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July 20, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Jul-20 vol. A (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 20 July 2020 Lundi 20 juillet 2020

Members’ Statements

Tenant protection

Investments in Sarnia–Lambton

OHIP+

Ron Hardman and Stefan Schultz

Protection for workers

Education funding

North York Central Library

Regan Russell

Energy companies in Oakville

Ignat Kaneff

Question Period

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

Municipalities

Municipalities

Education funding

Construction routière / Highway construction

COVID-19 response

Environmental protection

Tourism industry

Education funding

Long-term care

Automobile insurance

Assistance to tourism industry

Small business

Introduction of Bills

Tapir Corporation Act, 2020

Cootes Paradise Water Accountability Act, 2020 / Loi Cootes Paradise de 2020 sur la responsabilité dans le domaine de l’eau

Group Seven Construction Limited Act, 2020

Petitions

Social assistance

Economic recovery

Autism treatment

Justices of the peace

Anti-racism activities

Economic recovery

Affordable housing

Economic recovery

Anti-racism activities

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant la protection des locataires et le renforcement du logement communautaire

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers.

Members’ Statements

Tenant protection

Ms. Jill Andrew: I stand honoured today in solidarity with the tenants of 440 Winona Drive in our fabulous riding of St. Paul’s. They are seniors; young people; people with disabilities, physical and mental health challenges. They are racialized, working class, on a fixed income. They speak many languages. They’re immigrants, LGBT, and they are hard-working. They are pet lovers.

They’re humans trying to get through COVID-19 without an ounce of direct tenant support from this government, a government that stripped away rent control and hasn’t offered any direct rent relief or rent subsidies, emergency basic income or a rent freeze to any tenants in Ontario, let alone 440 Winona Drive; a government that will end eviction bans and, in a matter of days, will send the tenants of 440 Winona Drive into homelessness.

Speaker, 440 is managed by the Myriad Group. During this pandemic, Myriad property management has intimidated my constituents with countless eviction notices, demanding the removal of their air conditioning, although they have submitted letters from their doctors, their mental health counsellors that their air conditioning is central—no pun intended—to their health.

Today, I ask the Premier and this government what he will do to ensure that our renters at 440 Winona Drive are taken care of, especially the most vulnerable and immunocompromised, and that they have access to air conditioning.

Investments in Sarnia–Lambton

Mr. Robert Bailey: I’m pleased to rise today and speak about a number of terrific investments that this Ontario government has recently made in my riding of Sarnia–Lambton.

On July 14, it was a privilege for me to announce that the Ontario government is investing $1.5 million in Sarnia–Lambton’s much-called-for oversized load corridor project. This investment was made by the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and will help bring this vital project one step closer to completion. As a community, we have been working on getting the funding for this project for nearly a decade. Once complete, the oversized load corridor will help to support our world-class fabrication shops and local industry partners by making it easier to move large industrial components to and from Sarnia Harbour.

Additionally last week, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed funding for two projects to repair and improve safety on Highway 402. Construction will begin next month on the installation of Bluetooth readers, static border wait time signs, and other safety measures near the US border. The second project consists of a rehabilitation of the airport road structure, including interchange improvements, ramp paving and electrical upgrades.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, our government recently invested $1.89 million in critical infrastructure funding for Bluewater Health, plus $4.5 million in increased budget funding for the Bluewater Health hospital this year.

Mr. Speaker, these are all terrific investments by the province and good news for everyone across our community.

OHIP+

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today because of something that is going on not just in my constituency but across this province. As you know, there is in place a drug plan that is supposed to pay for medication for people who are younger—people under the age of 25. That is there to ensure that those people get what they need when they need it so that they stay healthy and survive.

This government, back in April 2019, decided, “No. If you need the medication and you have a private plan, you must go to your private plan in order to have that paid.” But here’s the kicker: If the private plan doesn’t pay it, the government doesn’t want to pay it either. So people are having to pay for medication that otherwise should be covered by the plan that is currently in place in the province of Ontario.

I have a constituent with a little baby who is six months old now, who is on a feeding supplement that costs $80 for two days. They go to their private insurer and the private insurer says, “No, we’re not going to pay.” So when they come to the province, the province says, “No, we’re not going to pay because you have private insurance.”

The government has got to stop this. This is about people’s health and this is about them being able to get what they need when they need it. I call on this government to reverse the decision that they made in April 2019 and to allow medication for people under the age of 25, such as nutritional supplements, to be paid for as they were before, because otherwise it’s a grave injustice and you’re putting people in a position they should never be in.

Ron Hardman and Stefan Schultz

Mr. Will Bouma: I stand today to recognize the dedication and service of two Brant county OPP constables. Yesterday marked the 50th anniversary of a horrific collision involving two constables of the Brant county OPP.

Early in the morning of July 19, 1970, Constable Ron Hardman and Constable Stefan Schultz stopped a vehicle with five occupants. When a vehicle struck the two officers as well as the vehicle they had stopped, Constable Schultz was tragically killed, as were four occupants of the stopped vehicle.

Constable Hardman was thrown nearly 100 feet and was left with severe injuries. With one leg amputated and the other one reconstructed, he was able to return home after nearly seven months. Despite the collision and his injuries, Constable Hardman returned to work with the OPP on May 4, 1971. Hardman clearly demonstrated his commitment to serving the community by continuing to work another 25 years following this terrible incident. Hardman and his wife still reside in the city of Brantford.

As we recognize 50 years since this collision, I would like to honour Constable Schultz and Constable Hardman for their commitment to our community. I wish to offer my condolences to the family of Constable Schultz, who lost his life in the line of duty. I would also like to thank retired Constable Hardman for his years of public service, even after his life changed so much.

Protection for workers

Mr. Wayne Gates: I rise today to call out corporate greed in my riding.

Niagara Falls is the world’s greatest destination to visit. Every year, our tourist industry brings millions into Niagara, and none of these visitors leave disappointed. We have a reputation for going above and beyond and delivering the vacation of a lifetime. The reason we have that reputation is because of the front-line staff. They’re the first and last ones visitors meet, and because of their hard work, visitors return.

Right now, in the midst of this pandemic, it is those front-line workers who risk their health every single day so they can keep these attractions open and ensure our guests remain safe. Yet, at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Clifton Hill, front-line staff were told that their wages were being slashed when they returned. Do you know who owns this site? His name is Jim Pattison. He is Canada’s third-richest man, and he is worth $7 billion—that’s with a B. Yet this billionaire is ripping wages away from our front-line workers.

I am asking the Premier to stand with me and the people of Niagara Falls to tell Jim Pattison that this greed is unacceptable, to apologize to these workers and give them the wages that they had before the pandemic.

Jim Pattison, you have brave workers working right now that have made you a fortune. Treat them with respect.

Also, let’s get the $4 pandemic pay into the hands of our essential workers.

Education funding

Mr. Mike Schreiner: I recently met with Amy Greer, a constituent who is a Canada Research Chair in Population Disease Modelling at the University of Guelph. Amy wrote an op-ed with two other renowned epidemiologists in the Globe and Mail, and her message is clear: Students who are healthy and able should be given the opportunity for in-class learning five days a week in September. This can be done through the innovative use of community spaces, outdoor education and new types of classrooms.

But this planning should not be on the backs of school boards alone. The Premier has said he wants students back in schools five days a week, but he is prioritizing opening bars over schools.

Speaker, school is five weeks away. We have heard no clear plan for how the province can open up for five days of in-class learning for our students. School boards have not received the funding they need to open safely. We must prioritize our students because the return on investment in our children is priceless.

North York Central Library

Mr. Stan Cho: Last week, I had the chance to visit the North York Central Library, one of my favourite spots in Willowdale, and chat with the incredibly knowledgeable and friendly staff about the measures they’ve taken to keep our community safe, as well as how they’re preparing to enter stage 3 of our province’s reopening.

North York Central is no ordinary library. It’s one of two reference libraries in Toronto, and it’s home to amazing things—like a 3D printing lab, a green-screen movie studio and a state-of-the-art sewing centre—and wonderful programming like afternoon tea and movies for seniors, not to mention the massive collection of books in dozens of languages to serve my very diverse community.

But, like all of us, our library has to adapt to the new normal. So the seating areas are closed, books are quarantined for 72 hours before being returned to the shelves and the 3D printers have been loaned to the University Health Network, where they run around the clock making face masks for our favourite heroes. While Willowdalers still can’t use many of the amenities the library usually offers, they can still borrow books and movies by appointment, use the library computers to access the Internet and count on masked staff to help them for advice.

Libraries are an essential part of our communities. They’re about much more than books. They’re often the first stop for new Canadians settling in our neighbourhood, cooling centres on hot summer days, free workspace for entrepreneurs starting up a new business, or simply a safe place to sit.

This morning, I want to thank the Toronto Public Library and all of the incredible staff at North York Central for all that they do and for their tireless efforts during this challenging time. I can’t wait to go back, Mr. Speaker, and visit the North York Central, and you should all join me in Willowdale.

Regan Russell

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Regan Russell was a friend to so many, and I’m honoured to say that she was a friend of mine. Regan was run over and killed by a transport truck outside of Fearmans slaughterhouse on June 19. She was there with others to bear witness.

I last saw her in my office with another friend, Julie. They were opposed to Bill 156, very concerned that it would suppress free speech and make common acts of protest a crime. Of free speech, Regan said, “How do you think women got the right to vote? How do you think slavery was abolished? People stood up!”

No one could imagine such a violent death for a woman who spent her life confronting injustice. Her husband, Mark Powell, said, “She was a constant voice for the voiceless.” Mark, along with his son Joshua and her parents Bill and Pat, still have one another. Her mother said, “She doesn’t belong to us anymore. She belongs to all these people here,” and that is so true.

Her death has sparked outrage around the world. The Parliament of Portugal held a moment of silence. Joaquin Phoenix said, “We will honour her memory by vigorously confronting the cruelties she fought so hard to prevent by marching with Black Lives, protecting Indigenous rights, fighting for LGBTQ equality, and living a compassionate vegan life.”

I’ll end with the beautiful words of Anne Bokma: “Regan took the world into her arms. She embraced her partner, her parents and her many friends—human and animal alike. She held us all close. And now we are faced with the sad task of letting her go.”

Energy companies in Oakville

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Today I have the honour to acknowledge local companies that have been working hard to keep our community of Oakville safe during this pandemic. My riding of Oakville is a hub for the nuclear energy sector. Oakville is home to companies such as Promation Canada, Laker Energy and Terrestrial Energy, among others.

