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September 28, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Sept-28 (PDF)

L187 - Mon 28 Sep 2020 / Lun 28 sep 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Monday 28 September 2020 Lundi 28 septembre 2020

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Affordable housing

COVID-19 response

John Vandertuin

Education funding

United Way

Public health

Police

Max Keeping

Legislative interns

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Long-term care

COVID-19 response

COVID-19 response

Commercial rent protection

Taxation

Public transit

Small business

COVID-19 response

Tourism

Education funding

Child care

Manufacturing jobs

COVID-19 response in northern Ontario

Special-needs students

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Petitions

Multiple sclerosis

Long-term care

Services for persons with disabilities

Autism treatment

Public sector compensation

Health care

Long-term care

Education funding

Gasoline prices

Alzheimer’s disease

Documents gouvernementaux

Long-term care

Autism treatment

Orders of the Day

Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à soutenir les locataires et les petites entreprises

The House met at 1015.

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

Prayers.

Royal assent / Sanction royale

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor has been pleased to assent to certain bills in her office.

The Clerk-at-the-Table (Mr. William Short): The following are the titles of the bills to which Her Honour did assent:

An Act to proclaim the month of July as Tibetan Heritage Month / Loi proclamant le mois de juillet Mois du patrimoine tibétain.

An Act to proclaim Stop Cyberbullying in Ontario Day / Loi proclamant la Journée pour l’élimination de la cyberintimidation en Ontario.

An Act to amend the Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act, 2001 / Loi modifiant la Loi de 2001 sur l’emblème franco-ontarien.

Members’ Statements

COVID-19 response

Ms. Doly Begum: I rise today to recognize the great work our local business associations, namely the Crossroads of the Danforth BIA and the Scarborough Business Association, have been doing to support and advocate for our small businesses in my riding of Scarborough Southwest.

I joined the leader of the official opposition to meet with these BIAs a few weeks ago. They shared with us the struggles that local businesses are facing and the work they’re doing to help local businesses get through this pandemic. It is clear that these businesses need more support from this government if they are to keep their doors open after this pandemic, especially as we head toward a second wave.

Last week, the Ontario NDP presented an updated plan on how we would support small businesses. I am proud to stand by this plan that proposes exactly what the business communities have been calling for. The updated measures include a ban on commercial evictions; a no-strings-attached rent subsidy of 75%, which would be a significant improvement on the CECRA; a utility payment freeze; a limit on food delivery fees to help our restaurants; a mandate to reduce commercial vehicle insurance rates; and preventing insurance companies from denying business interruption insurance.

Mr. Speaker, businesses in Scarborough Southwest and across this province need our support urgently, so I call on the Premier and his government to take the necessary steps, adopt our Save Main Street plan and protect the backbone of our economy.

Affordable housing

Mr. Toby Barrett: There’s a movement afoot to take back downtown Simcoe and assist those without a home, those suffering from mental health problems and those with addictions to narcotic analgesics.

I was very pleased to have my colleague Steve Clark, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, join me in Simcoe to announce over $3.1 million through our Home for Good program. This funding will renovate the downtown Simcoe Norfolk Inn into a three-storey, 50-unit residence for supportive housing. When completed, the complex will include seven accessible units, community space and commercial units at street level.

We congratulate all who have been involved with the Norfolk Inn renovation: the team at Indwell, Schilthuis Construction, the broader business and social service community, volunteers and the fundraisers. Norfolk county and the Haldimand Norfolk Housing Authority continue to lead in providing quality affordable housing.

Speaker, homelessness is a serious issue, and those experiencing homelessness often have complex needs. This is a critical project. It will help to provide some of the most vulnerable members of our community with a roof over their heads and access to programs to stabilize their lives, find employment and become contributing members of our society.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Last Wednesday, I was saddened to learn that a student at École Gron Morgan in Thunder Bay tested positive for COVID-19. My heart goes out to the student, the parents and all of those affected. When I saw this news, all I could think is this Conservative government needs to get its act together. They had no plan. We knew all summer that a second wave was coming, yet where were they?

For parents in my riding, no plan means there are no good choices. Parents can send their children to school where cases are rising. At the same time, fewer people are allowed to get a COVID test and there are few resources. The other option, keeping children at home, requires Internet. In many parts of my riding, there is no Internet, or no high-speed Internet, or it’s simply unaffordable. Barbara Saxberg copied me on a petition from Oliver Paipoonge sent to Tbaytel about the lack of Internet service. Tbaytel responded that they are waiting on this government to decide if they will fund high-speed Internet to 1,752 addresses.

So there you have it: On COVID testing, on education choices for parents and on rural Internet, this government needs a plan. Enough is enough, and now is the time to act.

John Vandertuin

Mr. Will Bouma: Today I am pleased to rise to bring attention to a very special anniversary for one of my constituents. I just want to apologize for being six months late because of the delay with COVID. Dr. John Vandertuin is a concert organist with an exceptional talent. He has distinguished himself not just by his organ skills, but also by the fact that he can play so well while being blind from birth.

Dr. Vandertuin began his career at age 12. Since that time, he has studied around the world with some of the greatest organists and performed in some of the most noteworthy locations. He honed his craft at a young age in places such as Paris, Amsterdam and the United States, and right here at home in Canada at the University of Western Ontario in London. He is known as an outstanding recital organist and memorizes his repertoire from Braille or by ear. Again, he has performed in locations around the world.

He is now, this year, celebrating his 50th anniversary as a concert organist. To clarify, it has been 50 years since his first complete organ recital at age 12. This is certainly something to celebrate. For the past 50 years, we have been fortunate to have the music of Dr. Vandertuin sounding throughout churches and concert halls in Canada and around the world.

Education funding

Miss Monique Taylor: Over the past few weeks, we’ve watched the government’s awful school reopening plan unfold. We’ve seen the government vote against our motion for safer, smaller class sizes that would have capped class sizes at 15 students, and now we’re seeing COVID-19 cases rising fast.

We have 240 confirmed cases in dozens of schools around the province. In Hamilton, I have heard from many parents who feel their child is at risk of falling behind. I’ve also heard from parents of special-needs children not getting the one-on-one support their child needs, and educational assistants who support these kids have told me that they are stretched much too thin. Teachers and education workers are burning the candle at both ends, trying to provide in-class and online learning and ensure that students don’t fall behind.

Further, in Hamilton, school buses are being rationed. The boards are rotating bus schedules because this year we have cancelled 17 routes due to a shortage of drivers. These buses are packed full of kids, so cohorting and distancing is impossible.

At the end of the day, parents and students are feeling the impact. They’re wondering, where is the government? As cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again, why won’t this government shrink class sizes, like the experts recommend? Families should never have to choose between their kids’ safety and their education, but that is exactly what this government is forcing them to do.

United Way

Mr. Randy Pettapiece: On Friday, the United Way Perth-Huron held their semi-virtual campaign kick-off event. The video presentation featured campaign co-chairs Martin and Kathryn Ritsma. Along with executive director Ryan Erb, they spoke about some of the unignorable issues we face. They shared stories about those experiencing poverty, homelessness and social isolation.

These issues are really about people, people in our community who are experiencing hardships. Meeting their needs takes effort and leadership. We have that in the United Way and all the organizations they support. It also takes financial resources. As part of Friday’s event, the United Way announced its most ambitious local fundraising campaign goal ever: $1,762,200.

Ryan Erb gave a few examples of the kind of help they can provide. “We want to be able to help people who might be experiencing a challenge right here and right now,” he said. “Maybe they need a bit of help paying their rent. Maybe they need a bit of help with paying for that car-repair bill so they can get to their job and don’t lose it.”

In response to last year’s fundraising goals, the community stepped up. Workplaces of all sizes, hundreds of them, made donations. Let’s encourage each other to do it again this year. I’m confident we will do it again, because that’s the kind of community we are. The need is great, but so is our collective capacity to give.

To everyone involved in the campaign, thank you for making our community stronger.

Public health

Mr. Kevin Yarde: My motion calling on the province to provide assistance to Peel public health passed last week. The government so far has failed to deliver the help that should have come by now, help that would have supported more testing, more community outreach and more proactive workplace inspections.

What we need is unrestricted funding of the provincial component to hire various staff that can continue to support—and I’ll name the staff that we require: six full-time-equivalent public health inspectors; 10 case and contact managers to support COVID now, but also to support with other communicable diseases once the pandemic is over, particularly given the backlog to date and concerns of spread as well. Having more permanently would allow flexibility between the COVID response and other infectious diseases.

We require eight immunization coordinators to support influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations; one analyst and one coordinator to support harm reduction efforts—we have seen opioid overdoses also surge during the pandemic—additional data coordinators, epidemiologists and analysts, all to support public reporting of data and public education around what we are seeing in respect of clusters.

