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May 17, 2023

43rd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2023-May-17 vol. A (PDF)

L079A - Wed 17 May 2023 / Mer 17 mai 2023

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 17 May 2023 Mercredi 17 mai 2023

House sittings

Orders of the Day

Building a Strong Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à bâtir un Ontario fort (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

Volunteer service awards

Indigenous affairs

Halton Regional Police Service Cram-a-Cruiser food drive

Tenant protection

Mukti Foundation

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound constituency office

Hospital services

Peterborough–Kawartha maple syrup

York Regional Police Appreciation Night

Wearing of buttons

Introduction of Visitors

Question Period

Government contracts

Pay equity

Water quality

Community safety / First responders

Northern emergency services

Economic development

Tenant protection

Land use planning

Workplace safety

Automotive industry

Ontario film and television industry

Violence in schools

Health care post-secondary education

Assisted housing

Women’s entrepreneurship / Women’s employment

Member’s birthday

Reception

Visitors

Notice of dissatisfaction

Notice of dissatisfaction

Introduction of Bills

Education Statute Law Amendment Act (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder), 2023 / Loi de 2023 modifiant des lois en ce qui concerne l’éducation (ensemble des troubles causés par l’alcoolisation foetale)

League Technique Inc. Act, 2023

Hands Off the Greenbelt Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à préserver la ceinture de verdure

No More Highways in the Greenbelt Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à empêcher l’expansion des autoroutes dans la ceinture de verdure

No More Pits or Quarries in the Greenbelt Act, 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à empêcher l’expansion des puits d’extraction ou des carrières dans la ceinture de verdure

Petitions

Emergency services

Police services

Emergency services

Social assistance

Police services

Hospital services

Land use planning

Social assistance

Animal protection

Land use planning

Orders of the Day

Building a Strong Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à bâtir un Ontario fort (mesures budgétaires)

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

House sittings

Hon. Paul Calandra: Point of order.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Point of order, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Pursuant to standing order 7(e), I wish to inform the House that tonight’s evening meeting is cancelled.

Orders of the Day

Building a Strong Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2023 / Loi de 2023 visant à bâtir un Ontario fort (mesures budgétaires)

Resuming the debate adjourned on May 16, 2023, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 85,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to amend various statutes / Projet de loi 85, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à modifier diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Further debate?

Mr. Joel Harden: In my remarks on the budget this morning, what I would like to do is continue the conversation in this chamber we’ve been having about community safety. As I do that, I’m mindful of the fact that this is a challenging moment in our province, certainly challenging in eastern Ontario back home.

Today is one of the days that we are going to be remembering Sergeant Eric Mueller, who was tragically killed in Bourget, Ontario. I know members of the government are going to be going to the funeral service today. I’m glad they are. I just want to say from my perspective, as an eastern Ontario politician, days like this are hard. But I want us to think about how we preserve community safety and honour Sergeant Mueller and his family.

I also want to be thinking about Carl Reinboth. Carl Reinboth was a street outreach worker from the Somerset West Community Health Centre, one of three terrific community health centres we’re blessed to have in our community, who was tragically killed as well in a truly tragic accident—a gentleman in a psychotic episode.

We miss Carl. We miss Sergeant Mueller. We miss all people who devote themselves to public service and first response. There are so many first responders, Speaker, and today I just want to begin my remarks on the budget thinking about community safety by paying respect to Sergeant Mueller and to Carl.

What I want to ask, Speaker, is a rhetorical question, before I get into some details on two aspects of what the government has proposed in this bill: How do we keep each other safe? It’s a rhetorical question I asked in my community column last Friday. We publish a newsletter every week online—I know a lot of members do—and I asked community members to give me their two cents about what we could do as a province to keep each other more safe. I got a lot of comments back from people remarking on the amount of neighbours in our community in Ottawa who are suffering openly in the street, living in the street.

What we know is that, in Ottawa at least, there are 1,400 people in Ottawa every day who are homeless, about 8,000, if you think about the city in the course of the year, who interact with that position and find their way out one way or another. What we know is those neighbours—and they are neighbours, Speaker—who are living on the street are disproportionately drawn from certain communities as opposed to others. About 2.5% of our city in Ottawa are Indigenous, but 24% of the homeless population are Indigenous. About 6% of our city are Black Canadians, but 21% of the people who are homeless on the street are Black.

What I hear from community service providers, when they talk about folks who are chronically underhoused, chronically homeless, and folks who for whatever reason, for whatever trauma they are carrying around with them, as people have told me, live their lives in plain sight all day, all times of year—what life is like for them. People who wrote me after my column last Friday were saying they were noticing alarming behaviours that researchers tell me are linked to the toxicity of the illicit drug supply in our streets, alarming behaviours that are linked to the mental health crisis in our community.

Ana from old Ottawa South wrote me about a neighbour she knew who had been assaulted outside a coffee shop and is still in hospital after receiving several injuries, including a face fracture that people believe may not fully heal. I also know of another neighbour outside Hartman’s grocery store—you know Hartman’s, Speaker, in Somerset West, at Somerset and Bank—who was just walking to get her groceries and encountered a neighbour in significant psychotic duress and was assaulted as well.

In each of these situations, what we know is that the first-response capacity we have in our community is overtaxed. What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is, at the moment, what the Ottawa Police Service tells our community is the cost of interactions with homeless folks in our community—there are about 60,000 interactions per year—is $25 million.

But if we think about the amount of money we are spending taking police first responders into interactions with homeless neighbours, when those are the exact folks we need when there’s a pileup on the 417, the exact folks we need when we have a major weather event like the wind storm that hit our community last May—the police so aptly and efficiently and effectively ensured our safety in that moment for neighbours trapped in their homes. They were terrific. Police are the ones who have the responsibility, with the monopoly on the use of force, to keep us safe in moments of significant public duress and safety.

What police officers in Ottawa Centre tell me is that they don’t want to be the first point of response for 60,000 interactions with folks who are chronically homeless. In fact, I hear again and again from our community officers that they feel the province and the city could do a lot more to support them.

I want to talk about some of those community services—because in the budget, with the Homelessness Prevention Program the government announced, the increase of $202 million, we have opportunities for the province to invest—that have been making inroads to deal with those 60,000 interactions and to take our police into a direct public safety response, instead of constant interactions with neighbours who live with trauma and who are homeless.

I want to talk about the Salvation Army in Ottawa, who maintain several vans that are fully equipped to deal with any number of needs homeless neighbours have. It could be a pair of socks, it could be a cup of coffee, it could be a first aid interaction, or it could be a ride to a home or a shelter or a drop-in facility that our city maintains. The cost of that program, which runs from 11 a.m. in the morning to 3 a.m. at night, seven days a week, is around $500,000 a year. I mentioned that the cost of asking our police force in Ottawa to interact 60,000 times a year is $25 million.

What the Salvation Army tells me is, for them to staff up with an additional van could be half the cost of the allocation they currently have—$500,000—and what that would make is a meaningful difference in the lives of people who are living and struggling with trauma, and it would also follow the advice of officers I’ve spoken to who want that help.

I also want to note the Somerset West Community Health Centre, who maintain several programs, and I want to name a couple that could benefit from what the government has announced in this budget. They have a crisis outreach program that was operating during the pandemic—and it’s operating now—that doesn’t just deal with situational responses in neighbourhoods. When there’s a homeless neighbour in crisis interacting with a small business or another resident and that person, that business doesn’t feel safe, they can call the Somerset West Community Health Centre.

They’re proactive: This outreach program goes into rooming houses, goes into supportive housing, goes into low-rental, and visits neighbours sleeping outside in the street, to get them the support they need, for a cost of $315,000 a year. If we invested another $226,000 a year, what the Somerset West Community Health Centre tells me is, you could employ a full-time nurse practitioner and a dedicated community worker for this program. And I can tell you, those folks would save lives. They would make sure people found out where they could go to get a decent meal at one of our community kitchens.

They could connect, perhaps, spiritually, if they’re Indigenous, to some of the fantastic Indigenous cultural organizations we have in our city, or spiritually if they have faith of other kinds. Speaker, $226,000 compared to $25 million is a significant difference.

I also want to say that every time we give someone an opportunity to do something other than end up in a paramedic ambulance, a police cruiser, a jail or a mental health bed in a hospital, we don’t just achieve dignity for the person; we achieve something stupendous for economic circumstances for the province. It is cheaper and it is more efficient for the government to take aspects of this $202 million and its Homelessness Prevention Program and put it into direct community services. I’ve worked already with members of this government to connect them directly to leaders in our community who can put this money to good use.

In the last minute I have, I just want to mention one other thing, and that is the housing allocation that Ottawa has received. What we know is, we have an increase of $800,000 with the Homelessness Prevention Program allocation for our city. We were on track to expect $16 million to $17 million. What that would have done is create 54 units of supportive housing in our city.

So, working with organizations like Salus, Options Bytown, Somerset West, Carlington Community Health Centre, Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, I’m pleading to this government to make sure that Ottawa receives a good allocation here, because if we don’t, what we’re going to have are more criminal justice interactions with police first responders, which is not what neighbours are telling me we need to make sure we can give people dignity, give people respect and—let’s hope, for the most part, after the prayer we had this morning—a new lease on life.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We’ll now have questions to the member for Ottawa Centre.

Mr. Anthony Leardi: To the member from Ottawa Centre: The supply chain of illegal drugs which is reaching the people he spoke about on the street doesn’t come from the street. The supply chain of illegal drugs that is harming people on the street and causing the problems of which the member from Ottawa Centre spoke comes from the supply chain established by organized crime. For example, the RCMP seized 60 bricks of cocaine at the Ambassador Bridge in April of this year. One of the ways you save people on the street is you bust up that supply chain.

So my question to the member from Ottawa Centre is this: Why is he abandoning the people on the street by promoting a “defund the police” policy?

Mr. Joel Harden: I’ll be honest in my response to what the member has said. I’m not interested in playing culture war games in this place when it comes to community safety, and I would invite the member opposite to consider the same. We can try to play “gotcha” politics in this place by using catchphrases, or we can make the community investments we need to make to keep our community safe. I talked about specific investments we can use to make the community safe. I note the federal Conservative leader was playing similar games in the House of Commons yesterday in question period.

We have to be driven by evidence. We have to be driven by effective solutions that work. The case I was making this morning that I didn’t hear any evidence or response to from that member—I hope I hear it in debate—is, are we making the right investments, are we helping first responders and are we helping neighbours in crisis? Those are the pertinent questions.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Jeff Burch: Thank you to my friend from Ottawa Centre for his passion for community safety. I wanted to ask him, if there was one thing that was missing in the budget that would really contribute to community safety in Ottawa, what would that thing be?

