vital event services, to ensure that registration-related fees of certain services provided by ServiceOntario are set at the level that appropriately recovers the cost of providing the service.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Thank you. Further debate?

M me France Gélinas: J’aimerais remercier la députée de Thunder Bay–Atikokan d’avoir présenté le projet de loi « awenen niin act (who am I), (qui suis-je) ». Je peux vous dire que pour les francophones de l’Ontario, les barrières face aux cartes d’identité sont multiples.

Si on commence avec des pétitions que j’ai présentées à l’Assemblée législative plusieurs fois, on n’est pas capable d’avoir les accents sur nos cartes santé. Je remercie le gouvernement : on les a maintenant sur nos permis de conduire. Mais ce n’est pas tout le monde qui a un permis de conduire. Tous les Ontariens et Ontariennes ont une carte santé. Sur ma carte santé, ça dit toujours « Gelinas ». Je ne suis pas une « Gelinas »; je suis une « Gélinas ». Pour une francophone, ça fait une grosse différence, et ça fait que tu ne peux pas utiliser ta carte santé comme carte d’identité ailleurs.

Une autre grosse barrière, c’est que plusieurs francophones sont nés et on leur a donné un baptistaire, pas un certificat de naissance. Donc, maintenant, ils doivent appliquer et payer les frais pour avoir un certificat de naissance. Savez-vous, madame la Présidente, que sur tous les baptistaires, les noms de femmes commencent avec « Marie »? Donc, Cécile Brouillette, par exemple, son nom c’est Marie Bertha Cécile Brouillette. Ça commence par Marie, et Bertha c’est le nom de sa marraine, mais son vrai nom c’est Cécile Brouillette.

Pour M. Camille Gauthier, lui, il s’appelle Joseph Albert Camille Gauthier : « Joseph » parce que tous les noms d’hommes commencent avec « Joseph ». Albert était le nom de son parrain. Son nom à lui, c’est Camille Gauthier, mais pas sur aucune des cartes émises par le gouvernement. Pourquoi? Parce que le gouvernement ne reconnaît pas que les baptistaires sont faits comme ça. Le gouvernement fédéral le reconnaît, les autres provinces le reconnaissent, mais pas l’Ontario. En Ontario, il s’appelle sur ses cartes « Joseph Albert », que personne ne connaît comme son nom. Son nom, c’est Camille.

Cécile s’appelle Marie Bertha. Personne ne connaît Marie Bertha. C’est qui? On connaît tous Cécile, par contre. Ça, ça doit changer.

Le projet de loi de la députée de Thunder Bay–Atikokan va changer ça, va mettre en place un comité pour regarder aux barrières—les barrières financières, parce que tout ce monde-là avec des baptistaires doivent payer pour avoir un certificat de naissance. Pour plusieurs d’entre eux, si leur nom est trop long et ne peut pas être sur leur carte santé, ils doivent payer pour faire un changement de nom.

Le nom du projet de loi est tellement bon : « Qui suis-je? » Sa mère l’a appelé Marie Bertha Cécile, et elle doit faire un changement de nom pour annuler tout ça pour venir à bout d’avoir son nom correctement sur ses cartes d’identité de l’Ontario. Ça doit changer. J’appuie le projet de loi.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Good morning, Speaker. Meegwetch. This morning, it’s an honour to rise and speak on behalf of the private member’s bill being put forward by the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan.

The Awenen Niin act—“who I am” in our language—is an important step towards improving access to health care. For many, the cost of obtaining identification, such as a birth certificate or an Ontario photo ID, is a major barrier in accessing programs and services in Ontario.

I know for me, the most important of these is health care. The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health in 2016 stated that access to health care is recognized as a very important determinant of health. However, for many Ontarians, health services are not equally or universally available where they live. An example is when we talk about fly-in First Nations in Far Northern Ontario. You will not find a ServiceOntario office. So when a family has a child to be born, they will have to fly down to Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay or sometimes Winnipeg.

The cost of that, where that person is born in Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay or whatnot, to the parent or the father is very—return, probably $1,000 to $1,500. And you have to go back, and then how do you register? I think people do not understand how the systems treat people.

This is just one of the challenges that we experience in the fly-in communities. I think there’s an opportunity where Ontario has the ability to make change in these areas, to step up and show the people in Kiiwetinoong and the rest of the north that they can do better. Again, I’m really, really proud to support the Awenen Niin Act this morning, as it is an important step toward improving access to health in the north. Meegwetch.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Further debate?

Ms. Suze Morrison: It’s certainly an honour to rise and speak in favour of the Awenen Niin Act (Who Am

I) Respecting Identity Documents. I’m so grateful to my colleague from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for tabling it.

Every day we know there are folks in our communities who are making difficult decisions about what they can and can’t afford, and that’s only gotten worse since COVID-19 has started. As I’ve sat in the chamber this morning, I’m really quite stunned by the members opposite who I just really don’t think understand how much money $75 is to the majority of the people in this province. I think specifically of folks in my community in Toronto Centre who are making difficult decisions every day about what they can afford and can’t afford to spend $75 on.

That piece of ID that we’re talking about is a gateway to services. It’s a gateway to being able to access housing if you’re moving out of homelessness. It is a gateway to being able to access income supports and social assistance. And if you do not have that ID, you cannot navigate through our communities. Where are folks supposed to come up with that $75? It is not a modest fee; it is a lot of money for people in poverty.

Speaker, I specifically also want to speak to the difficulties that people who are trans in Ontario are facing in terms of accessing ID that matches and confirms their gender. The process of transitioning in Ontario is not an affordable one. There is so much of that process that is not covered. There aren’t supports for it. To access gender confirmation surgery—a lot of those procedures are not covered by OHIP. A lot of the times, you have to travel to one of the handful of health centres in Canada that even perform those procedures, and there’s a great expense to that.

I myself have contributed in the last year to several GoFundMes. People are resorting to crowdsourcing just to confirm their gender.

If you’re debating between spending $75 on your ID or putting that $75 towards your surgery or your binders or your hormone therapies or clothing so that you aren’t getting misgendered in public—it’s an expensive process, and it’s not fair, Speaker. That piece of ID that matches your gender and matches your chosen name is something that prevents you from being deadnamed when you’re accessing services. It prevents you from being misgendered. It allows you to live fully in our communities as your true self.

I think it’s incredibly shameful that this government isn’t willing to give people a break on the $75 fee to access the ID that they need to navigate their communities, to navigate the services they need and to exist as their true selves with their true names and their true gender identities.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Now we will return to the member from Thunder Bay–Atikokan for a reply.

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I am very disappointed with the members opposite. I thank you for your comments and thank you that you realize that this was a well-intended private member’s bill, but your lack of understanding of poverty and your lack of understanding of bringing the voice of people who are in poverty to this House is stunning. User fees are a regressive form of taxation with disproportionately negative impacts on First Nations, women, youth in care, LGBTQ+ people, the homeless and the underhoused. It’s regressive to new parents, people dealing with the justice system, disabled people and senior citizens.

These fees that will appear in government revenue spreadsheets are not faceless, passive income. This money comes partially at the expense of those who identify as LGBTQ+ who need to pay the government to change their name and gender on their identification. It comes at the cost of new parents living in northwestern Ontario who need to pay for their children’s long-form birth certificate, but have limited access to government services because of their community’s location. I don’t think you understand that. It comes at the cost of the homeless who, if they lose their identification, need to spend precious money to get a replacement.

The small amount of revenue these fees generate for the provincial government have a much bigger impact on the lives of those who already live in difficult circumstances. I urge you to support this bill.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): The time provided for private members’ public business has expired.

Ms. Monteith-Farrell has moved second reading of Bill 256,

An Act to amend the Photo Card Act, 2008 and the Vital Statistics Act respecting access to identification documents. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

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

All those opposed to the motion will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the nays have it.

Pursuant to standing order 101(d), the recorded division on this item of private members’ public business will be deferred to the proceeding of deferred votes.

Second reading vote deferred.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Orders of the day?

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: No further business.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): There being no further business, this House stands recessed until 10:15.

The House recessed from 0943 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: This past weekend, we opened patios and built a field hospital in Toronto, and residents of Beaches–East York are incredulous—and not in a good way. They’re fed up with the chaos that this government has created with its refusal to keep them, their families and their children safe.