Long story short, Mr. Speaker, at least 26 full-time equivalents is what we need, which would come up to a commitment of around $2 million from the province. All of this would go to supporting the continued control of COVID, rollout of a mass immunization program, as well as protecting against influenza.

Police

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Last year at this time, I had the privilege to speak at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Run kick-off. The event was held right here at Queen’s Park. The memorial run honours the hundreds of police and peace officers who have died in the line of duty.

Last year’s event saw runners start here at Queen’s Park and run along the 460-kilometre route to the Canadian Police And Peace Officers’ Memorial in our nation’s capital. This year, the event was cancelled in Toronto due to COVID-19 restrictions, and a muted ceremony was held in Ottawa.

This is a chance to reflect and honour those peace officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities. This year, four more names were sadly added to the honour roll, including that of RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, who died in the shooting rampage in April in Nova Scotia.

Every day, peace officers face challenging circumstances, difficult decisions and complex workloads. Often, their work is silent, preventive and unseen. And sometimes their jobs require them to put themselves in harm’s way to keep others safe. It’s heartening to know that we can always count on our front-line responders to keep us safe.

Thank you to all our police and peace officers for your service to your country and to your community.

Max Keeping

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: For those of us who are from Ottawa, we will remember the late Max Keeping, our former CTV Ottawa news anchor for many, many years. Max was well known in our community for always bringing us together in our moments of greatest challenge.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that in the city of Ottawa his legacy lives on. At the onset of the pandemic, the United Way of eastern Ontario, under their CEO Michael Allen, brought together all of the community organizations and agencies across Ottawa on a COVID-19 community response table. I was honoured to sit on that table as the provincial government’s representative, alongside these representatives of agencies, different levels of government and local businesses.

Just as Max taught us, during this incredibly difficult period, the community rallied. We made sure that different agencies, businesses and political leaders were working together to tackle the challenges of gender-based violence, mental health issues, refugee supports, and we saw some really fantastic, innovative solutions come out from all of that.

On behalf of the government of Ontario, I would like to thank the United Way of eastern Ontario for their leadership, thank all of the agencies across Ottawa that have been valiantly working together to combat this difficult challenge, and to the people of Ottawa, I want to say thank you. I know that Max Keeping is smiling down on all of us.

Legislative interns

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Before I ask oral questions, it gives me great pleasure to introduce some special guests who are with us in the Speaker’s gallery. They are this year’s interns from the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme: Mackenzie Bonnett, Amelia Boughn, Gurkamal Dhahan, Ritika Gupta, Elizabeth Haig, Monica Mann, Meriem Mezdour, David Nightingale, Alexander Stover and Chelsea Tao. Please join me in welcoming them.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Although this is a unique year, as we know, this talented and enthusiastic group of scholars is looking forward to working with you, and I would ask you all to keep an eye out for the application package which should be going out to your offices very soon.

Once again, welcome to the Legislative Assembly.

Question Period

COVID-19 response

Ms. Catherine Fife: My question is to the Premier. With more people being affected by COVID-19, this government’s actions are weeks late, incomplete and contradictory. They are scrambling. They are chasing the second wave instead of being in front of it with a clear and cohesive plan.

Last week, the Ford government had to scramble to ration COVID-19 testing, just a day after the Premier announced the scheme for asymptomatic testing. Then the Ford government had to scramble with new closing times for bars and restaurants, four months after Toronto Mayor John Tory and Toronto Public Health called for that to happen—four months late.

When COVID-19 is moving so rapidly, why is the Ford government moving so slowly?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say that while the increase in COVID-19 cases is very unfortunate, it’s also not unexpected. We have prepared for this throughout the summer months. We knew that we were going to see an increase in cases. We know that we’re facing flu season as well, and we’re trying to keep the number of scheduled surgeries and procedures also on track.

That is why we developed our comprehensive plan, Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19. It is a six-pillar plan that comprehensively deals with the issue: first of all, maintaining public health measures; secondly, implementing the largest flu immunization campaign in Ontario’s history; third, quickly identifying, managing and preventing outbreaks of COVID-19; accelerating efforts to reduce health service backlogs; preparing for surges in COVID-19 cases; and, of course, dealing with the health human resources that we need in order to keep Ontarians safe. That is a comprehensive plan. That is what we are putting into action right now.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: The Premier should be moving swiftly and making urgent investments—which is not happening—yet the Ford government seems surprised by developments, hoping to save a buck, especially in our classrooms. Nearly 200 schools now have reported cases of COVID-19. Public health experts, including the Hospital for Sick Children, have been very clear: It’s impossible to safely distance in classes of more than 15. Yet the Ford government refuses to make the investments needed to safely cap class sizes, which is what needs to happen.

How long will parents have to wait before the government takes the measures we know are needed now?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I’m proud that the government has unveiled a plan endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health of this province—$200 million in investment. Speaker, let me tell you what that investment is yielding province-wide: As of this morning, over 2,044 teachers have been hired because of government investment in ensuring the safety of our schools; over 92 mental health workers; over 1,100 custodians have been hired; an additional 372 early childhood educators; another 162 education assistants; another 551 nurses, doubling the capacity of mental health nurses within our schools.

This is investment, this is leadership, and it demonstrates that we’ll do whatever it takes to keep our students and staff safe in the province of Ontario.

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

Ms. Catherine Fife: Yet COVID-19 is expanding in our school system.

Parents and families are watching Ontario slide backwards. Cases continue to grow in our schools and long-term-care homes. There is a backlog of 65,000 people waiting for test results. In over half the cases, we don’t know how people got sick, and we lack contact tracing in this province.

The Premier has spent the last week slowly rolling out one pillar at a time. Those pillars change day by day. There is no confidence in this government’s plan. Why, with the second wave of this pandemic upon us, is this government still scrambling to chase the crisis?

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

Hon. Christine Elliott: I would say to the member that the plan has been in place for some time. It has already been in implementation for a long time. What we’re doing is building on some of the basics that we started with testing, tracing and isolation to make sure that we can reduce community transmission.

But, specifically, in terms of contact tracing, we are investing over $1 billion—$1 billion—to expand efforts to test, trace and isolate COVID-19 cases. As part of this, we are going to be bringing in more than 500 new contact tracers on top of the 2,750 already in place. We are working with Statistics Canada. They are also providing another 500 employees to help with contact tracing, so we will have 3,750 contact tracers in place to deal with the increase in cases. We were prepared for it, and we are dealing with it.

Long-term care

M me France Gélinas: Ma question est pour le premier ministre.

In our long-term-care homes, the need for action is literally a matter of life and death. Over the weekend, another resident of the for-profit Extendicare West End Villa in Ottawa died due to the COVID-19 outbreak that has now claimed 13 lives. Now the for-profit Norwood nursing home in Toronto reports 18 new cases of COVID, up from 12 just yesterday.

For weeks, the Ford government has insisted these outbreaks were under control, even when staff were pleading for access to PPE and infection control. After all of the horrors that we saw in long-term care just this spring, why are these homes and this government still unprepared?

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

This is ongoing. An outbreak in long-term care can mean no residents in the home—and in fact, the majority of our homes have absolutely no resident cases. So an outbreak is one staff or one resident case, and in the majority of our homes right now, there are no resident cases.

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

M me France Gélinas: On Friday, CBC Marketplace revealed that the Ford government knew that resident quality inspections helped identify infection control concerns in our long-term-care homes, but they cut them anyway, leaving nursing homes vulnerable and unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Facilities that are currently facing outbreaks, like Extendicare West End Villa, like Norwood nursing home, have not had a thorough resident quality inspection in years. How can the government claim to know what is happening in these facilities when they cut funding and cancelled the inspections that would have told them so much?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for the important question. There is a lot of misinformation circulating surrounding inspections, and I want to make sure this is clarified.

Since January, my ministry has completed over 1,339 inspections. Every home in Ontario is inspected at least once a year. There were 2,800 inspections last year. We also respond immediately to any reported information where there is serious harm or risk of serious harm to a resident by making inquiries and conducting inspections—processing thousands of intakes last year.

These outbreaks right now are being assisted with through public health. We know that our inspectors are active in the homes that are affected. Public health is engaged. The inspections have been done, and the Auditor General report back in 2015 caused a change to high-risk inspections and the focus to clear the backlog. This has been an ongoing effort, and we will continue to make sure inspections are done.

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

M me France Gélinas: There is a difference between a full resident quality inspection and the inspection the minister is talking about.

Last week, the Ford government insisted that the outbreaks were under control in long-term care. Just like last spring, they said that there was an iron ring around our long-term-care homes. Yet long-term-care operators and families of residents have been pleading with this government for, first, a dedicated infection control consultant in every home, which we don’t have; and second, guaranteed access to personal protective equipment, which many of them still don’t have.

So why is it that, with over 700 new cases of COVID right here in Ontario today, the Ford government is continuing to try to save money by ignoring this expert advice?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I will take exception to the statement that we are ignoring expert advice. We have acted consistently and are continually taking expert advice.

