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December 8, 2021

42nd Parliament, 2nd Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2021-Dec-08 (PDF)

L031 - Wed 8 Dec 2021 / Mer 8 déc 2021

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 8 December 2021 Mercredi 8 décembre 2021

Orders of the Day

Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à protéger nos progrès et à bâtir l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Members’ Statements

Food and toy drive

Services for persons with disabilities

Residential schools

Hospital funding

Food drive

Snowflake Breakfast / Déjeuner Flocons de neige

Genocide

Sudbury Secondary School Value Vault

Nurses

Visitor

Question Period

Nurses

COVID-19 testing

Employment standards

Land use planning

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 testing

Post-secondary education

Affordable housing

Climate change

Children’s mental health services

Small business

Tax rebates

Correctional services

COVID-19 immunization

Deferred Votes

Stopping Illegal Handgun Smuggling Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à stopper la contrebande d’armes de poing illégales

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Estimates

Standing Committee on Estimates

Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight

Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills

Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills

Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills

Introduction of Bills

Long-Term Care Homes Amendment Act (Preference for Veterans), 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur les foyers de soins de longue durée (préférence accordée aux anciens combattants)

Mount Pleasant Public Cemeteries Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la société Cimetières publics Mount Pleasant

Emancipation Month Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le Mois de l’émancipation

Lifejackets for Life Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le port obligatoire du gilet de sauvetage par les enfants

Ontario Consumer Watchdog Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur l’organisme ontarien de défense du consommateur

Police Services Amendment Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 modifiant la

Loi sur les services policiers

Petitions

Pharmacare

Anti-racism activities

Nurses

Child care

Highway safety

Multiple sclerosis

Laurentian University

Documents gouvernementaux

Travailleurs de première ligne

Consideration of Bill 75

Orders of the Day

Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à protéger nos progrès et à bâtir l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Emancipation Month Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le Mois de l’émancipation

Emancipation Month Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur le Mois de l’émancipation

Private Members’ Public Business

Provincial Day of Service Act, 2021 / Loi de 2021 sur la Journée provinciale du service

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Orders of the Day

Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021 / Loi de 2021 visant à protéger nos progrès et à bâtir l’Ontario (mesures budgétaires)

Resuming the debate adjourned on December 7, 2021, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 43,

An Act to implement Budget measures and to enact and amend various statutes / Projet de loi 43, Loi visant à mettre en oeuvre les mesures budgétaires et à édicter et à modifier diverses lois.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Good morning, Speaker.

Remarks in Oji-Cree.

It’s a good morning. It’s always an honour to stand up and speak for the people of Kiiwetinoong and be able to speak on Bill 43, to represent the great people of Kiiwetinoong, as I said.

I know there is a lot in the budget that I could talk about today, but I’d like to spend my time talking about land and what we think wealth is.

Also, number two in the government’s highlights of their plan to build Ontario says: “Working in partnership with northern and First Nation communities to create jobs, unlock critical minerals and bring economic prosperity to Ontario’s north, the province has committed close to $1 billion to support the planning and construction of an all-season road network and other projects that will provide a corridor to prosperity for the remote First Nations living in the Far North.”

Also, the budget goes on to say, “Unlocking critical minerals will play a key role in making Ontario a world leader in the production of electric vehicles.”

This is a poor justification for rushing resource development projects that will change the ways of life of people across the north permanently. What’s happening here is, it will change our ways of life forever as First Nations people. It’s a form of colonialism, to erase us of who we are and where we come from.

Back in January 2021, former Chief Harvey Yesno from Eabametoong First Nation stated this, “Ontario has been unashamed in its aggressive approach to prepare to access the wealth and resources of the James Bay Treaty 9 territory, and we remind ... that our rights are of a higher priority than the interests of government, general stakeholders and industry investors.”

Any development that happens without free, prior and informed consent of everyone involved is colonialism in action—colonialism 2.0. The Premier has publicly stated on numerous occasions that the Ring of Fire mining development is going ahead no matter what. We’ve heard words like, “We’re doing it” and “If I have to hop on a bulldozer, it’s happening.” These statements reflect a very clear intent to go ahead without the free, prior and informed consent of all the affected First Nations.

The treaty rights voters of the north are the only people who have ever lived in these lands, and their consent is needed. To proceed without it is the very definition of colonialism. This is also the spirit of industrialism and capitalism that has led us into the countdown toward permanent and catastrophic climate change from which we all may never recover.

We also understand as well as anyone the need for better economic possibilities in the north; also, the need to shift away from reliance on fossil fuels. Our people live with these needs every day, but we also need consideration for other matters, like a protection plan for the region’s sensitive wetlands and watersheds that are in place. Before that, we need to ensure access to clean water, housing and health services for people that are upstream, downstream from the proposed Ring of Fire.

However, it doesn’t matter how much money can be made from mining or even how many electric cars we can manufacture if Ontario recklessly allows unchecked mine permitting to occur in Treaty 9. This project, and whatever other development Ontario is planning to approve, may destroy the world’s second-largest intact peatlands and critically important defence against climate change they give to us, and then what?

I’d like to share a bit of history with you this morning, Speaker. The following information is from a brief released by the Yellowhead Institute on the Far North Act written by researchers Dayna Scott and John Cutfeet. When Ontario introduced the Far North planning initiative in 2008—what eventually became the Far North Act—it was because of land disputes.

“The leadership of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) had been convicted of contempt of court for protecting their homelands from platinum mining as required under their own Indigenous laws.” When they were in jail, I actually went to visit them, in the Thunder Bay district jail, back at that time. I think they were there for three months. These are leaders. They were six of them, also known as the KI6.

They were released from prison when the Ontario Court of Appeal considered their sentences excessive. “Ontario was then forced to pay millions to two mining companies in order to buy out their claims in the contested territories. In the midst of this dispute, KI held a community referendum passing a watershed declaration and an enhanced consultation protocol.” Then they “secured a meeting with officials from three Ontario ministries on the idea of a ‘bilateral panel’ that could jointly approve permit applications affecting KI lands.

“But the province rejected the KI proposal for joint decision-making and the meeting did not produce a resolution.

“The Far North Act, introduced two years later over the widespread objections of the Indigenous peoples who are the sole occupants of” what Ontario calls “the Far North”—the act was Ontario’s “attempt at resolving the jurisdiction question. It had the stated aims of protecting 50% of the boreal forest, ‘partnering’ with First Nations in decision-making and revenue-sharing, and allowing for new mining developments.

“In hindsight” this “was actually a development scheme designed to manage” complex “claims to Indigenous governance authority across the region.

“The initiative was ... rejected by the northern” First Nations “themselves, with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation calling it ‘a new form of colonialism’. But in some ways it was just more of the same: consultations were rushed and under-resourced, took place outside of the affected communities, and arguably did not even meet the basic legal standard for genuine consultation.”

Speaker, this all sounds very familiar.

“Ultimately, however, the fundamental and enduring problem is with the underlying colonial architecture and the broader set of assumptions upon which the Far North Act” sits.

The reality is, “Ontario does not possess the exclusive legislative authority to make laws about land use in the Far North: It must recognize the inherent jurisdiction of the Indigenous peoples who have always and continue to care for” our “lands and waters.” It is our way of life. It is what we do. It is what we’ve been doing for thousands of years. It is what we will be continuing to do.

The flaw of the legislation is that, in writing, in Canadian law, it gives “the government the ultimate and unilateral authority to approve mining developments, or roads and other infrastructure, even if those decisions run contrary to community land use plans whenever the ‘social and economic interests of Ontario’ are engaged....

“This means that First Nations must have control over permitting” in our treaty territories. That Ontario is the one that approves these licences and permits “that give rights to third parties on the land” is how our “treaty rights and interests are undermined.

“For a lasting resolution and a just and sustainable planning regime in the Far North, shared authority” is where any future negotiations must start.

Bill 43 proposes to amend the Far North Act to facilitate economic development and enhance provisions that encourage collaboration between the province and First Nations. The proposed amendments seek to remove the protection under the Far North Act for 225,000 square kilometres of land. These 225,000 square kilometres of land hold a very sensitive ecosystem called the breathing lands. These peatlands sequester a huge amount of carbon, storing an estimated 35 billion tonnes of carbon in the north. This is equivalent to annual emissions from six and a half million cars. This area represents 42% of Ontario’s land mass and is a globally significant carbon storehouse.

The peatlands in the Hudson Bay lowlands can contain up to five times as much carbon as the Amazon rainforest per square metre, and this ecosystem is directly impacted by any changes that take place in the bay or the river systems. The peatlands also serve as critical habitat for wildlife, including caribou, wolverines and many kind of migratory birds.

The north is a landscape that cannot be divided. What happens upstream has impact on the animals, the plants and the people who live downstream. To us, these are the breathing and the cooling lands for the planet and they must be protected for the future.

Bill 43 is also going to remove provisions prohibiting the development of land that does not have a community-based land use plan in place. The result would be greater land mass for resource development.

I know that these proposed amendments were recommended by a joint process between Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, but I remind this government, I remind this House, that political and territorial Indigenous organizations at any government decision-making table are not the treaty rights holders and title holders. They can represent the interest of their constituents, but how does this important information get circulated to their members? What processes are in place to ensure decisions, particularly ones related to land and water, are consensual?

There have always been many points of view in the north, some in favour of the land use processes that are happening under the Far North Act and some who did not agree with the legislation at all.

At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, where are we going to be in 100 years, 150 years, 200 years, with the development? What is the land going to look like? Will we be able to drink the water? What is the legacy we are leaving for our children, for our grandchildren, for our great-grandchildren?

Last year, during the water crisis in Neskantaga, when they found the oily sheen, I went to one of their youth rallies. I remember spending time with these young children, eight years old, nine years old, 12- and 13-year-olds. They were very emotional. I saw them cry. I saw them very emotional. During that time, they wanted two things—I know they were evacuated for 61 days in a hotel during the pandemic—(1) they wanted to go home; (2) they wanted clean drinking water, and that’s it. Sometimes I feel bad when I just go in the back and I drink water. The community of Neskantaga has been in that place for over 26 years.

Again, I want to thank the government for reminding me that colonialism still exists. I want to thank the government for reminding me that oppression still exists. And I want to say, the more oppressed we are, the more colonized we are, the stronger we become as a nation. Bring it on.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Questions and response?

Mr. Norman Miller: Thank you to the member from Kiiwetinoong for that thoughtful speech. He did talk a fair amount about mining. I note that, in Ontario, over 11% of the jobs in the mining sector in Ontario are held by Indigenous people—very good jobs, I would say.