Last Thursday, the honourable member for Huron–Bruce and I joined an event hosted by Promation and Bruce Power, with Promation president Darryl Spector; Bruce Power’s CEO, Mike Rencheck; and Bruce Power executive vice-president James Scongack. These two companies have partnered together to undertake Bruce Power’s MCR project. This project will support 22,000 jobs, inject $4 billion into our economy and, most importantly, provide Ontario with reliable, low-cost, clean energy.

Not only are these companies involved in providing us with power, but they also answered the call to produce and donate PPE during COVID-19. Promation has retooled their operations to produce ventilators, and Bruce Power has been leading with PPE donations. Moreover, several of Promation’s employees have gone above and beyond on their own time to produce face shield frames using 3D printers, and this has translated into Promation producing 650 frames a day.

Finally, I want to highlight one more company: Aecon. Their ongoing effort throughout the pandemic providing donations for the community has been admirable.

I want to express my sincerest thank you to each of these companies. This is a testament to those helping those in need. Each company is a made-in-Ontario story and demonstrates genuine Ontario spirit.

Ignat Kaneff

Over the next seven decades. Iggy came to exemplify the very best in Canadian values: hard work, dedication and community service. He built a real estate empire, became a successful GM dealer along the way, and gave back tens of millions of dollars to schools, hospitals and charities, starting with a $2,000 gift to build the Mississauga Hospital in 1955, the largest gift by an individual at the time, only four years after arriving in Canada.

Iggy gave generously to the University of Toronto in Mississauga and to many groups that helped children with intellectual disabilities, including Community Living Mississauga. For this, Iggy was appointed to the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada and recognized as the Mississauga Citizen of the Year and with Bulgaria’s highest civilian honour.

His legacy will live on and have a positive impact on many lives for many years to come. So thank you, Iggy, for everything you have achieved, and most of all, for showing us that there’s no limit to what you can achieve in Ontario. Farewell, my friend. May you rest in peace.

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

That concludes our members’ statements for this morning.

The member for Timmins has a point of order.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Point of order, Mr. Speaker: I’d ask for unanimous consent to stand down the leads till the Premier gets here.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Timmins is seeking unanimous consent of the House to stand down the lead questions for the official opposition. Agreed? I heard a no.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My question is for the Premier. Last week, the government of Alberta announced that they would be asking a third party to conduct a review of how that province responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. My question to the Premier is: Has he discussed this review with his friend the Premier of Alberta, and if so, is the Premier willing to consider conducting a similar independent review here in Ontario?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. Our government has been clear that we are committed to an independent commission. It will have public hearings, a public report and the transparency involved in this process is our commitment.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Last week, the Premier said that the government was prepared for a second wave of COVID, but was unwilling or unable to share any details of that. Families have heard assurances from this government before. This is the same Premier who insisted there was an iron ring around long-term care while COVID-19 was spreading through long-term-care homes and killing over 1,800 seniors. An independent preparedness review could look at what worked and what didn’t and ensure that we are actually prepared for a second wave. Will the Premier launch such a process today?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, our government has taken progressive and prudent measures to protect the health and well-being of Ontarians, including our residents in long-term care.

We are carefully and gradually reopening the province, and the people of Ontario will remain at the centre of those decisions. Those decisions are being advised upon by world-wide experts: our Chief Medical Officer of Health and the experts in science and evidence on COVID-19. We are moving forward to make sure that all our residents in long-term care and Ontarians have the utmost of our commitment to their safety and well-being.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My final supplementary is to the Premier, Speaker. As the Premier knows, there’s a lot at stake if a second wave of COVID-19 hits our communities. Our ability to work, the health of our kids in school and the safety of our seniors in long-term care are all at risk if we aren’t fully prepared for a second wave of COVID-19.

The Premier is once again insisting that he’s fully prepared. That wasn’t true last time, Speaker, and it’s no wonder people don’t believe it’s true this time either. So why is this Premier afraid of having an independent review of what he has done so far and what he needs to do better?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you once again for the interest in this matter. We have been clear and transparent about having an independent commission that will get to the bottom of the issues in long-term care. It was clear, even with the Justice Gillese report back in the summer of 2019, that our system was strained under COVID-19, which affected global long-term-care homes and our most vulnerable people worldwide. We are going to find out what happened. We will be having that commission, and announcements will be coming.

We are very pleased that we are getting to the bottom of this. Ontarians deserve answers to their questions. This will be independent, there will be public hearings, and there will be a public report. We will get to the bottom of it, and we will fix long-term care.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, with all due respect, Justice Gillese’s report, apparently, was not taken into consideration, and now we have over 1,830 seniors who have lost their lives in long-term care. It’s a tragedy that should have been avoided.

My question is to the Premier. He might think that the government has nothing to learn from an independent review, but families across Ontario have real concerns about the province’s readiness for a second wave.

Last week, the Premier rolled through Essex for a series of photo ops, but local mayors were pretty frustrated when the Premier didn’t take time to hear their concerns about the desperate need for a coordinated response to ongoing outbreaks amongst migrant workers. Unlike other provinces, Ontario has failed to protect these workers and the communities they live in from COVID-19.

Why is the Premier opposed to an independent review that would point out what he could be doing better in preparation for the second wave?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: We had a great visit to Essex. I talked to Mayor Santos and Mayor MacDonald and followed up with phone calls to make sure they were in touch with Matt Anderson if they had any concerns at all. I thought it turned out extremely well, visiting the people out there and seeing first-hand and talking to the farmers in not only the Essex area but up in the Chatham-Kent area as well. There’s nothing better than getting out there and meeting the people.

I’m the first to admit: Did we all have challenges right at the beginning? Yes. But I don’t know if you saw the

article or the newscast on CNN: Do you want to crush the curve? Do what Ontario is doing. The rest of the world, Mr. Speaker, is watching what we’re doing—and we have a long way to go. By no means is this fight over. We aren’t even close for this fight to be over. But maybe the rest of the world could pay attention to some of the things that we’re doing, working collaboratively with the municipalities and with the federal government.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Speaker, I find it really quite unbelievable that the Premier thinks that 1,838 lives lost in long-term care is a victory.

Last May, the Premier claimed that he had actually established an iron ring around long-term care. We know that, even as he was saying those words, residents were enduring conditions that were so bad, in some cases, that police had to be notified. And, as I said, over 1,800 long-term-care residents have died from COVID-19.

This matter desperately needs an independent public inquiry. The Premier blocked that and has promised his commission, which is still nowhere to be seen, months after it was promised. In the immediate term, though, families really do need to know that their loved ones will be protected. So will the Premier put in place an independent review before the second wave hits?

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: I guess the Leader of the Opposition is putting words in my mouth. I never declared victory on this. This is an ongoing battle, continuously. The only people who deserve any kudos are the people of Ontario—not even the government, not me, but the people of Ontario. That’s why we’re working so hard, again, with the municipalities, working with stakeholders right across this province and working with the federal government. We’re very fortunate because of the great work that everyone has done.

Now we have additional support to the tune of $7 billion, thanks to the federal government. We appreciate their support, and their financial support as well. It’s going to go a long way for transit and large urban areas, along with municipalities. All 444 of them are going to benefit from the funding here.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Whether it’s parents who still don’t know when school is going to be resuming for their kids or front-line staff in our hospitals and long-term care, people need to know that Ontario has the equipment and the resources we need and the right plan in place, should a second wave occur.

They also want to know where their government went wrong and how they can do better. The Premier’s top priority may be staging photo ops with Conservative Party donors throughout southwestern Ontario, but there is still much, much more that needs to be done.

So my question is pretty basic: Why won’t the Premier agree to an independent interim review in preparedness for the second wave, as his friend from Alberta is doing as we speak?

Hon. Doug Ford: Mr. Speaker, we’re reviewing this every single day. I get questioned every single day at 1 o’clock, and they aren’t softball questions, by any means. We’re going through a review every single day and correcting the issues, because by no means is anyone perfect when we’re dealing with COVID. It’s something that the world—it just attacked the world, basically, and we’re dealing with it.

I think, overall, everyone in Ontario has done an incredible job in following the protocols, the procedures and the guidelines. That’s the only way we’re going to get through this: if we continue listening to the health and science that our health table is giving us, and the rest of the people are following the proper protocols, social distancing, and so on and so forth. That’s how we’re going to get through this.

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier, but I really don’t understand why the Premier is avoiding having a hard look and taking some accountability around what happened with COVID-19’s first wave so that we’re ready for the second wave. I just don’t understand.

Anyway, my question to the Premier is: Last week, the government was forced to admit that they’re not going to keep their promise of building 15,000 new long-term-care beds, which isn’t surprising, because in two years they’ve only built 34 beds—literally 99.99% short of their goal. The Premier announced a new funding scheme, as we all know, last week, to construct homes and install air conditioning, but no new money was announced.

So my question to the Premier is: Will private, for-profit homes be accessing the existing pot of money under the new funding scheme, at the expense of municipal and not-for-profit homes?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for the question. It has been clear that over the decades leading up to this date and the beginning of COVID-19 and its havoc that it has wreaked all across the globe and in Ontario, equally, that there was neglect of the long-term-care system. Our announcement, our modernized funding model is a start, and we’ve been absolutely clear about that.

The neglect that we are catching up on, as a government that is committed to long-term care, is unprecedented in Ontario’s history. I will repeat: unprecedented. The funding that is being put behind our plan: unprecedented. This is a jump-start. We will create an environment with which long-term care can be built. It was not built under the previous government. Allocations were made; they didn’t go forward. They never got built. This government is putting dollars behind its commitment. It will make it happen. We will rebuild, advance and repair long-term care.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: I’ve watched the Premier talk real tough about those greedy, for-profit operators at some of his press conferences that he is so proud of. But it looks like his plan is to put even more public money into private pockets.

Months ago, when the Premier first promised a commission, he claimed that all issues would be on the table. Well, if that’s the case, why is the Premier already moving ahead with policies that will entrench the role of for-profit companies in the long-term-care system and shovel millions of dollars out of the health care system and into the pockets of their shareholders, the private profits of their shareholders?

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

Hon. Doug Ford: Through you, Mr. Speaker: You see, that’s the difference between ourselves and the Leader of the Opposition. I don’t look at non-profit, profit and so on and so forth. I look at the individual that’s sweating their back off when it’s 28 degrees because you guys did absolutely nothing for 15 years.

We’re going to make sure we get air conditioning in every single room. I don’t care if it’s profit or non-profit, and the families don’t care, as long as their elderly mother or father or grandparent is being taken care of. That’s what they care about.

Municipalities

Mr. Stan Cho: My question is to the Premier. Premier, during this time of uncertainty, many municipalities have stepped up to continue to provide vital services for many of our constituents. As we continue to work towards economic recovery, all levels of government know we have to keep working together to keep people safe.