All our homes are partnered with hospitals. The homes in outbreak, the majority have no resident cases. And as we see community spread and as we do testing surveillance, it’s very likely we will see more outbreaks with a staff member isolating at home and no resident cases.

This is a collaborative effort with Public Health Ontario, the public health units, the Ministry of Health, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the experts at the command table, the science table, the public health table. These are the responsive ways that we make sure we get care to our homes.

In terms of testing, yes, the absence of rapid tests is something the federal government could be assisting us with and that would make a difference to long-term care. So I ask the federal government to please help us get those rapid tests. It’s imperative.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Marit Stiles: This question is for the Premier.

While Ontarians wait for the government to bring forward a plan to contain rising COVID-19 numbers—and we know today there are 700 more cases—many are wondering if there is a plan at all. We know of 36 more cases in 27 more schools and 272 cases in 137 schools across the province. It was reported over the weekend that almost one in five schools in Ottawa has reported a case of COVID-19, and as of this morning, an outbreak at an elementary school in Scarborough will see it closed until at least next week.

Because the government has failed to keep class sizes under 15, it means that more of our children are exposed. More of their parents are left scrambling to take time off work or to stand in long testing lines. More of those grandparents are cut off from seeing their grandchildren.

When will the Premier bring in a second wave plan to ensure schools can safely remain open?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We have allocated well over a billion dollars of investment, unlocking it for school boards, because we appreciate that the risk is real. We have a duty to work with our school boards and public health agencies on the ground and to have every layer of protection in place to mitigate the risk of transmission.

We know it is rising in our community. It’s why the Deputy Premier and Premier have announced a suite of actions, $740 million, just days ago to reduce the backlog, to increase the amount of flu vaccines for all students—700,000 more—and to increase testing capacity.

Within our schools, we are hiring more staff. We are ensuring every layer of prevention, including the doubling of public health nurses, additional custodians, improvements to ventilation and, of course, action to hire well over 2,000 net new teachers in a one-time investment to reduce classroom sizes, increase distancing—all to make sure that our students are safe in this province.

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

Ms. Marit Stiles: The minister’s repeated assurances just do not line up with the reality of what’s happening in our communities, and I think the members opposite know that.

This money is a shell game. That money is not flowing, and the proof is again in what we’re seeing in our communities and in our schools. It is status quo class sizes in most schools in this province, and the members opposite know that.

When cases are identified in schools, it also means that teachers and other education workers—custodians, ECEs, EAs—are out of our schools for 14 days. On Friday afternoon, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board wrote to parents to warn them of the impact of staff shortages. They wrote, “Parents should be prepared for the possibility of school closures if we do not have enough staff available to safely supervise students.”

Speaker, we can no longer afford this Premier’s wait-and-see approach to this pandemic. This is the situation now. Will they deliver the funding and the plan to keep schools safely open?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We are spending more in this province than any province in the country—twice the New Democratic Party in British Columbia, which is quite telling.

When the member opposite seeks evidence of the investment, let me just enumerate what we are doing and what so far, midstream, early in this process, early in this semester, we can see investments delivering: 2044 net new teachers—that excludes Toronto; that number will be much higher when that data is known—2,000 more teachers to reduce classroom sizes province-wide; 92 more mental health workers—we’re the only province to add net new investment in mental health, because we appreciate the impact of the isolation of students from schools—an additional 1,000 more custodians, and the hiring is ongoing.

There are challenges hiring more custodians, getting access to that skilled labour. We have over 162 more education assistants, over 372 early childhood educators.

Speaker, what we have done is put funding in place for boards to do the hiring they need to ensure our schools, our staff and, ultimately, our communities remain as safe as possible as we respond to COVID-19.

COVID-19 response

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Over the past week, we have seen the number of cases increase. I know that you have stated that you are extremely concerned and have taken immediate action in response. This includes stronger penalties for breaking social gathering rules and closing down businesses that continue to ignore health and safety requirements.

We always knew that a second wave was coming, and our government has been able to prepare for months thanks to the efforts from our dedicated front-line heroes in my riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville and across the province. Speaker, can the Deputy Premier please share with this Legislature what our government has done to provide additional support to enhance our testing and contact tracing systems during this time?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you to the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville for the question and for your continued advocacy. The member is correct that Ontario is a leader when it comes to responding to the COVID-19 crisis, and that includes on the issue of testing.

This is why, last week, we announced that we’re investing over $1 billion in enhanced testing and contact tracing. That is $1 billion dollars to support testing, and that investment is going to make a huge difference. This month, we’ve added 500 more staff for contact tracing and case management, and we’ll be hiring another 500 staff on top of that 500. We’re investing $30 million to enhance our response. We have a robust surveillance and testing strategy for schools and for long-term-care homes.

We now have 151 assessment centres, providing tens of thousands of tests each and every day across this entire province. As well, we now have up to 60 pharmacies that have also joined the assessment centres to help increase our testing.

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

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: These numbers are incredible and speak to our government’s commitment to fighting this virus, and follow your strong creed that we will do whatever it takes to help the people of this province. This new funding will mean thousands of additional staff will be hired to support our contact tracing system. This builds on our government’s previous announcements of $30 million to fight outbreaks and $70 million for the largest flu vaccine campaign in Canadian history.

As you have said, we need the support from the federal government during this time. Until we get Health Canada’s approval for new rapid tests—rapid testing that other jurisdictions are currently using—the health experts are telling us that we need to be more strategic with testing. Can the Deputy Premier tell the Legislature more about our continued advocacy to the federal government on this front?

Hon. Christine Elliott: Thank you again to the member for the question, because there’s no question that Health Canada and the federal government play a massive role in all of this. Just imagine if we had a rapid test so that we could do in-place testing and we didn’t have to send tests to the labs. It can take 24 to 48 hours for the response to come back. If we could do it immediately, that would certainly assist us tremendously with our testing.

Right now, there are a number of rapid tests that are being assessed by Health Canada. We have called upon both Health Canada and the federal government to assist with this, to move this forward as quickly as possible while, of course, still maintaining the rigorous scrutiny they have to put these tests through. But that is something that we are going to continue to move with, because we know that we have to move. As COVID moves quickly, we have to move faster in order to make sure that we can get the latest in testing, to improve our technology and make sure that we can test, trace and isolate as soon as we can.

Commercial rent protection

Ms. Peggy Sattler: My question is to the Premier. Sally Anastasiadis and her family have been a mainstay of London’s food and hospitality industry for 35 years. They operate three local businesses, including Mustang Sally’s just down the road from my constituency office. In April, Sally’s landlord reluctantly agreed to enrol in the commercial rent relief program. Earlier this month, however, Sally was told that full rent would be due for July, August and September, because the landlord had unilaterally decided to withdraw from CECRA. Sally invested in PPE and was able to keep 20 staff on the payroll because she believed rent relief would continue. She now feels like she has been tricked.

Instead of relying on the goodwill of landlords, will the Premier implement a stand-alone emergency commercial rent subsidy to help struggling businesses like Mustang Sally’s make it through the pandemic?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Stan Cho: Certainly, we recognize the difficulty for small businesses in this province, including Mustang Sally’s and those in Willowdale and in every corner of Ontario. This has been a challenging time. As we know, running a small business is hard even at the best of times, let alone difficult times such as a pandemic.

That’s why this government has reacted by providing $241 million to support the commercial rent relief program. We continue to collaborate with Minister Freeland and try to work to improve the program. But as the member opposite will recognize, this is a federally administered program, so we need to continue to work with our partners at the CMHC to advocate to make sure that we do fill those gaps, and our heart goes out to Sally in these difficult times.

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

Ms. Peggy Sattler: Speaker, many London businesses did not get any commercial rent relief at all, like Jean Coles of Sport Clips, because their landlords refused to participate in the program. Some landlords wanted to enrol but were not eligible.

Fixed overheads and soaring insurance costs, coupled with a steep decline in revenues, is putting many well-established businesses at risk. Some have permanently closed, like the Four Seasons Restaurant, after more than 25 years in London West.

As patios close and COVID-19 case counts rapidly rise, London restaurant owners like Jess Jazey-Spoelstra of Craft Farmacy fear they won’t survive the winter without additional government support.

Speaker, why is this government sitting on the $6.7 billion that has been allocated to help with the pandemic instead of using that funding to save jobs and keep small and medium-sized businesses afloat?

Mr. Stan Cho: Certainly, as this pandemic has progressed, our government has recognized the need to bolster our supports for small businesses, and that’s why we announced an increase to the $17 billion in support, to $30 billion in August. We recognize that these are incredibly challenging times.

There have been, however, 54,482 tenants that have participated in the program. That’s nearly 545,000 employees that have been assisted by the commercial rent relief program. We call on all landlords, wherever you are eligible, to participate in that program, because we are all in this together.