He also talked about climate change and mentioned that the minerals from the Ring of Fire would be used in electric vehicles, which obviously helps us move away from fossil fuels, helps us fight climate change, both things that seem to me to be fairly positive. So I’m wondering, does the member support development of the Ring of Fire, which would benefit more than any other community the Indigenous communities surrounding the Ring of Fire?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch. Thank you for the question. I think we have always been at a place where it’s not about whether we support development. But I think it’s important to note that First Nations are not against development; they just need to be at that decision-making table. They want to be able to have the benefits, as well, of those agreements. We are treaty partners. Ontario is a signatory to Treaty 9, where we agreed to share the benefits and the resources of the land. That’s all we ask for: Let us be at the table, and that we have a good process, with free, prior and informed consent.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Beaches–East York.

Ms. Rima Berns-McGown: I’ve sat in this House with my colleague for three and a half years, and I’ve heard the government, every time you speak, respond respectfully and then go into exactly the same thing that they had been doing before. My question is, what it is going to take, in your view, for the government to stop saying one thing out of the side of its mouth and then acting in the old colonial, oppressive ways? What is it going to take to move forward in a good way? What it is actually going to take?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I’ll just remind all members to please put their questions through the Speaker.

I return to the member for Kiiwetinoong.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Meegwetch for the question. I think it’s about respecting—change will only come when the government starts honouring the treaties. Again, I spoke earlier about how important that is. Without the treaties, what is Ontario? What is Canada? I think, all over Ontario, we have all these treaties that we signed with the province or the feds, and we need to be able to move forward in a good way.

We accepted settlers to our lands. We welcomed you—everyone that’s here, no matter where you came from. We were supposed to work together. Honour the treaties; that’s all it means.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My thanks to the member for Kiiwetinoong for speaking.

Earlier, when my colleague from Parry Sound–Muskoka asked a question, I thought it was very relevant, what you were speaking about, with regard to free, prior and informed consent, and the importance of working with Indigenous communities and meaningfully listening.

I also thought it was very important when you said that First Nations are not opposed to development. I really appreciate the member opposite’s comments, but what I didn’t hear was his personal position on developing the Ring of Fire. I’m just wondering: Are you personally in favour of developing the Ring of Fire?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Thank you for that direct question. Any development that happens on our treaty territories, on our traditional territories, is going to have an impact on our ways of life—forever.

I know in Neskantaga, for example—I get traditional food from them, and one of the things that they always give me is sturgeon. Sturgeon is a delicacy of who we are as First Nations people. I have some in my apartment. But, without that, if there’s development happening there, that will change their way of life, and access too. I think it’s important to say that, again, we have to do it properly.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara Falls.

Mr. Wayne Gates: My colleague responded about development very clearly, that they feel that they’re not against development, that they believe there should be benefits for both parties from anything that happens there. What they’re saying very clearly is that there is Treaty 9 and you should consult.

So, what happened under

section 10, it changes the current ability of any First Nations with reserves in the Far North to be consulted in land use planning. Also, the government said they would undertake a consultation and review, beginning in 2019. Many First Nations groups were not properly consulted; maybe you could talk about that. My question is, why do you think this government will not consult properly with First Nations?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Because they do not honour and respect treaties—period. We need to be able to have that dialogue whereby the government cannot continue to push for development. The government cannot continue a divide-and-conquer approach to development. That’s what is happening. We see it. There are different communities that have been consulted; there are different communities that haven’t been consulted.

An example is during the water crisis—and they wanted a moratorium on the work on the processes that are in place—in those 61 days, the minister never reached out to the First Nations on how we can help—nothing.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I appreciate the comments from the member opposite, and especially understanding the importance of ensuring that that way of life is maintained and that there aren’t negative consequences as a result of development. I appreciate you especially sharing with regard to how the sturgeon could be impacted. I wasn’t aware, actually, that it was a delicacy. That’s amazing. I’ll have to try it at some point.

I totally agree with the member opposite that it needs to be done properly, any type of development. It has to be done with meaningful consultation, it has to be done in the proper way, and then it has to benefit both parties, as mentioned by the member for Niagara Falls.

And I’m sorry if I’m too pushy on this, but I just want to get an answer from the member directly. Is he personally in favour of developing the Ring of Fire: yes or no?

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: He keeps asking the same question, Speaker.

Interjections.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: No, I’m just kidding.

It’s the people that live in those communities, the treaty rights holders. Those are the people you need to consult with. Those are the people that you need to talk to. It’s in my treaty territory, yes. It’s not my traditional territory, but I have lots of members that are there. There are people that tell me, that are not in leadership roles, that it’s their land, that’s where they grew up. They tell me, “There’s no way development is happening in my traditional territory. If I have to die for my land, I will.” That’s the response. It’s so important that people understand that if you just push it through, it is not happening.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): There’s time for a very short question and response.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: I just want to say that I appreciate the comments made by my colleague, and particularly how he ended his speech by thanking the government for strengthening First Nations. I’m just wondering if you can clarify that.

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: We’ve been oppressed for so long. There have been so many approaches to being oppressed, that conquer and divide—how we fight amongst each other, the strategic underfunding of programs and services on-reserve. The more it comes, we become stronger as people. We start to rise as land rights holders. We become stronger. Thank you for doing that.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Further debate?

Enfin, monsieur le Président, ce que je pense être l’amendement le plus raisonnable :

—veiller à ce que le gouvernement fasse régulièrement rapport de leurs progrès à la population de l’Ontario.

Le but de cet amendement était de s’assurer que le gouvernement et tous les futurs ministres seraient tenus de rendre des comptes. Le gouvernement ne voulait clairement pas que cela se produise.

Monsieur le Président, I’m sharing my time avec ma collègue de Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

Mon collègue de Mushkegowuk–James Bay—j’espère que je l’ai bien dit—et ma collègue de Waterloo étaient également sur le comité. J’ai bien apprécié leurs contributions. Ils avaient de très bons amendements également, que j’ai appuyés, à ce sujet.

Monsieur le Président, mon collègue d’Ottawa-Sud a fait un bon résumé des amendements qu’on a présentés. C’est complètement impensable. Pourquoi ne pas ajouter le mot « annuel » au mot « rapport »? C’est vraiment une technicalité. Sans ce mot-là, vraiment, comment sait-on la fréquence des rapports? Est-ce que c’est à chaque trois ans, à chaque 50 ans, à chaque 100 ans? Il n’y a aucune clarification. Donc, c’est juste—it’s just not good law-making. Ça ne fait pas de sens de ne pas clarifier et d’ajouter le mot « annuel ». Et ce n’est pas partisan. Ce n’est même pas une chose de contenu, monsieur le Président. C’est vraiment une chose de forme pour clarifier.

Ça, c’était l’amendement qui, je pense, nous a le plus surpris qui n’a pas été adopté par le gouvernement. Il n’y a aucune raison de ne pas adopter ça. Ils ont toujours la chance de le faire dans le futur, j’espère bien, mais on ne va pas—we won’t hold our breath.

Alors, l’offre active : l’offre active, ça, c’est un « no-brainer ». On voulait tous avoir l’offre active. Ça fait longtemps qu’on aurait dû le faire. Et ça, ce n’est pas juste ce gouvernement, c’est tous les gouvernements. Mais ça ne change pas qu’on a modernisé une loi de 30 ans avec vraiment un seul changement significatif, et là, il faut attendre un autre 10 ans, si on garde le même gouvernement, pour modifier la loi. C’est vraiment décevant, parce qu’on avait l’opportunité ici de faire quelque chose de bien.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Merci. Question and response?

Alors, ma question est simple : si c’était si facile et « such a no-brainer », pourquoi le gouvernement précédent libéral n’a rien fait pendant 15 ans de leur pouvoir?

M. John Fraser: Merci—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Ottawa South.

M. Gilles Bisson: Vingt-cinq ans.

M. John Fraser: Il y a 25 ans, le gouvernement a essayé de fermer le seul hôpital franco-ontarien en Ontario.

M lle Amanda Simard: Les conservateurs.

M. John Fraser: Oui. On ne va pas accepter de leçons de votre parti.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Timmins.

M. Gilles Bisson: Bien, écoute, la question pour la députée, c’est simplement ceci : nous, le parti NPD, on dit que quand on vient au pouvoir, la prochaine élection—si on est chanceux et les électeurs nous donnent le droit de gouverner la province—c’est un projet de loi que nous, on veut amener puis mettre en vigueur. Parce que, comme vous, on comprend que les francophones sont ici. Ils sont présents. Ils vivent en Ontario. On a besoin d’avoir ces propos dans les projets de loi—et d’autres que nous autres, on a suggérés—pour être capable de s’assurer que la communauté francophone non seulement survit mais s’épanouit.

Puis moi, la question que j’ai : si vous êtes à l’opposition, allez-vous supporter notre projet de loi?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Glengarry–Prescott–Russell.

M lle Amanda Simard: J’aimerais remercier mon collègue pour sa question. C’est certain qu’on a des projets de loi qu’on veut appuyer, et certainement, ça, c’est un projet de loi que j’appuie. C’est le député de Mushkegowuk–James Bay qui a ce projet de loi en ce moment, et je l’appuie. On s’appuie parce que—vous savez ce qui est vraiment drôle, monsieur le Président? C’est que les deux députés, on a formulé des projets de loi séparés, sans se parler.

Parce qu’on consultait la communauté francophone, on a pris tout ce qu’ils voulaient, on l’a inséré dans nos projets de loi, et on est ressorti avec deux projets de loi pratiquement identiques. Donc, ça démontre qu’on a vraiment consulté et écouté.

La ministre et son adjointe, là, je peux dire qu’elles ont consulté, mais elles n’ont pas écouté, parce qu’elles ont juste l’offre active dans leur projet de loi. C’est pour ça qu’on pensait que la ministre allait sortir avec un projet de loi très similaire—mais non. Il y avait simplement l’offre active, et complètement, une dizaine d’autres recommandations n’était pas présente.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

M. Sam Oosterhoff: Je veux remercier les députés pour ce discours ce matin. J’ai une question pour le député, parce que je pense que c’est très important que nous reconnaissons l’importance de l’histoire, la culture et l’association des francophones ici en Ontario. C’est très important, et je comprends pourquoi il est fier et elle est fière de cette communauté.

Mais, ma question est : pourquoi, après 15 ans dans le gouvernement, il y a une plus mauvaise pénurie d’enseignants francophones ici en Ontario? Après avoir été au gouvernement pour 15 ans, pourquoi est-ce que ça se passe?

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member for Ottawa South.

M. Gilles Bisson: Écraser.

M. John Fraser: Écraser : il écrase la victoire de la communauté franco-ontarienne. C’est un symbole de la lutte, et pas grand-chose pour vous, pas grand-chose. Les premiers six mois, le gouvernement—

Des voix.

M. John Fraser: Le gouvernement n’est pas sérieux. La communauté franco-ontarienne a besoin de plus que leur drapeau dans la Chambre.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Timmins.

M. Gilles Bisson: Je veux continuer dans la même veine, comme on dit, quand ça vient aux questions, parce que nous, les néo-démocrates, avons toujours été clairs quand ça vient à la question de supporter les francophones en Ontario. Ça veut dire, oui, légiférer certains projets de loi pour être capable d’assurer ces protections.