They’re tired of cycles of premature openings and lockdowns that leave small businesses on the edge of bankruptcy, schools in danger of closure again, jobs and income evaporating again, evictions and housing precarity, a growing homelessness crisis, a third wave of increasing numbers of variants that cause more severe illness, a health care system in danger of overwhelm and a vaccination rollout that is mired in confusion and mayhem and that does not prioritize the most vulnerable communities.

When the most vulnerable among us are not protected, all of us suffer. The Ford government needs to begin by caring for the communities that have been hardest hit by COVID, communities of Black, Indigenous, working-class, immigrant people and people of colour. They need to ensure that people have paid sick days and rent relief, so that income loss to COVID doesn’t result in arrears and rent debt, and that they can’t be evicted into housing precarity or homelessness. They need to ensure that people working front-line in any capacity are also given priority access to vaccinations.

Care for the most vulnerable among us is ultimately the most cost-effective, kindest and most compassionate way to end the lockdown cycle and get the pandemic under control. The chaos needs to be ended, and the government needs to act now.

Municipal taxation

Mr. Deepak Anand: Speaker, five Ontario airports located on federal land, including Pearson in my riding, make payment in lieu of property taxes, or PILT, to their host municipalities. PILT is calculated based on the number of passengers, paid two years in lag and capped at a 5% increase each year, and there is no limit on decreases.

COVID has impacted all of us. Here at home, the number of passengers has reduced to 27% of pre-COVID levels. As the aviation industry is projected to recover slowly, the GTAA is expected to recover in five to seven years. However, due to the 5% increase cap, PILT will not return to pre-COVID transfers for another 35 years, resulting in a massive loss of revenue for the city of Mississauga for 25 years.

At this time, it is worth noting that the GTAA is also going through a tough time. Despite the devastating impact of COVID, it has paid $40 million in 2020 and will be paying $42 million in 2021, and has fulfilled their commitment so far—and I thank them for that. In addition, all the airport tenants paid $25 million in 2019 to the city on top of PILT.

Mr. Speaker, COVID has taught us one thing: When we work together, we can overcome the greatest challenges. Tough times call for tough action. That is why I support the removal of the 5% cap, and I look forward to co-operation between the government and the GTAA, to work together and overcome the challenging time ahead.

Water quality

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch, Speaker. Today is World Water Day. The theme this year is “Valuing Water.” The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us again how important water is to our health.

Many of us are lucky. We can wake up in the morning and turn on the tap and have clean water. Across the Far North in Ontario, this is not the case. Too many First Nations in Kiiwetinoong live under long-term boil-water advisories. We have lived with them for so long that they have become normal to us. In Neskantaga, there are now generations of people who have never had access to clean water in their homes.

How can this happen in one of the richest countries in the world? There are lots of reasons, but indifference and a lack of political will have brought us to where we are today. It is also disappointing that the ongoing racism, the ongoing oppression, the ongoing colonialism of governments mean that so many live without clean water, and we know that these three things are alive and well today—I know that, because I faced it two weeks ago—and we live with it on an everyday basis.

But words are words. Actions speak louder than words. I hope you will use this day to think about what water means to you and to remember those who don’t have clean drinking water. Meegwetch.

Federal-provincial public infrastructure funding

Mr. Aris Babikian: During these challenging times, there are many positive co-operation stories between the provincial and federal governments to help our citizens. One such successful initiative is the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to stimulate the economy.

I was proud to join Premier Ford and many of my provincial and federal colleagues on March 12, to announce the historic $3 million of funding to the Armenian Youth Centre under the ICIP’s community, culture and recreational stream. This unprecedented co-operation will help Canadian Armenian youth fulfill their potential and contribute to the well-being of our society and province. I am confident that many Scarborough–Agincourt residents will benefit from this funding.

Similarly, our residents are eagerly waiting for the Bridletowne community and medical hub funding announcement. After 12 years of delay, finally, this project will become reality.

I am delighted that my relentless efforts on behalf of Scarborough–Agincourt residents on these two projects have paid off. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Premier Ford; Ministers Laurie Scott, Monte McNaughton, Peter Bethlenfalvy, Paul Calandra, Stephen Lecce; and MPPs Rod Phillips, Vincent Ke, Stan Cho and Christina Mitas. I am confident that similar future co-operation between the two levels of government will be beneficial to Ontarians. Promises made, promises kept.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Today, in Thunder Bay, we are in the midst of a COVID-19 crisis. Over the weekend, we saw over 50 new cases diagnosed by our public health unit. We continue to be in the grey zone and our schools are only virtual, which we know leave many behind. We have outbreaks in retirement homes, long-term-care homes and our hospital.

As many predicted, our hospital needed more resources and was not able to meet the demands. ICU patients are being sent to southern Ontario, away from their families; elective surgeries are being cancelled; and vital tests are being cancelled. What we have seen in the last months is a lack of clear, proactive measures from this government, time after time—for jails, for shelters, for schools and for vaccines. The people of Thunder Bay and northwestern Ontario are left waiting. I was happy to hear of more resources and the promise of more vaccines, but we need to do a lot more. We need to declare a COVID-19 hot spot now, with all the resources to end this crisis as quickly as possible.

Northwestern Ontario often feels neglected by our provincial government, and this slow and insufficient response by this government has not helped people feel that this situation is under control. Once again, I’m calling on this government to immediately declare Thunder Bay a COVID-19 hot spot and get us the necessary help and vaccines to get the situation under control and our sick family members back home.

Journée internationale de la Francophonie

Cette inclusion commence dans nos écoles, mais aujourd’hui, la pénurie importante d’enseignants francophones menace de freiner tous nos efforts. Des Franco-Ontariens et Franco-Ontariennes ont du mal à accéder à des services essentiels de justice ou de santé quand ils ne sont disponibles qu’en anglais. Pour les aînés francophones, ne pas pouvoir communiquer leurs besoins les place en situation vulnérable et d’isolement.

Donc, oui, c’est une semaine et un mois de célébrations. Mais nous, les francophones de l’Ontario, vivons tous les jours avec les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés.

L’Ontario compte le plus grand nombre de francophones au Canada à l’extérieur du Québec. Il est donc grand temps que le gouvernement adopte les stratégies nécessaires pour permettre à la communauté francophone de contribuer pleinement à la prospérité de l’Ontario.

Nowruz

Mr. Stan Cho: This past Saturday, Iranian Canadians celebrated the 3,000-year-old tradition of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Nowruz celebrates the day of vernal equinox and marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere. As the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes day and night—fact of the day—families gather to celebrate the new year with ancient rituals. Celebrations usually include Chaharshanbe Suri, a prelude to the new year celebrated on the Wednesday before Nowruz and is marked by jumping over bonfires and lighting fireworks.

Pre-pandemic, I enjoyed attending many of these events and celebrating Chaharshanbe Suri with my Persian friends and neighbours at Mel Lastman Square in my riding of Willowdale. This year, I certainly missed the singing, amazing food, the fire-jumping and my terrible dancing as we ushered in New Year at what would have been the 16th annual Iranian Fire Festival.

Willowdale is home to many Iranian Canadians, as well as the neighbourhood often referred to as Little Tehran or Persian Plaza, a great place to enjoy traditional Persian cuisine, pick up exciting ingredients from stores like Khorak Supermarket or shop for stunning jewellery and hand-crafted gifts.

This Saturday, of course, was a Nowruz like no other, but I still enjoyed ordering some takeout sabzi polo ba mahi and celebrating the new year by Zoom with my Persian friends and neighbours.

To everyone who celebrated in Willowdale and around the world, Nowruzetan Pirouz.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Jamie West: I want to share a poem from a Sudbury ETFO member. It’s called 100 Days. The member says:

“We recently celebrated the 100th day of school in my classroom.

“While the students were quick to pick up many new routines, more than 100 days have gone by without proper ventilation in the classrooms.

“100 days of open windows.

“100 days.

“100 days of trying to be safe with proper paper-handling routines.

“100 days of students eating lunch, barely one metre apart.

“100 days of being in the classroom while students eat a morning snack. You cannot eat with a mask on.

“100 days of no one caring that the Ministry of Health guidelines tell us to maintain a distance of two metres.

“100 days of repeatedly telling the same students to pull their mask up over their nose.

“100 days of trying to maintain a safe distance but needing to get within a foot of a student just to hear their shy, soft voice under their mask.

“100 days of tending boo-boos or teeth falling out while trying to be safe.

“100 days.

“100 days of multiple squirts of sanitizer ... the same sanitizer that is dripping onto one of the heaters in the school and wearing away layers of paint from it.

“100 days of fogged up glasses.