Mr. Joel Harden: Housing. That’s the biggest thing. You can’t help somebody if they’re not housed. At the risk of seeming extreme—I don’t mean to—you can’t help somebody if they’re dead either. The toxicity of drugs in our streets is creating erratic behaviours, and the pilot that the federal government has embarked upon with the province of British Columbia is already showing evidence, contrary to what the federal Conservative leader has said, that people are getting control of their selves, finding pathways to wellness. We need to follow the evidence.

Housing, supportive housing, and support for people with mental health and addictions—I heard the associate minister of the government yesterday praise those initiatives, and I’m glad to hear that. I’m glad to hear that, in this place, we’re following the evidence and not the culture wars.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Based on that note of housing—thank you very much for raising that—will you support what we’re proposing with the increase in investment in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program by over $200 million annually? I can tell you for a fact that in my community, York region, this meant a 76% increase. I’ll be meeting with them soon because they said they want to meet with me and talk to me about the great things this is going to do for York region.

I would hope, based on that feedback, and knowing it’s $200 million annually—I would have to say to the opposition member, please support us with this initiative.

Mr. Joel Harden: Well, first of all, to the member for Newmarket–Aurora, I’m very glad that’s going to help your community. What I can tell you from Ottawa Centre’s perspective though, and I think you’ve heard this from Ottawa members in the chamber, is that $800,000 as an increase to this allocation for us is well short of what we expected. We were expecting between $16 million and $17 million because Ottawa deals with many neighbours who come from far beyond our city boundaries.

There are people from way up north who come to Ottawa to access health care, Inuit people in particular, and that falls far short of what we need in order to help people with respect to homelessness prevention. As I mentioned before, an alarming amount of homeless neighbours back home are Indigenous, and we need resources in order to be able to help those neighbours figure out how to get themselves back on track.

I’m glad the program’s working for your community. Jury’s out for me on whether I’m going to support it. I need to make sure there’s enough money in the bill to support all communities.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the member for Ottawa Centre. Thank you for your speech. I know you very much care about the residents of Ottawa Centre.

My question is focused on housing. When you look at this budget, do you believe this budget adequately addresses the housing affordability crisis that you see in your riding?

Mr. Joel Harden: No, it doesn’t. The member and I have served on committee, where we’ve looked at Bill 97, which the member from Newmarket–Aurora was just talking about too, and what I know about this province is that there is a significant amount of richness and wealth, there’s a significant amount of cranes that you’ll see all up over this city and all up over our city, but it’s not necessarily building affordable housing.

We need the government, we need the public to make sure we incentivize and figure out ways to help people get housing. It doesn’t always mean cranes, either. Supportive housing can be repurposing existing rental stock, supportive housing could be wrapping services around places like rooming houses, but we can’t do that on $800,000 a year with the Homelessness Prevention Program, and we can’t do that with the limited resources currently allocated towards public and non-profit housing in this province. We need much, much more.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Anthony Leardi: The member from Ottawa Centre asked about specific investments in the budget. The specific investment that I’m referring to is the $13.4 million to continue the Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy, which of course, as we know, is the primary way of busting up the drug supply chain, so that the drugs don’t reach people on the street and the people who the member from Ottawa Centre was talking about.

So my question to the member is this: Given that he wants specific investments in the budget to assist the people he spoke about, will he support that specific measure, the $13.4 million to bust up the drug supply chain, or will he be continuing to promote the NDP “defund the police” policy?

Mr. Joel Harden: Speaker, what I’m going to rise in this place and defend all the time is community safety. The member can engage in any number of culture-war statements he wants, but what I’m going to ask him and what I’m going to ask every member in this House is: What does that accomplish by the day’s end? What does that actually accomplish? Will it bring back the lives we’ve lost of first responders? Will it bring back Sergeant Mueller? Will it bring back Carl Reinboth? Will it give people a new lease on life, or is it just about scoring points on Twitter?

I’m not here to score points on Twitter. I’m here to fight for my community. I’m here to make sure that we do right by people living in crisis, and comments like that? It’s just performance. I’m interested in actual solutions. Believe it or not, Speaker, I’ve found that there are times members of this government will do that. I invite this member to talk to those members of this government, because those are people actually engaged in serious work, not games.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Thank you so much this morning to the member for explaining the real lived lives of people that are on the street. The solutions aren’t simple and they’re not, in some ways, the bumper statements that we’re hearing in the House today, so we need to come together and understand the continuum of supports that we need.

In Hamilton currently, we can tell there are 1,500 people who are homeless, living on the streets, and we have 500 shelter beds. We’ve seen the closure now of three agencies, the kind that you described in Ottawa, that were serving people living on the streets, including Hamilton Mental Health Outreach, that were dealing with people right on the street, serving them where they’ve managed to find some shelter.

And so, can you speak a little bit further to all of our communities, how cutting that kind of service, as you said, is not good for anyone? It lands on municipal taxpayer dollars, and it lands on the police budgets that should be directing their resources elsewhere.

Mr. Joel Harden: I thank the member for the question. I’ll just go through a few figures that are drawn from evidence: Supportive housing costs $53 a day. An Ontario jail cell costs $233 a day. A federal jail cell costs $330 a day. An Ontario hospital bed dedicated for mental health crisis costs $441 a day.

I began my life as a community organizer, Speaker, in this city, working with the great Jack Layton to make sure people didn’t freeze to death on the streets of this city and got access through a housing-first program. We convinced a Conservative mayor, Mel Lastman, to invest millions of dollars in a housing program called the Streets to Homes program, that the city currently has, which needs another tranche of reinvestment.

But there are solutions that exist, Speaker. We don’t have to keep throwing money at the problem in ineffective ways and putting people in difficult situations. We can and must do better.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

Mr. Michael Mantha: It’s always a pleasure and a privilege to take my seat on behalf of the good people of Algoma–Manitoulin, talking to the budget bill this morning. As I’ve always said, I try to bring a northern Ontario lens to the floor of the Legislature, and that’s what I’m going to be doing this morning, talking about particular matters that were not addressed for individuals in my riding of Algoma–Manitoulin.

I want to start with Donna Benke from Elliot Lake, who is an ODSP recipient. Donna is a huge advocate for fairness. She has shared many of her life stories with me, and her struggles that she has. She doesn’t want to wish anything worse for anybody else, but she does want to be seen; she wants to be heard, because as a single individual without children at home, she has not benefited in any way, shape or form from some of the benefits that have come from this government. She wants to be heard and is saying, “What about me? As an individual who is hurt, who cannot work, who cannot supplement my income, why aren’t there any supplements for me?” That’s one of the individuals.

I want to talk about Roslyn Taylor. Roslyn Taylor owns a small sawmill on Manitoulin Island. Roslyn has shared her hydro costs for her small mill with me. She employs about 20 to 25 employees. This has gone on with this government and the previous government—that I brought it to their attention. Her usage fees, on average, range somewhere between $700 to $800. Her delivery fees are always in excess of double what she is utilizing.

I’ve worked with the minister—and I actually was with the minister at a reception just a couple of days ago, and I asked him once again, “When will your ministry reach out to Roslyn at Taylor Sawmill?” I wanted to provide him with her direct contact and say, “Hey, what can you do?” The minister, to his credit, indicated to me that it would take some major policy changes in order to address her issues. Okay. Well, that’s why you’re in government: to make those changes. We didn’t see those changes in this budget.

Roslyn is still receiving those high costs for her sawmill, and the 25 jobs that she provides for individuals on Manitoulin Island are at stake here. So I’m hoping that, finally, the government will reach out to Roslyn, or Hydro One, and look at some of the savings that they can provide for her so she can continue doing the operation and the work that she enjoys doing.

The other thing that wasn’t addressed in this budget is a serious doctor recruitment and retainment program for rural and northern communities. I didn’t see that in this budget.

I see this government making some investments. I see legislation which is opening up more opportunities for the privatization of certain surgeries in this province. I see this government creating an environment where we’re going to need more agency nurses. I see this government creating, again, an environment where we’re going to be losing a lot of our public service workers—our doctors, our nurses, our PSWs and so on—to going towards the private sector.

I see a lot of nurses who were burnt out due to a lot of decisions that were made by this government during the COVID pandemic, which now—these individuals have left and are now reappearing as agency nurses at a much higher cost. I don’t see how they’ve addressed that in the budget. I don’t see how they’ve addressed the need for locums in northern Ontario.

The hospital up in Wawa has been looking to this government and trying to get this government to continue with the locum days that they’ve had there. They’re down another doctor, and they do not have the proper coverage that they had. What is going to happen? The three remaining doctors who are there are going to get burnt out, and they’re going to move on, and they’re going to leave, and then Wawa is going to be left out.

This is the exact position that is happening on the west end of Manitoulin Island and Gore Bay. There are three doctors there: There’s one doctor who is holding down the basic practice that is there; and there’s a husband and wife, but they’re looking to move on because they’re at an age where they need to retire. That has not been addressed. Again, a serious doctor recruitment and retainment program is not addressed in this budget.

I will always give credit where credit is due, and I want to thank the Minister of Transportation, because she has actually responded to the need for a turning lane and investments in highways, particularly on Highway 17, as you turn in off Goulais River into the trading post and also the LCBO that is there. There’s a family, there’s an individual who passed away a few years ago. We’re finally going to make the investments to improve that area and add a turning lane, making it a little bit safer.

There are some investments that went into Manitoulin Island, as well, with those highways, but the resurfacing that was done just last summer—I was out on those highways this summer, and they’re already starting to deteriorate. So there are going to be some major improvements that are going to be needed to be done.

Highway 637 into Killarney is an absolute mess.

There are more investments that need to be done into those areas, and are they on this government’s radar?

Highway 551, Highway 542—again, there are more investments that need to be done in those areas.

Were there home care investments—a real strategy for this government to invest into home care. If we are actually going to prevent and help long-term-care homes, we need to have home care investments, major home care investments, because people want to remain staying in their homes.

In the short time that I had, these are the shortfalls that I’ve identified from a northern Algoma–Manitoulin lens, and unfortunately, this government has failed to meet these needs of Ontarians in the budget.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the member opposite for his contributions. I don’t know what budget you were looking at, but the one I saw had $1 billion for home care investment and moving $569 million of it into this year to try to up-front the home care investments, which we also think are an extremely important part of our Ontario health team strategy: to make sure we move as much care as possible to home and community and out of hospital, leaving the hospitals available to do the work that can only be done in hospitals. So I hope the member will find, if he looks in that bill and also in the Your Health Plan, some of the things he’s looking for.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I want to thank the member for her comments. Yes, I’ve looked at the budget, but the reality is that these dollars are not coming to northern Ontario and those resources are not coming to northern Ontario, and people at home are waiting days and days and hours for services. People are suffering additional illnesses at home, ending up in emergency rooms, ending up for more treatments and not getting the care that they get at home, which would really mean more savings for us, if they would get that actual care in their homes.