Ma question est très simple : pour quelle raison pensez-vous, madame, que ce gouvernement est si, comment dire, négatif en action quand ça vient à fortifier les lois pour les francophones et, à la place, il retire les lois qui donnent des protections?

Alors, c’est vraiment incompréhensible, surtout certaines positions. C’est seulement quand il y a un « backlash » du public, quand ils voient qu’ils perdent un peu de popularité que, là, ils vont changer de décision, mais ça, c’est « on brand » pour toutes les autres décisions.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Niagara West.

M. Sam Oosterhoff: Ma question était simple, complètement simple : pourquoi, quand ce Parti libéral était au gouvernement, il a aggravé la pénurie d’enseignantes et d’enseignants ici en Ontario? Ils avaient 15 ans, quand ils étaient au gouvernement, pour améliorer la situation.

Qu’est-ce qui se passe? Quand notre gouvernement a créé la stratégie historique pour adresser la pénurie d’enseignantes et d’enseignants ici en Ontario, ils ont voté contre. Ils n’aiment pas cette stratégie historique, après qu’ils ont créé le problème.

Ma question pour la députée est simplement : pourquoi, après 15 ans, [inaudible] pas cette pénurie, mais vous avez actuellement créé et aggravé ce problème—un grand problème—pour la communauté franco-ontarienne ici en Ontario?

M lle Amanda Simard: C’est toujours vraiment drôle quand les membres du gouvernement ne lâchent pas de dire « les 15 ans du gouvernement libéral ». Le député sait très bien qu’on était adolescents à ce temps-là.

I find it very flattering that he thinks I was old enough and smart enough to be in charge of an entire government at that time. And he was even younger than that, right?

C’est tellement incompréhensible, parce que si les conservateurs avaient été au pouvoir, la pénurie serait encore plus pire—encore plus pire—parce qu’ils n’ont pas de francophones pour les appuyer. Puis, nous, on essaie de faire leur job—

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Members of the government, come to order, please.

M lle Amanda Simard: On essaie de les aider à faire leur job, puis ils ne veulent juste pas comprendre.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I recognize the member from Timmins.

M. Gilles Bisson: Monsieur le Président, que mes collègues conservateurs sont en train d’attaquer madame de Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, je trouve ça un peu riche. Écoute, on sait pourquoi elle est ici sur ce bord-ci de la Chambre. Ça fait affaire avec les actions du gouvernement quand ça vient aux francophones.

So donc, la question devient très simple : qu’est-ce qui motive le gouvernement conservateur de continuer à nier aux francophones, aux Premières Nations et autres les droits qu’ils ont besoin d’avoir pour être capable de s’épanouir dans cette province?

M lle Amanda Simard: Je veux remercier mon collègue pour sa question. Monsieur le Président, je pense qu’il y a juste quelque chose avec les conservateurs. Toutes les crises linguistiques dans l’histoire de l’Ontario furent déclenchées par des gouvernements conservateurs. Le règlement 17, c’était des conservateurs; la crise Montfort, des conservateurs; la crise linguistique de 2018, c’était des conservateurs.

Interjections.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Order.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): Further debate?

Hon. Parm Gill: It’s always an honour and a pleasure any time I get an opportunity to rise in this House and speak on behalf of my constituents in the great riding of Milton.

Obviously, this morning I rise to support Bill 43, the Build Ontario Act (Budget Measures), 2021. The measures outlined in this bill, and in the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, will help us move forward as a province. Together, they create a plan to protect our progress in the fight against COVID-19, build a stronger Ontario, and grow our economy by working for workers.

I want to acknowledge the importance of this plan at this moment in time. We’re laying the foundation for a more prosperous future. The choices we make now will be critical, so we must ensure they benefit everyone. With our plan, we will advance social and economic inclusion so no one is left behind.

Speaker, I rise here today as the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, but I also proudly speak to this bill as the MPP for my great riding of Milton. I am proud each and every day that I get to represent my constituents and deliver real results for our community in Milton.

During the pandemic, Milton embodied the true Ontario spirit, whether it was looking out for their neighbours in need or donating PPE. For the most part, COVID-19-related challenges have been clear, and while we continue to battle the Delta-driven fourth wave of COVID-19, we know we are ready for the new Omicron variant because we have the infrastructure in place to respond to outbreaks.

Over the past two years, our government has done everything possible to save lives and keep Ontarians healthy. That includes strengthening our health care and long-term-care sectors and supporting our heroes on the front lines.

Nearly 24 million doses have been administered to date. That’s almost 90% of eligible people in Ontario who are fully vaccinated. We are accelerating the rollout of the booster shots for people aged 50 and above and vaccines for children aged five to 11 to further expand our immunity against this ongoing threat.

In addition, we have worked to protect the safety of students in schools, seniors in long-term-care homes and workers in every type of environment. We supported small businesses and their customers, and strengthened social services for the people who needed them the most. But our work is far from over and the battle against COVID-19 continues.

As we monitor the new Omicron variant, our government is keeping people safe. We took immediate action with high-volume capacity for testing and an accelerated rollout of booster doses.

These budget measures will also help us navigate the challenging road ahead. Mr. Speaker, this bill and these budget measures will help us move forward. We have listened to health care experts, communities, industries and economists, and we know what needs to be done. Now we are calling on the full support of the House to make it happen. We will protect Ontario’s progress, build Ontario and work for workers.

As we fight this pandemic, we will care, of course, for the most vulnerable. As we rebuild our province, we will ensure everyone can fully participate in our economic recovery. Our plan will help bring us closer to a stronger and more equitable province, and I will illustrate how we are advancing social and economic inclusion with these efforts.

We start with concrete actions to protect Ontario’s progress, building health and long-term-care systems that deliver the quality care our loved ones deserve. This, of course, includes significant investments to strengthen the workforce, expand home and community care, increase access to mental health care services and more.

In my riding alone, we are building 608 long-term-care beds. That’s 608 long-term-care beds for our community in Milton. That means visits to our loved ones without having to travel out of town. That means celebrating milestones close to home. That means not having to move out of our great town in the later years of your life.

Speaker, for over a decade, the previous Liberal government repeatedly neglected Milton and the province, especially when it came to long-term care. We all know that they only managed to build 611 long-term-care beds in almost a decade while in power. Our government was elected in 2018 and we got right to work. My community in Milton is getting 608 new long-term-care beds.

One of these long-term-care homes is named Excelligent Care. I want to give a shout-out to Mohamed Karatella, who is taking on this important task of looking after some of our aging loved ones from our Muslim community in Milton. I am proud that our government is committed to investing in long-term-care homes and culturally centred care as well.

We have more to do in our fight against COVID-19. In doing so, we will take further action to protect Ontario’s most vulnerable population. Everyone deserves to be safe, regardless of where they live. That is why we will do all we can to support congregate care settings, shelters, children’s residential settings, youth justice facilities and Indigenous residential programs.

We will also continue our last-mile strategy to vaccinate individuals with first and second doses, using mobile and drive-through clinics, community-based pop-ups, dedicated clinic days for people with disabilities and their families, town hall meetings in multiple languages, and translation services. With our plan, our government will work to reach every community and make health care more equitable for everyone.

Our bill and budget measures also outline a path to build Ontario’s future. By putting shovels in the ground for critical infrastructure, attracting increased investment and restoring leadership in every sector and industry, we are creating the conditions for long-term growth. We are building tomorrow’s future today. This includes a fully integrated transit network with transit-oriented communities to connect more people to jobs and housing. Anyone living in an urban centre knows how important this is. This bill commits to moving Ontarians faster, with funding allocated for the much-needed Highway 413.

We’ve heard a lot from those on the other side of the House wanting to commit to the status quo. Those on the other side of the House say no to drivers in my riding of Milton, in the GTA and right across our great province. Well, Speaker, I couldn’t be more proud of our government for listening to the drivers in my riding of Milton and saying yes to building new roads, bridges and highways.

Our government said yes to extending Highway 427 north. Our government said yes to widening Highway 410. Our government said yes to widening Highway 401 from Mississauga to my riding of Milton. And our government is saying yes to building Highway 413.

Speaker, as we look ahead, our future will be brighter if everyone can participate in our economic recovery. That’s why we’re working for workers. Our government is raising the minimum wage, investing in skills training opportunities and attracting investments, all to create good and well-paying jobs in every region of our province. Changes to the Employment Standards Act, 2000, in Bill 43 help make this possible.

We are also building an inclusive labour market, where everyone has equitable access to jobs and opportunities. Mr. Speaker, my ministry is leading programs to help employers build a fully inclusive workplace. Working with partners in different sectors, we will develop resources for employers to support the hiring of talent from all backgrounds and walks of life.

We are also focusing on economic empowerment, a powerful tool for positive change. One of our ministry’s new anti-racism initiatives is the Racialized and Indigenous Support for Entrepreneurs Grant, also known as the RAISE Grant. This will provide $5 million in funding to innovative but underrepresented business owners. Targeted supports to Indigenous, Black and racialized entrepreneurs will help unlock economic opportunity. And expanding eligibility for the Second Career program to help more women participate in the workforce: This is good for business and good for the economy. With these budget measures, all Ontarians can be part of the province’s economic engine.

Mr. Speaker, these health care and economic measures are critical for a path forward. But, Speaker, one thing we on this side of the House will always do is listen to our constituents and all Ontarians. When it comes to the anti-racism, anti-hate grant, we heard that more money was needed. So I’m proud to have worked with the Minister of Finance and many of my colleagues to double this grant, doubling the number of community-based solutions, doubling the number of organizations that can continue their good work to eliminating hate and racism in their communities. Speaker, this represents an investment now of $3.2 million.

Our government is doing more to support communities right across our great province. Our government has worked with partners from across Ontario to support community-driven solutions. This includes an investment of $60 million over three years for the Black Youth Action Plan. That’s $60 million that will be going directly to support our young people. As a proud father of three, there isn’t anything more important to me than supporting our next generation.

Speaker, when I was a federal member of Parliament, I had an opportunity to bring forward a private member’s bill that went on to become law, which will help protect young people as well in communities right across the country from being recruited into organized crime, destroying not only lives of young people but also families and, in some cases, communities, Mr. Speaker. This work was important to me, as I saw a generation that wasn’t being given opportunities that they deserved.

Young people in this province and right across this country are eager to learn, to work and to grow to their fullest potential. With these investments, in the province of Ontario, our young people are being given the opportunity to indeed reach their fullest potential. With our plan and with our ongoing commitment to supporting anti-racism programs and initiatives, we can build a more inclusive and equitable province for all.

The people of Ontario have always been the greatest resource and strength. During the pandemic, people from all walks of life stepped up to support their communities and help the most vulnerable. Many volunteered and were shining examples of the Ontario spirit.