“100 days of sweating under a mask and face shield.

“100 days.

“100 days of hearing from the Ministry of Education that teachers were all trained to teach remotely.

“100 days of teaching a vague new math curriculum without any training.

“100 days of hearing about no transmission in schools.

“100 days of not listening to the people who work in the schools.

“100 days.

“ ... of stress

“ ... of anxiety

“ ... of tears

“ ... of sleepless nights

“ ... of worrying about my own health and that of my family.

“100 days of teaching and caring for my students.

“100 days of disappointment!”

University and college funding

Mr. Lorne Coe: I’m pleased to share that our government is providing $7.1 million to Durham College and $4.8 million to Ontario Tech University to help them address the financial impacts of COVID-19. This investment will support their sustainability and ensure Durham region students continue to get the skills and education they need for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow.

The post-secondary sector is critical—absolutely critical—to the region of Durham’s prosperity as a key source of job creation, skills training, research, innovation and commercialization. We need to make sure that students continue to receive high-quality post-secondary education and get the skills they need to get good jobs. That’s why we’re establishing a fund for severely impacted colleges and universities to help address the financial impacts of COVID-19 and to maintain Ontario’s position as a global leader in higher education.

Oakville Hospital Foundation / Lighthouse program

Mr. Stephen Crawford: As always, it’s always an honour to be able to speak here in the Legislature. This morning, I have the pleasure to speak about a couple of upcoming charity events here in my riding of Oakville.

In every part of Ontario, our not-for-profit organizations and charities have been hit hard by COVID, and charities have had to pivot to new virtual events in order to fundraise. The Oakville Hospital Foundation is bringing a one-of-a-kind virtual adventure around the world. Oakville’s Own: The Expedition is filled with fun, impact and delicious food and drinks from the comfort of your own home. The adventure begins with a three-course dinner for two, provided by Oliver and Bonacini and led by a professional chef.

Funds raised, most importantly, will be supporting the cancer care program at the Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital. This will help support those living with cancer. Your neighbours, your friends, your loved ones will need to look no further than their own backyard for access to world-class community health care. With one in two Canadians expected to develop cancer during their lifetime, the hospital foundation is committed to growing the cancer care program to ensure more patients will receive the care they need close to home.

Another important organization in the community is the Lighthouse Program for Grieving Children. They rely on community fundraising events and donations in order to offer grief support services for grieving children. A virtual event on April 30 with world-famous tenor John McDermott will be taking place, and I encourage everybody to participate.

These are just two great examples of charitable organizations pivoting and working hard through the pandemic.

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

Before I invite oral questions, the member for Humber River–Black Creek has a point of order.

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: I seek unanimous consent to immediately pass private member’s motion 135, calling on the Ford government to implement a COVID-19 equity strategy for racialized communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic and to ensure that essential workers in hard-hit communities like northwest Toronto, Scarborough and Peel have equal access to the vaccine.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Rakocevic is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to immediately pass private member’s motion 135, calling on the government to implement a COVID-19 equity strategy for racialized communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Agreed? I heard a no.

It is now time for oral questions.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question is for the Premier. It’s really apparent that we’re now in the third wave of COVID-19, and folks are pretty worried that this Premier and the government are sleepwalking us into another massive lockdown.

Late on Friday, we all know that the Premier loosened indoor restrictions for COVID-19 precautions and didn’t put in any of the measures that would help people stay safe in those situations. So the question is, why does the Premier seem to be doing exactly the opposite of what his own experts and front-line health care providers are suggesting he should be doing?

Hon. Doug Ford: Thank you for the question. Through you, Mr. Speaker, that’s exactly what we’re doing: We’re following the advice of the chief medical officer, along with the local medical officers in Peel and Toronto. We had a great discussion. That was their direction, we followed the direction, and we’re going to continue following the direction of the docs.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, in fact, the government hasn’t been following the experts’ advice, and now we’re in a third wave that was preventable.

On February 11, the science table warned that rushing the reopening was going to lead to disaster. They were telling the Premier and this government that they needed to put measures in place to keep people safe, like paid sick days. The very next day, the Premier reopened indoor eating in restaurants, basically sending restaurant workers into an environment where the spread was likely to happen without even the basics, like paid sick days, to rely upon.

The question is, why is this Premier refusing to spend the money necessary to keep people safe, to make sure that we don’t end up in another massive lockdown in our province, notwithstanding that he keeps getting advice on how to do exactly that?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: We have the toughest restrictions in all of North America. That’s an actual fact. So far, we’ve vaccinated 1,553,000 people. The total vaccines are at about 1.79 million. We’ve ramped up the vaccination centre. As the majority of the people have heard, now we’re doing age 75-plus in mass vaccination centres. We’ve increased the pharmacies from 350 to 700.

The problem is we still need more vaccines, because we’re just a fraction of the way on the full capacity. If we just had all the vaccines we needed, we would be at about nine million people a month. But we’re looking forward to getting more shipments this week from the federal government.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Dr. Brown, the head of Ontario’s COVID advisory table, said this: “If public health measures are lifted, cases could rise dramatically.” Dr. Peter Jüni said this: We’re heading for another lockdown.

This is what the experts are saying. These are quotes directly from the experts. So my question to the Premier is, why does he continue to ignore these repeated pieces of advice from the experts and instead seem to be just walking us straight into another massive lockdown in our province?

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, through you, Mr. Speaker: We listen to the experts. We have the panel of docs who give us advice every single day. We appreciate the great job Dr. Williams and his whole team have done, and the other experts.

Once they give us the green light, we go to thorough discussions on when we open up, how we open up. They give us a direction and we follow that direction. That’s exactly what we’ve done.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. This is about warnings from the hospital sector. In fact, about a month ago, Anthony Dale from the Ontario Hospital Association said this: “The warning” to the Premier “could not have been clearer. An exhausted, overextended hospital sector is likely going to have to deal with a 3rd pandemic wave....

“Ultimately the consequences of, and responsibility for, today’s decision to reopen on Feb 16 rests with the government of Ontario.”

Will the Premier admit that, in fact, he refused to listen to this warning from the Ontario Hospital Association and those front-line exhausted and overworked health care providers and is now putting at risk the capacity of these hospitals to keep people well in Ontario?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, I can advise the leader of the official opposition that we have been building up hospital capacity since the beginning of this pandemic. We have created over 3,100 more hospital beds across the province of Ontario, which is the equivalent of six medium-sized hospitals.

We’ve also recently received approval to spend up to $125 million to create more intensive care beds and medicine beds in case there are any increases in our numbers, so that we will be able to make sure that we can admit and treat any patients with COVID-19 or who have to be admitted to hospital for any other reason.

This is something that we have dealt with from the beginning of this pandemic and we’re continuing to build capacity today.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Right now, today, doctors in ICUs are actually desperately transferring patients that they cannot care for.

Unbelievably, the hardest-hit communities in our province have been left behind by the Ford government. They’re getting the least support of all. As you probably all know, Dr. Brooks Fallis, a critical care physician from the William Osler hospital, said this: “This government is either completely incompetent or has no regard for the health and lives of Ontarians. Or both.”

My question is to the Premier: These front-line health care workers are exhausted. They feel abandoned by their government. Why will the Premier not admit that he made the wrong call? The third wave is upon us. He needs to put in measures to tamp it down. Will he do it?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Premier?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: It’s funny; the Leader of the Opposition mentioned Anthony Dale. I’m not going to divulge private messages but basically, on Tuesday, “Good afternoon, Premier. I want to thank you very much for the comments you made about being vigilant.” I won’t go on with the rest of the message.

The Leader of the Opposition can point out the great doctors, because even docs disagree—and they disagree, by the way, with our Chief Medical Officer, a lot of local medical officers and God knows how many other doctors. But guess what, Mr. Speaker? I talk to endless doctors every single week. I talk to endless CEOs and public health unit docs, and they’re all saying, “Hey, we’re moving as quickly as we can to crush this curve, to knock off the third wave, and we appreciate the work that you’re doing.” My comment back to them: “I appreciate the work you’re doing.” We have a great relationship with the docs.

Out of 15,000 docs, you’re going to find a few that may not agree, but they’re still doing a great job.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The reality is, this Premier and this government were warned by many, many experts that a rushed reopening was going to lead to disaster and that the government could avoid a third wave by putting some basic things in place, like paid sick days, like making our schools safer with lower class sizes, better ventilation and other measures. But they didn’t want to spend the money. The Ford government did not want to spend the money, Speaker.