As Willowdalers return to work, they need to make sure that they get there safely. No one should have to turn down a job because they don’t want to risk their health during a crowded commute. We must also continue to help people, enterprises and communities adapt to that “new normal” we hear so much about.

Investments in municipalities and transit systems require a shared level of responsibility between all levels of government, particularly the federal and provincial governments. Speaker, can the Premier please tell us about the negotiations with the federal government regarding additional financial and health supports?

Hon. Doug Ford: I want to thank our great member from Willowdale.

Last week, the government, in coordination with the Premiers, reached a historic agreement for all people of Canada, right across the board. It was $19 billion, and it was a tough negotiation. Again, I give all the credit to the Premiers. I want to give a shout-out to Scott Moe. He did an incredible job. I want to give a shout-out to the Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, who negotiated hard but fairly.

It’s going to be beneficial for every person in Canada and every single province. We’re covering everything from testing and tracing to mental health to health to supplies of PPE, making sure everyone has enough PPE right across the board. It was great. There are eight different categories, Mr. Speaker, and I think the people of this province and this country—everyone’s going to benefit from that. So thank you for the question.

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

Mr. Stan Cho: That new deal, Premier—though you, Speaker—is incredible, incredible news for the people of this province. It’s important that we continue to work towards better outcomes here for the people of Ontario.

This new agreement will mean additional supports for all 444 municipalities throughout our great province and help for their transit systems. It will mean that we can strengthen our health and long-term-care systems. It will mean that we can provide a more efficient, effective system for expanding COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and stockpiling our PPE. It will mean new funds to help get our economy going again, Mr. Speaker.

Premier, your leadership has been made Ontario stronger, which means that Canada just got better. This is progress that we can all be proud of. Speaker, through you, can the Premier please share with my constituents and all Ontarians the significance of this agreement?

Hon. Doug Ford: Again, I thank the member from Willowdale. Through the action plan for restarting the economy—$3.3 billion in additional health care investments, including $2.1 billion in new initiatives to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks, and the province is increasing the capacity in Ontario’s hospitals to the tune of $935 million in the hospital sector, comprising $594 million to accelerate the progress of addressing hospital capacity issues and $341 million for additional acute care, critical care beds and more assessment centres.

This is about, again, working together with municipalities. I want to give a shout-out to all 444 municipalities that helped us. We all stuck together. The provinces stuck together. And, again, the federal government stepped up. Again, I want to thank the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for supporting the entire country. This is great for everyone.

Municipalities

Mr. Ian Arthur: All the way back in April, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities released their report with estimates that municipalities were going to be facing enormous budget shortfalls of anywhere between $10 billion and $15 billion. While I’m glad to hear about the agreement with the federal government where they’re feeding federal money through the provinces, we have had no clarity on the details of where that money is going to go. Leadership is fighting against some of that money being used for paid sick days for workers who are going to have to stay home. That is not leadership from this Premier.

Since the days that downloading on municipalities began, their budgets have been incredibly tight. They have struggled to maintain property tax increases in line with inflation. This government has yet to provide details of what funding they’re providing to these municipalities that are facing these tremendous shortfalls.

Will the Premier tell us today what that money is being spent on and if the province is going to add increased funding to that money for municipalities across Ontario?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Speaker, through you to the member opposite: I think when the Premier answered this question earlier today, he sold himself short. As I have said and Minister Phillips and many others have said, at that table with the other Premiers and the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, there was one person that led the way in terms of not just speaking on behalf of Ontario municipalities but speaking on behalf of all Canadian municipalities wanting a fair share, and that’s our own Premier, Premier Doug Ford.

Our government continues to work with our municipal partners and with AMO. As the member opposite notes, very early on the Premier and I and our government supported the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ ask of the federal government. We all knew, given the scale and the magnitude of the hole that our municipal partners were in, that we needed a federal contribution. Again, I want to commend the Premier for this tremendous $19-billion COVID-19 recovery package, which clearly includes the dollars that our municipal partners have been asking for.

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

Mr. Ian Arthur: I didn’t actually hear an answer as to whether the province was going to add any additional funding or they were just going to entirely lean on the feds for that money.

The budget shortfalls are tremendous, and the amount of money that the feds are giving us is not going to be enough to balance those budgets; it’s just not. They’re not allowed to run deficits, so we are faced with either dramatic service cuts or the province stepping up and supplementing the federal package with actual dollars that go to actual programs.

Because of the lack of an answer that I was given just now, I will ask again: Will the province be adding to the federal package? Will they provide the funding that municipalities need simply to get through this year?

Hon. Steve Clark: Well, again, Speaker, I think it’s very important to note that the $19-billion COVID-19 deal with all of our provinces and territories really was that significant because of our Premier’s work. We acted immediately, right at the very start, to work closely with our municipal partners. We were there for them right from the start. We put a package in place that all parties agreed to to allow councils to operate in the early days of the pandemic. Early on, we provided $200 million to help our most vulnerable. I followed that up as part of our commitment to the safe restart package with an additional $150 million even prior to this deal being arranged.

So, with all due respect, we’ve been there. We’ve put money up. We’ll continue to work with our partners. We’re going to make sure—and I’ve said this in the House many times, Speaker—that municipalities are going to lead the recovery, not just in Ontario but right across Canada.

Education funding

M me Lucille Collard: My question is for the Minister of Education. We are in the middle of the summer, which means that back to school is around the corner. This is normally the time when parents start planning for the return to school. Parents in my riding are worried. Anyone who is a parent understands the need to prepare their children. We need to prepare them mentally and we need to make logistic arrangements for a return to school. But they don’t know what to prepare for, and this is creating additional stress to the already unstable situation.

Education is the anchor of our society, and we need some confidence that we are moving forward with a concrete plan that can be effectively implemented.

When will the minister provide the needed guidance to parents so that they can stop worrying and prepare for a full-time return to school?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Indeed, I think we all appreciate that many parents in this province have faced difficulty as a consequence of COVID-19, as well in the context of wanting certainty about the way forward. What we can confirm to parents, to students and, of course, to our education staff in the province is that we will be prepared to respond to the local challenges and the transmission risk that may arise as a consequence of COVID-19. We’ll be ready for three scenarios, and boards will have those due to the province by the 4th of August to provide that certainty to families across the province.

But our commitment, our solemn responsibility to the people of this province, is to do whatever it takes to keep families safe. That is precisely what we will do with more funding and more training to keep all students and all staff safe in the province of Ontario.

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

M me Lucille Collard: Again to the Minister of Education: School boards are being asked to prepare for three different scenarios. Unfortunately, they were not consulted on the feasibility of these scenarios, and we are seeing all sorts of different propositions from different school boards that raise concerns, such as a plan to remove French lessons from the school year.

School boards and school staff are waiting impatiently for a decision from the minister to ensure that all students can receive quality education. They need the minister to let them know how he will ensure that all students will have an equal opportunity to learn this fall. The minister is running out of time: We only have a few weeks left to get ready.

Will the minister provide the necessary resources to school boards to bring every student every back to school with an equal opportunity to learn for each of them?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, indeed, we are ensuring that the funding and resources are in place to our school boards so far.

In the context of the member opposite, in Ottawa-Carleton their funding is up $25 million. In the areas of Ottawa Catholic, their funding is up just shy of $25 million. Speaker, these are incremental enhancements to students and to those school boards.

But they recognize, Speaker, that there is more to do, and we are working closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, with the command table, with our boards and with our union partners to ensure that all students and all staff remain safe. It is our commitment. By having three plans we can, with confidence, respond to any challenge that arises this fall.

Construction routière / Highway construction

M me Robin Martin: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Avec la réouverture et la relance économique de l’Ontario, l’investissement dans nos infrastructures de transport n’a jamais été aussi important. Ces investissements ont toujours été une priorité pour notre gouvernement et ils le demeurent aujourd’hui, malgré le climat d’incertitude actuel.

Our government is not only investing in highway projects, Speaker, but we’re looking to streamline their construction. Can the minister share more about the work she is doing to build and repair Ontario’s highways network?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence for the question.

Comme ministre des Transports, assurer la sécurité et la fiabilité de nos routes est une priorité. Maintenant que nous nous remettons des impacts de la COVID-19, notre gouvernement réalise ses engagements afin d’améliorer nos infrastructures de transport et de créer des milliers d’emplois. C’est pourquoi nous investissons 2,6 milliards de dollars dans le rétablissement et l’expansion du réseau autoroutier de l’Ontario.

Speaker, we’re investing $2.6 billion to expand and repair Ontario’s roads, highways and bridges. And last week, we launched an online tool that provides all Ontarians and businesses with information about highway projects that are under way or planned for construction. I encourage all Ontarians to use the new highways program online tool. It’s searchable and interactive. It has a map for all Ontarians to see, to learn more about the important projects that we’re undertaking in their communities right across the province.

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

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the minister for her response. Ontario’s highway network is the backbone of our province. Highways are critical links connecting people to cities and towns across the province, and it’s so important that they remain both reliable and safe. Getting down to work on planning and construction will not only achieve this goal, but will also help create thousands of good Ontario jobs. And that’s because highway construction is such an important part of Ontario’s economic engine.

Can the minister tell us about the work under way on the highways file?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member for the question. It’s time to get our economy back on track in our province and get people in Ontario back to work. Transportation-related construction drives economic activity. It puts people to work. It increases money spent in nearby communities, and it provides Ontario with infrastructure that keeps people and goods moving.

Last week, we announced our government’s commitment to fund Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph. This project will include 18 kilometres of a four-lane freeway and a brand new crossing over the Grand River. We also announced our government’s commitment to move forward with the expansion and the improvement of Highways 6 and 401 from Hamilton to Highway 401, which will cut congestion in Morriston and improve traffic flow between Hamilton and Guelph.

Speaker, these are just two examples of the projects that will improve our network, get people moving and kick-start our economy.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Good morning, Mr. Speaker.

Remarks in Oji-Cree.

My question is for the Premier. During the pandemic, children and youth in care have needed more protection than ever before, yet the government has made it more dangerous for them by loosening the safety rules meant to keep them safe.

Ontario has also been stalling on providing the number of deaths of children and youth in care during this pandemic to the public. Will the minister do the right thing and share with the public how many children and youth have died while in care during this pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues.

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for your question. I am aware of the recent

article published by the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network and the concerns that it raises. The death of any child or youth in care is a tragedy, and we take our commitment to public sector transparency and accountability very seriously.

The length of time and the fee for the disclosure of a freedom of information request may vary based upon the work needed to collect those records. As minister, it would be inappropriate to interfere with the ongoing process.