I saw this first-hand in my community of Milton. Miltonians came together in a big way to support one another. My office was inundated with offers of PPE, sanitizers, even offers to drive meals to those who were in quarantine or seniors—and picking up groceries for their neighbours. Speaker, we had a network of volunteers even sewing masks and gowns for those who needed them. This is truly the Ontario spirit.

I know many of my colleagues have similar stories to share from their own ridings. We saw many people eager to volunteer and ensure their neighbours were safe and supported.

Not only during a pandemic is the true Ontario spirit demonstrated, but during disasters and emergencies Ontarians step up like nowhere else.

To harness this goodwill and the goodwill that is regularly on full display in communities right across our province, we are investing $1.6 million over three years to create an emergency volunteer database. This will help our province respond to emergencies and assist in times of need. Our collective strength, determination and compassion will see us through.

While the pandemic is far from over, we must plan for the future. Bill 43 and these budget measures outlined in the fall economic statement will help us do exactly that. I’m proud that our government is bringing forward a bill that doesn’t just say we’re “protecting our progress, working for workers, building Ontario,” but we’re doing it.

I will always stand up, of course, for my constituents in my great riding of Milton. I like to repeat the old saying that actions always speak much louder than words. The actions being taken in this bill are actions that Ontarians want from this government. We will continue the fight against COVID-19, lay a foundation for economic recovery and ensure that no one is left behind, Mr. Speaker.

In my riding of Milton, as most would know, it is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the province and we recognize the investments that are necessary with a growing community. Since getting elected in June 2018, I’ve announced six new schools, two expansions, and our work isn’t done yet. Before our mandate is over, I’m looking forward to potentially announcing more schools and more expansions in our community of Milton because that’s what parents want. It is important to see our next generation be put on a path to succeed in life. Their success is the success of our province.

Along with new schools, I was proud to announce the Milton Education Village, bringing in Laurier university, Conestoga College and Schlegel Villages, and thanks to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing who issued an MZO to make all of this possible for us and our community to be able to get the shovel in the ground.

When I say we don’t just make announcements like the previous Liberal government—we deliver results. That’s exactly what we have been doing for the last three and a half years, and we will continue to do that. Once again, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to rise on behalf of my constituents in the great riding of Milton, and I look forward to doing my best in the future as well.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bill Walker): I know you were quite prepared to take questions and respond, but we do not have time for that. It is now time for members’ statements.

Third reading debate deemed adjourned.

Members’ Statements

Food and toy drive

Ms. Doly Begum: Good morning, Speaker. It is a true honour to rise on behalf of the amazing people of Scarborough Southwest.

As we enter the holiday season, I would like to share a heartwarming story about the kindness and spirit of Scarborough Southwest. Over the past few weeks, Mr. Adams, a senior veteran, and Janet Stokes, a local personal support worker with the Care Company, have been working with community members from the neighbourhood to secure supplies to help local organizations that help those in need across Scarborough. Speaker, while the holidays bring festivities and precious time with loved ones, it can also be a very challenging time for many families, especially given the year we have had.

Mr. Adams is a World War II veteran who served as an air force pilot, and wanted to find ways to bring joy and support to those who need it the most. He has set up a Christmas tree and some decorations on his front porch, where neighbours and community members have been donating toys and food. They have partnered with the wonderful folks at our local Bluffs Food Bank and the Care Company to distribute these items towards the end of the month. So if you’re hoping to donate something, please go to Mr. Adams’s Christmas tree. So far, Mr. Adams’s efforts have yielded over 300 items.

Speaker, this past year has been extremely difficult for our community members in Scarborough Southwest and for people across this province, from community members losing loved ones to COVID-19 to many losing their livelihoods because of the pandemic’s impact. Despite these challenges, our community constantly came together to uplift one another.

Sometimes one person’s kindness and determination can have a huge impact on our communities, and that is why I would like to dedicate my statement and time in the Legislature today to Mr. Adams and thank all the incredible leaders and community members who have been doing amazing work across our Scarborough Southwest neighbourhoods.

Services for persons with disabilities

Mr. Lorne Coe: I am proud that our government is investing an additional $3 million in the David C. Onley Initiative to build the capacity of post-secondary institutions like Durham College in my riding to prepare local students with disabilities to transition into the workforce. Speaker, this investment will help extend supports to more learners through the creation of an online tool kit providing a comprehensive road map that more institutions can use to help students with disabilities. Through the initiative, we are leveraging key talent to help overcome critical labour shortages, and strengthening our economy.

Speaker, it’s vital to empower students with disabilities as they prepare to enter the workforce. Transitioning from post-secondary education into employment is a major milestone.

Institutions, employers throughout the region of Durham and government will continue to work together to remove barriers as students with disabilities plan their path to the workforce, and to help position them for career success. This investment will allow these academic institutions, like Ontario Tech University, Trent Durham and Durham College, to continue to help graduates with disabilities enter and, importantly, succeed in the working world.

Residential schools

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: I rise this morning to talk about the importance of preserving residential school records. In October, the Prime Minister stated that all residential school records had been released. We knew that this was false and that there were more.

Now more information will soon be released by the federal government. This is a very significant moment for survivors and a major step towards accountability and truth about the legacy of Indian residential schools. It is also very important that we keep these records, as they have proof of what happened.

The United Nations has principles which set out the standards for the treatment of survivors of human rights violations, the most important being that a community that has experienced collective trauma has the right to remember and the right to justice.

Ontario says that it has found 1,800 death registrations of school-aged Indigenous children that it will release to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Identifying Indigenous students who died away from home can be so complex, requiring a paper chase across many jurisdictions and institutions. Students who became gravely ill, for example, could have been sent to a variety of health care settings, such as local clinics, provincial hospitals or federal Indian hospitals.

The time has come for all levels of government and this institution to turn over their records. We must support survivors and do everything we can to recover and remember our lost children and ancestors.

Hospital funding

Mr. Rudy Cuzzetto: Last week, I was thrilled to join the Premier and the Minister of Health in Mississauga–Lakeshore for a very special announcement. This government is making an historic, multi-billion-dollar investment to build a new state-of-the-art Mississauga Hospital in Mississauga–Lakeshore. When it is completed, this will be the largest hospital in Canada, with almost 1,000 hospital beds, one of the largest emergency departments in Canada, 23 operation rooms, an advanced diagnostic facility, a new pharmacy, a new clinical lab and a new parking structure.

This will be the largest investment in hospital infrastructure in the history of Canada—a very significant part of our $30.2-billion plan to build, expand and upgrade hospitals across Ontario.

The current Mississauga Hospital first opened in 1958. I was born there. My sons were born there. But as Mayor Bonnie Crombie said, this pandemic brought to light some real limitations of our current hospital. The truth is, Speaker, this investment should have been done 15 years ago, but the former Liberal government kept saying no. I can’t tell you how proud I am that this Premier and this government said yes to this historic project.

We are also building 632 long-term-care beds in partnership with Trillium Health Partners, and a total of 1,152 new long-term-care beds in Mississauga–Lakeshore, more than any other riding in the province of Ontario. These projects are game-changers. They will help put an end to hallway health care for the people of Mississauga–Lakeshore and across Peel, and across Etobicoke as well.

Food drive

Miss Monique Taylor: This morning, I am excited to stand and share the news of my second annual food drive parade that will be happening on Sunday, December 19. The Santa food drive will begin at 11 a.m., and will be starting at Dave Andreychuk arena and heading south. Donations will be happily collected from your porch or a street site. Last year, we raised over 1,000 pounds of food for our local food banks. We had such a great turnout from our community. The donations raised from this year’s food drive will be going to our local food banks, such as Neighbour to Neighbour, Good Shepherd and the King’s Way Outreach Centre.

Feed Ontario reported that 592,308 adults and children accessed food banks in Ontario between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, an increase of over 10% in the last year, and the largest single increase since 2009.

Our neighbours need us. They need various non-perishable food items such as cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit and granola bars, as well as toiletries, diapers and feminine hygiene products, just to name a few, so please donate generously this holiday season. We’ll be joined by our local firefighters and our pal Stripes from the Tiger-Cats, and of course our dear friend Santa, who always graciously joins us in Hamilton Mountain. Volunteers are welcome to attend, so if you’re interested in joining us, please reach out to my office and we will make sure that you get all the information that you need.

Next Sunday’s food drive is going to be a fantastic event and we look forward to coming to your community, so don’t miss out.

Finally, I just want to wish all members of the Legislative Assembly a very happy holiday. Merry Christmas to all people across Ontario, and particularly in my riding of Hamilton Mountain.

Snowflake Breakfast / Déjeuner Flocons de neige

M me Lucille Collard: The holiday season is upon us, and I want to recognize a great initiative in my community that brings the community together every year around this time to raise funds for the Partage Vanier Food Bank. It was a pleasure again this year to take

part in the Snowflake Breakfast with my team. The generosity of the people of Ottawa–Vanier once again made this event another great success, raising $48,000 for the food bank.

Les partenaires communautaires qui ont organisé cette 16 e édition du Déjeuner Flocons de neige ont fait preuve d’ingéniosité en proposant des boîtes à déjeuner pouvant être ramassées en service à l’auto et mettant en vedette les produits des commerçants locaux. Monsieur le Président, le Centre des services communautaires Vannier est un pilier et un partenaire incontournable à Vanier.

Le directeur général, Michel Gervais, prend sa retraite après 30 ans de leadership exemplaire et de dévouement envers sa communauté. Je voudrais prendre cette occasion pour lui rendre hommage, le remercier chaleureusement et lui souhaiter une longue retraite en santé.

It’s getting cold out there and I know that all of us here are hoping that every Ontarian finds a safe place to sleep and nutritious meals. Although raising money for food banks is incredibly important, as legislators we need to work constructively together to find long-lasting solutions. As we all head back to our homes and constituencies, I want to wish everyone a great holiday, quality time with your loved ones and a start of the new year with renewed motivation to work in collaboration for the best interests of all Ontarians.

Happy holidays, everyone. Joyeuses fêtes.

Genocide

Mr. Logan Kanapathi: Tomorrow, December 9, is the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honour the victims and survivors of genocide living in Ontario, Canada, and across the world. From the Armenian genocide, to the Holocaust, to the Bosnian, Rwandan and Indigenous genocides, and more recently, the genocides in Darfur, in Sri Lanka against the Tamil people, and of the Rohingya people and Uyghur Muslims, time and time again, the world said “never again,” but the world and the United Nations failed over and over again.

Mr. Speaker, the horrors of genocide and ethnic cleansing have plagued history and cruelly taken away the lives of so many innocent human beings. Marginalized groups have been, and continue to be, targeted because of their identity. This heinous crime is born out of hate, discrimination and fundamental violations of human rights. We have a moral obligation to protect and uphold the principles of equality and human dignity. Our words and actions matter. As Elie Wiesel once said, “What hurts the victim most is not the cruelty of the oppressor but the silence of the bystander.”

Let us say “never again” and commit fully to preventing another genocide from ever happening again.