A strategy for doctor recruitment and retention and home care specifically targeted for northern Ontario is absolutely required, and it is not present or absolutely identified within the context of this budget.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Jeff Burch: Thank you to my friend from Algoma–Manitoulin for his comments. He’s very passionate about health care in northern Ontario. What kind of investments are missing in this budget that would help in places like Wawa? And what does the future of health care look like without those investments?

Mr. Michael Mantha: I think I just finished highlighting some of those issues that I responded to the government on, that there is really no targeted recruitment and retention of doctors to really incentivize them to come to northern Ontario.

Right now, a lot of northern Ontario hospitals and communities are relying on locums. Locums are coming in at a much higher cost, which is adding a lot of stress on our health care system. The same thing happens with home care. The bodies are just not there. Why? Because the low-wage policies that this government has discourages people from going into those types of jobs.

People have great pride and have consciences and want to take care of their community members, but if these low-wage policies that this government has in place, that we see under the private sector, don’t change, if a strategy does not get developed in order to attract those people and make those investments into those environments, we’re going to continue seeing people suffer across this province.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Just on the doctor issue and investments in northern Ontario, as you know, our government has been making historic investments into physicians.

We’ve been investing into medical schools, including the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and we’ve made a number of physician services investments across Ontario: $32 million for the remote First Nations family medicine residency program at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine; $7.36 million for 77 new physicians through the Northern and Rural Recruitment and Retention Initiative, which offers financial incentives for these physicians; and we’ve distributed medical education programs throughout the province so that we can make sure we get more health care providers in northern Ontario, where we know absolutely that they are needed.

We’re working very hard to make sure that we fund these initiatives. The budget gives some of the funding dollars, as we talked about with the home care, and the Your Health Plan gives a lot of the strategy. It’s a strategy that hasn’t been produced in a book form for a very long time, so you have a strategy there to look at.

Mr. Michael Mantha: I’ve looked at that and I’ve met with the hospitals, I’ve met with the agencies, I’ve met with the home care providers, and this plan is not working. What you’re doing, although you keep doing it and you have been in government now for over a term and a half—those strategies are not working. They’re not actually materializing with more doctors in northern Ontario. We keep seeing individuals that are leaving this area. What we see is our hospitals have their budgets frozen and have not had some significant investments.

What a lot of northern hospitals are asking for is some flexibility in order to move some of their funding so that they can continue to create and fill in the positions that they have in order to provide the care that they have been for many years.

I hear what the government is saying is, “We’re putting money into this and we’re doing something and we’re making the investments.” But those decisions and that path are not working, and that’s what a lot of hospitals in northern Ontario and care providers are telling this government, but you’re not listening to them.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate? The member from Richmond Hill.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thornhill.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thornhill.

Ms. Laura Smith: It’s with great pleasure that I rise today to speak to the third reading of Building a Strong Ontario Act in support of our government and the Minister of Finance. We’re building Ontario for today, tomorrow and the next day by driving economic growth, lowering the cost of doing business, attracting new investments and getting key infrastructure built faster. The minister’s sensible and measured plan will build an Ontario that the people of this province can be proud of not only today but in the future. In the face of global economic uncertainty, we are building an Ontario that continues to have a resilient economy, an Ontario that is strong.

We’re working for Ontarians, and I want to demonstrate how this bill will have a direct impact on the people of my riding of Thornhill, as well as the rest of this province, by taking you on another tour. Let’s begin at one of the most famous delis in Thornhill; this is the Centre Street Deli. I believe some of you may be acquainted with the Centre Street Deli because Nana actually brought their very famous smoked meat sandwiches to the Legislature, and they sold out halfway through the event. It was pretty remarkable.

They’re actually located right beside the constituency office. They’re so popular you cannot get a parking spot at lunchtime during certain times of the week in my community. They were founded over 35 years ago. It’s a legacy that was continued by three dedicated employees who purchased from the original owner, and Nana, Ganesh and Kuna now lead the organization.

But despite its popularity, the deli closes every day at 5 p.m. I asked Nana, “Why don’t you keep it open longer?” She advised she would love to keep the restaurant open longer, but unfortunately, she’s unable to for a couple of reasons, including a lack of available staff. It’s a common issue that we hear across this province, which is why our government is enabling an estimated $8 billion in cost savings and support for eligible Ontario employers in 2023, making it easier for these small business people.

Almost half of these savings and supports are going directly to small businesses like Nana’s and Centre Street Deli. That includes expanding access to the small business corporate income tax rate by increasing the phase-out range. That would provide Ontario’s small businesses with an additional Ontario income tax relief of $265 million over the next few years.

Our government is expanding the Ontario bridge training program by an additional $3 million in the 2023-24 year to help internationally trained immigrants find employment in their fields and get faster access to training and supports toward a licence or a certificate. More training and employment for immigrants means more staff who can help small businesses, like employers like Nana. With added cost savings measures and tax incentives, Nana will have the tools she needs to run her business effectively.

I’m going to take another tour around the neighbourhood, and I’m going to take everybody to the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, which is one of the oldest churches in my riding. It was actually founded in the 1830s. I’ve been there many times. The Holy Trinity also functions as a homeless shelter with 25 beds as part of Blue Door Shelters. I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer there and help and serve meals and hand out blankets.

Madam Speaker, with this budget, we are investing an additional $202 million each year in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program to help those experiencing or those at risk of homelessness and those escaping intimate partner violence, which is a huge issue. These investments will support the community organizations delivering supportive housing. Those investments will help Holy Trinity.

Let’s move over to Henderson Avenue, where we’ve got a brand new school. It’s almost finished. I drove by it yesterday. Literally, I’d say it’s got maybe a month more of work to do, and it’s scheduled to open for the students in September. This new school will ensure that more students in Thornhill have better access to education, and I cannot wait to see it in action and up and running. I sat on parent council for over a decade with my local school, and I know how important this school is going to be to the community.

The passage of this bill will allow schools like this one to be best supported and prepare our children. This is because our budget outlines plans to invest $15 billion in capital grants over 10 years to expand and renew schools, and help create 86,000 new child care spaces by December 2026. When I drove by that school the other day, I saw that new child care space to the side. They’re easily recognizable. As somebody who has worked within the system, it was a very joyous moment for me, because I know when you’ve got new kids, you’ve got parents, you’ve got families moving in, it’s good for the community.

Improving the education of our children and increasing child care spaces helps our next generation have the best possible foundation for building their lives, and as a mother, I understand how important this is to parents all over Ontario—parents and grandparents. In Thornhill, we call them bubbes and zaydes. It’s all good.

And speaking of that foundation, this budget aims to help close to 27,000 students earn credits towards both their Ontario secondary school diploma and post-secondary degree or certificate. We want to prepare our children for the jobs of the future, and we’re setting them up for success. That includes dual-credit opportunities in health-care-related courses for an additional 1,400 secondary students, which I think is a marvellous incentive. It’s a win-win for all the parties involved. The kids get exposure to this very important sector, and they’re able to gain credits for their future.

Madam Speaker, many parents and grandparents have approached me to talk about the fact that their children and grandchildren cannot study to become doctors close to home, which is why our government’s plan also includes helping more Ontario students become doctors by adding more undergraduate and postgraduate medical training seats right here in Ontario with the new medical schools in Scarborough and Brampton. We need these doctors. This is another great way of ensuring that Ontarians are able to get the health care they need and deserve.

Madam Speaker, let us now drive over to the Improve centre; it’s farther west in my riding, closer to the highway. There’s a not-for-profit called Bata to Batapreneur—also known as b2B. They just graduated 40 students from their business workshop. Giving young adults exposure to creating a plan for business is such an important thing, and our plan includes providing $2 million to the Futurpreneur Canada program, which helps young entrepreneurs grow their skills and achieve their business goals.

More students will be able to nurture their interest in business and pursue successful careers in business according to our plan, Madam Speaker. This will not only supports the success of our young professionals, but it will also grow our economy, and I am certain that their businesses—their future businesses, the seeds, these ideas—will provide invaluable contributions to our community.

I always talk about Thornhill being a group of self-starters—we start something from nothing—and it’s with that generation, that seed that’s handed out to these students, that allows them to further move in a direction that’s positive to create a small business.

I actually just hired a student that I’m happy to say I graduated from elementary school. He’s got his own landscaping business—that’s what he’s doing this summer—and he’s becoming an initiative for his own future, which is so important.

Okay, the tour is definitely not over. We’re going to keep driving in our e-vehicle, and let’s go over to the west side of Thornhill. Many folks may not know this, but there’s an area that’s home to some top industry manufacturers who are looking to grow and expand right in Vaughan. One of these is none other than the Give and Go bakeries, who make these delicious two-bite brownies. We’re going to be providing an Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, which will provide a 10% refundable corporate tax credit.

We’re going to be providing important initiatives so that they can turn that money and invest back into the workers and innovate and become more competitive, because we don’t want to lose these businesses to the south.

We are caring for our residents and we are creating a stronger Ontario. These are such important things—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Teresa J. Armstrong: Thank you to the member for their comments on the debate. I’ve been hearing more of a trend with respect to before- and after-school programs, and the member talked about the schools and education. What’s been happening is kids—in particular in my constituency, parents have come to me and we’ve met. Their children need special services and there’s a lack of workers and therefore they’re not able to help in that child care before and after school. I know how importantly the government wants to make sure that people have jobs and this is what’s happening.

These parents are going to have to decide if someone has to stay home to look after their child because their grandparents aren’t able to help. As the member mentioned many times, that’s the case for families.

What is this government doing about before- and after-school child care programs to make sure that there are workers there when kids need that special needs care in those schools?

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you for the question on the other side. Yes, I have worked—both, actually, in my previous life. I dealt with matters under the child protection act, and I actually sat on parent council. That’s part of the reason of why I’m here. But I’m really proud to talk about the 46,000 spaces that will be available in child care as a result of this government. We’re working with our federal partners and we got that deal done so that we can make sure that these kids have proper places to go before and after school. I know this as a parent and this is such an important initiative.

One of the things that I did also want to bring up—and this is something that I really think is important—is that we’re increasing help for foster care kids. Previously, that ended at 21. These are the most vulnerable—and now it’s going up to the age of 23. Given what I did in my previous life, I’m really happy to see this bridge to give our kids the best opportunity.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Mrs. Daisy Wai: I appreciate our member, who has just taken us on a tour around Thornhill, and actually, what you’re expressing is exactly what I’m seeing in Richmond Hill.

I’d like it if you can elaborate a little bit more on the immigration plan: how that helps the immigrants who come here and how that helps our economy.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you for the very important question. It’s interesting because I’ve discussed this issue with the Minister of Labour and it is such an important tool that we allow more people—and we’ve expanded immigration to 18,000 individuals who will now be able to come into the skilled trades, who will now be allowed to be in Ontario as a result of these measures. These are important investments. And do you know what?