My question is: Why did the government think it was all right to ignore the advice of experts and instead put people in the line of fire when it comes to the spread of the virus? And why does he still, at this moment, refuse to acknowledge that he can stop another massive lockdown in Ontario by doing the right thing, investing the money and keeping people safe in Ontario?

Hon. Doug Ford: I think all the front-line health care workers have done an incredible job. When the Leader of the Opposition is criticizing me, she’s criticizing all the docs and the front-line health care workers, which is not helpful at all.

I’m not proud of this figure, but the NDP say, “Spend money, spend money, spend money,” and I’m not proud of this, but I said right from the get-go that I will not spare a penny, and we haven’t. We have a $38-billion deficit. I can’t wait to get the economy going. We’ve spent tens of billions of dollars to protect the lives and the safety of every single resident here in Ontario, along with protecting the livelihoods of small businesses right across this province. Overall, I think the people of Ontario have done an incredible job.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier. Speaker, as of Friday, the end of what would have been March break, one in five of all schools in this province have COVID outbreaks. Forty-four schools are closed, including 10 in the Dufferin Peel Catholic board alone, where an outbreak at one school sent three education workers to hospital. We have 140 new cases in our schools today. Schools are closed in Woodstock, in Hamilton, in London, in Sudbury and in Mississauga. The list goes on and on and on and it grows every day.

Speaker, the Premier and the Minister of Education have said repeatedly that they want schools open. Why, then, are they standing by while so many are forced to close?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: In this province, 99.2% of schools are open as we contend with the variants of concern. In this province, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the foremost medical authority in Ontario, has suggested schools have been and continue to be safe places to go to. In fact, I spoke to the Chief Medical Officer of Health this past week, to Dr. Loh in Peel, to Dr. de Villa in Toronto and to Dr. Etches in Ottawa between Friday and the present. All of them have confirmed that the program, the infection prevention protocols in place, have helped to keep schools safe.

They are working, notwithstanding the necessity for vigilance, which is why the province invested $1.6 billion. It’s why we lead with the most comprehensive protocol to date. It’s why we’ll continue to follow the medical advice to ensure schools, yes, remain open and remain safe in Ontario.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know what the minister doesn’t get here, but this situation is very serious.

Back to the Premier: We are seeing more than 500 children catching this virus every single week. Faster-spreading variants are running rampant and front-line workers in our schools are telling us again that they aren’t seeing any new supports. This government is already warning that there are more cuts coming. The asymptomatic testing program has never met its 50,000-tests-a-week goal and hasn’t even reached half of that over the life of the entire program.

Speaker, the time for half measures is surely over. What will the Premier do today to keep every student, every teacher and every education worker safe from a third wave?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: The Premier will continue to follow the best medical expert advice to ensure schools can remain open, which is a contrasting position to the members opposite, who have sided with other interests, who wanted us to keep them closed in September and in October, certainly not reopen in February, and would have kept them closed for a stay-at-home order into March.

This government is on the side of parents who believe very strongly that schools must be open for the mental health and the development of a child. That is consequential to their life, and we are on their side.

We are going to continue to invest $1.6 billion, which has yielded over 3,000 net new teachers; 1,400 more custodians; 800 more being hired in the teacher realm, temporary hires; and another 400 custodians. We’ve improved air ventilation in well over 95% of schools, as reported by the school boards themselves publicly. We will continue to follow the advice, providing PPE to every educator and to every student because, yes, we understand it is serious, and we are committed to rising to the challenge of keeping these schools open and safe in this province.

Long-term care

Ms. Lindsey Park: My question is to the Minister of Long-Term Care. The long-term-care wait-list has been a growing problem for decades. As of December 2020, it was reported that there are 40,000 people waiting for care they need in long-term-care homes.

The Financial Accountability Office found in an October 2019 report that the previous government increased the number of long-term-care spaces by only 0.8%, while the population over the age of 75 grew by 20%.

In my riding of Durham, we have long wait-lists and I often hear from constituents the frustrations they have trying to get their loved ones the care they need. Ontarians deserve to have confidence that they can receive the care they need when they need it. Minister, my constituents want to know, what are you doing to shorten the long-term-care wait-list?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member for Durham for all the good work that she does, not only on behalf of constituents, but for residents in long-term care and the long-term-care-home sector. She really is a tireless advocate for her constituents.

We lost a lot of runway while the previous government neglected long-term care, building only 611 net new spaces between 2011 and 2018. Our government has been working hard to fill that gap that the Liberals left behind.

Last week, I announced 80 new projects across the province. We are investing $933 million in these projects on top of the $1.75 billion already committed to building 30,000 new spaces over 10 years.

One of those projects is Port Perry Place, which will lead to 192 new and 32 upgraded long-term-care spaces in the member’s riding. That’s in addition to a project in Bowmanville that will build 125 new and 99 upgraded beds. That totals 1,970 net new beds in the Durham region. Our government—

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: I want to thank the minister for the response and the investment in Durham region.

I agree that building new beds is essential to filling the gap in capacity that was allowed to build up under the previous government. But there are also homes built to design standards from the 1970s, and we need to upgrade those to modern standards, eliminating ward rooms, for example.

We saw the effect of crowded older facilities during the pandemic. Port Perry Place was one of the homes that had a serious outbreak. Tragically, Speaker, 13 residents lost their lives during that outbreak. It really underscores the need to redevelop and upgrade existing spaces to modern design standards.

Can the minister please tell this House what she is doing to upgrade and modernize existing homes that need it?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Once again, thank you to the member from Durham. It is crucial that we acknowledge and learn from the tragedy that unfolded during the pandemic at homes across the province—at Port Perry Place and at homes like it. It underlines the urgency of upgrading older homes.

This latest round of allocations prioritized upgrading older homes in response to those lessons learned around improved IPAC measures, particularly eliminating those four-bed ward rooms. Port Perry Place has been allocated 96 new spaces and 70 upgraded ones, and that’s on top of the 53 beds previously allocated. This project is going to mean a new home in a totally new building built to modern standards in Port Perry, with spaces for 224 residents.

Our government is repairing and rebuilding long-term care after decades of neglect by previous governments.

COVID-19 immunization

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: My question is for the Premier. A recent CBC News report highlighted a map of all of the pharmacies administering vaccines in Toronto. It revealed that some of the wealthiest communities with the lowest transmission rates also had some of the most pharmacy vaccine locations. Alternatively, communities full of essential workers that have had some of the highest transmissions were noticeably bare. For instance, out of the 39 pharmacies in my community, just one is administering vaccines.

Premier, this is an example of how pandemic response does not equate to risk or need. The science advisory table has said that a vaccine rollout strategy targeting not just age but also risk of contracting COVID-19 could save many lives. Communities like mine in northwest Toronto need more vaccine locations immediately. When will you add more of these sites in at-risk communities?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: In fact, our vaccine rollout system will allow Ontarians to receive vaccines at hospitals, mobile clinics, mass vaccination clinics, pharmacies and, of course, primary care offices, particularly for people with pre-existing health conditions.

With respect to the pharmacies, we had started the project in Toronto, in Windsor-Essex and in Kingston and Frontenac, with approximately 325 or 330 pharmacies. But those are going to be rolled out across the province in neighbourhoods everywhere, to 700. We’ll be doubling it within the next two weeks and then doubling that again between now and the end of April so that everyone, regardless of where they live in Ontario, will be able to receive a vaccine, if they wish to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, at any pharmacy close to them. We started off with 325, but it will be moving across the province very quickly.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Scarborough Southwest.

Ms. Doly Begum: Speaker, I would ask the minister and this government to stick to the facts, like they have always stated. The fact is this government has failed to prioritize hard-hit communities. My community of Scarborough is one of the hardest hit in the province, just like my colleague’s riding as well. But when it came to putting an equitable strategy, this government has failed.

Just this morning, this government voted against a motion to implement an equitable vaccine strategy. Speaker, when it came to COVID testing centres, this government failed, and our community had to fight for more COVID testing centres. When it came to COVID relief, our communities had to fight for more support. When it came to more vaccines now, yet again we’re fighting for more vaccines for our hardest-hit communities.

With the lack of access to clear communication and more vaccines, our communities are left in the dark. So I would ask again, will this government commit today to more equitable vaccines for our hardest-hit communities, like Scarborough, Mr. Speaker?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, the short answer is yes. But, Speaker, I would say, through you to the member opposite, speaking about the facts, we have created a very equitable plan for the distribution of vaccines across the province, including a bioethics specialist on the vaccine task force. This was created with a lot of thought, with a lot of effort, with a lot of looking at areas across the province that have been hardest hit.