Sudbury Secondary School Value Vault

Mr. Jamie West: I recently went to visit Sudbury Secondary’s Value Vault. I was invited by Janine Hebert. Janine is an educational assistant and she’s part of the team running Sudbury Secondary’s life skills program.

When I arrived, Janine introduced me to Dave Bertrim, the school’s principal, and Lorrie Leger, who Janine described as “the driving force behind the Value Vault initiative.”

And if Lorrie is the driving force, then you have to acknowledge the students in Sudbury Secondary’s life skills/ASD program, because those students are the heart and soul of the Value Vault. Without them, it simply wouldn’t be as well organized and as available as it is.

Speaker, you may be wondering: “What is the Value Vault?” It’s like a food bank, but it’s so much more. They have perishable and non-perishable foods, but they also have clothing, hygiene products and household items. They also offer students the use of washing machines and a dryer.

Obviously, this is designed for students in need, but it’s also in use by all students at Sudbury Secondary. During my tour, there were students stopping by to grab snacks before their practice, others looking for a toque or warm gloves and still others who wanted a reusable water bottle or some food to bring home. The whole place was warm and welcoming, without even a hint of stigma.

It truly is a model to be proud of and copied—except, let’s be honest, Speaker: Students from lower-income families wouldn’t have the need for food banks like the Value Vault if successive Liberal and Conservative governments would stop pretending that a single mom with two children can survive on 1,000 bucks a month from OW.

If we’re going to copy models like the Value Vault—and I think that we should—let’s ensure they’re a place to get extra snacks, and not a place that our children must depend on because their bellies are empty.

Nurses

Ms. Natalia Kusendova: As a nurse, I always appreciate hearing from the members of my profession on how our government can support nursing across Ontario. Two weeks ago, I was pleased to join several of my caucus colleagues for a virtual round table with the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario, or WeRPN for short. Over 95% of registered practical nurses provide direct care to patients in our province and we much appreciate hearing their perspective directly.

The topic of the round table was facing the nursing and retention challenge head-on, a crucial subject as we seek to both attract and retain talented nurses in Ontario. Earlier this year our government announced the new $2-million Recruitment and Retention Incentive Program as part of our 2021 budget, to be delivered directly by WeRPN. The program will provide financial incentives for eligible nurses and PSWs to work in Ontario retirement homes for six months to one year.

Above all, we enjoyed a productive discussion, and the rich input and perspectives from the WeRPN members will inform our government’s next steps in addressing this challenge. Thank you to the WeRPN CEO, Dianne Martin, the board and front-line members who hosted and spoke at the event.

Our government remains committed to meaningful and constructive dialogue with Ontario’s nurses as we work toward our shared goal of providing the best possible care for patients in Ontario.

Visitor

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I am very pleased to inform the House that page Rishi Bhargava, from the riding of Etobicoke North, is one of today’s page captains. We have with us today at Queen’s Park her mother, Kamal Bhargava. Welcome to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. We are delighted to have you here.

Question Period

Nurses

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My first question this morning is to the Premier. The Ford government has a disastrous history of not getting out in front of this virus. In April, the Solicitor General said, “We wanted to make sure that the modelling was actually showing up in our hospitals.” As we know, that’s what walked us right into the third wave of COVID-19.

Yesterday, the science table report says this: “There is a growing crisis in staffing for critical care patients with significant contribution from health care worker burnout.”

Speaker, Ontario has the lowest nurse-per-capita ratio in the entire country—the fewest number of nurses per person across Canada, right here in Ontario. Will the government once again be waiting for cases to skyrocket before they take action to deal with the crisis in nursing in Ontario?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the leader of the official opposition for the question. In fact, we are aware that there has been significant impact on our health human resources as a result of the pandemic. They’ve been on the front lines for the past 21 months, and we are very grateful for all of the work that they’ve done.

However, we do recognize that they need to be assisted. We are making significant investments in increasing our nursing workforce. We are investing over $342 million, beginning in 2021-22, to add over 5,000 new and upskilled registered nurses and registered practical nurses, as well as 8,000 personal support workers.

In addition, Ontario is investing $57.6 million, beginning in 2022-23, to hire 225 nurse practitioners to the long-term-care sector.

We are also investing an additional $548.5 million over three years to expand home and community care. This funding would support up to 28,000 post-acute surgical patients and 21,000 patients with complex health conditions every year.

Our government is fully aware of and making the investments that are necessary, both now and into the future, to add to our front-line health care workers, particularly—

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

Supplementary question?

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, Health Quality Ontario reports that ER wait times are increasing. In fact, they have almost doubled in the past 20 years.

The Minister of Health talks a good game, but when I talk to nurses, they are saying new nurses might be coming in the front door, but experienced nurses are walking out the back door.

The Ontario Hospital Association’s president and CEO, Anthony Dale, says this: “We’re looking at a 20-year period where the needs of rural and northern communities, with respect to hospital services, have been more or less overlooked. Now the pandemic has revealed to all ... the system is extremely fragile everywhere.”

Things were bad under the Liberals, Speaker; I would agree when the government criticizes them. But they’ve become worse. Things have become worse under this Premier.

Ontario desperately needs 20,000 nurses just to keep our existing system afloat. So my question is: Why is this Premier and this government doing nothing—literally nothing—to address this crisis?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say to the contrary: Our government is taking action on every front to make sure that we have a strong health care system to get us through this pandemic, and also to deal with the number of people who had to have their surgeries or diagnostic procedures delayed as a result of COVID. So we are making investments to increase our nursing workforce and our personal support worker nursing force.

We’re also making sure that we have the capital investments necessary to be able to operate. We know that we need beds. We’ve added 3,100 more beds to the system. We have increased our capacity for the workforce. We’re also investing over $30 billion in the next 10 years to increase the number of hospitals we have.

We are constantly building, both in terms of the workforce and in terms of the capital investments necessary, across the entire province to make sure that if someone has health care needs, whether it’s COVID or something else, they will be cared for, and we do have the facilities and services available for them.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, the health human resources capacity of this province is terrible, and this government is not acting at all urgently to address that problem. In fact, it’s not only that this government is not making things better; they’re actually making things much worse.

This Premier’s low-wage-policy Bill 124 has led to Ontario nurses feeling disrespected and abandoned by their government at a time when they have been working their backs off. They’re leaving nursing in droves. All health care workers, Speaker, are burned out. They don’t need a government to say that they are grateful; they need a raise, Speaker. All health care workers in this province have been suffering under this government’s low-wage policy.

Our ICUs are filling up as we sit here in this Legislature, emergency wait times are rising significantly, and the science table is calling it a crisis. And we’re heading into a holiday season. Why is the Premier doing nothing to address this crisis?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The President of the Treasury Board.

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Our government will continue to invest in our health care sector. As our public estimates from last year showed, we made record-breaking investments to fight the pandemic: $19.1 billion to support the pandemic recovery over the past year.

We reaffirmed that commitment and many of those investments in our fall economic statement. The province invested over $342 million to add over 5,000 new and upskilled registered nurses and registered practical nurses, as well as an additional 8,000 personal support workers. This includes providing 500 registered nurses with specialized acute care training. It includes adding 420 registered nurses through the existing Community Commitment Program for Nurses. It’s adding 900 registered nurses and 700 registered practical nurses through the WeRPN bridging program.

This government is saying yes to investing in our health care sector. It is saying yes to investing to keep our front-line workers safe, and to continue working with our province to get through this pandemic.

COVID-19 testing

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier. The new science table predictions are extremely worrying. The province can and must act now to prevent another COVID wave.

They need to finally reduce class sizes in our schools. They need to provide clear direction to Ontarians about reducing our number of contacts, reducing the size of our gatherings. They should mandate vaccines for all health care and education workers in this province, and they should introduce free and accessible access—widely available access—to rapid tests.

My question is, why hasn’t the Premier rolled out free, widely available rapid tests for Ontarians, like other provinces and other jurisdictions worldwide have done?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Well, in fact, we have been rolling out rapid tests. We have received over 58—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Hon. Christine Elliott: Canada has deployed over 58 million rapid tests, of which Ontario has received 31 million and has deployed over 33 million because some of the tests were paid for also by the government of Ontario to be deployed in schools for students to be able to take over the holidays. That is compared to the next closest province, with Ontario at 33 million and Quebec at five million.

There’s no question that these tests are being deployed across our schools, across our workplaces, in hospitals, in congregate care settings. In hospitals, we’re making full use of these tests because we recognize that inasmuch as vaccines are the most important way that we can protect Ontarians, testing is also extremely important, especially with the appearance now of the Omicron variant.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The Minister of Health is missing the point. Ontarians should have free access to the rapid test. That’s what should be happening in this province. The science table advice for widespread access to rapid tests was clear, and I quote from Dr. Jüni: “It makes sense from a scientific perspective to use rapid tests more frequently, for example, schools, in workplaces, in congregate settings, and to make rapid tests more available in this province.”

Over a year ago, in November 2020, the Premier called rapid tests a game-changer, and I’d ask a page to come and provide that evidence over to the Minister of Health—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will come to order.

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Right now, there are more than five million unused rapid tests sitting locked up in warehouses instead of being made freely available to Ontarians. Why won’t the Premier do the right thing now and commit to rolling out free rapid tests to all Ontarians?

We also have expanded the places where people can receive those tests because we recognize that an assessment centre might not be the closest place for someone living in a rural or northern area. That’s why we’re bringing forward these tests free of charge to people at participating pharmacies. So there are a number of tests. There are no tests sitting in storage anywhere. We have deployed all of those tests. They are all being used, and they are readily available and free to anyone who needs them.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I think the Minister of Health needs to study up on exactly what’s happening with the rapid tests. In fact, just yesterday, a pharmacist was relaying a story about a dad and his son who is living with autism who went to the pharmacy to get a rapid test because they both had symptoms of colds. Lo and behold, the test was positive and the pharmacist was very, very concerned because while this dad was able to pay the 40 bucks it cost him to get the test done, lots of families won’t be able to afford that.

People need to take the rapid tests so that they can go see their loved ones and feel safe. That’s what’s happening in other provinces. In other provinces, they use the rapid tests at first signs of a cold, like the story I just told. We can make the holidays safer for folks by providing rapid tests. They are a tool that should be being used freely and made available everywhere so anyone can get one whenever and wherever they need it.

Will the Premier finally do the right thing, change the game and make rapid tests free and accessible to all Ontarians?

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say, through you, Speaker, to the Leader of the Opposition opposite that you cannot suggest that just because there was one situation that occurred when someone went into a pharmacy with symptoms that they were not able to get a free test—that is not the way this system is working. The only reason why people need to pay $40 for a test is if they are going to travel. If that is happening, yes, they will have to pay $40. Otherwise, these tests are free of charge to people who come in, symptomatic or asymptomatic in some situations where they have been close to someone with COVID.