I come from a background of small business, and I understand how difficult small businesses can be. Certainly, we must continue to work together and advocate and collaborate with the federal government. If only we had that level of collaboration from the members opposite, imagine what we could accomplish in this House.

Taxation

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: My question is for the Minister of the Environment. This government called Ontario’s cap-and-trade scheme a “job-killing carbon tax.” His predecessor, the Minister of Finance, said the government was opposed to any kind of carbon tax. The Premier said that the carbon tax’s days were numbered. But last week, they reached a deal with the federal Trudeau government to put in an industrial carbon tax that is just like cap and trade. A deputy minister to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney previously referred to this government’s carbon tax scheme as being “exactly the same” as the federal plan.

Can the minister explain why they promised to scrap the carbon tax when all they did was replace one carbon tax with another?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The government House leader to reply on behalf of the government.

Hon. Paul Calandra: The member will know that the government actually moved forward very quickly with a made-in-Ontario plan to continue to cut emissions.

Ontario has always been a leader when it comes to environmental protection. This is something that we started, frankly, in a non-partisan, way back in the 1970s, before the premiership of Bill Davis.

Our record is built on the backs of our nuclear sector. The hard-working men and women in the nuclear sector who provided clean energy for the province of Ontario have led us to the point where we have reduced emissions far quicker than any other jurisdiction in the country. They are an example of what other jurisdictions should be doing to reduce their GHG emissions.

We will continue to build on that, as we have always done in the province of Ontario. We will meet our targets with a made-in-Ontario plan that tackles pollution, that tackles litter and, ultimately, leads Ontario to continuing to be a national leader that others can look up to.

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

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Let me just be clear: This government didn’t scrap; they replaced one carbon tax with another. They received the blessing of the Trudeau government. They blew their opportunity at the Ontario Court of Appeal to stop a carbon tax on fuel, and today, as a result of this amateur policy-setting, Ontario taxpayers are now paying two carbon taxes: a carbon tax on fuel and another by this provincial government on consumer goods.

The FAO reported in 2018 that by 2022, taxpayers will be paying twice as much for these two carbon taxes as they would have been paying under the cap and trade. Can the minister tell us why this government thinks that two carbon taxes, costing twice as much, are better than one?

Hon. Paul Calandra: It is true, the federal government has forced a carbon tax not only on the people of Canada but the people of Ontario. We have done our part, Mr. Speaker. Generations of Ontarians have done their part on the backs of our nuclear industry. We were able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 22%, far in excess of what any other jurisdiction was able to do. We should all be proud of that. We continued to do that in a very non-partisan way, whether it was Conservatives, NDP or Liberals, to find ways that we could meet our environmental priorities.

But make no mistake about it, Mr. Speaker: We are not in favour of the federal carbon tax. We do not believe that the people of Ontario should continue to be punished when we have done what we have been able to accomplish: 22%. We think that what we have done is an example which other jurisdictions should look at. That’s why this government is working with the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick to research into greater technologies, like the SMR reactor, Mr. Speaker, which I think will have the potential to do great things for the entire country.

I am very proud of the record we have, but make no mistake about it: We do not believe the federal carbon tax is in the best interest of the people.

Public transit

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Public transit plays a critical role for many Ontarians. Our government has tasked Metrolinx with the most ambitious subway expansion plan this province has ever seen. When it comes to GO Transit, Metrolinx is always looking to enhance the customer experience. That’s why, in recent years, Metrolinx has introduced programs like Kids GO Free, Sunday Funday, and lower short-distance fares which actually save my taxpayers in Etobicoke–Lakeshore who take Mimico and Long Branch some savings every day.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that as of today, GO riders will have access to WiFi on board. Could the Minister of Transportation please tell us more about this exciting announcement?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you very much to the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for the question. I am pleased to confirm that, beginning today, customers will be able to access GO Wi-Fi Plus on all GO buses and about half of GO trains. We expect a full rollout on all GO trains to be completed by early 2021.

We understand how important it is to stay connected. This exciting news means that GO riders will now have the option to stay online during their travels. Be it work or play, customers will be able to check emails, connect with family or friends, or keep entertained with TV shows, e-books and podcasts by connecting to the on-board portal.

Speaker, we’re looking to make Ontario’s transit network not only bigger but better. GO Wi-Fi Plus is a step to doing just that.

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

Ms. Christine Hogarth: Thank you very much, Minister, for your response and for that fantastic news for riders of GO Transit. This is great news for riders of all ages. I understand that Metrolinx has done their due diligence to ensure that WiFi access is both safe and reliable for their customers.

I also understand that Metrolinx is working hard to protect their staff and employees during this unprecedented time, and I actually had first-hand experience when I toured the site with the Associate Minister of Transportation and our Minister of Finance.

Could the minister please share what Metrolinx has been doing to limit the spread of COVID-19 on our transit?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you again to the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for the question.

To date, Metrolinx has taken a leadership role to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Dozens of safety measures have been implemented on GO Transit, including protective barriers on buses, trains and at stations; hand sanitizer dispensers on buses, in stations and entry zones of train fleets; deep cleanings on all vehicles and at all stations; and health checks and screenings for crews and critical staff. These are just a few of the critical steps that Metrolinx has taken in order to keep their customers and their staff safe.

I want to commend not only Metrolinx but also transit agencies across the province for doing their part to make their transit systems as safe as possible during this pandemic.

Small business

Mr. Faisal Hassan: My question is for the Premier. This past Friday, I was pleased to be joined by the leader of the official opposition in a visit to my riding of York South–Weston for a much-needed announcement of our plan, Save Main Street. Small businesses in my riding and across Ontario have been clear: They need direct support, and they need it now.

Why doesn’t the government support the main street businesses in my riding who, desperately, are looking for rent relief now?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Stan Cho: Certainly, as I said in my previous answer, we recognize the challenges that small businesses are going through in this province. This is a very difficult time. Our government has responded with a series of relief measures, because it’s not just the rent that businesses are struggling to pay; it’s the hydro. That’s why we’ve provided $175 million in relief to cap rates at off-peak hours. That’s why we’ve cut taxes for small businesses.

I’ll remind the member opposite that we are a 40% equity partner in the commercial rent relief program. But, through you, Speaker, the federal government holds the key to this program and we cannot change it without their collaboration. So work with us to continue to collaborate with the federal party in Ottawa to make sure that we fill those gaps for small businesses up and down main streets, so we can continue to prosper as we move forward out of this pandemic.

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

Mr. Faisal Hassan: Again, Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier.

What I am hearing from small business owners is that many have been forced to close their doors or lay off their staff. We need an economic recovery plan, and we have suggested a number of ideas. Business owners like Jamie and Raymond have told me they are in dire need of rent relief. We have asked the government, months ago, for a 75% commercial rent relief and a utility payment freeze.

What is the government’s plan in helping Jamie, Raymond and the many other struggling small business owners in my riding of York South–Weston?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The parliamentary assistant.

Mr. Stan Cho: We recognize the challenges of the businesses in York South–Weston and in Willowdale and throughout this province, Mr. Speaker. That’s why our government has responded by increasing the $17 billion in support we announced on March 25 to $30 billion in August.

When it comes to the commercial rent relief program, $700 million in participation has been requested here in the province of Ontario. I’ll remind the chamber that that is nearly 55,000 tenants and 545,000 jobs that have been assisted through this program. Having said that, we recognize that there are still challenges to small businesses out there and that we must continue to work to support these small businesses.

The message to small businesses out there is clear from the government: We have your back. We’re going to continue to work hard so we weather this storm together.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Premier. Ontario is at a critical juncture. It will be remembered as one of those life-changing events, with COVID-19 ravaging our province. We are at a turning point. The government’s actions will determine whether we come out of this pandemic for the better or for the worse. With the 700 cases today that are positive, we’re headed in the wrong direction.

The people of Ontario are facing immediate critical needs like housing, food security, mental health, employment and education. If the Premier keeps allowing the federal government to do all of the heavy lifting while he watches schools like Mason Road Junior Public School in Scarborough close, because it has not received the investments that it needs, Ontario will see serious trouble down the road.

Speaker, will the Premier commit today in this House to keep the legislated election date that is fixed for 2022? Yes, or no?

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order.

Response? Government House leader.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Order. Stop the clock. Minister of Education, come to order. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, come to order. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, come to order. Member for Ottawa South, come to order.

Restart the clock. The response: government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, I don’t even know what to say to that question. We’re in the midst of a global health and economic emergency—the member prefaced that in her question—and the leader of the Liberal Party has a former Minister of Education get up in this House and ask the date of the next election. What it says to me is that the Liberals have learned absolutely nothing since being reduced to a party of seven people in the last election.

We have continued and we will continue to focus on what matters most to the people of the province of Ontario: making sure that they are safe, making sure that the economy continues to grow, making sure that our students are safe in school and making sure that our main streets remain vibrant and active.