But I can say what we are doing to improve the child welfare system. Our vision for Ontario is where every child and youth has the supports and services they need to succeed and to thrive, and we are committed to making this goal a reality.

Redesigning the current child welfare system won’t happen overnight, but we are committed to the long-term work that is needed to achieve success and promote positive outcomes for children, youth and families in this province. We will have more to come in the following weeks.

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

Mr. Sol Mamakwa: Mr. Speaker, through you, I think the least they could do is waive the fee.

The government has refused to complete the freedom of information act requests to disclose the number of children that have died or been seriously injured in the child welfare system since COVID-19 began in March. This information should be readily available to the public, Mr. Speaker. The fact that the government makes it so difficult to access these numbers doesn’t create any trust. Why does Ontario not want us to know how our child welfare system has not protected children and youth during this pandemic?

Hon. Jill Dunlop: Thank you to the member for your question. Our top priority remains the health and safety—well-being—of children, youth and families in Ontario, including those who are supported in the child welfare system.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, children’s aid services continue to operate and provide services to children, youth and families. Societies have been encouraged to find alternative methods for providing services while observing public health recommendations and using technology where appropriate.

As part of this government’s commitment and efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19, we have invested up to $40 million to support organizations that provide residential services, including residential services in settings for children and youth.

Our government is further committed to better protecting vulnerable populations by delivering a new COVID-19 Action Plan for Vulnerable People. This action plan focuses on three specific areas: enhanced screening and reduced exposure to prevent the spread; infection control, such as managing outbreaks and limiting spread; and sustaining staffing and managing staff shortages.

As the situation with COVID-19 evolves, we will continue to communicate with children’s aid services and partners and understand the challenges that they may be facing.

Environmental protection

Mr. Mike Schreiner: My question is for the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. A few months ago, the Ontario Superior Court overturned the minister’s decision to cancel the Nation Rise Wind Farm. It ruled that the minister’s decision did not meet the requirements of transparency, justification and intelligibility. Now the government wants to hand the minister even more power to pick and choose which projects get a full environmental assessment.

Fired Environment Commissioner Dianne Saxe said that the changes in Bill 197 would create an enormous risk of corruption and undue influence. Speaker, can the minister explain why he should be trusted with even more scientific power, given that the minister has already been caught by the courts ignoring scientific evidence?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thank you to the member opposite for that question. I do know that the member opposite sat through a technical briefing. What he’s asking doesn’t correlate with what he learned at that session.

We are modernizing the Environmental Assessment Act, which hasn’t been modernized in over 50 years, Mr. Speaker. That was when Pierre Elliott Trudeau was still Prime Minister. Some of the caucus here weren’t even born yet. So what we’re doing: If this legislation is passed, we’ll begin consultation to create a list of projects which will need environmental assessment, much like Canada has already done in the majority of other provinces. That’s what we’re going to do going forward.

Once that regulation is ready to go, after consultation with community members, municipalities, other stakeholders, Indigenous communities—once that comes to cabinet, like every other regulation that’s made in this province, cabinet approves it. There are not going to be one-off decisions made at the cabinet table. That is utterly and completely not true.

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

Mr. Mike Schreiner: Speaker, I find it interesting that the minister’s defence of Bill 197 is “modernization” of the environmental assessment. I guess that means hollowing it out and getting rid of the transparency around it.

The government could, if it wanted to modernize the EA process, make all large private sector projects subject to an environmental assessment. The Auditor General pointed this out when analyzing the huge financial risk of such projects to taxpayers. Her 2016 report showed that there are over 5,000 abandoned mines in Ontario, with a cleanup cost pegged at $3.1 billion.

Speaker, will the minister modernize the Environmental Assessment Act to protect taxpayers by making large-scale private sector projects subject to an automatic environmental assessment before being approved?

Hon. Jeff Yurek: Thanks again for that question, member opposite. Through the modernization of this Environmental Assessment Act, and if this legislation is passed, what changes immediately is that we’ll be exempting environmental assessments for land claim settlements and other projects with Indigenous communities, projects in provincial parks and conservation areas, and, for the first time in the history of the province, we’re going to give municipalities a say in whether they want a landfill sited in their municipality or not.

What will also happen, if this legislation is passed, is it will enable the government to start consultations on the project list that the opposite member has mentioned. That is going to have a detailed consultation throughout the entire province. We’ll take our time and make sure we get it right so that we align ourselves with the federal government and other provinces.

I implore the member opposite, during that consultation time, to be part of that. Bring forth those ideas so we can hear what he has to say, the reason behind that, as we create that list—much like I worked with you over the permission to take water with his own area, with the Guelph region, and your own, Mr. Speaker.

We’re a government that wants to work with you. We’re going to have that consultation process. We’ll discuss what you want to add to that, as we’re going to talk to all Ontarians—what would they like on that project list? Whether it’s going to be what the Indigenous communities want, what stakeholders want or what municipalities want, we’re going to have a clear and concise list brought forward which will be approved through the cabinet and put in force, just like the rest of the country.

Tourism industry

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: My question is to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. Here in Ontario, we have a world-renowned resource-based tourism industry and often have people lined up from all around the world to “tuna” in to an experience of the great outdoors in the northern parts of our province. Hunters and anglers spend more than $560 million and $1.6 billion respectively each year in Ontario, supporting jobs in many of our rural and northern communities, like Barrie–Innisfil.

COVID-19 has hit the resource-based tourism industry especially hard. Could the minister please share what our government is doing to help outfit and tourism operators through this difficult period?

Hon. John Yakabuski: I’d like to thank the great member from Barrie–Innisfil for that question. Our government is committed to supporting the resource-based tourism sector, one that was hit particularly hard by COVID-19, where most of their clientele, in particular up in northern Ontario, comes from outside of Canada. With border closures, it has dried up completely.

So we appointed a ministry advisory committee, which helped us in advising us what we could do to help this sector. I had conversations with my colleagues from northern Ontario, including members of the opposition, and we have done something that Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario is very thankful for: We are not charging them for certain fees and licences, as well as refunding anyone that has already paid for 2020. This will help to support those local business that mean so much—as my colleague has said, $560 million and $1.6 billion respectively in this province.

Resource-based tourism is something that was particularly hard hit. Our government recognizes it, and we’re doing what we can to help them.

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

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: Thank you, Minister, for your actions to bait more people into the great outdoors. After 15 years of neglect under the Liberals, we are fortunate to have a government and a minister that understands and cares about the issues facing the north and rural Ontario.

The resource-based tourism industry involves the use and enjoyment of all environmental and natural resources on crown lands and waters, including hunting, fishing, visiting provincial parks and conservation reserves, camping, canoeing, hiking, snowmobiling and wildlife viewing.

Of the over 1,600 operators in the province, many are small and medium-sized family-owned businesses. These businesses provide stable, local jobs that sustain communities over generations.

Now that everyone is perched up and listening, could the minister please share what initiatives our government has undertaken to support fishing, hunting and the resource-based tourism industry?

Hon. John Yakabuski: Thanks again to the member. As she has pointed out, these are small businesses. When they lose 80% of their revenue, it’s a big blow. We recognize that.

I had a great conversation with Laurie Marcil, the executive director of NOTO, last week, and they are over the moon that our government, by consulting with people that are in the business—boots on the ground—and also members of the opposition as well, recognize that this is a big deal for this sector. So, waiving the fees and refunding those fees that have already been paid is important.

We also last year appointed the big game advisory committee, which has also brought forth new regulations and new numbers and surveys for hunting, which is going to help to ensure that this business that is a cultural right for people across the province of Ontario will be around for generations to come.

And I want to say to the people out there, too: Remember, we’re not having the Americans come up this year because of border closures. If you have a plan to do some travelling in Ontario, get out to one of those northern Ontario tourism outfitters. Support our people in Ontario. They could use the business. They’re backbones of our economy.

Education funding

Mr. Jamie West: My question is for the Premier. Meredith is an elementary school teacher and solo parent from my riding of Sudbury, and what she heard from this government about a return to school this fall ignores the fundamental needs of children and ignores the pressures on working parents. Many of Meredith’s students are not equipped to continue distance learning, and their parents will be unable to return to work if there isn’t a full, safe reopening of school. In many cases, women are being forced to step out of the workforce or they’re being forced to reduce their hours in order to care for their children.

Speaker, Meredith wants to know why the government continues to leave education workers and parents in the dark.

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Our government announced, when it comes to expanding child care capacity for parents, that we’ll be doing so by moving to a cohort from 10 to 15, providing upwards of 91% of pre-COVID capacity available to working moms and dads in the province that we know need to have that assurance, need to have that commitment by government that their child could be cared for safely. We have done so in this province with great success. We’re grateful to the ECEs and our operators for adhering to the very strict health and safety protocols we’ve put in place.

In the member’s riding, for example, in the Catholic district school board, they received an additional $3 million to ensure that that community is better prepared to respond to the challenges of COVID.

We’re ensuring that they have three plans in place and more funding for technology. Every high school in the province and in the member’s riding will have access to Internet. We’re doing that to get ahead, to make sure that we’re prepared and to keep all students safe in Ontario.

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

Mr. Jamie West: Back to the Premier or back to the education minister: Parents and educational workers across this province are calling on the government to finally recognize that we need a comprehensive plan that considers the needs of communities, families and workers.

Meredith told me, “For many young kids, school is a safe place, and I worry every day about some of my students that have been home for so long. The stress of their needs, compounded by the stress of their parents, is making some of their little lives very volatile.”

Meredith deserves answers. She wants to know why the government is taking a wait-and-see approach while parents, education workers and students continue to suffer.

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite. Obviously, Meredith has noted a variety of concerns which are shared, particularly in the context of the children being out of school for such a prolonged period of almost half a year by the time September rolls around. It’s why, when it comes to the mental health and the wellness of our children, we’re putting in place an additional $10 million in net investment in mental health to hire more psychologists and psychotherapists in the province, reduce wait times and improve care for those very kids.

It’s why we put in place more access for technology to make sure that we universalize access to the online learning, should that be required in those communities.

We recognize the difficulty, particularly in remote parts of our province. That’s why we’re putting more funding in place in remote northern boards in this province to give them every tool and resource to succeed in September.

Long-term care

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: My question is to the Minister of Long-Term Care. We all know the neglect that the long-term-care system endured for decades, and we all saw the effects this had both before and during the pandemic. We saw wait-lists grow for years and years before the pandemic. During the pandemic, we’ve seen the spread of COVID-19 amplified in old homes with ward rooms. So the need for new beds and the renovation of old beds is critical, and that critical need is being underscored today.