But I can assure the members opposite and the people of Ontario that if they need to have a test, they can go to their pharmacies, and they will receive a test free of charge.

Employment standards

Mr. Gurratan Singh: My question is to the Premier. Paid sick days save lives. We know this—it’s a fact—because they allow workers to stay home when they’re sick and not spread the COVID-19 virus. But a year into this pandemic, workers in Ontario had no paid sick days, and when the Premier was finally pushed to bring in paid sick days, they were temporary, and they were not enough. Now we know that if those workers, rightly so, used their paid sick days to stay home when they were sick, to get vaccinated, to care for a loved one who was sick, they will be entering into 2022 with zero paid sick days—not a single paid sick day. That’s not just wrong, it is cruel.

I’m going to ask the Premier again: Will he do the right thing? Will he bring in permanent paid sick days so workers don’t have to choose between going to work sick or paying the bills?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, I appreciate this question. The member will, of course, know that the minister announced yesterday that the paid sick day regime that we brought in to supplement the federal program—a federal program, by the way, which was negotiated by our Premier, which provided, I believe, up to 20 sick days—our program filled in some of those gaps that were in the federal program to give Ontarians the best sick day regime. That has been extended. Obviously, we’re not through the pandemic yet, as much as we would all like to be. That is why the minister has highlighted the fact that we are extending these paid sick days right through to July.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mr. Gurratan Singh: Back to the Premier: We’ve seen the modelling. We know that in a matter of weeks, we could be seeing more than 3,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, and we know the pressure that’s going to place on our health care system. We need to act now. But instead of doing everything possible to fight this pandemic, the Premier is once again doing nothing. He is not listening to the science, and he’s not bringing in permanent paid sick days.

I’m going to ask the Premier one more time: Will he listen to the science? Will he help fight the COVID-19 pandemic by bringing in permanent paid sick days and help save lives?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Again, Speaker, as I’ve said, we are focused on getting Ontarians through the pandemic. That is why we have extended sick days right through to the end of the summer, because the member is right: We are not quite through this yet. But as you know, the Premier negotiated a national, leading regime of sick days so that all of our essential workers could be covered. I’m very proud of the program that we have in place. We’re going to continue to support essential workers.

We’re seeing the results of the things that we have done to get Ontario through this. It’s not just about the increased testing. It’s not just about the investments that the Minister of Health has made. We’re also seeing, because of these things, that our economy is starting to come back. We’ve recovered all of the jobs that were lost during the pandemic and actually have more jobs, with thousands more that need to be filled.

Another piece of good news is the fact that the member for Brampton South and the member for Brampton West have delivered on a new hospital, new transit and transportation, a new medical school for the people of Brampton. There is a lot of good news happening for the people of the province of Ontario, including so much for the people of Brampton. That might not have been the case always, but it is today, and we’re very proud of that.

Land use planning

Mr. Will Bouma: My question is for the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. As we know, the previous Liberal government sat on their hands for 15 years and did nothing to build up our province. As Ontario enters a period of economic recovery, we need a government willing to work hard to get shovels in the ground, to create jobs and build the housing, long-term-care capacity and highway and transportation infrastructure that our province desperately needs.

After 15 long years of no, my constituents and so many others are eager to see critical local projects get off the ground instead of dragging on for years as they did before. Projects like affordable housing, health care facilities and long-term-care homes need to be moving at the pace that Ontarians need and deserve.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister tell us how the government plans to meet these demands by fast-tracking much-needed local priority projects?

Hon. Steve Clark: I want to thank the member for Brantford–Brant for that question. He’s absolutely right: For 15 years, the Liberal Party, supported overwhelmingly by New Democrats, only ever said no to Ontarians. Today, under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is saying yes.

Minister’s zoning orders, or MZOs, are a very important part of our policy tool kit to get critical projects moving at a pace that Ontarians need and deserve, things like long-term-care homes, transit-oriented communities. There are so many priority projects that our government is moving forward on.

When it comes to MZOs, municipalities are in the driver’s seat. MZOs issued on non-provincially owned land have always come at the request of local municipalities. Here’s an example, Speaker: In the middle of the pandemic, Mayor Tory requested an MZO to expand Sunnybrook Hospital. I was pleased to say yes.

I’m proud of the partnerships that our government has with Ontario’s 444 municipalities. We’re going to continue to use the tools in the tool kit, like minister’s zoning orders, to get these projects moving.

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

Mr. Will Bouma: Thank you to the minister for that answer.

As the minister has said, projects that will support Ontario’s economy, including building much-needed transit and housing, are often slowed down by burdensome and duplicative red tape. Ontarians are sick and tired of hearing politicians say no to their priorities, which is why we are so fortunate to finally hear from a government that is saying yes.

We need to be able to work in partnership with municipalities to say yes to critical projects like long-term care and supportive housing. While I know this is not a new tool—in fact, the MZO authority has existed in the Planning Act since 1946—Ontarians deserve a government that puts people before politics and enables municipalities to better prepare for growth.

Can the minister tell us how using MZOs in partnership with local municipalities is in the best interests of the people of Ontario?

Hon. Steve Clark: Again, I want to thank the member for Brantford–Brant for his leadership.

The numbers speak for themselves. We build; they don’t. During the previous Liberal government, when they were in power, they built only 611 long-term-care beds. By using MZOs and MZOs alone, we’ve already fast-tracked 3,700.

As well, using MZOs, we’ve already been able, in just a short three and a half years, to fast-track 600 supportive housing units in that time. The previous government, in the time they were in office, only moved 500 new supportive housing units.

The NDP also is not without blame. They stood idly by and supported the previous government over and over and over again. They didn’t build; they just simply didn’t build.

It doesn’t matter whether it was long-term care, affordable housing. I think I’ve figured it out. I think the—

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

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

The next question.

COVID-19 response

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: My question is to the Premier. COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Windsor-Essex. Last week, the local hospital’s EMS service provider and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit released a statement reporting significant concerns of capacity pressures on our health care system. They report that our COVID-19 positivity rate is 8.3%, while the province as a whole is at 3%. To put that into perspective, we’ve had 131 new cases in the last 24 hours, four deaths, and 18 workplaces are in outbreak.

Nine schools and child care centres are currently in outbreak, with many classes and bus cohorts being dismissed. Our local health unit has made the difficult decision to impose further health measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, yet this government has remained silent.

My question is this: Why won’t this government help stop the spread of COVID-19 by implementing the many calls from those of us on this side of the House and of the health experts, lower class sizes, improve ventilation in schools, provide permanent paid sick days for workers and mandate vaccines for health care and education workers?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We have made a significant investment in air ventilation in all schools in Windsor and across Ontario: $600 million, a leading investment that has deployed 75,000 HEPA units into classrooms across Ontario. In fact, every school that does not have mechanical ventilation has a HEPA unit within every single learning space.

In addition, we have announced the expansion of testing, in partnership with the Deputy Premier, expanding take-home PCR tests to every publicly funded school and private school in the province of Ontario, to help limit the spread. In addition, we’ve just expanded and provided, in real time, take-home rapid antigen test kits, five per child—11 million procured; $45 million invested—to ensure a safe return in January.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, we have ensured a very high level of school-based vaccine clinics. We have, as a consequence of the partnership in education, one of the highest vaccination rates of children in Canada; 20% of the youngest learners are already vaccinated. We know there is more to do, and we’re going to do it, in partnership, to keep these schools safe and open in Ontario.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Supplementary?

Mrs. Lisa Gretzky: If the Minister of Education thinks trying to open rickety old windows and making kids sit in classrooms in coats in the wintertime is proper ventilation, he should be listening to the experts.

The health partners of Windsor-Essex are sounding the alarms about bed capacities for surgeries at our local hospitals, many of which were cancelled during the pandemic. Constituents in my riding should not be waiting years for the health care they desperately need.

We know that in order to slow down the spread, we must test, trace and isolate, yet this government is sitting on millions of rapid tests that could be made available to businesses, schools, workplaces and households across the province. When will this government take action for Windsor-Essex and provide free, accessible rapid tests to every single person in Windsor and Essex county?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: Our government is providing free, accessible tests to everyone who needs them across the entire province. We have received, as I indicated earlier, over 31 million tests through the government of Ontario. We have also purchased over two million tests to send home with children. These tests have been deployed across the province. They’re not sitting in a warehouse; they are being used. They are available to people who need to receive them in assessment centres, in pharmacies, in primary care, in workplaces, in congregate settings—wherever they need them.

The situation is unfolding. As Dr. Moore had indicated earlier when we indicated our plan to reopen Ontario, as the weather gets colder and more and more people are indoors, there will be more cases. We have provided for that and planned for that. We have sufficient capacity in our hospitals. We have today 154 people, I believe, in intensive care, including one person from Saskatchewan. So we have capacity in our hospitals. We have capacity in our intensive care units. We are doing rapid testing across the entire province—

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

The next question.

COVID-19 testing

Mr. John Fraser: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, it’s time to free the RATs, and by that I mean the rapid antigen tests. Early in 2020, the Premier called these rapid antigen tests “a real game-changer,” and since then millions of these tests have been on the sidelines, sitting on the bench with the Premier.

Nova Scotia, the UK, Germany and all sorts of countries around the world are providing free tests, because they know that they’re an important tool to protect people—an important tool—yet this government has not done that. Speaker, the question is simple: As we head into a tough couple of months, with case counts rising, why is this Premier denying families access to this important public health tool?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I think it’s really important for me to advise the member opposite about what actually is happening in Ontario. Ontario is leading the country of Canada in rapid tests, with over 33 million rapid tests deployed—33 million—and that there is nothing sitting in storage. They are being deployed across the province. They are being deployed to assessment centres, to pharmacies, to primary care. They are being deployed and they are being used.

We know that while vaccination remains the single most important way to protect people, testing is, of course, also very important. That is why they are available, free of charge, to anyone who needs one. If they’re symptomatic, they’ll receive one free of charge. If they are asymptomatic, but they have been in contact with someone with COVID and there’s reason to suspect they may be infected, they will also receive a test free of charge.

We have these tests available to anyone who needs them. They can take them home and bring them back. We have expanded the locations. We’ve expanded the number of tests that are available to people free of charge.

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

Mr. John Fraser: Speaker, at least this government is consistent—indecisive and slow to act, and rapid antigen tests aren’t any different.

The truth is that these tests aren’t getting into the hands of families. They should have been accessible in September, when kids started school. It’s December, and guess what? Families don’t have them.

The bottom line is, it should be free for every family in this province—every person. They literally cost pennies, and we have millions of them gone unused. Yet the Premier is satisfied with families maybe having to go to Shoppers Drug Mart and pay 40 bucks. How’s that fair? How’s that fair in any way to families? These tests should be available to everyone for free.

Speaker, through you: Will the Premier commit to making rapid antigen tests free to everyone in this province so we can protect ourselves and each other, and make sure that this government distributes them widely and rapidly?