I will let the Liberals worry about the next election. I know that the people of the province of Ontario want us to continue to focus on what matters most to them.

Interjections.

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

Restart the clock. The supplementary question.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Back to the Premier: The fact of the matter is that this government is not rising to the moment. It is not business as usual. The Premier can’t keep touring the province doing election-style events when we are in the midst of a pandemic.

What can the people of Ontario rely on? Because we have seen the consequences of the provincial Conservatives’ indifference to social welfare before. Let me remind you, in 1995, Mike Harris’s deep cuts to programs and services that anchor young people in this province resulted, within a decade, in the—

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Stop the clock. The government side will come to order.

Restart the clock. I’ll allow the member for Scarborough–Guildwood to place her question.

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: If we want to avoid the poverty, crime and violence that followed the Harris years, we need a Premier who will invest now in proper supports for education, particularly for young people who are at risk. We need supports in testing so that people in my riding don’t have to line up for four and a half hours without a working washroom.

Will the Premier invest in the root causes of poverty—

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

The government House leader to reply.

Hon. Paul Calandra: Mr. Speaker, what the people of the province of Ontario know is that when that member was a minister in a government that led this province close to the brink of bankruptcy, they wanted a new government in place that would make those investments.

It has become even more challenging to fight COVID because of the disaster that was the previous government. They made no changes to health care. They made no changes to social assistance. They closed hundreds of schools across the province of Ontario. They left our transit and transportation system in a complete mess. They left our energy sector—one of the highest rates across—

Interjection.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Scarborough–Guildwood will come to order.

Hon. Paul Calandra: They drove jobs away from the province in record numbers, Mr. Speaker. And what does this member come forward with? “When is the date of the next election?” What makes it even more ironic is that they fixed the date of the next election before they were thrown out by the people of the province of Ontario.

We’ll continue to work until the next date of the election to do what’s right for the people in the province of Ontario.

Interjections.

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

Hon. John Yakabuski: Unanimous consent to give Mitzie another question.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Minister of Natural Resources, come to order.

You know, we were doing so well. Let’s try again. Restart the clock.

The next question.

Tourism

Mr. Toby Barrett: To the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries: Yesterday, September 27, marked World Tourism Day. It was created by the United Nations World Tourism Organization to foster awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value.

Minister, it would be an understatement to say that 2020 has been a tough year for tourism here in Ontario—anywhere in the world, really. We’ve heard you say time and time again that no other Ontario industry has been hit harder. The sectors you represent were hit first, hardest and are expected to take the longest to recover.

Minister, you have been a strong and vocal champion for this sector long before the pandemic hit. Tourism is a key economic driver. How is our government supporting this sector during these trying times?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I’d like to say thank you to my colleague the member for Haldimand–Norfolk for his steadfast support of these sectors within his constituency. Many members may not know that he’s a bit of a historian himself. I had the opportunity to spend some time with him, as well as the member from Brantford–Brant, over the summer to visit their constituencies and, in particular, to take in Indigenous tourism in their community and visit Her Majesty’s Royal Chapel of the Mohawks. It was quite touching.

This year, World Tourism Day obviously has a different context, as we recognize Ontario is dealing with about 700 cases of COVID-19 and these industries have been impacted. The member opposite for Scarborough–Guildwood just made a joke about the Premier touring the province; it’s the Premier’s job—all of our jobs—to reconnect Ontarians and ensure that they have confidence in our small and local businesses. When she said when I got a question today that this was not serious business—this is a $75-billion suite of sectors that lost $20 billion in four months. That’s serious business, these are serious sectors, and this year—

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

The supplementary question.

Mr. Toby Barrett: Thank you, Minister, for your commitment to the tourism industry during these troubling times. This year’s World Tourism Day has been designated as the year of tourism and rural development, to promote the potential to create jobs and opportunities in our rural areas. Rural Ontario is a place where it’s easy to find some solitude, to keep your distance, to reconnect with nature and to clear your mind. The best

part is that it’s right in our own backyard.

Minister, you mentioned your tour of rural Ontario. That was a wonderful day at the Mohawk chapel. You were able to see first-hand not only some of the best attractions, but also to observe the strenuous safety standards that the tourism businesses have been adhering to. My question: Can you tell us about your experience visiting rural Ontario and explain what this government is doing to support the industry across the province?

Hon. Lisa MacLeod: I had the opportunity over the summer to announce over $14.2 million in hyper-local marketing to encourage Ontarians to safely reconnect with their loved ones, their neighbours and their community, and to find out what was in their own backyard. We were able to do that, particularly in your area and many parts of rural Ontario that did have an opportunity to salvage some of these rural jobs over the summer because of increased tourism during that period of time.

We invested over $600,000 in Celebrate Ontario funding for 14 different festivals in the southwestern region, including $27,000 to the Norfolk county fair and $15,000 for the Hagersville music festival. We recognize that those festivals couldn’t continue on, but we want to make sure their position next year, when we finally get out of COVID-19, is that they’re there.

The other thing that we’ve done is made significant investments into LGBTQ+ tourism and the Culinary Tourism Alliance to support local, as well as $100,000 into Indigenous tourism. I’m looking forward to the Minister of Francophone Affairs joining me in Ottawa so we can make further announcements for arts and cultural funding for the francophone community.

Education funding

Ms. Doly Begum: My question is to the Deputy Premier. Parents, educators and students are feeling more and more anxious about this government’s school reopening plan. A constituent in my riding, a single mother, shared that her child is literally sitting in front of the computer without a teacher to teach him. She said, “It is a shame that our government has placed so little importance on my son’s education, and I’m afraid that the ramifications of this will impact him in the long term, where he will fall behind in his academics and not be able to catch up to what’s expected of him.”

For two weeks, this mother has been struggling to find out when her son will actually start his classes. She even reached out to the Minister of Education and hasn’t received a response. Will the Premier tell the House what measures he will actually take to manage the chaos of virtual schooling, so our students can finally start their school year?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: It was this government that announced $36 million to hire principals to staff, manage and create accountability for our virtual schools. Let’s just remind members opposite of what we’ve done during this pandemic: We’ve created a concurrent online learning program that has never existed in schools before, with the exception of high school online learning courses. We’ve literally created concurrent delivery of education in addition to in-class.

That is something we should be proud of as a province, not for government but for the people working the front lines who are trying to make this work in the extraordinary challenge of a pandemic and a recession that is impacting the ability of school boards largely to get access to supply.

The Ontario College of Teachers on Friday put out a notice to retirees to come back. We need our educators to work with the school boards and to come back to help us fill the shortages that exist within our boards. It is why we should all be pleased to note that over 2,000 net new educators have been hired—hundreds in Toronto—benefiting the in-class and online experience. We’ll continue to invest to ensure it is strong and—

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

The supplementary question.

Ms. Doly Begum: In case the minister hasn’t noticed, they have created a mess in this province in our education system. This government had months—literally half a year—to prepare and fund a plan that works for Ontarians. As more and more schools are declaring COVID outbreaks, including one in my riding as of this weekend, parents are switching their kids from in-person to virtual learning, because they have no other option. But parents are being told that they will be put on a wait-list extending to next term.

One family wrote to us, “Right now it feels like we’re left to figure this out on our own. The government didn’t ensure that families like ours are able to start school and give our child the education that every child in Ontario deserves.”

Parents who are trying to return to their jobs are now being forced to deal with this virtual mess created by this government. Parents should not be on a wait-list to see if their kids will be able to get an education. Will the minister tell us when he will start listening to parents and educators in the province and finally provide a fully funded plan with enough resources, like educators for our children?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We did listen to parents, the basis for why this province uniquely has an online learning option where we’ve set a standard that is rather high: 75% of all classes, the 300 minutes of instruction, must be delivered as live, synchronous, Zoom-style learning—a method of education delivery that was fundamentally and philosophically opposed by that member and all members opposite. It is an element of curiosity. They’ve come around to online learning. They opposed it in the negotiations, they opposed it in the spring, and now when parents expect it, they’re on the bandwagon trying to champion it.

You should have been there for parents in the spring. You should have been there in the fall.

This government will insist—we will raise the bar, expect the best and defend the interests of all students who expect the very best of learning. We will be there for students. We will ensure it is safe, but most importantly, that the quality of learning remains sound in all parts of our province.

Interjections.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The member for Davenport will come to order. The member for Scarborough Southwest will come to order.

The next question.

Child care

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My question is actually for the Minister of Education. Parents in my riding speak to me regularly about the importance of access to affordable child care spaces. It can be a significant pressure on young and growing working families, especially during this unprecedented time. After 15 years of neglect from the former Liberal government, this government is putting the needs of families and kids first.

Can the Minister of Education please tell this Legislature what our government is doing to support accessible and sustainable child care across this province?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member from Etobicoke–Lakeshore for her leadership and advocacy for affordable and accessible child care in this province. We understand how important child care is to getting moms and dads back to work and for their confidence as we all respond to COVID-19.