The minister has frequently spoken in this House about the ongoing work since before the COVID-19 pandemic that has gone into repairing and rebuilding the cracks in the system. Last week, the minister did make a very important announcement regarding a modernized funding model for long-term-care development in Ontario, and I’m wondering if the minister could speak to this this House and tell the House what the modern funding model will do to help fix our long-term-care system.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I’d like to thank the member from Niagara West for his good work with his constituents and for his concern about long-term care.

The modernized funding model is a new approach that will break down barriers to building much-needed long-term-care spaces and accelerate the creation of new and redeveloped beds. Over the next five years, the government is investing $1.75 billion in long-term-care homes. By recognizing the differences between regions in our province, creating four new regional categories and tailoring an increased construction fund subsidy to each of these categories, we are enabling the government to address the barriers and needs of different communities.

We are providing development grants of between 10% and 17% for upfront costs like development charges, land costs and other construction expenses, and we are helping small operators in rural communities navigate the high cost of development while ensuring that larger urban centres can secure the loans and real estate that they need.

Together, all of this will get shovels in the ground faster and get residents into their new homes more quickly.

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

Mr. Sam Oosterhoff: Thank you to the minister for explaining the modern funding model. I know that “shovels in the ground faster” is music to the ears of people across this province.

She’s right, also, when she speaks about and acknowledges the difference between regions and communities, and that each faces unique challenges in development. I know that in Niagara, the region I’m proud to represent in this House, we have communities that range from rural to urban and mid-sized. Each of these communities requires slightly different approaches, and I’m glad that the minister has put flexibility into this policy. I’m also glad that flexibility is being accompanied by new funding dollars and new supports for the development of long-term-care homes.

So my question to the minister, in looking at the Niagara region, is if she’ll tell this House what this new funding mechanism will do for the Niagara region.

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thanks again to the member for the question. In St. Catharines, there are three projects in various stages of this development model, with 109 new beds and 464 being redeveloped. In Welland, there are two projects with 130 new beds and 62 redeveloped beds. In Niagara Falls and Virgil, there are two projects with 81 new beds and 340 redeveloped beds. These are in various stages of development, with two projects already under construction and with all of them expected to be complete by the spring of 2025.

Like Niagara, regions across the province need more capacity and shorter wait-lists. Older beds need to be upgraded to modern design standards. We have all seen the harm done during the COVID-19 pandemic associated with ward rooms, which need to be replaced. The modernized funding model represents a significant step toward repairing, rebuilding and advancing long-term care in Ontario. There are more steps to be taken, and they will be taken soon.

Automobile insurance

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: Ontario drivers have been taken for a ride during this pandemic. During the lockdown, accidents were down by over 70% throughout Ontario, meaning that insurers have been paying out less claims and pocketing even more money. But instead of taking a strong approach to protect Ontario drivers, this government’s opt-in rebate plan has left Ontario drivers haggling with their insurance companies, with predictable results.

Insurancehotline.com reports that only 30% of drivers have received some relief, and in most cases, it was next to nothing. For instance, Jim Kenzie wrote in the Toronto Star this weekend that he only received a discount of $7 a month during the pandemic. By the way, forcing drivers to park their cars and switch their policy to comprehensive coverage is not relief. Whether you drove or not, the risk of accident was way down.

Will this government do the right thing and make these companies give an immediate three-month, 50% rebate on all premiums, retroactive to the start of the lockdown?

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

Hon. Rod Phillips: I appreciate the question. Frankly, the opposition has been AWOL on this issue. They talked about it at the outset, but then this government took action.

The insurance industry talked about $600 million of savings across Canada. Because of the specific actions that this government has taken, the independent board FSRA, which reports on and oversees the insurance industry, reported that $650 million of savings had been put forward to Ontario drivers alone. But, Mr. Speaker, that wasn’t enough.

We asked the industry, and they said that there were regulations that were impeding their being able to give rebates. So this government acted on that, and we will continue to act so that drivers get a fair deal from their insurers.

We agree that there has been less driving and less accidents. That’s why we’ve taken real action and we got real savings for Ontario drivers.

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

Mr. Tom Rakocevic: The proof is in the premiums. We’ve seen this minister and we’ve seen the Premier being frustrated out of their minds in press conferences. Now he’s doing PR for the insurance companies. Even worse, Premier, I’m hearing from many drivers that they’re getting massive rate increases when they’re renewing their policies now.

Barry from Oakville reached out to my office and said that his premiums are set to go up by 28%, and he’s not alone. Of course, nobody knows what’s going on because this government has taken the unprecedented step of hiding this year’s auto insurance quarterly rate approvals. If, in fact, the rates have gone up, it will have been the 10th straight auto insurance rate hike in a row.

So, Minister, has your government approved yet another increase to auto insurance rates during this pandemic? Because if so, you’ve been AWOL.

Hon. Rod Phillips: Of the 14 insurance companies that make up 95% of the insurance industry, 12 of those have now provided rebates as a result of what this government has done. But that is not enough. I agree with the member; more needs to be done. That’s why we are pleased to know that FSRA, again the independent oversight regulator, is going to be, as I’ve said in the past, producing a transparent report on what insurance companies have done. We all look forward to seeing that.

We know we’ve been seeing less driving, we know we’ve been seeing less accidents, and we know that Ontarians are under severe pressure in terms of costs for auto insurance. We will look forward to that report. We expect to see it later this month, and then we will all look to see what insurance companies have been doing, and I’ll look forward to making further comments at that time.

Assistance to tourism industry

Mr. Stephen Crawford: My question is to the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. As the province moves into phase 3, many Ontarians are still adjusting to the new normal. As a community, nothing brings people together more than festivals do. They play a pivotal role in community-building, bringing people together from different religious, economic and social backgrounds. We are about halfway through our regular summer festival season. As you know, many festivals across this great province have had to cancel their events due to COVID-19.

At the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, we have heard testimonies from many festivals across Ontario, including TIFF, Pride Toronto and the Shaw Festival. Some of these organizations have had some great, innovative ideas on how to bring us together during these unprecedented times. Minister, can you please tell us how Ontario’s festivals and events are continuing to innovate and bring us together?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to say thank you to the member from Oakville, who recently took me on a tour of his community as they entered into phase 2. Of course, we still have more exciting news across the province as we begin to slowly and gradually reopen our economy into stage 3.

In the early days of COVID-19, we recognized that our artists and the festival sector would be hard hit and would likely take the longest to recover, so we invested, along with the music industry, $150,000 into something called Music Together, so that musicians across the province would be able to perform from the safety of their own homes.

I’ve still been flowing funding for festivals because we want to make sure that next year they’ll come back bigger and better than ever. So we will be funding TIFF. We will be funding the Markham Jazz Festival, the Fergus Scottish Festival, the Hamilton Supercrawl, Bluesfest in Ottawa and a number of other festivals across the great province of Ontario.

We’re also working with a number of different organizations on drive-through and drive-in experiences, and I’ll have more to say about that later today. In addition, we’re working with the Canadian Live Music Association and Festival Events Ontario to see how we can have a safe return to festivals when it is safe to do so.

But Mr. Speaker, make no mistake: We still are dealing with a social crisis in the province of Ontario where people are very reticent to get back to their old habits. Therefore, it will take some time for us to get back to the festivals that we used to know and love, but we will be there and we remain committed to them.

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

Mr. Stephen Crawford: Thank you to the minister for your insights there. Minister, we’re starting to see some innovative ideas when it comes to drive-in and drive-through experiences here in Ontario. We’ve seen you recently visit the immersive Vincent van Gogh experience and, most recently, the African Lion Safari.

One of the latest examples of an innovative drive-in experience is the Lavazza Drive-In Film Festival, which is set to launch today through July 31. This festival will be a celebration of Canada’s diversity, featuring an incredible lineup of international films representing countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This event will be hosted at one of Ontario’s most prestigious venues, Ontario Place.

As a citizen of Ontario, it makes me proud to know our government is investing in this premier entertainment venue. Through you, Mr. Speaker, can the minister elaborate on the government supports into Ontario Place?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: Obviously we’re very excited that tonight the Lavazza film festival, the largest film festival of its kind currently in the country, is taking place starting this evening at our wonderful Ontario Place.

Many members across Ontario will recognize that we have three parts to Ontario Place. We have the current board, which is winding up its old business; we have the current redevelopment ongoing, which has four criteria that we’re looking at, which are alignment to the government’s vision, concept viability, delivery certainty and cost/benefit to the province; and finally, we’re continuing to program at Ontario Place.

I encourage all Ontarians to check out some of that live programming this summer, whether that is the Toronto Shines festival, which is run by Canada’s Walk of Fame, Jeffrey Latimer and Canadian Idol Farley Flex; obviously tonight, The Cuban, a proud Ontario production by Sergio Navarretta, is going to be playing on opening night at Lavazza film festival; and we will be ensuring that TIFF goes on this year.

It’s a little bit different than in previous years, but we’ll be joining today with Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente of the Toronto International Film Festival as we continue to support that prestigious organization and make sure that they are well positioned after COVID-19 to become the premier film festival internationally.

Small business

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: My question is to the Premier. Speaker, last week the Premier kicked off his summer election tour, and by Friday he was in my riding of Kitchener Centre. We have seen the Premier use this tour to speak to PC Party donors and friends of the Premier’s office, but unfortunately for business owners like Danny Fetter, superficial tours of my city won’t save his business. Danny owns a small fitness studio in Kitchener. His business has been closed for four months. He wrote to my office pleading for help because he lost 100% of his revenue due to the pandemic.

He told me, “My landlord has given me a few options but all they would do is defer payment which really does me no good.”

Danny looked to us for help, but this government continues to ignore the fact that landlords like Danny’s are still refusing to apply for the government’s broken rent relief program. Through you, Mr. Speaker, can the Premier tell Danny why forcing him to take on more debt is all that this government is willing to do for small and medium-sized enterprises like his?

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

Hon. Rod Phillips: I thank the member for the question. Small businesses and medium businesses like Danny’s are an important priority for us. That’s why, starting with the $17-billion program which had $7 billion of direct support and $10 billion of indirect support—tax deferrals and others—and working with our federal partners, as the Premier did with the $19 billion that will support communities and support municipalities, we continue to support those small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, most important for these businesses is getting them reopened. That’s why we are so pleased and look forward to today’s further announcement about the reopening of the Ontario economy. We have taken a safe and gradual approach to make sure that we don’t see the sorts of challenges that we have seen in other jurisdictions, to make sure that businesses like Danny’s can stay open once they’re open and to make sure that they’re able to get their feet under them, and we’ve worked with our federal colleagues. In fact, there was a further announcement last week about a further extension of the wage subsidy program—again, something this government has lobbied for steadily.