While our distribution of the vaccines is based primarily on population size, it also builds in factors relating to the situations in each community and communities that have been the hardest hit. In those communities, they will be receiving more vaccines, because they need to in order to get the level of transmission down. So we have paid attention to that from the beginning and will continue to do so in the future.

And I’m saying, specifically to this member, your area will be receiving more vaccines because they have been more badly hit by COVID-19.

COVID-19 response

M me Lucille Collard: My question is to the Premier. I want to speak specifically about Peel region, which has consistently seen the highest rates of COVID-19 infection in the province and has been in lockdown since November 23. As of today, there are a total of 312 active cases in the Peel District School Board and Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, with 221 closed classrooms and 13 closed schools. The infection rate has impacted the region to the point of shutting down schools, workplaces and transit. My question is, what is the government doing to reverse this very concerning trend and protect the residents of Peel?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. There are several areas that have been very badly hit by COVID-19 and, as the member will know, Peel and Toronto are still in grey. They are still in the most significant area of lockdown because of the levels of transmission. We are working very hard in both of those areas to help get the numbers down, which is why many services still remain closed. We are going to continue to work on that.

Again, as I indicated earlier, in those areas that have been particularly badly hit by COVID-19, they will receive additional levels of vaccines in order to ensure that the people that are transmitting it, because we know that there are significant concerns in parts of Peel as well as in Toronto—to get those levels down so that those areas can then transition into a different part of the framework. But those concerns are very evident to us and we are working on them daily.

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

M me Lucille Collard: Again to the Premier: On March 15, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Williams, stated that it is appropriate to prioritize sectors at higher risk of infection in lockdown zones. Peel was already left out of the first round of pharmacy vaccination appointments, despite having the highest rates of infection in the province. So my question is, can the government commit today and tell the residents of Peel that they will be prioritized to get the vaccination—and for the 300,000 at-risk essential workers in Peel?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Absolutely, they will be. We are rolling out the vaccines across the province in the mass vaccination centres, but of course many people wish to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in pharmacies, which is now available. Anyone over 60 years of age can receive that vaccine. That’s recently been changed by Health Canada and by NACI, that it is effective for people over age 65. There are more openings than ever that are coming in.

We haven’t received a significant volume of vaccines up to date, but I can advise—this is on the federal government’s website—that we will be receiving 1,194,000 and so on vaccines from Pfizer, of which Ontario will receive 466,000 in the next two weeks. So we will be able to expand that. We are going to be expanding the pharmacies where the AstraZeneca vaccine can be obtained as well. That is going to be extended across the province, including in the region of Peel.

Affaires francophones

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

M me Robin Martin: Je remercie la ministre pour cette importante réalisation.

La Semaine internationale de la Francophonie était célébrée à travers le monde la semaine dernière. Comment le gouvernement a-t-il souligné cette occasion?

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

Lundi, nous avons annoncé que nous finançons une formation accélérée pour les préposés au soutien personnel aux collèges Boréal et La Cité.

Mardi, nous avons souligné notre investissement de 1,5 million de dollars pour intégrer les nouveaux arrivants francophones qualifiés au marché du travail.

Mercredi, le drapeau franco-ontarien a été hissé dans 29 sites de ServiceOntario.

Jeudi, nous avons annoncé l’ajout de 777 nouvelles places dans les foyers de soins de longue durée francophones et bilingues et l’amélioration de 236 autres.

Vendredi, nous avons souligné un investissement de 2 millions de dollars pour soutenir le tourisme francophone et un investissement de 800 000 $ dans le Collège Boréal. Cela se rajoute à nos investissements de 500 000 $ dans les entreprises et les entrepreneurs francophones et notre fonds de secours de 2 millions de dollars pour les OBNL francophones.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Gurratan Singh: My question is to the Premier. Brampton is a city of over 600,000 people, yet we only have one hospital. Years of underfunding by Liberal and Conservative governments have put Brampton in a health care crisis that was declared before COVID-19. It is so bad at our single hospital in Brampton that patients are often transferred outside of Brampton because there’s not enough room. Despite this, the Conservative government actually voted against investing in our health care system.

Brampton deserves better. Enough is enough. Will the Premier commit today to investing to fix our broken health care system, which starts by building another hospital in Brampton?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Through you, Mr. Speaker, I can advise the member opposite that, over the last year, since the pandemic started, we have created an additional 3,100 beds in hospitals across Ontario, which is equivalent to six community-sized hospitals. This has happened across the province, including in Brampton, including across Peel.

This is something that we’re continuing to build because, anticipating further hospitalizations as a result of the variants of concern—the UK variant, the Brazilian variant and the South African variant—more people are hospitalized. That is why we recently received $125 million in funding to create an additional 500 beds across the province. That serves the entire province, including the region of Peel, including Brampton.

This is something we continue to monitor and we continue to reinforce. We continue to put more money into more beds so that if people need to be hospitalized in the province of Ontario, there will be space for them.

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

Mr. Gurratan Singh: Brampton is a city full of essential workers who risk their lives every single day going to work to move our economy. Last week, we learned about a devastating outbreak at a Brampton Amazon fulfillment centre where hundreds of workers were infected with COVID-19—many, new Canadians.

Speaker, this is what health care experts have been warning about since this pandemic started. Workplaces are one of the largest areas of spread for COVID-19, and it’s why paid sick days are so important. Will the Premier finally accept the facts? Will he bring in paid sick days so workers don’t have to choose between going to work sick or paying the bills, or will he continue to put workers and communities at risk?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I appreciate the question from the member opposite. As he knows, we of course have 20 paid sick days. I can confirm for him that, of course, we will not be following the NDP’s advice. Now is certainly not the time to be reducing sick days from the 20 that are existing to the NDP proposal of 14. I wish they would reconsider that, Mr. Speaker.

We have said right from the beginning that paid sick days are important. That’s why the Premier negotiated with his colleagues the other Premiers and the federal government to ensure that not only Ontarians but all Canadians have access to 20 sick days.

But again, to confirm for the member, there is absolutely no way that this government would reduce sick days from the current 20 to the NDP proposal of 14.

Education funding

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier. Premier, when you sent thousands of students back to packed classrooms in the fall, you promised that you would do everything in your power to keep them safe. Now, on top of the chaos your government created in schools, hotspots like Scarborough have classrooms empty due to outbreaks of COVID-19, and these schools are now closed. Donwood Park Public School is not in session today.

Speaker, the Premier is cutting $1.6 billion from classrooms next fall, while Ontario Liberals would invest $8 billion in schools for our children’s safety and their future. Ontario’s students, teachers, staff and education workers have faced and overcome enormous challenges during this pandemic, as well as their families and parents. Is the Premier going to saddle them with a funding cut in this week’s upcoming budget for education funding?

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

To respond on behalf of the government, the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Let me remind the member opposite: It was her government that saddled students and the next generation with a $15-billion repair backlog. It was this minister specifically and her government that in fact closed 600 net schools in the heart of rural and suburban parts of the province. The most expensive child care was under her leadership, the most expensive hydro—the data points continue; I think it’s rather concerning.

What our government is doing, and what our Premier is doing most specifically, is investing in school safety by ensuring that, yes, we’ve provided $1.6 billion unlocked for school safety. Part of that is to hire more staff, to ensure our air ventilation systems are improved—of which, 95% of schools have reported improvements in those schools themselves—and PPE extended to staff, extended to the students themselves.

The fact is, Speaker, that 99.2% of schools are open today. Recognizing, as the member opposite has acknowledged, that we do face challenges in Ontario and in the world, we’ll continue to remain vigilant and continue to invest in our students.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Speaker, I would ask the minister to get his facts straight. The FAO has set the school repair backlog at $14.4 billion as of last fall, so what have you been doing these last two and a half years? Organizations like Fix Our Schools estimate the backlog to be at $16.3 billion, so it is even growing under your watch.

Instead of pouring money into unneeded highways that nobody wants along that corridor, the Ontario Liberal action plan would invest in rebuilding schools and focus on upgrading HVAC systems, boilers, plumbing and windows. Under our plan, we would have a system for publicly reporting standards of good school repair, as well as investing in new child care spaces.