We’ve seen great disruption to the labour market. We know that we have to do more to ensure child care is available for working parents. That’s the basis for why I joined the member in her riding with the federal minister to announce the Safe Restart Agreement, an additional investment of $234 million to ensure sustainability.

I am proud that as of this morning, over 93% of all child care operators have reopened in this province, demonstrating that our investments and our protocol are very much in the best interests of the staff, the students and the operators. We will continue to do whatever it takes, working across party lines and with the federal government and the municipal governments, to ensure that they remain open for decades to come.

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

Ms. Christine Hogarth: I’d like to thank the minister for that answer. It’s heartening to know that our government is taking child care so seriously.

Speaker, COVID-19 has brought challenges that few could have imagined, including the temporary closure of the majority of child care centres across the province. It’s great to see so many centres reopening following the difficult period of closure. Child care centres in my riding—and, as the minister mentioned, the Learning Garden centre, which we both visited with the federal minister—are doing an excellent job at keeping our kids and staff safe while helping parents get back to work.

Can the minister please share some of the ways that child care centres are keeping everyone safe and healthy?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Obviously, the safety of our youngest learners is our most pressing priority as we respond to this pandemic. We have had child care open for our first responders, our emergency workers and our essential workers really since the very beginning of this pandemic. I want to, on behalf of all parliamentarians, express gratitude to our ECEs and our staff in our child care centres, who rose to the challenge and did something that I think was very important to support our front-line staff, women and men who served our province at a difficult time.

Our child care program, our protocol, informed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health and endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, ensures we’ve established a COVID plan with strict cohorting, with a mask policy for staff, stringent screening of the children and staff before they enter, thorough and enhanced cleaning, additional PPE for all staff, training and, of course, attendance records for rigorous contact tracing. We have done this following the medical advice, and we will continue to respond to the risk as it emerges, working closely with the Chief Medical Officer of Health of this province.

Manufacturing jobs

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: My question is for the Premier. Two hundred workers at the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay are losing their jobs this fall. Toronto needs new streetcars and subways, and we can make them in Thunder Bay. What is this government doing to keep the plant running and put Bombardier staff back to work?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): To reply on behalf of the government, the Minister of Transportation.

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Our government has unveiled and put into motion the most ambitious subway expansion program in the history of this province. Part of our subway expansion program enables the city of Toronto to fund the purchase of new vehicles that can be built and will be built at the Thunder Bay plant.

I’ve had the opportunity to speak directly to the mayor of Thunder Bay about this, who understands that through our negotiations with the city of Toronto, we have provided the ability for the city of Toronto to then put in orders with the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay.

We are working very hard to execute on our plan, to get shovels in the ground and get vehicles built so that people across the GTA and York region can be riding subways sooner.

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

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: The mayor of Toronto says that he has his share of the money put aside, so I hope this government will come forward and have theirs.

Over 1,000 people were working at the Bombardier plant last summer and now that number is way down. More layoffs are coming and the province needs a strategy to get that plant running at full capacity soon. When will this government ensure the Bombardier plant has the transit orders it needs so workers can get their jobs back?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: I’m so happy that the member opposite talked about funding. Our government has been very clear that we are supporting and investing in much-needed transit infrastructure in the GTA and across this province.

What we need is the federal government to come up with their 40%. During the election, the federal government, the Liberal Party, said that they supported our transit plans—transit plans that have been endorsed by city council by a vote of 22 to three, by York regional council and by our government.

What we need now, and what I would ask the members opposite to do, is to go to the federal Liberals, the federal government, and say, “You need to show up at the table now.” We have been waiting for a response to our request for funding. We are confident that the federal government will get there, but we could use the help of all the members in this House to call upon the federal Liberals to support Ontario’s transit plans.

COVID-19 response in northern Ontario

Mr. Deepak Anand: As we know, COVID-19 has placed an incredible burden on the business sector across Ontario, and when we talk about northern Ontario, it has put an incredible burden on businesses across all the sectors. Ecotourism, for example, and Indigenous tourism had contributed $622 million to GDP—around 13,000 jobs and over 550 businesses—in 2019. They have seen the loss of over $300 million in revenue. They have seen the loss of 4,000 jobs and the loss of around 150 businesses. This is an example, Mr. Speaker.

COVID-19’s restrictions and bar closures made it almost impossible for these tourism outfitters to have a successful season. Can the minister please tell the House what our government is doing to support northern Ontario businesses during this difficult time?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: Thank you to the member for Mississauga–Malton for his question.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, the member is absolutely right. Northern Ontario has been hit hard by COVID-19 and this pandemic. That’s why today our government launched the Northern Ontario Recovery Program. The NORP will deliver targeted funding to help businesses get back on track and adapt to the new normal.

Businesses can apply to NORP for assistance immediately until the end of the year for projects that help them adjust to the unique impacts of COVID-19. This includes projects like buildings and new construction, customer and employee safety installations or marketing for new business initiatives.

This has been a challenging time for many of us, but it is the true northern resiliency that has and will carry us through. I know that northern Ontario will return stronger than ever before.

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

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to the minister for the wonderful answer. I would like to say thank you to our Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines for doing an incredible job.

I know that the companies across the North will appreciate the support being offered through the Northern Ontario Recovery Program. Mr. Speaker, we know that business owners are facing unique challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are adapting to the new normal to keep their businesses open. It is important that, as a government, we adapt with them and offer them the support that they need.

Will the minister please tell us why it is so critical to create these new funding programs for northern businesses?

Hon. Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria: The NOHFC has been a critical source of targeted investments in northern Ontario. We’ve heard from many stakeholders, like David MacLachlan, the executive director of Destination Northern Ontario, who stated:

“Recovery for northern Ontario’s $1.6-billion tourism industry depends on the sector’s successful adoption of new operating protocols to keep visitors, employees and destinations safe.

“The Northern Ontario Recovery Program goes a long way to assist northern Ontario’s tourism entities with the costs to implement these new safety protocols.

“We thank Minister Rickford and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for their continued support of the sector and in this special time of need.”

Debbi Nicholson, the president and CEO of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, also stated, “The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce welcomes the Northern Ontario Recovery Program announcement made ... by Minister Rickford as another opportunity to help”—

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

Special-needs students

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is to the Minister of Education.

Parents of children with special needs always had to fight for the supports that they need in schools. Now education workers who help these children are stretched even more thinly, and special needs students are supported even less.

I spoke with one parent whose child was held back in kindergarten instead of moving to grade 1 because the school cannot support the transition. Stories like these are all too common, both before COVID and now.

Speaker, when will this government make children with special needs a priority?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We’re obviously very concerned about the impacts of COVID-19 on children with mental health and special education needs in the province. Obviously, we appreciate that the lack of continuity and the disruption of COVID has really impacted them. It’s the very basis why this government has invested over $42 million of net new funding to hire more EAs, to hire more ECEs and to provide more special education educators in the classroom. In fact, we have well over 162 new EAs supporting special education children in our schools. That is the hiring so far, supported by an additional 372 early childhood educators.

We appreciate that there’s more to do. That’s why this province uniquely invested in mental health and more than doubled mental health funding. As we see the impacts and we hear the feedback of parents and stakeholders, we’ll continue to be there, as we’ve demonstrated, to all schools and to all parents in the province of Ontario.

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

Miss Monique Taylor: Children with disabilities in our school system were already treated like an afterthought. One parent in the Ottawa region shared that their child, who has a hearing impairment, has had their class collapsed into a much larger one and, due to the added noise and masks, is having a very difficult time understanding and following along. This parent is upset about the lack of accommodations for children with special needs.

Why does this government always forget children with special needs, particularly in our education system?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, I take exception to that positioning, because the investments, the additional staffing and the new programs in place would demonstrate that this government is very much seized with the improvement of the quality of learning and also the mental resiliency of these children.

I joined Minister Smith just last week at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf in Belleville—really a beautiful school and example of a community that is embracing the very best, embracing a message of inclusivity, providing the highest standard of educational supports for those very kids.

We are fully committed to ensuring that they succeed. They are going to benefit from an additional 162 EAs, funded and hired by the province, by our investment. We’ll continue to be there for all students in the province of Ontario.

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

There being no further business, this House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1136 to 1300.

Reports by Committees

Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: I beg leave to present the fifth interim report, Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Infrastructure of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Roberts presents the committee’s report. Does the member wish to make a brief statement?

Mr. Jeremy Roberts: This is our fifth interim report following our sectoral study on the infrastructure study. We began this study by hearing testimony from the Minister of Infrastructure, and then following that, we heard from over 40 different witnesses and stakeholders who provided testimony on how we can help support that industry in the aftermath of COVID-19.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank everybody who took the time to present their opinions and share their views with us. I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of the committee staff for their hard work and commitment throughout this long summer study.