When the minister and I were talking about this—we’ve removed the Canadian experience so that so many of these individuals can come here, they can work in their area of practice and we can solve so many issues all at once. I think these are very important, especially when you talk about the medical industries. I think that’s so important.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions? The member from London–Fanshawe.

Ms. Jessica Bell: Thank you, Speaker. I’m the member for University–Rosedale.

I have a question for the member for Thornhill. In the budget, when we’re looking at how much funding is going to elementary schools, middle schools and high schools, we have a lot of concerns. With the TDSB, there is an over $60-million funding shortfall. The TDSB is looking at removing 522 staffing positions at a time when we know kids need as much help as they can get to catch up to the learning standard they need to be at for math and STEM and writing and reading. Do you think the amount of money in the budget for schools is enough? Because I personally don’t think so.

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. So, actually, I just wanted to provide some information. We’ve actually increased educational spending, despite the fact that there are less—we used to use the term “bums in seats” when I was in education. We’ve increased education every year. It’s been something that has been at the forefront, and actually, it’s one of the reasons I’m here right now. These are important initiatives because we do have to help our kids and it’s important that they be given the opportunity.

Now, saying that, I also want to actually address the fact that there’s been a 555% increase in mental health spending with respect to schools when you compare us to the last government. So I actually have to perhaps say that that’s probably a very positive thing for our children in school today.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mrs. Robin Martin: I really enjoyed the tour, and especially the stop at the Centre Street Deli, which I’ve been to many times—delicious—thank you for taking me there this morning.

At the end, the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, which I think you just squeezed in there—can you explain to us why that is important to bolster our economy and create more jobs?

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you very much for the question. Yes, and I wish I was actually full from the experience of going to the deli. It is hard to walk by it on a daily basis and not want to eat there, so it is accurate.

We’ve got a number of great industries in our neighbourhood, and the Ontario Made Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit is so important to bolster Ontario’s economy to create more jobs. So this credit will help local manufacturing companies invest and expand in their own businesses. Now, this is a key sector and contributor to the economic success of the province. In 2018, employment in Ontario’s manufacturing sector declined by over 300,000 workers, but now, we’re continuing to bring manufacturing back to Ontario and support local businesses with these kinds of measures. And we’re going to, especially in Ontario—we want to keep all of those businesses here in Ontario—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Thank you. Further questions?

Mr. Joel Harden: I enjoyed the remarks from the member from Thornhill. I particularly liked hearing about the member describing herself as one of those politicians that will actually do a shift at a homeless shelter and help hand out blankets and food. I love to hear those stories. I’m wondering if, from her experience, she could—and it was the Anglican church, if I’m not mistaken, that you had volunteered at with the blankets and the food—the Anglican church in your community?

Ms. Laura Smith: Yes.

Mr. Joel Harden: Nonetheless, Speaker, to my question: I’m just wondering—I know of a lot of those organizations in the city of Ottawa and around the province of Ontario—do you think that organization could benefit from consistent funding? Because that’s always the complaint I hear back from community organizations. They’re volunteer driven. They’re running one fundraising campaign to the next. Could that organization benefit from consistent funding, and if so, where could that come from in this budget?

Ms. Laura Smith: Thank you for the question. These locations are so important and vital in our communities. You’ve got these spots—one of the important things that I’m proud to talk about is the Ready, Set, Go Program, because it will allow us to get to these people, to get to these kids as young adults, so that we can help kids plan for the future. We want to make sure that a lot of these kids who were formerly in the foster care program, which I worked in, have that extra step.

We found that the age of 21 wasn’t necessarily adulthood, and by adding this important step to the rest of their young life, they could get the best chance at being a productive individual and staying out of the system. We’re happy that it’s being extended to the age of 23.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further debate?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: It’s a pleasure for me to add my comments on Ontario’s 2023 budget bill, Bill 85. As it turns out, I had the opportunity to travel with the pre-budget committee. We went to many places. We heard from many people. I got the opportunity to know many of the committee members, and I have a great deal of respect for everyone who shared this journey.

In terms of the people who presented at committee, I heard and I felt what they said, and I believe in my heart that committee members did as well. But this budget is as exciting as a three-pair of tube socks. At best, it missed the moment; at worst, it deliberately ignored the issues. We heard time and again at committee that Ontario, despite being the richest province, spends the least amount on services. We spend, in fact, $2,000 less per resident in Ontario than other provinces. It is a shame.

When we look at many of the decisions that have been made in this budget—and let’s face it, they are decisions—there are many which are bad business decisions, ones that do not recognize the value of upstream investment, ones that do not recognize or do not pay any heed to a cost-benefit analysis, and ones that simply don’t have any consideration of return on investment. Many of these decisions include the Therme spa, the proliferation of losing court cases that this government seems hell bent on engaging in. In fact, I’ve lost count at the number; I think it’s 14, 15, perhaps even 16 by this point.

We also see decisions about the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp., where this government is undermining its own revenue streams.

We have seen Bill 124, a losing battle, time and again, that this government keeps throwing public money at. They’re having a party with the public purse to simply attack nurses. We heard again at committee that nurses felt humiliated, they felt demeaned, and at the time when this legislation was passed, this government claimed that there was a need to be fiscally prudent and to be restrained. Yet through this budget, they have claimed how excited they are to return the province to the black, but it’s on the backs of nurses and public workers.

We also see a government that refuses to release its mandate letters. What’s the return on investment on that? What is being hidden?

Further, rather than not abiding by economic principles, we, in fact, see disinvestment from some of the things that Ontarians require. We see disinvestment in health care. We see disinvestment in mental health.

I had the opportunity to attend a mental health round table hosted by the MP for London–Fanshawe, Lindsay Mathyssen, and MP Gord Johns, and I’d like to quote Dr. Andrea Sereda. She indicated that when we consider our mental health crisis, we also should consider that this is a consequence of a lack of investment in housing, because housing is health care. Housing, food and warmth are medicine. The government has not done its part to make sure that people are adequately housed. Poverty has a cost.

Further, if one looks at poverty as being the root cause and housing being something that the province and the federal government have denied people, that causes mental health exceptionalities. Dr. Sereda pointed out that organic mental health exceptionalities such as schizophrenia account for 5%,

whereas these mental health exceptionalities have been brought upon by the conditions that have been created—deliberately created—by provincial disinvestment.

Also, I’d like to echo the voices of many of the dedicated harm reduction workers who we had the opportunity to meet on that day, who have indicated that harm reduction workers can’t afford rent and groceries because they are not being paid nearly enough. The people who are providing services to our most vulnerable can’t afford to look after themselves. They’re in jobs that don’t pay enough. They don’t have pensions. They don’t have benefits. So once people find themselves trained within these positions, they have to leave for something else, even though their heart might be in that role.

If we take a look at an economic development lens towards this budget, we also need to consider that many different organizations and different global companies consider Ontario as a wise place to invest because of our public health care. They know that they are going to have a workforce that will be healthy, that will be looked after if they become injured, if they become ill. And yet, this government chooses to disinvest from health care and continues to privatize, making it on the path towards the United States.

We cannot compete with the United States in terms of their fiscal opportunities, so we have to look at the things that make Ontario unique, look at the things that make Ontario desirable—and that is our publicly funded and publicly delivered health care.

Furthermore, through education—education is an investment, not a cost. We need to make sure that we have students who are trained and understand the importance of the skilled trades, not simply in high school, but also in elementary school. Let’s remember that it was a Conservative government that removed shop classes and home economics classes from elementary school. Sometimes high school is too late. We need to give students that opportunity as soon as possible. Put shop classes back in elementary school.

As well, we look at Ontario as a viable place for investment because of the trust that Ontario has built as a partner. We’ve seen volatility from this government. We’ve seen bizarre statements. We’ve seen things that do not hold up to fact, like the claims that the greenbelt is a myth. We see these strange, bizarre performances. That undermines trust in Ontario as a place to invest.

We have also seen a culture of unfairness. We see a culture that does not recognize the importance of honest competition. We see favours for insiders. There was the 407, OLG. We’ve seen Tarion turn into yet another agency, HCRA, which is not working. This government talked, when they were in opposition, about how they would reform Tarion; they have chosen not to. We also see the favours that are being done right now for Therme, a private spa that has a lease that this government won’t release.

We also see government appointments—we know that in these hallowed halls, many people who used to be Conservative candidates are now walking these halls in paid positions. Is that a culture of competition? Is that a culture of “Did that the person with the greatest experience and aptitude gets the position?” I’m not certain about that. I also would like to ask who’s benefiting from all of the housing decisions that this government has made, with the parcelling off and the sale of the greenbelt. That’s not a culture of fair competition.

Also, as we look towards some of the things that this government has done, they have not made the investments that we heard about, like making sure that nurse practitioners are able to practise across the province. They will alleviate some of the strains on our health care in the north—but across the province.

We also see a lack of investment in housing. Speaker, $124 million was cut from municipalities—and then they’re re-announcing $202 million, but that’s nowhere near enough to address the crisis. Housing is health care.

Furthermore, this government would pat itself on the back for the paltry 5% increase to ODSP and the fact that they’ve indexed legislated poverty. Congratulations. You’re going to keep people in poverty for many years to come. That’s not a success.

The 5% raise to CMHA was not the 8% that they requested.

I’d like this government to understand the importance of upstream investment, the importance of looking at all of their decisions with a cost-benefit analysis. And for heaven’s sake, look at the return on investment.

We need to make sure across this province that there’s wage parity among sectors. Whether it is in the community support services, home care, long-term care, as well as acute care, people should be paid accordingly; they should be paid appropriately. People should not be jumping between sectors because they can’t afford to pay the bills.

Furthermore, this overreliance on agency nurses is fiscally imprudent. It’s not fair to our health care system, it’s further privatization and it’s not effective use of the public purse. The party is over. Please stop. Please make sure that you’re making financial decisions which benefit all of Ontarians, not the insiders who are in the backrooms. Make sure that you’re investing in people. Invest in health care. Invest in home care. Invest in long-term care. Invest in education.

Last but not least, the opportunity to re-establish rent control, as recommended by so many stakeholders, is not found in this budget. We saw that autism was not mentioned once and we saw that school violence—an epidemic in our schools right now—was not mentioned once.

To this government: You can do better. I know you can do better.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Questions?

Mr. Todd J. McCarthy: This budget, I submit, this Bill 85 and the proposals contained within it, is saying yes to record investments in public education and yes to record investments in health care, while at the same time establishing a transparent path to balance. Why will the opposition and why will the member opposite not say yes to this budget? Why is this official opposition again saying no to growth, prosperity and record investments in public services?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: To the member: This government, through their budget, has calculated disinvestment in many sectors. They’ve said no to students. This government has said no to hospices. This government has said no to wage parity. This government has said no to paid sick days. This government has said no to families of children with autism. They have said no again and again and again. They have chosen to ignore many of the issues that families face across this province, and it is glaringly apparent.