Mr. Speaker, I believe one of my colleagues may want to speak further to the rent program in the supplementary.

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

Ms. Laura Mae Lindo: Back to the Premier: Danny is a sole proprietor. When he lost 100% of his revenue, he lost 100% of his income. And when he reached out to us for help, he deserved more from this government. Instead, the Premier’s only solution was for him to accrue more debt.

If we want to stimulate the economy, we can’t leave people like Danny behind. SMEs are vital to our economic health. Business after business has presented at the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, and they’ve told this government what they need. They need direct financial supports; grants instead of loans; direct rent subsidies. We need to have these in place for as long as it takes to get our main street businesses back on their feet.

Again to the Premier: When can everyday Ontarians like Danny expect this government to step up with the supports that they need? Or do they have to take out a PC party membership before this government will do anything to help them?

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

Hon. Steve Clark: Our government has been working hand in hand with Ontario’s business community from day one. Ontario has not seen such a business-friendly government in over 20 years. We know that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on small businesses that make up our strong Ontario economy.

These small businesses are essential if our province is going to have the economic recovery that we’re working so hard to have. As Minister Phillips said, that’s one of the reasons why we paused the commercial evictions, so that landlords who have commercial tenants eligible for the rent assistance program through the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program—so that they can use that. I’m very, very proud to say, Speaker, through you to the member, that just under 20,000 tenants representing 120,000 employees have already taken advantage of this program.

There is much more to do. But we will continue to stand up for small businesses in the province. And the Premier will continue to stand up—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. That concludes the time we have available for question period today.

This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1137 to 1300.

Introduction of Bills

Tapir Corporation Act, 2020

Mr. Bailey moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr25,

An Act to revive Tapir Corporation.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Cootes Paradise Water Accountability Act, 2020 / Loi Cootes Paradise de 2020 sur la responsabilité dans le domaine de l’eau

Ms. Shaw moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 198,

An Act to amend the Ontario Water Resources Act with respect to public reporting on the discharge or escape of polluting material / Projet de loi 198, Loi modifiant la

Loi sur les ressources en eau de l’Ontario en ce qui concerne la déclaration au public de rejets ou d’échappements de matières polluantes.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’d like to invite the member for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas to give a brief explanation of her bill if she chooses to do so.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I so do. I am proud to introduce the Cootes Paradise Water Accountability Act. This bill marks an important step in better protecting our water. It amends

section 30 of the Ontario Water Resources Act to require the ministry to notify the public of discharge or escape into our water in accordance with the regulations.

The massive community response to four years of sewage seeping into Cootes Paradise has shown that we all deserve to know what’s in our water, and by knowing, we are more likely to act. We all have a responsibility to protect our water, Mr. Speaker, because water is life. Thank you.

Group Seven Construction Limited Act, 2020

Mr. Gates moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill Pr27,

An Act to revive Group Seven Construction Limited.

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

First reading agreed to.

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

Petitions

Social assistance

Ms. Jill Andrew: I present this petition on behalf of the fine residents of Toronto–St. Paul’s. It’s a petition to establish universal basic income in Ontario.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and exacer-bated the financial hardships of residents across Ontario, and especially in Toronto–St. Paul’s. In St. Paul’s, more than 12,500 of our people needed the help of a food bank in 2018, including nearly 3,000 of our kids. In St. Paul’s, nearly 2,500 children are living below the poverty line and the riding unemployment rate is 6.3%, which is higher than Toronto as a whole.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas more than 67% of Toronto–St. Paul’s resi-dents are renters, many of whom are seniors on fixed income, single-parent families and people who depend on the Ontario Disability Support Program who are facing eviction on August 1, putting more of a demand on our already at-capacity shelter system; and

“Whereas the costs of poverty are borne by us all, Feed Ontario’s 2019 cost-of-poverty report found that each household in Ontario is losing more than $2,300 each year because of the economic costs of poverty; and

“Whereas Ontario families need support to be able to prioritize their health and the health of their families, no one should be forced to choose between feeding their family, buying medication and paying rent; and

“Whereas the previous Liberal provincial government failed to implement the substantial minimum wage and ODSP increases that Ontarians required. Instead, it decided to cut funding for social housing and privatize Ontario Hydro. The Ford government in 2018 cancelled the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project before collecting any substantial data; and

“Whereas the provincial NDP committed in 2018 to making a universal basic income a reality within a decade and has, during the pandemic, proposed a plan to ensure every household receives $2,000 a month and an annual increase with inflation; and

“Whereas Ontario has the opportunity to be a provincial leader in championing basic income for all and to work in partnership with our federal leader Jagmeet Singh, who, in April, called for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit to be turned into a universal benefit;

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

“The Ontario government immediately establish a pandemic-related, direct emergency basic income plan to ensure every household receives $2,000 a month and an annual increase with inflation;

“That the pandemic-related emergency basic income project be considered phase 2 of the Ontario Basic Income Pilot project, with concrete plans to study the results with a view to establishing a permanent basic income program as we recover from COVID-19.”

I overwhelmingly support this petition, affix my name to it and hand it to the usher.

Economic recovery

Mrs. Gila Martow: I have a petition entitled “Framework for Reopening the Economy.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas Ontarians have been working relentlessly to adhere to physical distancing guidelines, limiting themselves to necessary travel and protecting their loved ones; and

“Whereas our health care professionals are working long hours in our long-term-care homes, doctors’ offices, community care, and hospitals; and

“Whereas other essential workers such as grocery store clerks, farmers, meat and produce processors and transport workers keep our shelves stocked and food on the table; and

“Whereas the province has made significant progress in the fight against COVID-19 with decreasing infection and hospitalization rates, domestic production of personal protective equipment, and crucial financial investments in health and social services;

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

“That the government continues its methodical, cautious approach to reopen the economy so that people can get back to work, businesses can recover and people can regain a hopeful optimism for the future of this great province.”

Of course, I affix my signature.

Autism treatment

Mr. Faisal Hassan: I have a petition entitled “Support Ontario Families with Autism.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas every child with autism deserves access to sufficient treatment and support so that they can live to their fullest potential;

“Whereas the Ontario Autism Program was badly broken under the Liberals, and the changes introduced by the Conservatives have made it worse;

“Whereas the new funding caps are based on age and income, and not the clinical needs of the child;

“Whereas Ontario needs a true investment in evidence-based autism services that meets the needs of autistic children and their families;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to invest in equitable, needs-based autism services for all children who need them.”

I support this petition, and I’ll be adding my signature to it and taking it to the table.

Justices of the peace

Mr. Robert Bailey: “Proposed Changes to Justices of the Peace Act Petition.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government of Ontario remains committed to pressing forward towards a more accessible, responsive and resilient justice system; and

“Whereas the current process to appoint justices of the peace is outdated and slow. This has created obstacles to filling vacancies, resulting in delays for people wanting their day in court; and

“Whereas there is a need for greater transparency and the promotion of more diversity throughout the recruitment and appointment process; and

“Whereas maintaining the integrity of Ontario’s appointment process for justices of the peace is vital to the administration of a strong justice system;

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

“

(1) The act is amended with respect to the composition and processes of the Justices of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee;

“

(2) The composition of the committee is changed to be leaner and more efficient while continuing to ensure local voices are present. The importance of committees representing the diversity of the communities they serve shall be recognized;

“

(3) The committee may hold its meetings and conduct interviews in person or through electronic means, including telephone conferencing and video conferencing.”

I agree with this, Mr. Speaker, and send my signature with this petition. I’ll send it down with Ilhan.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Bhutila Karpoche: This petition is titled “Petition for the Creation and Implementation of the Regis Report,” and this is signed on behalf of constituents.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas on May 27, 2020, Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s mother called 911 for police assistance during a family dispute. Within minutes of the police arriving, Regis ended up deceased on the ground 24 floors below. A call for assistance, ended in death;

“Whereas other calls for assistance that ended in death include April 6, DeAndre Campbell-Kelly, shot to death by police in Peel; May 8, Caleb Njoko in London, fell 15 floors from his balcony while police were present; and June 20, Ejaz Choudry, shot to death by police in Malton;

“Whereas the provincial government has a responsibility to ensure all residents are safe and will not be subject to differential treatment by law enforcement based on race, religion or mental state;

“Whereas a report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) titled Under Suspicion: Concerns About Racial Profiling by Police, found that case law recognizes that racial profiling is a systemic problem in policing;

“Whereas in an interim report, A Collective Impact, the OHRC found that Black people are grossly overrepresented in cases involving police use of force that results in serious injury or death. Despite making up only 8.8% of Toronto’s population, Black people were overrepresented in use of force cases (28.8%), shootings (36%), deadly encounters (61.5%) and fatal shootings (70%), and 20 times more likely to be shot by police;

“Whereas Toronto city council, acknowledging the existence of anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism and its connection to police brutality, passed a motion on July 1, 2020, calling on the provincial government to address police violence and systemic racism;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to implement a human-rights-based provincial strategy named the Regis report that includes the following:

“

(1) The immediate implementation and expansion of the existing crisis intervention teams to be available 24 hours a day to accompany police officers to all calls for mental health and wellness checks, to de-escalate crises and prevent unnecessary use of force by police officers;

“

(2) The reinstatement of the Safer Ontario Act, 2018, along with the recommendations made by Justice Tulloch’s police oversight review that would apply to the SIU and other police oversight agencies;

“

(3) The release of the names of police officers present at any incident investigated by the SIU should any member of the public request it;

“

(4) A thorough review of the equipment and use of force regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 926, so as to emphasize de-escalation and address the use of deadly force;

“

(5) The immediate divestment of the associated budget lines towards equitable community-centred and harm-reduction focused first responders ...;

“

(6) A commitment to ensure COVID-19 recovery efforts include measures to end anti-Black, anti-Indigenous racism and address the mental health challenges exacerbated by COVID-19 for many Ontarians.”

Economic recovery

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I propose the following petition: “Proposed Changes to the Environmental Assessment Act.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in the province, creating personal and financial hardship and resulting in losses far greater than anyone could have imagined. Individuals, families and businesses have risen to the challenge and supported each other through one of the darkest periods in Ontario’s history; and

“Whereas Ontarians are looking for decisive action to be taken to restart the province’s economic engine in a safe, yet effective, way; and

“Whereas now more than ever, critical infrastructure projects are desperately needed to stimulate recovery to ensure thousands of Ontarians can get back to work and reverse the serious economic impacts of COVID-19; and

“Whereas the Ontario government has endeavoured to update an almost 50-year-old environmental assessment program to build a modern, practical process that supports strong environmental oversight and a strong economy; and

“Whereas the province must focus resources on pro-jects and reduce wait times for assessments up to 50% for the largest projects, while also matching assessment requirements to the level of environmental impact so critical projects can get off the ground without undue delay;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legisla-tive Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Pass the much-needed legislation, Bill 197,

An Act to amend various statutes in response to COVID-19 and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes, to respond to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the people of Ontario.”