Report presented.

Petitions

Multiple sclerosis

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Sue Dufresne from Hanmer in my riding for this petition. It reads as follows:

“MS Specialized Clinic in Sudbury....

“Whereas northeastern Ontario has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Ontario; and

“Whereas specialized MS clinics provide essential health care services to those living with multiple sclerosis, their caregiver and their family; and

“Whereas the city of Greater Sudbury is ... a hub for health care in northeastern Ontario;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“To immediately set up a specialized MS clinic in the Sudbury area that is staffed by a neurologist who specializes in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, a physiotherapist and a social worker at a minimum.”

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

Long-term care

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: I’m happy to present a petition called “Supporting Quality Care for Ontario Long-Term-Care Homes.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas quality of care for the 78,000 residents of (LTC) homes is a priority for many Ontario families;

“Whereas the provincial government does not provide adequate funding to ensure care and staffing levels in LTC homes to keep pace with residents’ increasing acuity and the growing number of residents with complex behaviours;

“Whereas several Ontario coroner’s inquests into LTC homes deaths have recommended an increase in direct hands-on care for residents and staffing levels and the most reputable studies on this topic recommend 4.1 hours of direct care” per day;

“We, the undersigned, petition” the Legislative Assembly of Ontario “to amend the LTC Homes Act (2007) for a legislated minimum care standard of four hours per resident per day, adjusted for acuity level and case mix.”

I’m happy to sign this petition and send it to the table.

Services for persons with disabilities

Mr. Percy Hatfield: “To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas when children living with developmental disabilities turn 18, support from the Ontario government drastically changes; and

“Whereas families in Windsor-Essex and across Ontario are met with continuous waiting lists and other challenges when trying to access support under the Passport Program; and

“Whereas waiting lists place enormous stress on caregivers, parents, children and entire families; and

“Whereas it is difficult to access safe and affordable housing, adequate supports and respite services without immediate access to Passport funding;

“Whereas all Ontarians living with developmental disabilities are entitled to a seamless transition of services from childhood to adulthood;

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

“To take immediate action to eliminate the current waiting lists for Passport funding so that people living with developmental disabilities and their families can access the support they deserve.”

I fully agree. I’m going to sign it and make sure it gets down to the table.

Autism treatment

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I have a petition signed by many residents of London, 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 affix my name to this petition, support it and will send it to the table.

Public sector compensation

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Francine Couvchesne from Chelmsford in my riding for the petition. It’s called “Pandemic Pay.

“Whereas the pandemic pay eligibility needs to be expanded as well as made retroactive to the beginning of the state of emergency; and

“Whereas Premier Ford stated repeatedly that the workers on the front lines have his full support but this is hard to believe given that so many do not qualify; and

“Whereas the list of eligible workers and workplaces should be expanded; and

“Whereas all front-line workers should be properly compensated;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“To call on the Ford government to expand the $4-per-hour pandemic pay to include all front-line workers that have put the needs of their community first and make the pay retroactive to the day the state of emergency was declared, so that their sacrifice and hard work to keep us safe is recognized.”

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

Health care

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have a petition here to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas the ... government has passed omnibus legislation to drastically overhaul our health care system with no commitment to publicly delivered health services;...

“Whereas every night hundreds of Ontario’s patients wait for care in hospital hallways, showers and TV rooms;

“Whereas Ontario sits near the bottom of developed countries for hospital beds per patient and has the fewest registered nurses per patient in Canada;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to ensure the Ontario government protect and invest in a robust, publicly funded and publicly delivered health care system and reject any further private delivery of health services.”

I agree 100%. I’m going to sign it and deliver it to the table.

Long-term care

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Colin and Helene Pick from Capreol in my riding for this petition. It reads as follows:

“Support Bill 153, the Till Death Do Us Part act.

“Whereas there are 35,000 people on the wait-list for long-term care; and

“Whereas the median wait time for a long-term-care bed has risen from 99 days in 2011-12 to 152 days in 2018-19; and

“Whereas according to Home Care Ontario, the cost of a hospital bed is $842 a day, while the cost of a long-term-care bed is $126 a day; and

“Whereas couples should have the right to live together as they age; and

“Whereas Ontario seniors have worked hard to build this province and deserve dignity in care; and

“Whereas Bill 153 amends the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the Long-Term Care Homes Act to provide the resident with the right upon admission to continue to live with their spouse or partner;”

They “petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Long-Term Care to pass Bill 153 and provide seniors with the right to live together as they age.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it and send it to the Clerks.

Education funding

Mr. Percy Hatfield: “Petition to Stop Education Cuts.

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:

“Whereas the government’s new education scheme seeks to dramatically increase class sizes starting in grade 4;

“Whereas the changes will mean thousands fewer teachers and education workers and less help for every student;

“Whereas secondary students will now be forced to take at least two of their classes online with as many as 35 students in each course;

“Whereas the government’s changes will rip over $1 billion out of Ontario’s education system by the end of their term;

“Whereas kids in Ontario deserve more opportunities, not fewer;

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

“Demand that the government halt the cuts to classrooms and invest to strengthen public education in Ontario.”

I fully agree. I’m going to sign it, and perhaps David will take it down to the desk for me.

Gasoline prices

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Fern Frappier from Hanmer in my riding for these petitions. It reads as follows:

“Gas prices....

“Whereas northern Ontario motorists continue to be subject to wild fluctuations in the price of gasoline; and

“Whereas the province could eliminate opportunistic price gouging and deliver fair, stable and predictable fuel prices; and

“Whereas five provinces and many US states already have some sort of gas ... regulation; and

“Whereas jurisdictions with gas price regulation have seen an end to wild price fluctuations, a shrinking of price discrepancies between urban and rural communities and lower annualized gas prices;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:

“Mandate the Ontario Energy Board to monitor the price of gasoline across Ontario in order to reduce price volatility and unfair regional price differences while encouraging competition.”

I support this petition, will affix my name to it, and send it to the Clerk.

Alzheimer’s disease

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I have a petition to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases of the brain that cause thinking, memory and physical functioning to become seriously impaired; and

“Whereas there is no known cause or cure for this devastating illness; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias also take their toll on hundreds of thousands of families and care partners; and

“Whereas Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias affect more than 200,000 Ontarians today, with an annual total economic burden rising to $15.7 billion...; and

“Whereas the cost related to the health care system is in the billions and only going to increase, at a time when our health care system is already facing enormous financial challenges; and

“Whereas there is work under way to address the need, but no coordinated or comprehensive approach to tackling the issues; and

“Whereas there is an urgent need to plan and raise awareness and understanding about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias for the sake of improving the quality of life of the people it touches;

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

“To approve the development of a comprehensive Ontario dementia plan that would include the development of strategies in primary health care, in health promotion and prevention of illness, in community development, in building community capacity and care partner engagement, in caregiver support and investments in research.”

I fully agree. I’m going to sign it, and perhaps my friend David can take it down to the desk for me.

Documents gouvernementaux

M me France Gélinas: J’aimerais remercier la ministre des Transports : nous avons maintenant les accents sur nos permis de conduire. Mais on les veut également sur nos cartes santé.

J’aimerais remercier Lise Cardinal d’Azilda dans mon comté pour la pétition.

« Alors qu’il est important d’avoir le nom exact des personnes sur les cartes émises par le gouvernement » de l’Ontario, telle « la carte santé...

« Alors que plusieurs personnes francophones ont des accents dans l’épellation de leur nom »—comme moi;

« Alors que ... le ministère de la Santé » a « confirmé que le système informatique ... ne permet pas l’enregistrement des lettres avec des accents; »

J’appuie cette pétition, je vais la signer, et on l’amène à la table des greffiers.

Long-term care

Mr. Percy Hatfield: My petition is “Support Bill 153, the Till Death Do Us Part act.”

“To the Legislative Assembly of Ontario”—it comes from people all across Windsor.

“Whereas there are 35,000 people on the wait-list for long-term care; and

“Whereas the median wait time for a long-term-care bed has risen from 99 days in 2011-12 to 152 days in 2018-19; and

“Whereas according to Home Care Ontario, the cost of a hospital bed is $842 a day, while the cost of a long-term-care bed is $126 ...;

“Whereas couples should have the right to live together as they age; and

“Whereas Ontario seniors have worked hard to build this province and deserve dignity in care; and

“Whereas Bill 153 amends the Residents’ Bill of Rights in the Long-Term Care Homes Act to provide the resident with the right upon admission to continue to live with their spouse or partner;

“Therefore we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Minister of Long-Term Care to pass Bill 153 and provide seniors with the right to live together as they age.”

I fully agree, Speaker. I’m going to sign it, and I’m going to have it brought down to the table by my good friend Ilhan.

Autism treatment

M me France Gélinas: I would like to thank Ginette Chouinard from Val Caron in my riding for this petition. It reads as follows:

“Support Ontario Families with Autism.