Speaker, why is this government investing in infrastructure like Highway 413 instead of the priorities for Ontario families, such as schools?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, I stand corrected. The member opposite is correct: It’s only a $14-billion deferred maintenance backlog in our schools in the province of Ontario—only $14 billion. That’s the legacy of the Del Duca Liberals, and I think the people of this province know better not to reward them with four years of government at a time when we need a government focused on the priorities of working families and parents, which includes more investment in health care and education, and tax relief for working people. That is exactly what our Premier has done.

In the context of our schools, we’re very proud that, yes, we invest over $1 billion per annum in maintenance, to ensure that we keep these schools safe and modern. It’s why we are investing in broadband expansion to all schools, which will be complete this coming September. It’s why we invest half a billion dollars to build new schools, many of which—an expansion in Scarborough, in my colleague Aris Babikian’s riding.

The fact is, Speaker, that we are going to continue to invest more in Scarborough, in Toronto, in every region of the province, because we recognize, after 15 years of neglect by the former government, that there’s much more work to do in Ontario.

Mental health and addiction services

Ms. Lindsey Park: My question is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Speaker, there are increasing concerns among my constituents in Durham about the ongoing issues around opioid addiction and overdose, which I know is not an issue unique to the riding of Durham. Every day, we know that men and women across the province are becoming victims to various deadly substances in our communities. As the minister has said in this House before, they could be brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and friends.

Recently, some estimates say that overdose rates in Ontario have increased by 59% since last year. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly impacted the mental health of too many Ontarians.

Speaker, could the minister please update the members of this Legislature on what the government is doing to address opioid addiction and overdoses across the province?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I’d like to begin by thanking the member from Durham for her great advocacy on behalf of her community and the great work she does here at Queen’s Park.

Before the pandemic even hit us, our government committed to doing something about the ongoing issues around substance abuse, including opioid addiction and overdose, that have impacted the lives of Ontarians and, in some cases, entire communities from the Far North.

We know the COVID-19 pandemic has only presented us with more complex challenges. That’s why our government took immediate action to provide $194 million in emergency funding to further expand the many mental health and addictions services which are already being accessed by 62,000 Ontarians. This is in addition to the $15.5 billion we invested through our Roadmap to Wellness, for additional addictions supports across the province.

We are doing what the past Liberal and NDP governments ignored, and that is investing in a system that will give benefit to all of the people in the province of Ontario when it comes to the health—

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

Ms. Lindsey Park: I know our government is continuing to make investments so Ontarians of all ages can have access to the high-quality mental health and addictions supports they expect and deserve. I want to thank the minister on behalf of the thousands of Ontarians who are receiving direct support during these difficult times.

As this pandemic continues, there’s more work to be done. I know the minister will continue to stand up for those impacted not only by addiction but by mental health challenges as well.

Speaker, would the minister please explain what other investments our government has made to help support Ontarians while on their road to recovery and what investments have been made in those more remote and northern communities?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: We’ve made many investments throughout the entire province, from the GTA all the way to Ontario’s Far North, including many of the remote communities. In fact, we’ve invested $32 million in funding specifically to address the needs of those living with mental health and addictions challenges in northern Ontario.

The investments include new funding for in-patient mental health beds, mobile crisis services, both in-home and mobile detox services and opioid addiction services in municipalities like Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Manitoulin. But that’s not all. Recently, we announced a significant investment in Ontario’s northwest, including the hiring of up to six psychiatrists. This investment will help around 1,800 unique patients each year through these resources.

Mr. Speaker, I can keep going on about the investments that we’ve made, but the bottom line is that we’re going to continue standing up for mental health and supports for those suffering with addictions. It’s our government that is finally going to build a mental health and addictions system that works for everyone in this province.

Member’s comments

Ms. Jill Andrew: Speaker, through you to the Premier: Last Monday, when it was revealed that the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Education, the MPP for Niagara West, would attend an anti-choice event where organizers compared legal abortion to the Holocaust, the Premier promised only to talk to his member. It appears this talk was more of a pat on the back than a slap on the wrist, because not only did the member happily join organizers who trivialized the atrocities of the Holocaust, but he spoke in strong opposition of the right to choose.

My question to the Premier is this: Will the Premier tell Ontarians exactly what he said to his member and why he was allowed to attend this event at all?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I think the Premier was very clear with respect to his displeasure with the member. But by the same token, I must say I’m equally troubled by the member opposite suggesting that somehow a Premier or a leader would order members or tell them what they can or cannot do as members.

Look, we are in full agreement of how important the issues are that the member across has just raised. We have spoken to the member about it, Mr. Speaker, and hopefully the member will give a great deal of consideration on attending events like that in the future.

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

Ms. Jill Andrew: Speaker, to the people of Ontario and my community in St. Paul’s, the House leader just rambled for a minute, and I did not hear a single word—nobody in this House heard what the House leader had to say. This is an important issue.

Again, Speaker, through you to the Premier: Even the Premier’s colleagues in the federal party are willing to take a stronger stance than he is. In the face of some Conservative Party members attempting to put abortion policy on the convention agenda, the federal Conservative leader came out to publicly state that he is pro-choice. While the federal leader is staring down party members who seek to threaten abortion access, the Premier of Ontario is right here cheering them on with pompoms.

Why is the Premier allowing harmful anti-choice sentiment to grow in his Conservative caucus? Can we please get an answer from the Premier of Ontario?

Hon. Paul Calandra: That’s absolutely incorrect, Mr. Speaker. We have said right from the beginning, and we continue to be—this Legislature has voted with respect to a woman’s right to choose, Mr. Speaker, and we will of course defend that as a government, as this Legislature has on many occasions reaffirmed. There is no wavering on that.

With respect to the member’s direct question, yes, we will continue to support a woman’s right to choose until this Legislature chooses to do something differently. We will support that and we will defend that at every instance.

COVID-19 response

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Premier. Last week, after months of watching owners of restaurants and bars have to close down their businesses, the government made changes to increase the capacity limits for restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments in the red and orange zones. For months, establishments in the red zone could only allow 10 people in their premises, and in the orange zone, 50.

The government had the power, due to Bill 195, to make these changes earlier, without requiring a vote in this Legislature, and before many went out of business. What took the government so long?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, I would say to the member opposite: the need for public health measures. We have to keep the level of transmission of COVID-19 under control as much as we can. That’s what we’ve been working towards. The variants of concern have considerably upset the direction that we were headed in, because the variants of concern—the UK, Brazilian and South African—are much more transmissible. They end up in more hospitalizations, more severe cases of COVID and, sadly, more deaths.

That is what we’ve been following all along. We’ve been listening to our public health experts, Dr. Williams and the public health measures table, and we had to wait until they felt that changes could be made for the health and safety of all Ontarians, and that’s exactly what we did.

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

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Despite their pious claims to the contrary, it doesn’t appear that the government is following much science in its decision-making. On the same day last week that capacity limits were increased in red and orange zones, total COVID cases in Ontario spiked to over 1,700 daily for each of the last three days. Last November, when these red and orange capacity limits were set, COVID cases on that day were just over 1,300.

What part of the science is the government following when it decides after months to let restaurants operate even when daily COVID cases are increasing? Couldn’t this same decision have been made months ago, before thousands were forced to close down the restaurants due to the government’s questionable decision-making?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Once again, we follow public health measures. There were changes that were made, particularly in areas in grey—in Peel and Toronto—to allow for outdoor patios to open as long as the physical distancing measures were followed. But the difference, of course, is the variants of concern. With the original COVID cases moving downward, we could see, and Dr. Brown and his table told us that in their modelling we could see the variants of concern taking over from the original COVID, which we are now seeing.

We are watching that very carefully. We’re watching what’s happening in our hospitals. We’re watching to make sure that our ICU beds are not going to be overwhelmed. All of the work that we’re doing is in accordance with the advice that’s being given to us by Dr. Williams and the public health measures table, because our first and foremost priority is the health and safety of all Ontarians.

Long-term care

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. Seniors in long-term-care homes have been in isolation for over a year, many confined to their rooms, separated from their designated caregivers and without meaningful access to the people that love them and provide the support they need to stay mentally and physically healthy. Sitting alone in their rooms, their health rapidly declining, with no stimulation, no exercise, some have lost the will to live. Some die from isolation. Most have not felt fresh air or been out in the sunshine since the beginning of the pandemic.