I affix my signature.

Affordable housing

Ms. Jill Andrew: This petition is on behalf of our community in St. Paul’s.

“Petition for Real Protections from Above-Guideline Rent Increases:

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas housing is a human right;

“Whereas rental rates in Toronto–St. Paul’s and across Ontario are increasingly unaffordable;

“Whereas we need to protect our affordable housing stock in Ontario;

“Whereas paying to maintain a building should be the responsibility of the landlord;

“Whereas above-guideline rent increases can increase rent well over what people can afford;

“Whereas inaction on this issue will mean thousands of Ontarians will be forced from their homes;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to immediately review above-the-guideline increase rules and regulations, and ensure that rental housing remains affordable in Ontario.”

I couldn’t agree with this petition more. I’m affixing my signature and will hand it to the usher.

Economic recovery

Mr. Michael Parsa: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone in the province, creating personal and financial hardship and resulting in losses far greater than anyone could have imagined. Individuals, families and businesses have risen to the challenge and supported each other through one of the darkest periods in Ontario’s history; and

“Whereas Ontarians are looking for decisive action to be taken to restart the province’s economic engine in a safe, yet effective, way; and

“Whereas now more than ever, critical infrastructure projects are desperately needed to stimulate recovery to ensure thousands of Ontarians can get back to work and reverse the serious economic impacts of COVID-19; and

“Whereas the Ontario government has endeavoured to update an almost 50-year-old environmental assessment program to build a modern, practical process that supports strong environmental oversight and a strong economy; and

“Whereas the province must focus resources on pro-jects and reduce wait times for assessments up to 50% for the largest projects, while also matching assessment requirements to the level of environmental impact so critical projects can get off the ground without undue delay;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legisla-tive Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Pass the much-needed legislation, Bill 197,

An Act to amend various statutes in response to COVID-19 and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes, to respond to the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the people of Ontario.”

I will add my name to this and pass it on to one of the ushers.

Anti-racism activities

Ms. Jill Andrew: This is the “Petition for the Creation and Implementation of the Regis Report.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas on May 27, 2020, Regis Korchinski-Paquet’s mother called 911 for police assistance during a family dispute. Within minutes of the police arriving, Regis ended up deceased on the ground 24 floors below. A call for assistance, ended in death;

“Whereas other calls for assistance that ended in death include April 6, DeAndre Campbell-Kelly, shot to death by police in Peel; May 8, Caleb Njoko in London, fell 15 floors from his balcony while police were present; and June 20, Ejaz Choudry, shot to death by police in Malton;

“Whereas the provincial government has a responsibility to ensure all residents are safe and will not be subject to differential treatment by law enforcement based on race, religion or mental state;

“Whereas a report by the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC), titled Under Suspicion: Concerns About Racial Profiling by Police, found that case law recognizes that racial profiling is a systemic problem in policing;

“Whereas in an interim report, A Collective Impact, the OHRC found that Black people are grossly overrepresented in cases involving police use of force that results in serious injury or death. Despite making up only 8.8% of Toronto’s population, Black people were overrepresented in use of force cases (28.8%), shootings (36%), deadly encounters (61.5%) and fatal shootings (70%), and 20 times more likely to be shot by police;

“Whereas Toronto city council, acknowledging the existence of anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism and its connection to police brutality, passed a motion on July 1, 2020, calling on the provincial government to address police violence and systemic racism;

“We, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to implement a human-rights-based provincial strategy named the Regis report that includes the following:

“

(1) The immediate implementation and expansion of the existing crisis intervention teams to be available 24 hours a day to accompany police officers to all calls for mental health and wellness checks, to de-escalate crises and prevent unnecessary use of force by police officers;

“

(2) The reinstatement of the Safer Ontario Act, 2018, along with the recommendations made by Justice Tulloch’s police oversight review that would apply to the SIU and other police oversight agencies;

“

(3) The release of the names of police officers present at any incident investigated by the SIU should any member of the public request it;

“

(4) A thorough review of the equipment and use of force regulation, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 926, so as to emphasize de-escalation and address the use of deadly force;

“

(5) The immediate divestment of the associated budget lines towards equitable community-centred and harm-reduction focused first responders ... ;

“

(6) A commitment to ensure COVID-19 recovery efforts include measures to end anti-Black, anti-Indigenous racism and address the mental health challenges exacerbated by COVID-19 for many Ontarians.”

Speaker, I overwhelmingly support this petition with everything inside of me. I have signed my signature to it, and I will hand it to the usher.

Orders of the Day

Time allocation

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: I move that, pursuant to standing order 50 and notwithstanding any other standing order or special order of the House relating to Bill 195,

An Act to enact the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020; and Bill 197,

An Act to amend various statutes in response to COVID-19 and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes;

That, when Bill 195 is next called as a government order, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and put every question necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill without further debate or amendment; and at such time the bill shall be ordered for third reading, which order may be called the same day; and

That, when the order for third reading of Bill 195 is called, two hours of debate shall be allotted to the third reading stage of the bill with 50 minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government, 50 minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, and 20 minutes allotted to the independent members as a group; and at the end of this time, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and shall put every question necessary to dispose of this stage of the bill without further debate or amendment; and

That, when Bill 197 is next called as a government order, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and put every question necessary to dispose of the second reading stage of the bill without further debate or amendment; and at such time the bill shall be ordered for third reading, which order may be called the same day; and

That, when the order for third reading of Bill 197 is called, two hours of debate shall be allotted to the third reading stage of the bill with 50 minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s government, 50 minutes allotted to Her Majesty’s loyal opposition and 20 minutes allotted to the independent members as a group; and at the end of this time, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and shall put every question necessary to dispose of this stage of the bill without further debate or amendment; and

That, except in the case of a recorded division arising from morning orders of the day pursuant to standing order 10(c), no deferral of the second or third reading vote of either bill shall be permitted.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Ms. Khanjin has moved government notice of motion number 86.

Further debate?

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m very pleased to rise today. I think we’ve all been getting a lot of emails from our constituents, from both landlords and tenants alike. I think it’s a contentious issue. We get a lot of emails during regular times, but during COVID-19, it has exacerbated the difficulties. It’s always going to be a contentious issue. Tenants feel things are favoured for the landlords, and landlords feel that things are skewed in favour of the tenants.

What we need is to find that right balance. It’s not perfect for everybody, but we want to find a system that’s reasonably fair to everybody, so that people have the housing that they need and families aren’t being forced to move unnecessarily, while on the other hand recognizing that landlords are running a business, and they’ve invested in the properties, and most landlords have their tenants’ best interests in mind.

I just want to mention that York region is going to be moving into stage 3 Thursday night, so right away I am thinking of a few weddings where I’ve been talking to the parents, to the bride, to the groom, to the siblings—everybody involved—and they’re asking me if, in the next couple weeks, we’re going to be moving to stage 3 so they can go ahead with having more people and greater groups together for the celebrations.

Part of that reminds me that one of the couples is looking to move; they’re looking to purchase a small property. I asked them, “Well, is your lease up on your apartment?”, thinking about what their closing date is going to be and if it’s going to a problem. And what they said really warmed my heart and made me think about this new piece of legislation, because basically what they said is that their landlord is letting them pay month to month and letting them go ahead with—

Interjection.

Mrs. Gila Martow: I’m going to be speaking to Bill 197 and Bill 195. I’m sorry. I’m focusing on Bill 184 right now. I’ll switch to it in a minute.

I’ll just finish by saying that even though the lease is up, the landlord said to them, “You can just go month to month. I know you’re looking to buy a property, and I’ll be very flexible with you. You’ve been fantastic tenants.” Those are the stories we don’t often hear, because that’s not why people are contacting our offices.

I spoke last week on the economic recovery bill and the emergency order bill. I just want to ensure that I’m able to continue speaking to those bills, because if it’s the same time frame—is that an issue? I’m just checking that that’s not an issue, because I know—just for people at home to understand—that once you’ve spoken on a certain rotation, you cannot necessarily go ahead and speak in that rotation.

I just read a petition, actually, in the Legislature from some constituents who are happy with the balanced approach—just as I was saying about a balanced approach between tenants and landlord—that we’re taking between the safety of the public, the safety of the employees and, of course, getting the economy back and supporting our businesses of all sizes.

I think that Ontario has probably been—and I’m not just saying this because I’m involved in government right now—I think we can all agree Ontario has been one of the best places to be in during this pandemic. We certainly saw that people wanted to come back to Ontario when things got a little scary around the world. We’re hearing it from our constituents that overall, people feel nervous about the pandemic and what it means for the economy, what it means for their job, what it means for the health and safety of themselves and their family. But they feel that, overall, this is the best place to be.

I have certainly not gotten any emails from somebody saying, “Do you know what? I should have stayed in another country, or another province or another region.”

I just want to say that it has really been an honour and a privilege—I’ve said it before—to be part of the government during this difficult time, to get to see the businesses opening. As I said before, in York region, at midnight early Friday morning, we’ll be going into stage 3. Only Peel, Toronto and Windsor-Essex are, unfortunately, still staying in stage 2.

We’ve been taking a very cautious approach, and I think the word that just keeps coming back is “balance.” I think we’ve all been using that word a lot—that it becomes a balance to find just the right direction to take so that we’re keeping everybody safe, that we’re flattening the curve and stopping the spread, that we’re supporting our front-line healthcare workers, because they have to go to work every day knowing what they’re facing and the risks that they’re taking. They have to feel supported if we’re going to get them to continue at those jobs.

I want to take the opportunity to thank all those front-line health care workers, but to also thank everybody who has been doing their part to keep their region, their family, their neighbourhood safe during these difficult times, and I want to thank all of my colleagues here in the Legislature for all they have done. It has been a difficult time, it has been a challenging time, but it has been an honour and a pleasure to work with all of you.

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

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Well, the government is talking about balance; it sounds like the scales of justice have tipped over to one side, not in a balanced way. I fail to understand how time-allocating two bills, Bill 195 and Bill 197, in one motion—both of the bills are controversial. Bill 195, Mr. Speaker, as you know, allows the government to amend and change emergency orders by decree of cabinet, and the mechanism that we currently have, where the Legislature has a role to play in approving and making sure that these things are done in the light of day, is being taken away.