The fact that autism doesn’t show up once and that school violence doesn’t show up once in this budget should really be a concern. It is, in fact, a message to all of those families who have these concerns. The fact that seniors right now are being evicted from their properties through renovictions that this government refuses to stand up for should be a concern to us all. That is a crisis, and this government has chosen not to support those seniors.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Ms. Sarah Jama: Thank you to my colleague from London North Centre for his contribution to this debate. My question would be this: It’s very clear from what you’ve talked about that this budget is set up in a way that’s disabling. People are sick; people can’t afford health care; people can’t afford places to live. That, in and of itself, is creating conditions where people will continue to be disabled simply by existing. What would creating a caring budget, based on a caring economy, look like to you?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I would like to thank the member from Hamilton Centre for an excellent question. Whether you consider the built environment or the policy environment, it is created to deliberately include or deliberately exclude. Some of the things that the official opposition stands for would be to double social assistance rates to make sure that people are above the poverty line and will remain above the poverty line so that they can buy healthy food, so that they can have a safe life.

We also stand for wage parity so that people working within community support services—home care and long-term care—are paid as much as workers in acute care. It costs less for seniors to remain in their homes than it does to institutionalize them. It was proven by the community support services who presented at committee. A 2020 study estimated it costs $103 per day for a long-term-care-equivalent person at home in community care. It costs $201 for a person in long-term care and $730 per day in the hospital. That is cost savings and a wise fiscal investment. Make sure seniors can stay at home, where they’re healthier and happier.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Ms. Natalie Pierre: Thank you to the member opposite for their remarks. In this budget, our government is supporting mental health by supporting a full continuum of care for first responders experiencing PTSD. We’re providing an additional $425 million over three years to connect more people with mental health and addictions support. We’re increasing investments in education to historic levels and have increased spending on mental health in schools by more than 500% since our government took office in 2018.

My question: Will the member opposite support our government’s initiatives to support our first responders and our students’ mental health?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I would like to thank the government for recognizing the issue of PTSD. It is one that the official opposition championed. Unfortunately, the government, at the time, left out nurses as individuals who suffer from PTSD, which is shocking. However, I think it is good that the government increased the amount the CMHA was asking for, but they only gave them 5% when they were asking for 8%.

The member from Burlington talks about mental health supports in schools. Let’s talk about more than just the curriculum. Let’s make sure that there are social service workers accessible to students when and where they need them, because unfortunately, that is not the case in schools across Ontario. We know school violence is at an all-time high. This government has chosen to disregard that, to ignore it. We hear presenters time and again feel as though this government was deliberately ignoring education and deliberately cutting and underfunding the public education system in favour of private schools.

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Question?

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Thank you to the member from London North Centre. I want to read in part a letter that was sent to the Premier from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, AMO. It’s signed by some of the front-line service providers in our community: the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs among others.

It says, “Dear Premier Ford,

“Homelessness is a crisis in every part of Ontario.” They ask that the Premier “acknowledge that homelessness in Ontario is a social, economic and health crisis” and they ask the Premier to “commit to ending homelessness in Ontario” and “work with a broad range of municipal, community, health, Indigenous and economic partners.” They end by saying, “You have the opportunity and the resources to end homelessness in Ontario. We are here to help you succeed.”

Can you explain why you think, when they developed this budget, they ignored this letter from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I’d like to thank the member from Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas for an excellent question. You’re absolutely right; the Association of Municipalities of Ontario did present at committee, and quite frankly, they delivered a scathing letter to this government, like I’ve never seen before. They recommended many things. They recommended increasing social assistance rates and to increase the supply of deeply affordable housing, to treat municipalities as partners, not in an antagonistic relationship such as they have.

In Kingston, we saw that the municipality there invested $18 million per year in wraparound supports. That’s something that should be supported across the province by this government—but, further, making sure that there’s investments in other mental health supports and other supports that this government talks about but doesn’t invest in.

Ms. Laura Smith: Point of order?

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Point of order.

Ms. Laura Smith: Just a quick note: I wish to correct the record. Earlier, when I was responding, I said, in 2018, employment in manufacturing sectors declined. I wish to amend that to “by 2018, employment in Ontario manufacturing sectors declined.”

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): Further questions?

Mr. Rick Byers: I thank the member opposite for his remarks. The member used the word “investment,” and I agree with that investment. Certainly, this government agrees with that approach. That’s why the Ministry of Economic Development has been so incredibly active in all the investment opportunities here in Ontario—$25 billion in the electric vehicle industry.

You mentioned investment in terms of numbers, and I come back to one of my favourite pages in the budget, page 139, where we look at health care spending, which increases $15.3 billion over the next three years from the previous, including $1 billion extra in home care, with education increasing as well. Wouldn’t the member agree that those are very substantial investments in health care and in Ontario?

Mr. Terence Kernaghan: I would like to consider the words of our recently not-re-hired Financial Accountability Officer, Mr. Peter Weltman, who really shone a light on this government’s disinvestment—

The Acting Speaker (Ms. Patrice Barnes): My apologies.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Volunteer service awards

Mrs. Robin Martin: Recently, I had the pleasure of hosting my fifth annual Eglinton–Lawrence volunteer awards ceremony. Eglinton–Lawrence is home to hundreds of volunteers across countless groups and associations, all of which make invaluable contributions to our riding. Often these wonderful volunteers work quietly, providing support to their neighbours without any public or official recognition, and frankly, with these wonderful stories of community building and selfless support going untold.

I can firmly say that this is my favourite event of the year every year. The best part for me—and for those who attend, I think—is not just the recognition that the volunteers receive personally, although that’s appreciated, but also the feeling of goodwill and community that comes to everyone in attendance from knowing about these selfless contributions to our community. I believe that everyone leaves this event inspired and motivated to contribute more to our community.

This year, over 130 people from more than 20 organizations received an award based on their inspiring work and dedication to our community. I wish I could list them all here, but let me say they range from religious organizations and school councils to non-profits, business improvement area boards and others. All nominees reflect the spirit of community service in Eglinton–Lawrence and show that we can find a meaningful way to make a difference, to get involved in our communities.

I would again like to extend my congratulations to all of the award winners for the 2023 Eglinton–Lawrence volunteer awards.

Indigenous affairs

MPP Lise Vaugeois: The Northern Policy Institute and Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association each opened their recent events with an address by Anishinaabeg Elder Marlene Pierre. Dr. Pierre spoke of our responsibilities as leaders to respect the land, respect our roles as treaty partners and build right relations amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. These are two major northwestern Ontario organizations putting their commitment to build right relations front and centre.

Unfortunately, last week, we witnessed a much older, discredited approach to relations with First Nations. Every single First Nation in Ontario strongly objected to the building mines faster act, yet the Ford government pushed it through anyway, claiming they know better than First Nations peoples themselves what is good for them. But isn’t this the same attitude that led to the violent removal of children from their families and the deaths of so many children at residential schools? And hasn’t the Conservative government thus guaranteed years of business instability and conflict?

By taking the time to build good relations, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, the town of Marathon and Generation Mining have shown the way to creating mutually beneficial projects that protect the land, water and traditional economies and guarantee land remediation. Bulldozer politics will always lead to conflict, but if we put building right relations first, good jobs and a protected environment are possible.

Meegwetch. Merci. Thank you.

Halton Regional Police Service Cram-a-Cruiser food drive

Ms. Natalie Pierre: Recently, I had the pleasure of joining Halton regional police constables Robert Del Villar and Kevin Bochsler, who are here today in the gallery, at the Cram-a-Cruiser event in my riding. We spent a rainy Saturday morning helping officers fill seven police cruisers with food at the Aldershot Fortinos.

The Halton regional police host various Cram-a-Cruiser events across the region to help those in need by filling up police cruisers with non-perishable food items. The next Cram-a-Cruiser event in Burlington will take place on June 3.

This year, they crammed cruisers in support of the Burlington Food Bank. Volunteers filled cruisers with much-needed food like soup, coffee, canned fruit and vegetables. With the help of the community, they were able to raise approximately $1,150 and 950 pounds of food, which will go a long way to support the Burlington Food Bank and the needs of our community.

We all need to pitch in and give back. It warmed my heart to see the community come together to support the people of Burlington. I would like to thank the heroic law enforcement officers of the Halton regional police, Fortinos, Robin Bailey from the Burlington Food Bank, Constables Del Villar and Bochsler, and everyone who donated, volunteered and contributed to the Cram-a-Cruiser event to help those in need.

Tenant protection

Ms. Sarah Jama: Today I want to spend some time celebrating local organizing wins in the Hamilton community. Two days ago, six ACORN Hamilton members—Stewart Klazinga, Damien Ash, Christine Neale, Arnim Hughes, Marnie Schurter and Liz Scott—alongside the Canadian Environmental Law Association, the Hamilton Community Benefits Network, the Hamilton Roundtable on Poverty Reduction and the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic delegated to the public health committee and successfully called on the city of Hamilton to protect tenants in extreme heat.

ACORN launched their extreme-heat campaign in September 2022, and due to their advocacy, a motion passed unanimously at public health which states that the staff in the licensing and bylaw division should prepare an information report for 2023 identifying 2024 priorities and timelines for the development of a maximum-heat bylaw. I’m happy to share that this motion passed with unanimous support from the public health committee, and I look forward to seeing Hamilton be the first city in Ontario to implement a maximum heat bylaw, hopefully by 2024.

Mukti Foundation

Mr. Amarjot Sandhu: I would like to highlight the noble work of the Mukti Foundation in Brampton, an organization founded and lead by seniors whose main goal is helping grieving families move on with respect and dignity. This organization strives to help reduce the stress these families face with the loss of a loved one by helping to alleviate the financial burden.

Each time a member unfortunately passes away, the organization collects a matching donation amount from each member, and these funds are put towards the funeral and commission costs. Their goal is to ensure that every member is honored and remembered with respect, empathy and kindness, and that their loved ones are supported throughout the grieving process.

Speaker, great community-led initiatives like the Mukti Foundation are truly inspirational, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the founders.

International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam: Today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This day feels especially important, as we’ve seen a rise of hate towards the 2SLGBTQI+ community right here in Ontario. Drag shows are being targeted by extremists who spread homophobic and transphobic lies. This happened right here in Toronto, at Toronto public libraries.

Yesterday, I met a teacher who was at the York Catholic District School Board meeting. She described that divisive meeting as traumatic for students and staff who were there to speak about the importance of raising the rainbow flag. Queer and trans families are feeling unsafe in a whole new way. A parent told me that they were being targeted, then reported to the children’s aid society, and then doxxed online just for affirming their trans child’s gender.