Hon. Christine Elliott: In light of the comments made by the member opposite, which are not actually the case in the province of Ontario, I would like to indicate what is actually the case.

The only time that a person needs to pay for a test in the province of Ontario at $40 is if they need it for travel purposes. That’s the situation. If they go into a pharmacy and they need to receive a test and they are either symptomatic or asymptomatic, under certain circumstances, they will receive the test.

These tests are being widely deployed. They are not sitting in storage anywhere. They are being used across the province in a whole variety of settings: in schools, in workplaces, in congregate settings, in hospitals, in long-term-care homes.

We want to make sure that the people of Ontario are protected. The widely available, free-of-charge tests are available to anyone who needs them. I think it’s really important that we be clear with the people of Ontario about that. If you need a test, you will receive a test free of charge.

Post-secondary education

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My question is to the Minister of Colleges and Universities. As you know, more post-secondary students had the opportunity to return to campus this fall, something I know they are very excited about.

In the months leading up to the fall semester, as students hoped to be back on campus and looked to our government to make critical investments, we saw the minister step forward to support post-secondary institutions and support the safe reopening of colleges and universities. For most students, September marked the first time in over a year that they were able to step back into a classroom on campus and the first time they have been able to return to in-person learning.

As students approach exams and the semester comes to a close, they deserve to know what the government has done throughout the semester and what more is left to be done.

Through you, Speaker, my question to the minister is: What investments were made to ensure that students could have a safe fall semester?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member from Niagara West for sharing my concerns for the safety of post-secondary students in Ontario.

Our government invested an immediate $25 million to post-secondary institutions at the beginning of the pandemic to support their most pressing needs with the pandemic.

This year, our government went even further by investing an additional $106.4 million and requiring that all schools have a vaccine policy before the school year to allow the safe return of students.

With vaccination rates at 96% for faculty, staff and students across public colleges and universities—proving post-secondary is among the best sectors in Ontario for vaccinations.

When faced with adversity, our sector faced their challenges head-on and were able to deliver the high-calibre education our students expect and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the work and resilience of our sector over the past few months, and I want to thank all of our staff, faculty and, of course, our students for their hard work to make our first semester back a great success.

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

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: I appreciate the minister’s advocacy and continued hard work to ensure that students, as they return to campus, are able to have a safe and supportive environment where they’re able to learn in person.

It’s wonderful to hear that students in Ontario had a successful semester—I’ve heard from many that they have—as well as a safe return to campus.

But there’s a new semester around the corner, and there’s always more that needs to be done. Like many Ontarians, I’m confident that our students will continue to have access to in-person learning when they return to class in January, but they deserve the surety of knowing that the proper safety measures will continue to be in place so that our students can stay safe and healthy.

Could the minister please explain to this House what she is doing in order to ensure that students remain safe on campus and in the classroom this upcoming semester?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you, again, to the member for that question. As this semester comes to an end, we look forward to the winter semester. We will continue to work closely with health experts and schools to keep schools open, keep students on campus and keep Ontario running.

Mr. Speaker, Ontario’s post-secondary institutions are critical to the province’s economic recovery as significant contributors to the local economy and for the role they play in creating a skilled and qualified workforce. We owe it to our students to keep them on campus so that they can get the full post-secondary experience, filled with learning in the classroom, connecting with one another and participating in extracurricular activities.

Our institutions proved that they can reopen safely and that students can stay healthy. Institutions like St. Clair College, Western, U of T and many others have acted swiftly when needed to keep students safe.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish students across the province, including my own daughters in post-secondary, the best of luck on their exams, and to have a restful holiday season before returning to campus in January.

Affordable housing

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: My question is to the Premier. On Monday, the Minister of Housing announced members of Ontario’s new Housing Affordability Task Force. The task force consists of bankers, developers—most of whom are PC Party donors. Missing from the task force are housing advocates, co-op and not-for-profit housing providers, municipal partners, representation from tenants and those experiencing homelessness.

Why is the Premier ignoring the voices of those most affected by this issue while focusing on the voices of developers and donors?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, from the party opposite that says no to building housing, says no to renewing community housing, says no to protecting tenants—that party opposite says no to almost every policy measure. Last week, they said, “Don’t even appoint a task force.” They said no to that. Now the member is questioning the members of the task force.

The member also forgets to talk about New Democrat donations or Liberal donations or Green Party donations. They forget to say those things every single time. But they’re great at saying no, Speaker.

We’ve made it very crystal clear to Ontarians that we want to work with everyone on the housing affordability crisis.

Interjections.

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

Hon. Steve Clark: We’ve made it very clear that we are going to be engaging with Ontario’s Big City Mayors next week here in the city. We’re also going to be sitting with rural Ontario mayors at the ROMA conference.

We’ve said over and over again that the housing affordability crisis is something that all Ontarians need to work on collaboratively. There is one—

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

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: Back to the minister: The Housing Affordability Task Force mandate does not include issues like speculation, the impact of money laundering or the commodification of housing. It does not mention protection for tenants against illegal evictions or rent gouging. There is also no mention of protecting farmland from unsustainable sprawl or ensuring land use planning aligns efficiently with transit and infrastructure planning and investment.

Again, why does this government care more about delivering profit for developers and real estate speculators than about making housing affordable?

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, why does this party opposite continue to vote against measures for tenants and continue to vote against strengthening our community housing system?

Our task force represents a range of experts in non-profit housing, Indigenous housing, real estate, home building, financial markets and economics.

We are going to continue to sit down with our municipal partners, who play a key role in the housing affordability crisis. We want to emerge from next week’s mayors meeting with a renewed sense of commitment that all levels of government can do better.

Again, Speaker, the opposition continues to say no at every measure of our government trying to make housing more affordable. They are saying to Ontarians that they’re not going to participate in the discussion. That’s fine by us.

Climate change

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Premier. Yesterday’s FAO report shows the government’s failure to reduce climate pollution will stick it to taxpayers: $6 billion this decade and $116 billion this century in extra costs to buildings alone due to climate-fuelled extreme weather. Just look at what’s happening in British Columbia: economic and infrastructure devastation.

Today, we’re debating a mini budget that fails to invest in climate solutions and adaptation. Instead, the government is spending tens of billions of dollars on new highways that will cause more congestion, more pollution and more flood risk. Will the Premier tell the people of Ontario why the government is not protecting taxpayers from the costs of the climate disasters that are getting more costly each and every year?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: I completely disagree with the member opposite. While I do appreciate his passion on the file, we’re focused on actually getting things done when it comes to the environment.

He talks about the highways that we’re building—very important pieces of infrastructure to get the economy moving, get people moving. That’s the type of thing that helps us pay for the close to $30 billion in subways that are being built in Toronto and into York region. That’s the type of investment that helps us build two-way, all-day GO trains to as far away as London. It helps us pay for the eventual electrification of the system.

When you look at what we are doing, we are putting investments in place that will help us, yes, build the economy, because building the economy is important to having the resources that you need to tackle environmental problems across the province, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Let’s be straight with the people of Ontario. Two years ago, in December 2019, the Auditor General put forward a scathing report on the government’s so-called climate plan. The minister at the time said, “We have an evolving plan,” and he promised to make updates to the plan in response to the Auditor General. Now we are two years later and another scathing Auditor General’s report, and still no updated plan to meet the government’s weak pollution targets. The government is actually making things worse: ramping up gas plants that will increase climate pollution by 300% and building Highway 413, which will increase climate pollution by 17.4 million megatonnes.

We have to be honest with the people of Ontario about the costs and risks we face. Will the Premier tell Ontarians when he will put forward an evolved climate plan that follows science, answers the Auditor General’s criticism and shows Ontarians how we can cut climate pollution in half by 2030?

Hon. Paul Calandra: It is a very multifaceted approach that we are taking. Not only are we building transit and transportation, because we know how important it is; not only are we investing in roads so that people can get around and we can build our economy, but it was a Progressive Conservative government—started under Robarts, continued under Bill Davis, continued under Harris, continued under Eves—that invested in nuclear technology, the Candu reactor. When you look at our competitors around the world, the primary source of their greenhouse gas emissions is dirty energy. Ontario leads the way, thanks to a Progressive Conservative government.

Just last week, the Minister of Energy announced the next version, the small modular reactors, that will ensure Ontario access to clean energy. Not only are we going to save that technology for the people of the province of Ontario, we are going to export that technology around the world, because Ontario can do that and Ontario can play a role in cleaning up other people’s environments, like we have done—

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

The next question.

Children’s mental health services

Ms. Laurie Scott: My question today is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Minister, I have met with constituents in my riding and have received many letters and emails from families whose children have been impacted by eating disorders. Just this past summer, we learned that children and youth aged 12 to 18 have been impacted the most by eating disorders during this pandemic.

We know that this pandemic has had a significant impact on our children and youth, but especially on their mental health. I know this is something that our government and the minister have been very concerned about.

Minister, could you please explain to the members of this Legislature how our government is addressing the ongoing issues around eating disorders in this province?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I want to thank the member from Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for that excellent question. We know this pandemic has been especially challenging for our children, youth and their families. Health care providers across Ontario have seen a surge in the need for eating disorder services and supports. That’s why I was so pleased to be in Ottawa, at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, to announce that our government is investing $8.1 million this year to immediately address the increased demand for eating disorder services and provide specialized care for children and youth diagnosed with eating disorders.

This new investment builds on an additional $11.1 million in annual funding for eating disorder services through our Roadmap to Wellness, helping to protect our progress by increasing access to mental health and eating disorder services and supports across the province. Our government will continue working with our community partners to ensure our children and youth always have access to the supports and treatment they need.

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

Ms. Laurie Scott: I want to thank the minister for his response and his caring and compassion. I know my constituents will be pleased to hear that we have taken quick and decisive action to address the ongoing issues around eating disorders, and I’m sure all members of the Legislature will agree that children and youth across Ontario deserve access to the highest-quality supports and treatment they need.

However, we know that the long history of underfunding by previous governments has made it difficult to access specialized eating disorder services and supports for many families across Ontario. I know our government has made investments to support the mental health of our children and youth, and I know this has been one of our top priorities.

Mr. Speaker, through you: Could I ask the minister, who is supporting children and youth and their families who are affected by eating disorders, what we have done to support them?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: I want to thank the member for that follow-up question. I have met with many families, including those with lived experience who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder.

I want to thank, first of all, the member from Toronto–St. Paul’s for first bringing this issue to my attention. I also want to really thank two young ladies who came forward and spoke to me about the eating disorders that they themselves were living with during the pandemic and explain just what the situation was. I can honestly say that it was moving to listen to them and to hear how difficult a situation it was for them and their families, and the unknown issues that needed to be dealt with.

Our investments are going to immediately expand access to specialized eating disorder services that are going to support individuals with complex needs and provide critical services that have been missing up to now across the province, including filling service gaps in northern Ontario and throughout the province. Every young person struggling with a mental health or addiction challenge deserves to have the help that they need, when and where they need it. Our government will fulfill that obligation and provide those services.