The majority of long-term-care residents across the province have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Designated caregivers are being vaccinated too. Meaningful access can happen in a safe manner, with proper PPE, testing, and infection prevention and control measures in place. Speaker, why won’t the Premier take concrete action to ensure these families are immediately reunited, that no one is denied meaningful access to their caregivers and that residents in care homes can leave their rooms to enjoy the outdoors?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Back in March of 2020, we had to take the very, very difficult decision to restrict access to visitors into long-term care. That was done with very little understanding of what COVID-19 presented. We now have vaccines, as you mentioned. We now have testing. We have additional measures. However, the science is still evolving. We must continue to be vigilant. If we look at BC, we see homes that were vaccinated, staff and residents, are having outbreaks. This is something that we have to be very, very vigilant and cautious about with these new variants.

We took the action of allowing residents to meet with their essential caregivers. This was an important step in that direction. We know how hard it is on residents and families. There’s no doubt about that. The essential caregivers were a step in that direction, including for homes in outbreak. We’re continuing to review this with our experts in public health and with the medical and scientific knowledge. I appreciate your concerns.

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

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: The minister is saying that caregivers are allowed in even during an outbreak. Yet 90-year-old Heinz Ziebell has not been outside the home in six months, and his family has only ever been allowed window visits with him.

Many long-term-care residents have been locked away and denied meaningful access to their designated essential caregivers for over a year. Policies implemented by care homes across the province differ greatly when it comes to caregiver access or residents going outdoors. The government’s guidance means nothing to these homes. Mental and physical decline in care home residents is increasing as isolation takes a devastating toll. For some, it leads to simply giving up, and death.

Vaccines have been the light at the end of a very long tunnel for many residents in long-term care. Medical experts say the vaccines are working. They’re reducing the cases of COVID-19 in care homes. We’re down to 11 active cases across the entire province.

It’s over one year into the pandemic, yet this government continues to allow care homes to deny residents meaningful access to their caregivers and fresh air. The Premier has had a legislative solution before him since September—something they supported—so why won’t he immediately pass my More Than a Visitor Act and reunite families once and for all?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Once again, thank you for the important question. There is no doubt that the well-being of residents and their families requires a level of visitation. That is what we’ve been trying to do by having the essential caregivers.

If we look at the science, we know that the vaccines are not 100% effective at stopping the transmission. They are not. We have to look at BC and learn from the experiences elsewhere. We are working with our public health units, our medical officers of health. For homes in outbreak, one essential caregiver is permitted for each resident. That is the nature of public health. The medical officers of health do have the ability to restrict that, and we have seen that happen. Public health units may temporarily limit visitors in situations with outbreaks as a precaution.

This is something that we are working on with our partners to understand how we can move forward with the very, very difficult situation when outbreaks occur in homes and deaths occur. We do not want to go back to where we were with wave 1.

Hydro rates

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Minister of Energy. Last week, the FAO reported that expensive green energy contracts are part of the problem of Ontario’s high electricity rates, and with this government’s subsidy of rates for large businesses, “the costs are being moved from ratepayers over to the taxpayers” to the tune of $2.8 billion for the first three years, totalling $15.2 billion of subsidies by 2040.

Instead of subsidizing big business on the backs of the taxpayer, why won’t the government do what is necessary: defend the taxpayer, use the legal power of this Legislature and terminate those green energy contracts for wind and solar early, saving ratepayers and taxpayers billions in the process?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member is quite correct. The former Liberal government’s green energy program was implemented in a very disastrous way for the people of the province of Ontario, as the member will know. She campaigned on the promise that was fulfilled by this government to ensure that the Fair Hydro Plan was open and that people could understand the costs of the Fair Hydro Plan. It’s very correct on how expensive it has become. It is a multi-billion-dollar expense to the people of the province of Ontario.

That’s not to suggest that green energy isn’t an important part our energy mix in the province of Ontario; it is, Mr. Speaker. Where the mistake was made by the previous Liberal government was in contracts that we could not afford at a time when we did not need those energy systems put in place. We will continue to ensure that it is open and that people can see it. We followed the advice of the Auditor General, Speaker.

I am confident in the fact that we continue to keep those rates low for all of the people of the province of Ontario, and that energy will continue to be something that is an important driver of economic activity.

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

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Despite promising to cut rates by 12%—another promise made, promise broken—this government has been subsidizing, not cutting, electricity rates, but only for the largest businesses in the province; not, I might add, for residential, farm or small business.

This government has the power to shut down expensive green energy contracts through legislation and to cut rates, but they choose not to. It is the same legislative power the government has used to tell restaurants how many people they can serve.

Additional expensive electricity by wind turbines in the Nation Rise wind project is being constructed in the riding of Stormont–Dundas–South Glengarry that will cost ratepayers $400 million over 20 years for electricity we don’t need and that is in surplus.

Why doesn’t the government defend the taxpayer, use the power of this Legislature the same way it uses its power on restaurants, and legislate an end to these green energy contracts, and decommission surplus wind turbine projects, starting with the Nation Rise project?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course the member will know that we have reviewed all of the contracts, Mr. Speaker. Those contracts that could be terminated were terminated early on; one of the first things that we did as a government.

We have continued to keep rates low for the people of the province of Ontario. In fact, when compared to what the costs of energy would have been had the Liberals been re-elected, we’ve been able to reduce those by 18%.

We’ve gone even further during the pandemic, Mr. Speaker, by reducing rates for all of the people across Ontario, including businesses: small, medium and large job creators. They’re an important part of the economy, whether it’s restaurants or whether it’s our large job creators. They are an important part of keeping this economy going so that we can continue to pay for safe schools, long-term care and health care.

I certainly make no apologies for helping individual Ontarians, and certainly no apologies for helping small, medium and large job creators, which are so important to the economic recovery of the province of Ontario.

COVID-19 immunization

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. A 64-year-old St. Catharines resident, Rick McCallion, is living with cancer. Rick recently called in to public health. He was asking when he could expect to get his vaccine in Niagara. Mr. McCallion was told it could be June. This would be slower than other regions. Since Niagara has the second-highest concentration of seniors in Ontario, it will take longer to vaccinate our seniors, given our allotment of vaccines.

I stood in this House and I said it before: Our pharmacies have the capacity; our dense senior community has the need. Will the Premier recognize that Niagara has one of the oldest populations in Ontario? In addition, will the Premier guarantee we top the list for immediate inclusion in the pharmacy vaccination rollout?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I thank the member very much for the question. We are in the process right now of expanding the number of pharmacies that will be able to administer the vaccine. That will be done within the next two weeks. We expect to double that to approximately 700 pharmacies across the province, including in Niagara, and then doubling that again within the next month.

However, given the situation that the member just suggested with respect to this gentleman who has a pre-existing condition, this is a situation where, likely, he will receive a call from his primary care provider, who will also be receiving the vaccines. He will be able to then go to his primary care provider to receive his vaccine, whatever type it may be. That is what has been planned by the vaccine committee and the vaccine task force.

For people with pre-existing conditions, because the primary care provider is aware of those specific conditions, the primary care provider will be reaching out to them and making appointments for them to receive their vaccinations within their primary care provider’s office.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The supplementary question? The member for Niagara Falls.

Mr. Wayne Gates: I just want to start by thanking Niagara public health. They’re doing an incredible job on our vaccines.

As my colleague mentioned, Niagara has one of the highest concentrations of seniors in the country. Those seniors were put at risk in January when this government diverted over 5,500 doses of Moderna vaccine away from Niagara. The only way to keep them safe and save lives in Niagara is by ramping up the vaccine efforts.

Pharmacies in my riding are ready to do what they do best, and that’s save lives. A great local partner, Simpson’s Pharmacy, has 3,500 people on a wait-list. They just need the supply of vaccines so they can do their job.

Will you move immediately to include Niagara in the areas in which pharmacies can administer vaccines? A simple yes or no would do.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Mr. Speaker, all of the public health units in Ontario, all 34 of them, are doing an amazing job getting the vaccines out. We have administered over 1.5 million doses thus far and protected our residents of long-term care, retirement homes and other areas, and we’re working through. We’ve got the majority of people over 80 vaccinated in most if not all of the public health units, which is why we’ve been able to move that down to age 75. That’s where they are receiving applications and times to receive the vaccines.

But before I get into the substance of my answer, I think it’s time to dispel a myth that has been circulating in Niagara that Niagara is not receiving their fair share of vaccines. That is not so. Vaccines are being distributed fairly in Niagara. In fact, Niagara is receiving above their fair share of vaccines. We will continue to allocate vaccines based on population and based on particular circumstances, but Niagara is receiving the vaccines that they’re entitled to.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. John Vanthof: My question is to the associate minister of health responsible for mental health and addictions. The Kirkland Lake opioid task force is meeting on a regular basis to deal with the increased opioid addiction problem in Timiskaming. One of the things that has come to our attention is that during the COVID epidemic, Timiskaming has been left—it’s basically a treatment desert, because the treatment centres are all in our major centres, in northern Ontario. If you are addicted or want help, or quite frankly need mental health services, Timiskaming is not the place to live, because we’re being excluded.