Government members have said everyone deserves the right to feel safe; the government can do more than just talk. They can act by passing my bill, the Keeping 2SLGBTQI+ Communities Safe Act.

Through all this hardship, my community remains resilient, strong, and full of hope and joy. This is evident in the work of the ArQuives, the largest queer and trans archives in the world, located in my riding of Toronto Centre. This year the ArQuives are celebrating their 50th anniversary, and their work to preserve our history is more important than ever before.

Finally, June, Pride Month, is fast approaching. Let’s work together to support the queer and trans communities across Ontario. Let’s show them that this House has their back and they can count on every single one of us for support.

Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound constituency office

Mr. Rick Byers: Members, 16 days ago, on May 1, it was moving day in Owen Sound. As MPP during the past year, and for Bill Walker, our great past member, we’ve been at 9th Street and 1st Avenue West in downtown Owen Sound. It has been a great location for the office, as Owen Sound is the geographic centre of our big riding, which goes up to Tobermory in the north and down to Hanover and Dundalk in the south—as members know, of course, Dundalk is the bee-swallowing capital of Ontario.

The office has now moved to the Greystone, a newly renovated building on 8th Street, also in downtown Owen Sound. It has a great layout and lots of parking. I say this not only to let you know, because you’re all welcome to visit, but more importantly, to acknowledge and thank the great team who made it happen. Moving, whether it’s your home or your office, is a big load of hard work. In this case, with the newly renovated space, it went from planning and managing the layout, to technology and safety support, and then to the move itself. Happily, everything made it in one piece.

I want to sincerely thank Karen MacInnis, Lisa LaPierre and Julie Blake, the great Owen Sound team for all your hard work in getting it done and for the great support of Anetes Anton here in Toronto.

Colleagues, this is just one example of all the hard work our teams do to help us in our jobs. Whether it’s moving, answering calls or managing issues, we are all lucky to have this great support. Thank you so much.

Hospital services

Ms. Stephanie Bowman: I rise today on behalf of Ontarians living in rural communities, who lag behind provincial averages in quality of health and health care. Across Ontario, we have seen a real problem, intensified by COVID-19, such as a shortage of nurses, family doctors and other health care workers. We’ve seen the toll it has taken on people’s faith in Ontario’s health care system.

To see the Minden hospital shut its doors is just another example of this Conservative government’s health care crisis. Closed emergency facilities and an absence of medical support services are a reality through many of our rural communities.

Dr. Paul Zalan recently wrote in Minden’s newspaper, The Highlander, “Closing an emergency department causes more than inconvenience. In case of a stroke, heart attack, embolism ... every minute counts. Interceding quickly is crucial for recovery. Delay results in death or permanent disability.”

Outraged by the lack of planning and consultation, residents brought a petition calling for a moratorium on the closure, with over 17,000 signatures.

As the summer season begins, Minden’s population triples, with cottagers, kids attending camp and other tourists. The new Haliburton plan has not yet filled its doctor shifts for the summer, while the Minden hospital had its

schedule filled until September 2023. Community members are seeking full transparency on the decision-making process and access to the transition plan. They need to know the impact of closing the hospital on vulnerable populations, health care staff and regional growth.

If this government cannot keep Minden hospital open, it’s a signal that they have given up on rural health care. The people of Ontario—

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

Peterborough–Kawartha maple syrup

Mr. Dave Smith: Many times over the last five years, I have referred to my riding as God’s country, and for good reason. We have so much to offer, not only to the province of Ontario but all of Canada, not the least of which is the sweet maple syrup that we produce.

In my opinion, some of the best maple syrup in all of Canada comes from the townships that surround the city of Peterborough. And Speaker, my team and I have decided that we should be celebrating all that great maple syrup. Just last Saturday, we held our first pancake breakfast in Apsley, featuring maple syrup from North Kawartha. This Saturday, we’ll be at the Isabel Morris Park in Lakefield for our next free pancake breakfast, where residents can sample that sweet breakfast nectar from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. On Saturday, May 27, we’ll be at the Curve Lake community centre serving up pancakes and maple syrup.

And then on Sunday, May 28, we take our pancake road show down Highway 7 to Havelock, where you can sample syrup from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at the Havelock Lions centre, also known as the Havelock arena. We’ll wrap things up on Saturday, June 10, in my home township of Douro-Dummer at the Warsaw arena, from 8 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.

I’d like to invite everyone to come on out to one of our pancake breakfasts to sample the great nectar from eight different local producers.

York Regional Police Appreciation Night

Mrs. Daisy Wai: This past week, I had the privilege of attending the York Regional Police Appreciation Night, where our community gathered to honour and recognize their outstanding contributions. I have a personal connection to law enforcement, as I proudly served as a member of the York Regional Police Services Board in 2005.

While we celebrated their accomplishments, our joy was overshadowed by the devastating news of the tragic loss of OPP Sergeant Eric Mueller. At only 42 years old and a father of two, he was fatally shot while responding to a disturbance. Our hearts go out to his grieving family, as well as to the two other OPP officers who were injured in the ambush. We will never forget their bravery and sacrifice.

In expressing our gratitude, we must not forget the invaluable support provided by the families and loved ones of our officers. They understand the challenges and uncertainties that come with this profession.

As we observe Ontario Police Week from May 14 to May 20, let us focus on raising awareness and recognizing the exceptional work of our police services. May God bless and protect them as they continue their noble service to this great province.

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

Wearing of buttons

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Barrie–Innisfil has a point of order.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you, Speaker. If you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to allow members to wear buttons in recognition of May being Jewish Heritage Month in Canada.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Khanjin is seeking the unanimous consent of the House to allow members to wear buttons in recognition of May being Jewish Heritage Month in Canada. Agreed? Agreed.

Introduction of Visitors

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’m very pleased to inform the House that we have a former member visiting us today, the member for Welland in the 41st and 42nd Parliaments, Cindy Forster. Welcome back to the Legislature.

Mr. Jeff Burch: I too would like to welcome my friend and mentor Cindy Forster to the Legislature today, as well as the parents of my page, Randall Marsh, Scott and Deanna Marsh, as well as Laken and Marilyn are here today. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: I would like to welcome the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors, OAND, to Queen’s Park today. This year, May 14 to May 20 marks Naturopathic Medicine Week, and the OAND members will be meeting with MPPs throughout the day today, as well as hosting a reception in rooms 228 and 230 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. I encourage all MPPs to attend to celebrate Naturopathic Medicine Week.

Ms. Marit Stiles: On behalf of the official opposition, I want to welcome guests from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, who are here today for their annual advocacy. Welcome to Queen’s Park. I look forward to seeing you at your noon reception.

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I want to follow the Leader of the Opposition in welcoming the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to Queen’s Park today. There will be a reception in room 228 immediately after question period. I want to acknowledge the chair, my friend Barbara Bank; Noah Shack, the vice president; and Zehavi Zynoberg, the director of government relations, and also two amazing Ontarians who will be joining us at the reception, great philanthropists Rochelle Zubcov and her husband Mark Albert.

Miss Monique Taylor: I would also like to welcome CIJA to the House today and thank my friends Noah Tepperman and Jeff Arbus for our meeting this morning.

I would be remiss not to also welcome my dearest friend Cindy Forster back to Queen’s Park.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Speaker, page captain Leonard Hobbs is from Oxford, as you now, but his grandparents, Marian and Jim Hobbs, who are here today are from the most beautiful riding of Markham–Stouffville.

M me France Gélinas: I would like to welcome Christine Charnock, who is the CEO of the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors; Dr. Cyndi Gilbert, who is the board chair of the association as well as a member of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine; and Dr. Jessica Carfagnini, who is practising in Thunder Bay. Welcome to Queen’s Park, ladies.

Ms. Laura Smith: I would like to welcome special assistants from my constituency office, Morris Maron and Micah Dodo. They will be assisting at the CIJA reception at noon today.

MPP Lise Vaugeois: I would like to welcome Dr. Ailya Patel from the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors; as well as Dr. Jessica Carfagnini, who practises in Thunder Bay; and Dr. Shawn Yakimovich. Welcome to your House.

Ms. Natalie Pierre: From my riding of Burlington, I’d like to introduce Johanna Chevalier. With Johanna today are Meera Mahadeo, Victoria Sewell, Shawn Cruz and Jignasha Gohil.

Also joining us today in the members’ gallery from the Halton Regional Police Service are Constables Robert Del Villar and Kevin Bochsler.

Miss Monique Taylor: I also have some other guests joining us today from OPSEU and BPS Corrections. We have Jim Reilly, Joe Davies, David Farrugia, Jeff Tynes and Jonathan Guider. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I, too, would like to welcome the members of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs to Queen’s Park today. I appreciate your great counsel. I’m looking forward to our meeting.

I also just realized that page Frederick Funk’s parents, Justin and Elisha, are in the gallery, from Guelph, as well. Welcome to Queen’s Park.

Mr. Sheref Sabawy: I would like to take the opportunity to welcome my new legislative assistant, Caleb Samuels. He’s in the gallery today. He volunteered with me in 2018 and 2022, and he was part-time with us in the office. He just graduated last month, and I welcome him to Queen’s Park.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Unless there is an objection, I’m going to continue.

Member for Waterloo.

Ms. Catherine Fife: In addition to welcoming Cindy Forster to Queen’s Park today, we also want to wish her a happy birthday.

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I would like to welcome a constituent from Innisfil, Dr. Gudrun Welder. She’s here with the association of naturopathic doctors. Welcome.

Question Period

Government contracts

Ms. Marit Stiles: Good morning, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Yesterday, we learned of the latest lawsuit brought by Crosslinx, the P3 partner for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. It’s another day, another lawsuit. In fact, since this government took office, Metrolinx has paid out more than half a billion dollars to settle lawsuits brought by Crosslinx.

Liberals and Conservatives always say that the whole point of public-private partnerships is supposedly to avoid cost overruns and risks to the public, but the Eglinton Crosstown P3 has been a total fiasco for the public, for small businesses, for Ontario.

How much more will the public be forced to pay before this government accepts that P3s are riskier, take longer and cost more than publicly procured projects?

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

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Let me say to the Leader of the Opposition we share her frustration with the delays with the Eglinton Crosstown. The litigation that was announced yesterday is another delay tactic by CTS, which is completely unacceptable.

People who live along Eglinton and businesses who are there have suffered greatly. But our government is focused on making sure the Eglinton Crosstown opens as quickly as possible but when it opens, that it is safe for transit riders.

Let me be clear, Mr. Speaker: Our government has been looking out for taxpayers since day one. That’s why when we brought forward our plans for subways for the GTA, we introduced legislation, the Building Transit Faster Act, to make sure we can get shovels in the ground faster, which reduces delays and also helps control costs. But the Leader of the Opposition and her party voted against our plan. They voted against building transit faster. We’re going to get it done for the people of Ontario, and we’re going to stand up for transit riders and taxpayers.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: This government has been in power for five years. It’s time they started taking responsibility for what’s happening under their government.