There are a lot of people out there who are not happy about that. I wouldn’t say that every Ontarian is aware of Bill 195 and Bill 197—far from it—but those who do pay attention to this place and those who are involved in emergency measure orders etc. are paying attention and are not happy with what the government is doing.

In Bill 197, we have a bill that purports to prepare us for the reopening of the economy and doing great things for helping the economy move along as we come out of this pandemic. Well, the bill essentially monetizes the environmental assessment process. I’m stealing the comment from my colleague behind me—I hope you’ll allow me to plagiarize.

Ms. Sandy Shaw: Do it justice.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Thank you very much. I got permission.

The issue is that the government is changing the environmental assessment process in a way that is going to become much more friendly for developers and is not necessarily going to give the kind of safety that we need when it comes to making sure that certain projects are given the scrutiny that they need.

Now, people will speak to Bill 195 and people will speak to Bill 197 when we get to third reading, but I want to speak to the time allocation motion, because the part that’s really offensive about what the government is doing in this time allocation motion is that they’re bypassing the committee process. Nobody in Ontario is going to have an opportunity to apply to come before committee and have their say. Even if it’s a short time in committee—which I disagree with; I think these types of decisions need more time in committee, but obviously the government doesn’t agree with me.

But anybody who wants to speak to it has been disenfranchised. The government has taken away their voice. The government has taken away their ability to say, “I like or dislike what the government is doing, and here’s what I propose.”

In a democracy, that is not a good thing. In a democracy, you have to have a mechanism, especially in this day and age, that allows you to bring the public into the process. The beautiful thing about the British parliamentary system is that we have a committee process: that bills normally, after second reading, go to committee, and the opposition or any member of the government has the ability to force things into committee—unless the bill is time-allocated, such as what the government is just doing.

Mr. Ford speaks a good line when it comes to, “I want to work with people. We’re in this together.” He uses all the right words. I can’t argue with any of the language that he uses.

Interjections.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Oh, you can applaud all you want, but the problem is, you should be judged by your actions. I want you to applaud that because the actions of the government are, quite frankly, wrong-headed. You cannot take bills such as this and bypass the committee process, cut out the public, and expect that it’s a good thing. “It’s balanced.” It’s not balanced. This is tilted towards the government, so they can get what they want, when they want, how they want. That’s not the way this place is to operate.

The best, best work that this Legislature has done—over the 100-plus years that it has been here—has been the work when we give due time for debate at second reading. The government listens to what members have to say. We then go to committee and, more importantly, listen to the public and take into consideration what they have to say, and then amend the legislation in order to reflect the wishes of the people.

This is the people’s chamber. This is not my chamber, Mr. Speaker, or your chamber only. It is the chamber of the people. They send representatives here to be their voice when it comes to these debates so that they can be heard. But the beauty of it is, we also have a mechanism where we allow them in the building or we travel out to them, and we hear what they have to say on committee.

Mr. Speaker, you’ve been here almost as long as me—probably two seconds different. I think one of us probably got declared before the other person, back in 1990. But anyway, I digress. I’m no longer on the topic of the bill when I talk about your election and my election in 1990, along with Mr. Wilson’s.

But I would say that this decision on the part of the government to bypass the committee process is, quite frankly, cynical. I think it says to the public—“I don’t care. You can think what you want. I’ve made up my mind,” says Mr. Ford. That’s essentially what this is. As New Democrats, we don’t believe that that’s the right thing to do.

I was a member of a government, as you remember well, back in 1990, when you came here. There were things that we did that the people didn’t like, but we always gave them the opportunity to come to committee. Sometimes, yes, we amended legislation. I’ve spoken about some of those things over the years, where it was a regular course of business in this Legislature that when we went to committee, bills were amended—not just by what the government wanted, but by what the public had to say.

That’s when this place works well. That’s when people look at this Legislature and the institution of Parliament and say, “This thing is working.”

But more and more, this place is not working, especially under Mr. Ford.

Mr. Ford is very good at communicating. He has gotten—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): You need to refer to him by his ministerial title.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Mr. Speaker, I want to apologize. I stand corrected.

The Premier stands at his press conferences or wherever he is and he says the right things. I give him full credit for saying those things, because I think it needs to be said. But it’s the actions that are troubling. When you look at what the government doesn’t do—after they’ve said the words, they do the opposite.

How can the Premier stand at a press conference or anywhere in Ontario and talk about, “We want to work together. This is all about us,” meaning the people of Ontario, “and we want to include them in our decision-making process”—well, you can’t do that if you don’t send bills like this to committee. I just think that it’s a bad move on the part of the government to do that because I think it really is showing disrespect to the people of Ontario.

I would urge the government to reconsider this particular motion. The government will argue, “We need this for Bill 195. It has to be done now.” Bill 195: We can pass another emergency order by way of a vote in this House, and the opposition is not going to slow it down or oppose you. We would have time to have proper committee on this. The House can sit longer. If the government wants to have the House sit beyond next week, New Democrats are fine. We’ll be there—not an issue.

Mr. Wayne Gates: All summer.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: The whole summer, into the fall; whatever the government wants to do. That’s fine. That’s why we’re here. But I suspect that the government doesn’t want to do that because they are content having all of the power on their side of the House and at the cabinet table and making the decisions they want, with the least amount of scrutiny possible, so that they can change Ontario into the vision that they believe in their hearts is right.

I don’t argue for one second that Conservatives don’t believe in what they’re doing. I think they believe in what they’re doing. I just happen to disagree. I don’t think this is a good way to run a government. I think a government has to listen to the people. Sometimes you’re not going to like what they have to say. And sometimes the government is going to have to do what the public doesn’t want. I understand that. Sometimes there are decisions that are very difficult to make, and governments of all stripes have come across having to make those decisions.

Nobody likes doing that, but that’s what governing is all about. But when you cut the public out, I think it’s a problem, and it’s a problem that’s getting worse and worse the longer I’m here. Members come to this place now, as in the last election—they have never seen the place run the way that it used to, that was much more inclusive, that gave members a role when it came to what was going on when it came to legislation, that gave the public a role. No member who was elected in the last election ever saw that.

Who even knows what Committee of the Whole is anymore?. The last time Committee of the Whole happened was, what—1997? Was it during the Tory administration? I think it was under Premier Harris’s administration, if I remember correctly. Was it a dilatorious tactic on the part of the NDP, at the time, in order to try to stop and make changes to the City of Toronto Act that they were doing, where they were amalgamating all of the cities across Ontario—Sudbury, Hamilton etc.? Yes, we were being dilatorious; there’s no question.

But we were utilizing the rules of the Legislature in order to exert pressure on the government to back down on things. The government somewhat backed down. They got what they wanted. We didn’t get half a loaf, we didn’t get a quarter of a loaf—we only got part of a loaf of what we were looking for. But those were the tools that we had in order to be able to exert pressure on the government to make changes, and it allowed the public to organize and come to committee in large numbers.

Even the Harris administration, Mr. Speaker—Premier Harris allowed the committees to operate. You were here when we had the City of Toronto Act or the amalgamation of Ottawa—there were five major municipalities. I think they were Hamilton, Ottawa, Sudbury, Toronto—I forget what the last one was.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Chatham-Kent.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: Chatham-Kent. That’s right. I should have thought of that.

If I remember correctly, that bill may have travelled into those cities. I think that was one of the things we pushed for when we forced the bill into Committee of the Whole and we held up the House for 10 or 11 days—24 hours a day we were here in the House.

I’m not threatening that we, as the opposition today, would do that on any particular bill. My point is, the system has been designed in such a way that it gives an opportunity for the public to be heard and gives the opposition an ability to slow the government down. In the end, the government will always pass their bills, because they have a majority. There’s nobody here on the opposition side who is saying, “No, the government shouldn’t have the right to pass legislation.” Absolutely, they have the right and the responsibility to pass legislation. But with that responsibility comes a duty, and that duty is to respect the public and allow the public to have their say.

When a government decides to time-allocate a bill in the way that they are, so that the public is cut out of the process, it’s disrespectful to the people of Ontario. At one point, the government will be judged by these decisions. As we move our way through this pandemic, and the more people start realizing that the government says one thing but, quite frankly, doesn’t act on the things they say in the way that they say, I think people are going to start realizing that it’s a problem.

A good example is the example that my leader, Andrea Horwath, raised today in regard to long-term care. The Premier said the right things—“We’re going to get to the bottom of this, when it comes to long-term-care institutions. There are some bad actors in the private sector.” The majority of the large problem we had in the long-term-care system was in the private homes. So he was sort of giving the impression that something was going to happen to clean that up—we weren’t going to expand the private sector; if anything, we might go in the opposite direction.

Even right-wing radio show hosts that I’ve done shows with over the past three or four months through this pandemic have agreed there is a problem in our long-term-care system. The Premier agrees there’s a problem in the long-term-care system, and part of it is the privatization of long-term care.

We got an announcement on Thursday or Friday that the government is going to reduce their expansion of long-term care from 20,000 homes to 16,000 homes because they want to give more money to the contractors who are building the homes, because they can’t bid on the contracts to make money at the current level. Rather than increasing the budget, they decrease the number of units that they’re going to build, how many beds. So we’ve gone from 20,000 beds to 16,000 beds, and we’re allowing the private sector to bid in. The Premier didn’t say that, Mr. Speaker, when the Premier spoke about long-term care.

He said he was going to get at the bottom of it. He’s not getting at the bottom of it; he’s putting the private sector at the top, and I just think the public should have the right to speak to that.

Bill 195 and Bill 197 are an opportunity for people to come into this Legislature, go to our committees and say what they have to say, at least be heard. You’re never going to win all your arguments with the government when you’re in the public, but you at least want to be heard.

Interjection.

Mr. Gilles Bisson: No? Okay. I thought my colleague wanted to speak. I noticed that she gave me the sign that she didn’t want to speak.

My point is, the public has to be heard.

I know, Mr. Speaker, there are other people in my caucus who want to speak to this, so I will at this point end my part of debate and just say to the government, you should reconsider this, because this is very anti-democratic. This is very unparliamentary, in the sense of trying to keep the public out. And having time allocation when the government says it wants to work with people—it cuts the public out, to be heard—I think it goes in the complete opposite direction the government is stating.

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

Ms. Sandy Shaw: I’d like to thank my honourable member for borrowing a phrase, “monetizing the environmental assessment.” You did it justice, because I think what we need to understand, and what you’ve explained to us, is, the government says what they think people want to hear. They use those convincing words. They use words like “monetize” and “digitize,” but what they’re really talking about is the idea that there’s nothing in this province that isn’t up for sale. And my guess is that, given this time allocation motion, it’s proof positive this is a government that wants to ram legislation throu