Small business

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: My question is to the Premier. From the beginning of the pandemic that hit Ontario in March 2020, small businesses across our province have been suffering. Last week, we learned from the Auditor General that this Conservative government failed to provide assistance through this program to eligible, hard-hit businesses while we had hundreds of millions of dollars flowing to ineligible ones.

I brought this up before. You knew your program was failing. You knew the problems and let small businesses hang out to dry. PowerAid Generators in St. Catharines waited six months for a response from the grant team, only to be given five days to provide invoices, or his file would be closed.

Premier, some of 14,000 ineligible businesses received over $210 million from taxpayers. What do you say to the eligible businesses that were denied and lost in this failed program?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Brantford–Brant.

Mr. Will Bouma: It’s an honour to be able to rise on behalf of my ministry to answer the good question from the member opposite. Mr. Speaker, I want you to imagine with me that you are a small business owner. The pandemic hits and you’re shut down. You’re struggling to make ends meet. The government steps in with supports on your taxes, on your rent. We opened up a small business support program. You apply, and you get funding. You apply in good faith.

If you listen carefully, Speaker, what you will hear from the member opposite is that those small business owners are being accused of fraud, by the member opposite, in order to keep their businesses going, and that they are expecting them to pay that money pack. That’s shameful, and we won’t stand for that on this side of the House.

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

Mrs. Jennifer (Jennie) Stevens: PowerAid Generators in St. Catharines don’t need an imagination. They’re facing what’s going on, and you know it.

Back to the Premier: The Auditor General’s report found that the Ontario small business grant failed to assist the badly affected accommodation and food service industries. Niagara and St. Catharines is a tourism and hospitality community that accounts for one out of every four workers. We’ve built our main streets and our downtowns around these businesses. As the AG’s report noted, these sectors were hit the hardest when you did not give businesses sufficient notice around restrictions.

Premier, you waited nine months to start a grant program, and then when you spent money it was clear you didn’t know where it was going.

How are you going to fix this for businesses across Niagara and St. Catharines?

Mr. Will Bouma: To the member opposite—and actually, to all small businesses in the province of Ontario: Where were the NDP when we brought forward legislation to supply rent relief? Where were the opposition members when we helped on property taxes? Where were the opposition members when we brought forward the small business support grants? Do you know what, small business owners? They voted against those measures every single time in this House. So you know who is supporting small businesses in the province of Ontario: It’s the members on this side of the House, right here.

Tax rebates

Mr. Stephen Blais: My question is for the Premier. Mr. Speaker, nobody can argue that the cost of living in Ontario has skyrocketed since this government was elected. The cost of heating your home is up. The cost of electricity is up. The cost of food is up. The cost of gas is up. The cost of taking the bus or subway is up. The cost of housing is up and up and up.

With their mini budget, the government had an opportunity to help middle-class families, but alas, there was nothing.

Ontario Liberals have a different approach. We want to help middle-class families with direct supports. That’s why we’ve proposed a $300 incentive for winter tires.

Given that this government has absolutely no plan to help the middle class, will they join us in supporting middle-class families and making their roads safer by providing winter tires this winter?

Interjections.

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

To respond on behalf of the government, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: So you’re a hard-working person in the province of Ontario, up every morning at 7 o’clock, taking the GO train, getting on one of our roads to go to work, and Steven Del Duca, who has been out of this place, and the Liberal Party, reduced to seven members—the best they’ve got is a $300 tax credit for your winter tires. Now contrast that with what we’re bringing forward: massive cuts for small businesses and taxes, massive investments in health care, job creation that is through the roof. But don’t worry; Steven Del Duca—

Interjections.

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

The Minister of Energy will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order. The member for Renfrew–Nipissing–Pembroke will come to order.

We can restart the clock. The government House leader had the floor.

Hon. Paul Calandra: That’s the best they’ve got.

They brought out two policies, colleagues, you’ll remember; now this is the second. The first one was, they brought in a policy to help make it easier to elect Liberals, because they were reduced by the people of the province of Ontario. And their second big policy is a $300 tax credit. I think when Ontarians go to the polls and contrast the—

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

Mr. Stephen Blais: We know that they have no plan for middle-class families, and middle-class families know that the government has no plan for middle-class families. We know the types of people they like to help, Mr. Speaker. It was, of course, this government that gave a made-in-Ontario COVID grant to a company that purchased off-the-shelf gadgets from China, and when they got that grant, when the company got that grant, their stock skyrocketed. Before anyone realized that no one wanted this gadget, the executives sold their stock and made millions. So those are the type of people that this government wants to help; middle-class families know that it’s not them.

With the cost of daily life out of control, it’s time that this government supports middle-class families. That’s why we’ve proposed helping middle-class families get green, get into the electric vehicle market with an $8,000 incentive for electric vehicles. This government wants to flip-flop on—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The member will take his seat.

The Minister of Education will come to order. The member for Mississauga Centre will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order.

Interjection: It’s the second time.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): It’s the second time for you too.

Restart the clock. Government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Now, look, the legacy of the Liberal Party is very, very clear: skyrocketing hydro rates, the loss of 300,000 jobs. Businesses could not flee the province fast enough when the Liberals were in power, on every single measure. And what do they have to show for it? They left us the most indebted government not in Canada, but in the world. That is the legacy of the Liberal government.

I can understand why the member opposite is bringing a winter tire tax credit in. He needs it in Ottawa. Why? Because he was in charge of a failed transit system that was over budget, late, and ultimately doesn’t work.

Interjections.

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

The member for Orléans will come to order. The member for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell will come to order. The member for Ottawa South will come to order. Over here, the Minister of Energy will come to order. The Minister of Government and Consumer Services will come to order.

We have six minutes and 27 seconds left, and I will move to warnings next, especially for the ones who have been asked to come to order multiple times.

Start the clock. The next question.

Correctional services

Mr. Faisal Hassan: My question is to the Premier. Last week, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association released an alarming report on young people incarcerated in the province. Juvenile detention centres were described as “only human warehouses,” where education is seen as a luxury and not a necessity.

As the youth opportunities critic, I recognize the value of providing educational access province-wide. That includes youth in detention. Mr. Speaker, through you, why is this government not providing compulsory education to young people in custody?

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

Hon. Paul Calandra: Listen, one of the things that we started to do when we came into office—it really touches on the question that I just answered from the Liberal Party. We saw that they had made so little investment in so many areas across the province, and one of those investments, quite honestly, was in our incarceration system. We had old, outdated jails that weren’t able to provide the services we need.

Ultimately, I think we would all agree that what we want to do—justice has to be served, yes, but ultimately, when people are released from incarceration, we want them to become productive members of society. That is our goal. That’s why we are making these investments that are so important. I hope the member will support some of those investments. We’re starting to see the results in that.

Perhaps in the supplementary, the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions can also highlight some of the groundbreaking investments that we are making there as well. So I agree with the honourable member. I am saddened that the Liberals didn’t make these important investments, but we’re getting to a better province of Ontario despite their failures.

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

Mr. Faisal Hassan: That’s from worse to bad, bad to worse.

My question back to the Premier: School boards in Ontario are not obligated by law to provide education in youth detention centres and only do so on a voluntary partnership basis. The report details this and mentions Black youth treated as “security threats to be managed.”

Clearly, we need to implement the 19 recommendations of this report by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Will the government take this report’s recommendations seriously and act, and will they expand this report to include the voices of Indigenous young men and women, and women youth in detention centres?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government recognizes how important it is for everyone to reach their full potential. Children and youth who are involved with the law and in a situation where they need supports, where their families need supports—this is something that our government is committed to understanding and creating the supports around these children and youth and around the families, so that children can be supported in their communities.

We’re recognizing the regional differences of Indigenous communities and rural and remote communities, understanding how critical it is for us to be able to provide those services and create an environment where these children and youth can thrive and can get the supports that they need.

Our government is committing to making sure that these children and youth who need support, whether it’s through the justice system or through a youth detention centre, are able to get the supports that they need.

COVID-19 immunization

Mr. Roman Baber: My question is to the Premier. Many Ontarians are horrified by yesterday’s press conference of the chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore. Since summer 2020, the Premier has been telling us that vaccination is the best and surest way out of the pandemic. First, it was 70%, then 80%. Now 90% of us are vaccinated, but yesterday, the chief medical officer said that it could take a couple of years for COVID-19 to reach low endemic rates, and the health authorities are watching the strain in our ICUs.

Speaker, when 90% of us are vaccinated, why is the chief medical officer saying that it may take a couple of years when, for the last 18 months, the Premier has been telling us that vaccination is the sure and best way out of the pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): And to respond, the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: I want to thank the member for highlighting how successful our vaccination program has been in the province of Ontario. I do appreciate the support from the honourable member for what has been, really, a groundbreaking effort, not only of the government in ensuring the resources are there to get us to 50%, to 60%, to 70%—I think today, actually, is the anniversary of when the first vaccine was delivered into the arm of somebody worldwide. That was in Great Britain, Mr. Speaker, if I’m not mistaken.

In that time, despite the fact that we were a little bit delayed in getting those vaccines, Ontario has not only caught up, but we have passed every other jurisdiction in the world to ensure that we lead not only Canada, but the world in vaccinations in people’s arms. I think that’s a great testament to the people of the province of Ontario, and I thank the honourable gentleman for highlighting that in his question.

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

Mr. Roman Baber: Speaker, I find it abhorrent that millions of Canadians may be home for Christmas, but only in their dreams, because they’re not allowed on certain public transportation and because of the hatred and division fostered by this government by pitting loved ones against one another. Everyone in this chamber should find it distasteful.

Yesterday, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called for an end to stigmatizing the unvaccinated. Compare that to yesterday’s press conference by the medical officer. Moore said, “A basic means of protecting individuals is stopping the mixing of unvaccinated and vaccinated.”

As a Canadian who chose to vaccinate, I condemn Dr. Moore’s hateful and divisive language. My question to the Premier: Does he support the stopping of the mixing of the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, or will he join me in the spirit of the holidays and distance himself from the hateful and divisive language of the chief medical officer?

Hon. Paul Calandra: Of course, the chief medical officer—not only the current chief medical officer, but a constituent of mine, Dr. Williams, before that—has been instrumental in helping us to develop the plans that have seen Ontario lead the nation and, really, lead the world in making sure that we have vaccines in people’s arms.

Unlike the honourable gentleman across the way, Mr. Speaker, we know that there is more to do to get us beyond this. If we want to continue to have the robust economic recovery that we’re seeing, we have to ensure that we continue to fight this COVID pandemic. We’re seeing worldwide in other jurisdictions—I know the Leader of the Opposition tried to compare us to Germany and other parts of Europe, where they are facing massive, massive difficulties. We have things under control here in the province of Ontario, and it’s because of the hard work of Ontaria