In her 2018 report, the Auditor General said Metrolinx should not have paid Crosslinx $237 million to settle its first lawsuit. But Metrolinx did pay. Then Crosslinx sued again. And Metrolinx paid again. And, now, Crosslinx has sued again. Not only that, the P3 project has been delayed until 2024 at the earliest.

Back to the Premier: How many lawsuits and how many delays will it take before this government abandons its costly and risky obsession with P3s?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: In addition to the well-known ideological opposition the NDP have toward building housing, they’re also opposed to building transit. They will find every excuse to not build transit. That’s why they voted against our subway plan. Even though they get up in this House every day asking for more transit, they vote against it when they have the chance.

We put forward a plan to address the transit deficit that we inherited from the Liberals, and they voted against it. They voted against building transit faster, which is actually hard to believe given the challenges that we are facing with the Eglinton Crosstown.

The legislation we’ve brought forward—the purpose of that is to address the mistakes of the previous Liberal government when they signed the contract in 2011 with Crosslinx. This is a contract we have inherited. We take responsibility for making sure that we get this done, but when we do that, we commit to the people of Ontario. We’re going to get it done and it is going to be safe for transit riders when it does open.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Speaker, let’s talk ideology, because this is a government that continues down a terrible road purely based on ideology, and it’s not working.

Yesterday, the Minister of Transportation said she had learned the lessons of the P3 failures of the previous Liberal government, but the only lesson that she seems to have learned is how to funnel more public money to private P3 contractors. Her subway P3s now cost $1 billion per kilometre, nearly three times what Toronto’s publicly procured Spadina subway extension cost just six years ago.

In 2018, the UK government abandoned P3s after years of costly fiascos. Why won’t the Premier do the same instead of doubling down on Liberal P3 failures?

Interjections.

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

Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Let me be clear. The previous Liberal government signed the contract with CTS, and the Ontario taxpayer has paid billions of dollars for the Eglington Crosstown. Our government is committed to making sure that CTS delivers us a credible

schedule which will then lead to an opening date, which the people across Toronto have been waiting for for a very, very long time.

We have learned the lessons that the Liberals should have learned when they were in power. We have taken those lessons and we’ve put them in a piece of legislation. We put them as part of our subway plan for the GTA, but the members opposite voted against it. They would rather the people of the GTA sit on congested roads as opposed to building and riding on new subways and extended lines. That is unacceptable for the people of Toronto.

We’re committed to getting it done. We’re standing up for transit riders, and we’re standing up for taxpayers.

Pay equity

Ms. Marit Stiles: My next question is again to the Premier. Yesterday, an FAO report on women’s participation in the labour market found no progress on addressing the gender wage gap over the past decade, with women earning just 87 cents for every dollar earned by men in 2022. Instead of efforts to close the wage gap, the government has chosen to widen it. They would prefer to spend money taking nurses and midwives and teachers to court rather than pay them a fair wage.

Will the Premier stop fighting to keep women’s wages down and end his efforts to legislate a gendered wage gap in Ontario?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity.

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: The FAO report is actually saying we’ve done significant work and are seeing more women entering into the workforce because of the actions of this government, such as investing millions in seeing women get skills and development training, education, encouraging women and investing in women entering into the trades, where there is pay equity. We’ve seen significant investments in better jobs to cover expenses, including child care, tuition, transportation, for short-term training programs and micro-credentials.

We’ve expanded the Investing in Women’s Futures Program and the Women’s Economic Security Program. Millions are going into the budget that we hope the members opposite will support.

In fact, the FAO actually says, “In 2022, labour participation rates for Ontario core-age mothers reached 81.7 per cent—the highest on record since 1976.” That is increasing.

We’re going to continue to make these investments, Mr. Speaker, because we are shortening the wage gap. We are—

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

The supplementary question.

Ms. Marit Stiles: The minister’s creative

interpretation of the report notwithstanding, this government continues to show just how completely out of touch they are with the reality that women in our province are facing. We are in an affordability crisis and women are paying a much bigger price. When you have one income and you have kids at home, you cannot afford the skyrocketing cost of housing and groceries with 87 cents on the dollar.

This government fumbled the implementation of affordable child care in this province, stalling an estimated 96,600 women from entering the labour force.

I want to go back to the Premier again, who is sitting right there in front of me and could be answering this question for the women of this province. The FAO says that we will be short 220,000 child care spaces to meet the demand. Is he just going to keep kicking this can down the road?

Hon. Charmaine A. Williams: We have secured a significant investment and agreement for child care, the largest across any other province. If we listened to the members opposite, we would have settled only for $10 billion. We have $13.5 billion for the child care agreement act, and with an increase of 86,000 new child care spaces by 2026—everything the members opposite keep saying no to, and actually hurting women from getting into the marketplace and working.

I’ve gone across the province, Mr. Speaker. I’ve met with hundreds of women who are getting into the workforce, taking advantage of the programs and investments this government has made. I just wonder of if the members opposite are going to support the budget that’s coming up, plus the millions of dollars in investments.

The mining agreement: There are women getting into these sectors in droves, and we’re going to work hard to make sure they stay here.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: Back to the Premier: I would remind the members opposite that early childhood educators in this province are leaving faster than we can hire the. Because let’s get this straight, as long as we treat ECEs like their work isn’t as important as everybody else’s, we’re not going to be filling those jobs and we won’t be bringing more women back into the labour force.

Speaker, almost a quarter of working women are in part-time jobs. That’s nearly double the number of men. We are only a third of senior management and middle management roles, and that wage gap is persisting in every single sector.

For the Premier, 87 cents on the dollar would amount to about a $27,000 pay cut for him, Does he really think that that’s fair, and would he accept that?

Interjections.

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

To respond for the government, the Minister of Education.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, we didn’t sign any deal with the federal government; we signed a better deal for the people of this province: a billion additional dollars, an additional year of funding guarantee that no province had. It is this Premier that did what the NDP and Liberals couldn’t do for 15 years, which is reduce child care fees for generations to come—a 50% reduction. Mr. Speaker, we are literally talking about $10,000 to $12,000 per child per year, and we’re going to go even further to $10 by year 2025.

The Associate Minister of Women’s Economic and Social Opportunity is leading by example, ensuring that more women are working in our economy, with the recognition we can do more. We’re cutting taxes. We’re ensuring women in the skilled trades. We’re ensuring more young girls get into STEM disciplines within our schools.

If the members opposite want to stand up for labour and market participation for women, vote for our budget. Vote for opportunity. Vote for a plan that makes life affordable for moms and dads across Ontario.

Water quality

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. With over 600,000 people and 120 wells in Kitchener-Waterloo, this is the largest community in Canada dependent on groundwater for a majority of its drinking water. We’ve known for decades that the aquifer providing this water is particularly vulnerable to contamination.

The Grand River Conservation Authority has been key to protecting this vital resource while supporting growth and housing. Bill 23 drastically reduces the powers of conservation authorities to protect our water.

Why does this government believe that it makes sense to increase the risk that the region of Waterloo’s water sources become contaminated? Why are you gambling with source water protection in Ontario?

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

To respond for the government, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, we were crystal clear with Bill 23, including ensuring that the environment is protected but, at the same time, we’re going to build much-needed homes. We’re in the middle of a housing crisis and New Democrats seem to not want to acknowledge that. They don’t want to acknowledge that there are young people that are living in Waterloo region today that can’t realize the dream of home ownership. There are seniors who want to downsize but don’t have a home that meets their needs and their budget at their disposal.

This is the impetus for why we took this plan to the people last June. We got a significant mandate under the leadership of Premier Ford. We are going to build housing and we are going to provide hope and opportunity for newcomers to our province, for seniors and for young families.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: The region of Waterloo passed amendments to build 121,000 additional homes before Bill 23 passed. This government claims they had to strip away the powers of conservation authorities to protect our water to get new homes built, but this does not hold up to scrutiny. The region of Waterloo was already leading.

We know what happens when water isn’t protected in Waterloo region. Elmira’s water sources are still too contaminated to drink and may never be restored after years of weak regulation. Concerns have come from many other regions in addition. The 113 Ontario municipalities within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative have been examining the impact of Bill 23 and they are raising legitimate concerns.

When will this government put people and the water that they rely on as a priority ahead of your personal private interests?

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

Interjections.

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

Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, do you know whose interest I’m standing up with? It’s the mayors of the communities in Waterloo region that have signed on to our housing pledge and are our partners moving forward to ensure that we have those 1.5 million homes built by 2031. Every single mayor in those fastest-growing communities has signed on with us to move forward, so we’re very, very happy with the mayors of Kitchener, Waterloo, the chair of Waterloo region—they’ve all come out publicly to acknowledge that we’re in a housing crisis and they are our partners.

I want to celebrate and congratulate them, not talk down like the member for Waterloo does.

Community safety / First responders

Mr. Trevor Jones: My question is for the Premier. With a growing wave of crime everywhere across Canada, communities are rightfully concerned. In Ontario, we’re seeing a rise in crime in cities of all sizes and in our rural communities. Everyday, we see and hear new reports of serious crime throughout the province. These trends are disturbing and this is not acceptable. Everyone in Ontario deserves to be safe in their communities, including the police officers who respond to these calls to protect us. Our government must take urgent action now and explore all options to combat the surge in criminal activity.

Speaker, can the Premier please explain what actions our government is taking to make Ontario’s communities safer?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the great member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington and I also want to thank him for being an OPP officer for years. We’re so proud to have him down in the Legislature.

As we tackle the crime that we’ve seen around the province, we’re making sure we’re giving the police services across Ontario the tools that they need to get the job done; to make sure our communities are a lot safer; that you’re able to walk out at night and you’re able to take transit here in Toronto without worrying about being abused or physically hurt.

We’re adding more recruits to the Ontario Police College every single year. We’re investing another $13 million—to fight guns and gangs—that will stop illegal drugs from coming into our province. We’re cracking down on auto thefts, adding $51 million in new measures to find and dismantle crime networks across this province.

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

Mr. Trevor Jones: To all police officers across Ontario, please know that this government and the people of Ontario appreciate your hard work and dedication each and every day. When we call on our police officers to keep our communities safe, they’re always there to respond and to serve. However, our front-line officers are regularly exposed to traumatic events while responding to calls that are increasingly complex and increasingly dangerous. All of this takes a toll on both their physical and mental health.

In the past, most officers attempted to cope with trauma on their own and without professional help. All police officers deserve to have access to the care and supports when they need it, where they need it.

Speaker, can the Premier please explain what action our government is taking to support the health and wellness of all our front-line officers?