The minister just said in one of his responses that the Tory plan should work for everyone in the province. I question and ask whether he would work with the opioid task force and work himself to make sure that the people in Timiskaming have equivalent services as the rest of the province.

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: As the member opposite I’m sure is aware, our government was the government that implemented the Roadmap to Wellness about a year ago. The Roadmap to Wellness is a foundational document based on work that goes back to 2010—which, I might add, nothing had been done with until our government came to power.

We made a commitment of investing $3.8 billion in mental health and addictions in the province. We’ve started by laying the foundational work that needed to be done. In addition to looking at the lifespan and the age groups within the lifespan of an individual, from birth to death, we looked at how we will implement and develop a scale in each constituency where individuals will have the supports they need closest to their homes. That is a fundamental part of what we’re doing.

In addition to that, we’re also developing a strategy to ensure that culturally appropriate services are delivered—whether it’s farmers, whether it’s Indigenous communities, we are building a model. Of course, with COVID-19, we have had to speed up the things that we’re doing with respect to virtual care. But we are building that model, and we’re looking after every person in the province of Ontario.

Deferred Votes

Protecting Ontario Elections Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la protection des élections en Ontario

Deferred vote on the motion that the question now be put on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 254,

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to elections and members of the Assembly / Projet de loi 254, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les élections et les députés à l’Assemblée.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We now have a number of deferred votes. We have a deferred vote on a motion for closure on the motion for second reading of Bill 254,

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to elections and members of the Assembly.

On March 3, 2021, Mr. Downey moved second reading of Bill 254, and on March 11, 2021, Mr. Gill moved that the question be now put.

The bells will now ring for 30 minutes, during which time members may cast their votes on Mr. Gill’s motion that the question be now put. I will ask the Clerks to prepare the lobbies.

The division bells rang from 1137 to 1207.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The vote on the motion for closure on the motion for second reading of Bill 254,

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to elections and members of the Assembly, has been held.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 41; the nays are 32.

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

Pursuant to standing order 51, I am now required to put the question. On March 3, 2021, Mr. Downey moved second reading of Bill 254,

An Act to amend various Acts with respect to elections and members of the Assembly. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

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

All those opposed to the motion will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, the bells will now ring for 15 minutes, during which time—

Interjection: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Same vote? Same vote.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 41; the nays are 32.

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

Second reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Shall the bill be ordered for third reading?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Referred to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly, please.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The bill is referred to the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly.

Legislative reform

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have another deferred vote. On February 17, 2021, Ms. Khanjin moved government notice of motion 101, referred to in government order number 60, regarding amendments to the standing orders.

On March 11, 2021, Mr. Calandra moved the following amendment to government notice of motion number 101, that the motion be amended as follows:

That the words “for the duration of the 42nd Parliament” be deleted; and

That the following be added:

“Standing order 77(

d) is amended to add the words ‘the government House leader,’ before the words ‘the minister’;

“Standing order 120 is amended by adding the following clauses:

“‘120(

d) Where the Chair of a standing committee is a member of the party forming the government, the Vice-Chair shall be a member of a recognized party in opposition to the government or an independent member; and where the Chair is a member of a recognized party in opposition to the government, the Vice-Chair shall be a member of the party forming the government.

“‘120(

e) Failing the appointment of a Vice-Chair pursuant to clause (d), any other member of the committee may be appointed as a Vice-Chair.’”

On March 11, 2021, Mr. Hatfield moved the following amendment to the amendment to government notice of motion 101: that the amendment be amended by adding the following words after “government” at the end of clause 120(d):

“And that the appointments made under the standing order must be agreed to by the party assuming the vice-chairship.”

The vote is on Mr. Hatfield’s amendment to the amendment to government notice of motion 101. The bells will now ring for 15 minutes, during which time members may cast their votes. I will ask the Clerks to—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Same vote, in reverse? Same vote, in reverse.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 32; the nays are 41.

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

Motion negatived.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Are members now ready for the question on the amendment to government notice of motion 101? No?

Members not being ready for the question, the debate may resume now at another time.

Tenant protection

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, we have a deferred vote on private members’ notice of motion number 143, as moved by Ms. Berns-McGown. The bells will now ring for 15 minutes, during which time members may cast their votes. I’ll ask the Clerks to prepare the lobbies.

The division bells rang from 1213 to 1228.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The vote on private members’ notice of motion number 143 has been held.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 27; the nays are 39.

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

Motion negatived.

Awenen Niin Act (Who Am

I) Respecting Identity Documents, 2021 / Loi Awenen Niin (Qui suis-je) de 2021 concernant les pièces d’identité

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

Bill 256,

An Act to amend the Photo Card Act, 2008 and the Vital Statistics Act respecting access to identification documents / Projet de loi 256, Loi modifiant la Loi de 2008 sur les cartes-photo et la

Loi sur les statistiques de l’état civil en ce qui concerne l’accès aux pièces d’identité.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Next, we have a deferred vote on the motion for second reading of

An Act to amend the Photo Card Act, 2008 and the Vital Statistics Act respecting access to identification documents. The bells will now ring for 15 minutes, during which—

Interjection: Same vote.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Same vote? Same vote.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 27; the nays are 39.

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

Second reading negatived.

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

The House recessed from 1229 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on General Government

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on General Government and move its adoption.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Short): Your committee begs to report the following bill, without amendment:

Bill 238,

An Act to amend the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 / Projet de loi 238, Loi modifiant la Loi de 1997 sur la sécurité professionnelle et l’assurance contre les accidents du travail.

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

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The bill is therefore ordered for third reading.

Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I beg leave to present a report from the Standing Committee on the Legislative Assembly and move its adoption.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Short): Your committee begs to report the following bill, as amended:

Bill 245,

An Act to amend and repeal various statutes, to revoke various regulations and to enact the Ontario Land Tribunal Act, 2021 / Projet de loi 245, Loi modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois, abrogeant divers règlements et édictant la Loi de 2021 sur le Tribunal ontarien de l’aménagement du territoire.

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

Report adopted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The bill is therefore ordered for third reading.

Introduction of Bills

Whittrick N D T Services Ltd. Act, 2021

Ms. Fife moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr50,

An Act to revive Whittrick N D T Services Ltd.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

2560462 Ontario Ltd. Act, 2021

Mr. Crawford moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr41,

An Act to revive 2560462 Ontario Ltd.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Petitions

Long-term care

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Mrs. Linda Hachez, who collected these petitions during the pandemic in a very safe way. They read as follows:

Ban “Retirement Home PPE Charges....

“Whereas Ontario’s retirement homes are largely privately owned corporations; and

“Whereas these ... businesses have a responsibility” for providing “personal protective equipment (PPE) to their employees; and

“Whereas many retirement homes are adding PPE charges to the residents’ monthly bill, but the PPE is not for the residents but for the employees of the ... home; and

“Whereas residents of some Sudbury retirement homes have effectively organized letter-writing campaigns and actions to have the PPE charges to residents cancelled and recognized as a retirement home’s cost of doing business;

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Treat our province’s seniors with respect and ban any additional COVID-related fees, including PPE, to retirement home residents.”

I fully support this petition. I will affix my name to it and send it to the table.

Consumer protection

Mr. Stephen Crawford: This petition is to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas since the start of the pandemic, the growth of e-commerce has exploded and online shopping has doubled in Canada;

“Whereas with the dramatic increase in doorstep deliveries, thieves have more opportunities than ever before to steal packages addressed to consumers;

“Whereas one in three online shoppers in Canada say they’ve had a package stolen from outside their home;

“Whereas, if passed, the Trespass to Property Amendment Act would:

“—make Ontario the first province in Canada to impose provincial fines for package piracy;

“—impose a minimum fine of $500 for a first offence, $1,000 for a second offence, $2,000 for each subsequent conviction, up to a maximum of $10,000;

“—create a deterrent for package pirates while offering more protection to consumers, retailers and couriers from this costly crime;

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

“That the Legislative Assembly of Ontario vote on and pass the Trespass to Property Amendment Act, 2020.”

I support this petition and w