Hon. Doug Ford: Well, Mr. Speaker, I agree with the great member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington about showing respect for our police officers. What is unacceptable is when school boards are disallowing police officers in uniform to go in there with one of their kids. That’s what’s disgusting, Mr. Speaker. That’s being changed, and thank goodness for that.

That’s why in our budget we announced an additional $9.6 million to support the Runnymede Healthcare Centre to provide mental health supports and PTSI treatment tailor-made for the unique needs of our police officers and front-line workers. We must always ensure that our dedicated first responders have the access to the highest quality of mental health and addictions care that meets their needs. We will always ensure the brave women and men that serve on our police forces are treated with dignity and respect.

Northern emergency services

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le solliciteur général.

Speaker, this morning I was joined by northern MPPs to discuss the need for 911 everywhere in Ontario. Every year, families living and visiting northern Ontario discover in their times of need that after they dial 911, they get a recording that says, “This number is not in service. Please try your call again.” In my riding, the police, the fire, the ambulance are available, but nobody knows the 1-800 numbers to reach them. When will Ontario do like every other province in Canada has done and make 911 available everywhere throughout our province?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I want to thank the member for the question. Our government takes our public safety very seriously. We’ve never had a government in my generation that is more concerned with the welfare of all Ontarians, and that’s exactly why we’re moving forward with our plans for next-generation 911.

As the member knows, we are committing over $200 million to work with our local municipal jurisdictions so that they can implement in their jurisdictions the new technology. As the member knows, Mr. Speaker, the new technology will allow for unprecedented safety and security for all Ontarians. At the end of the day, Mr. Speaker, we believe everyone has a right—an equal right—to live safely in their own communities.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary: the member for Kiiwetinoong.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I’m still waiting for that technology to arrive in Kiiwetinoong. It has almost been five years since this government received the Chief Coroner’s report following four deaths linked to a failure of 911 in northern Ontario, but nothing has changed.

In Kiiwetinoong, the services for ambulance, the services for fire and the services for police range from minimal to non-existent. You cannot call 911 for services that do not exist. When will this government take real action to ensure everyone in Ontario who calls 911 gets the help that they need?

Hon. Michael S. Kerzner: I want to thank the member for the question. Well, we are acting. That’s exactly why we’re providing the $208 million supports for municipalities and for regions in the north so that they can begin the transition for next-generation 911. When the former government was in power for 15 years, they didn’t move the needle. And I have to say, when that party was in power in the early 1990s, they didn’t realize that they had the same issues then with the dialing sequence in some regions that didn’t have it.

We want every region in Ontario to benefit from the next-generation 911, and this technology will allow an unprecedented level of safety. Mr. Speaker, we are not delaying; we are getting the job done.

Economic development

Mr. Ric Bresee: My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Over the last five years, Ontario was garnering a reputation for its world-class manufacturing sector. Employing almost 800,000 workers, we are continuously investing and innovating to stay competitive and produce critical goods that the whole world relies on. That’s why it’s imperative for this government to take the right steps to attract investments that will grow the economy and create good jobs. Will the minister please highlight how our government is promoting Ontario’s manufacturing sector and keeping it ahead of the competitive global curb?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: We have reduced the cost of doing business in Ontario by $8 billion every year. According to the latest federal report, Ontario is now the number one investment destination in all of Canada, and with our regional development programs we’re ensuring that we remain that number one site.

Just last week, All Season Fencing announced a $4-million investment into their Trenton manufacturing facility. Thank you, Minister Smith, for doing that. They manufacture sustainable PVC vinyl fencing that uses only recycled plastic. They are creating 19 jobs and acquiring new equipment in Trenton with a $400,000-investment from the province. This adds to the $1 billion in investments and over 1,800 jobs that companies like All Season Fencing have added to Ontario.

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

Mr. Ric Bresee: Thank you to the minister for the answer and for that information about one of my new regional employers. The Regional Development Program has been a game-changer for manufacturing and job creation across the province, especially in our rural economies.

In 2018, our government knew it was long overdue that Ontario, once again, takes charge of its manufacturing sector after over a decade and a half of Liberal inaction that spurred the manufacturing exodus from the province.

This minister has mentioned a number of times that Ontario is now one of the most competitive places to invest and grow a business. Will the minister please explain what actions have led to Ontario holding this illustrious title?

Hon. Victor Fedeli: Since 2018, Ontario businesses have added 660,000 new jobs. This is despite the fact the Liberals and the NDP voted against every bit of help we offered to those businesses. They watched, though, as we moved swiftly to eliminate 16,000 different red tape items. They watched as we lowered electricity rates and lowered taxes that were strangling our businesses. Again, they watched as we re-shored thousands of jobs back to Ontario—the jobs that were sent running—yet they voted against every single measure we put forward to create jobs and make it more affordable for families and businesses.

They continue to vote against attracting billions in investment and making Ontario stronger. Speaker, we’re going to keep Ontario competitive because we’re open for business.

Tenant protection

Ms. Jessica Bell: My question is to the Premier. Over 100 residents in the town of Rossmore are being threatened with a blatant renoviction by their new corporate landlord, Bedford Properties. Resident Keith Maybe said this: “It’s not humane what they have done. You’ve got people who have been in these apartments right from the time they were built 37 years ago. Some people are in their eighties and their nineties. It’s not right.”

Premier, what are you going to do to help these residents keep these homes?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Part of our commitment to Ontarians, under the leadership of Premier Ford, is that we’re going to have a housing supply action plan tabled in the Legislature every year for the four years. We’ve got a bill before the House right now, Bill 97, Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, and we’ve been responsive to many of the tenant concerns and also the Ontario Human Rights Commission when it comes to air conditioning in units. Many of the recommendations that we put forward on that bill respond directly to some of the concerns that tenants have expressed to our government about renovictions and landlord’s own use.

Again, Speaker, the member keeps asking questions, but she never states on the record whether she’s going to support our measures. I would really love her to do that today.

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

Ms. Jessica Bell: Back to the Premier: If these tenants are forced to leave their homes, odds are they won’t be able to return, because Bill 97 does nothing to address the fact that Ontario’s eviction laws are too weak to work. The reality is this: If a tenant is illegally evicted, they never get back into their home. The reality is also this: If a landlord illegally evicts a tenant, they almost never get a fine.

For the sake of these residents, can you say yes to our amendments in Bill 97 to strengthen Ontario’s eviction protection laws?

Hon. Steve Clark: One of the best measures the government has done as part of our Bill 97 is the measures that the Attorney General has announced when it comes to the Landlord and Tenant Board: a historic $6.5-million commitment to double the amount of adjudicators, to support them with additional staff members, to make sure that the access to justice is swift and is fair.

I think this is one of the premises that the Attorney General has taken throughout the pandemic, whether it be to stand up against illegal evictions when we were at our most vulnerable as a province—but this latest commitment, this record-setting commitment by the government to invest $6.5 million in the Landlord and Tenant Board, will pay huge dividends to both landlords and tenants alike.

Land use planning

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Premier.

There are 200,000 acres of greenfield land already approved for development in the greater Golden Horseshoe. Planners have shown that there are 1.4 million homes currently approved, in process or under construction and enough approved development land to build two million homes. It’s clear that the only greenbelt scam is the government’s scheme to pave over the farmland that feeds us and contributes $50 billion to our food and farming economy, and the wetlands that protect us from flooding and clean our drinking water.

Instead of attacking the greenbelt, let’s work together to remove the barriers to build homes in communities that people can afford, close to where they work. The Premier has a chance to support the farm economy and to make life affordable if he keeps his greenbelt promise. Will he keep that promise today?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply, the Premier.

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank the member from “build nothing” riding, because that’s what he believes in: building absolutely nothing. It’s unheard of that the University of Guelph, on their property, tried to get housing and guess what? He didn’t support it. He didn’t support housing at the University of Guelph. He doesn’t believe in building housing in Guelph. They have the lowest per capita housing starts in the entire province.

I find it ironic that he’s coming up and trying to tell us how to build housing. Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, we have 445,000 people who arrived in Ontario last year and they need homes. We’re going to make sure that we hit our target of 1.5 million homes, and I just wish the MPP from Guelph would get on board and support our housing plan, because the people in his community are going to need homes.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: With all due respect to the Premier, if he would do a simple Google search of housing starts this year and look at the communities with those housing starts, Guelph is not last. As a matter of fact, Guelph has more housing starts than Peterborough right now. Sorry, my friend from Peterborough: Guelph has more housing starts than Peterborough right now.

If the Premier wants to work with me to build more homes, let’s actually pass my Bills 44 and 45, which would get rid of exclusionary zoning so we can actually build homes that people can afford in the communities they want to live in.

The government has an opportunity today to help people and municipalities save money, to defend our farm economy and to build affordable homes that people want to live in, in affordable communities close to where they work, if the government agrees to stop their expensive sprawl agenda and protect the greenbelt.

Will the Premier keep his promise today and promise to protect the greenbelt?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: I can’t believe this member is quoting the report that he did, because what he failed to tell the House is the fact that the success of this report is because of the measures that our government is putting forward. Speaker, the report he quoted estimates that an additional 150,000 units are going to be created because of the as-of-right zoning changes that our government has put forward.

You voted against those changes for 150,000 homes.

The member is very selective. This report shows that 5% of those homes are built because of minister’s zoning orders—again, something that member doesn’t support.

The member needs to get his facts straight. The member needs to read the entire report—to show that many of the successes of these initiatives are directly because of the initiatives this government has done under the leadership of—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Once again, I’ll remind members to make their comments through the Chair, not directly across the floor of the House.

The next question.

Workplace safety

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: My question is for the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

All workers in Ontario deserve a workplace that is safe. Strong workplace health and safety practices help to make workplaces more productive and reduce the risk of injury. No worker anywhere in our great province should have to go to work worried about harm to their health or safety. One worker not returning home at the end of the day is one too many. Improving safety for workers is a serious issue, and this must remain as a top priority for this minister and our government.

Can the minister please explain how our government is addressing safety for workers in Ontario?

Hon. Monte McNaughton: I want to thank the member from Newmarket–Aurora for this question and for her advocacy in keeping workers in her riding and across the province safe.

Speaker, our government, under our Premier, is leaving no stone unturned on our mission to make our workplaces the safest in the entire world. Ontario has one of the strongest safety records in North America, and that’s thanks to everyone—government, workers, labour leaders, and businesses—working together. But as long as workers are being injured on the job, our work isn’t done.

That is why we announced today that we’re investing an additional $12.5 million into Ontario’s six health and safety associations to improve training, expand their resources and save lives.

Speaker, we’ll continue to invest in education, prevention and enforcement to ensure that every worker returns home safely to their families at the end of the day.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

M me Dawn Gallagher Murphy: Thank you to the minister for that response. It’s wonderful to hear about that funding.

I am pleased to hear that our government is continuing to lead the way in strengthening workplace health and safety measures. These valuable investments will help to ensur