“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;”

They petition the Legislative Assembly as follows:

“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 fully agree with this petition, will affix my name to it and send it to the Clerk.

Orders of the Day

Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à soutenir les locataires et les petites entreprises

Resuming the debate adjourned on September 24, 2020, on the motion for second reading of the following bill:

Bill 204,

An Act to amend various Acts respecting municipal elections, to amend the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 and to provide for a temporary residential rent freeze and specified temporary protections for certain commercial tenants / Projet de loi 204, Loi modifiant diverses lois en ce qui a trait aux élections municipales, modifiant la Loi de 2020 sur la réouverture de l’Ontario (mesures adaptables en réponse à la COVID-19) et prévoyant un gel des loyers d’habitations temporaire et des protections temporaires précisées pour certains locataires commerciaux.

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

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: I rise today to speak to the merits of the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act brought forward by our great minister for municipal housing. Thank you so much, Minister, for doing an incredible job during these tough times and helping Ontarians—especially when we talk about this bill, Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act. Thank you so much to you and your entire team at the ministry.

I want to thank our Queen’s Park staff administrators, the security team, as well as the Clerks, the ushers, translators and media team for continuing to perform exceptionally to keep this Legislature running and for allowing us the time and space to safely perform our duties in the service of this great province.

It has been said many times in this House that the COVID-19 crisis has become a defining moment in the history of our great province of Ontario. Indeed, we have spent the better part of this year facing off against a tremendous number of challenges. Every corner of this province has felt the effects of this pandemic.

I’m very proud to stand in this House and speak about the excellent work that the government, alongside our opposition and independent colleagues, has undertaken to assist our front-line and essential services in carrying out their duties to keep this province running smoothly. Together with the opposition and independent members, we swiftly and decisively passed legislation to protect and support Ontarians, because the people of this great province expected us to work together, and so we did.

Since this pandemic hit our province and our country, we passed, especially in this province, roughly 18 bills, and one third of them by unanimous consent of all parties. So thank you to the opposition and independent members for working together with us—to make sure we continue to work together during these difficult times. This is exactly what the people of this province expect us to do—collaborate and continue to work together.

Especially, since the beginning of this pandemic in March, I think we have seen that regardless of what party background—whether it’s blue party, orange, red, green—we all have come together. Regardless of the level of government, whether it’s the federal, provincial, municipal governments, we all have been working together. This is something we all should be very, very proud of.

Emergency legislation introduced and passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic includes the reopening of Ontario act, as well as the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020.

When we talk about this bill that has been introduced by our government, Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, 2020, what I have seen and heard in my riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville—and I’m sure my colleagues here in this Legislature—is that the people of this province are struggling because of this pandemic. We have seen this all across the globe, as well. We hear every day news about the economies being impacted by this COVID-19 crisis—and definitely in our province, as well.

The most important thing here is the fact that the residents, the people of this province who have been struggling—they lost their jobs, unfortunately. It breaks our hearts to see people losing their jobs, but also when they are struggling to pay their rents.

Back in March, when this pandemic started, we announced that tenants won’t be able to be evicted from their homes or businesses, because that was the first thing that, as a government, we could do to make sure to give that certainty to individuals out there that, yes, we understand. We want to make sure you have that peace of mind that, even though you may not be able to make your rent for the next month or the month after—we wanted to make sure you are not going to be evicted, because a home is a safe place for any individual or family. We just wanted to make sure that that doesn’t happen.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I come from the riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville. I represent this riding, and it is absolutely an honour for me. What I heard during the early days of the pandemic was that families came to meet with us—they came to us asking for some support, for some help. The stories we heard—I think anybody would feel the pain. Definitely we, on this side of the House, felt the same thing.

I met a family where both the husband and wife, unfortunately, lost their jobs due to COVID-19, but they had a very positive attitude. They understood that this pandemic is something which we are all in together. The only request they had was—they said to me, “Kaleed, please make sure that we don’t lose our apartment, our rent, just because right now we are all struggling.” I said to my constituent, “I’m going to make a commitment to you that we will do everything in our power to make sure that you stay in your residence, that you are not evicted just because you are not able to pay the rent.”

In my riding of Mississauga East–Cooksville, I have a lot of constituents who are living in rental buildings. I have a mix of rental apartments, condominiums and homes. I just wanted to make sure that these individuals at least have shelter. With that in mind, I had a great conversation with our Premier, the Honourable Doug Ford, and the Minister of Housing, where I brought forward the concerns of the residents. And the commitment that I received from our minister and the Premier was, “Kaleed, we will make sure that these residents stay in their homes.” That, I really appreciate.

As I said earlier, there was nothing where we said that residents would be kicked out of their homes just because they’re not paying rent. Rather, we said, “Just relax. You don’t have to worry about paying rent. You will have shelter.”

So far I’m really grateful and I thank God every day that the people of this province are in a position where at least they have this peace of mind—making sure that they have shelter and they don’t have to worry about it. So far—knock on wood—I haven’t come across in Mississauga East–Cooksville, and also when I speak with my colleagues, where someone has been evicted because of non-payment of the rent.

Actually, just this morning, one of my staff members reached out to me and said that we have a constituent who would like to meet with me to discuss this rent freeze bill that, if passed, is definitely going to provide help and support.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work for the people of this great province to help them get back on their feet as we chart a path to recovery for every region in this province.

Back in March, we had to literally shut down the province, whether it was restaurants, bars, public recreation. I know that because, especially with three out of four kids who love to go to the park or public libraries, they were not able to do so. I’m one of those parents who were definitely struggling in the very early days of this pandemic, where I was saying, “The kids are at home. I cannot even take them out anywhere.” We couldn’t even go for go-karting, because everything was shut down. And I know we saw that all public events were cancelled, including services at places of worship.

I believe that we have come a long way from where we started back in March. We have come to where we now see that businesses are reopening slowly. I met with so many businesses in my riding, where, yes, they were originally—definitely there was so much uncertainty, where businesses were asking, “What’s next for us?” And thanks to the federal government, along with our government—again, going back to this example of collaboration—we came up with a plan to help small businesses during this time. Even though, Mr.

Speaker, when I was meeting with these businesses—not only the businesses, but also the landlords of these businesses. I was encouraging them to participate in the rent relief program, because as a member of provincial Parliament, I just wanted to make sure that the businesses can continue to operate. What I saw was that a good number of landlords participated in this program to provide support to our businesses.

Just this past weekend, on Saturday, I met with a business—it’s a restaurant. Originally, he was struggling. Then, he had a meeting with his landlord for the business, and they came up with a program together. I was actually brought on the call, as well, where I explained to the landlord about this program—that the federal government and the provincial government are working together. I was just so happy to see that that business is still active and they are coming out of this crisis.

Again, we just need to continue to do our part to make sure that we provide relief to the people of this province. This bill—helping tenants—I think, is a bill that assures the people of this province that we as a government are doing everything to make sure that we provide support to the people of this province.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work for the people of Ontario to help them get back on their feet, as I said, as we continue to do this recovery program. But unfortunately, the nature of this virus is that it is persistent. Regrettably, we have seen a rise in cases, not just in Ontario, but, again, across Canada and around the world. As we see that the fall season is approaching, we must admit that we are not quite out of the woods just yet.

Whenever I’m having a conversation with my constituents, or just people out there in general, we are always saying that this crisis is a defining moment in our province’s history. I’m sure we all will agree. There are still many more challenges ahead of us in the battle against COVID-19, and there is still much work to be done in our economic recovery efforts.

But one thing I know—and I’m so proud of the fact—is that the people of this province have been working harder than ever to support one another through this difficult time. We have shown one another that we are strongest when we work together. We have maintained an approach to facing off against the challenge of the crisis.

I believe the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act is a crucial step in assisting a large number of Ontarians who are residential tenants, commercial tenants, or both.

In the time I have left, I just want to talk a little about my experience in my riding during this COVID-19 crisis. What I have seen is that from the beginning of this pandemic, into the lockdown, and through the subsequent phases of reopening, my team and I have received many concerned calls from our constituents, especially residential tenants who have lost their jobs and had concerns about paying rent and who feared being evicted.

I remember speaking with one of the constituents, and they were concerned that they may just lose their home. I remember calling the minister that same evening. We had a great conversation where the minister was assuring me, “Kaleed, we will do everything in our power to make sure that your constituent doesn’t lose their home, their memories”—because at the end of the day, they were struggling to pay rent. I remember, after speaking with the minister, I reached out to the constituent again and had a conversation where I said, “I just finished speaking with the minister, and we are going to make sure that we do everything in our power so that you do not lose your home.”

Just about a month ago, I had another follow-up conversation with this constituent. They are still living in the same home. What the family is doing now is that they are giving back to the other residents of this riding, making sure they do their part, because they felt like at least the government stepped up and helped them.

With that, I once again thank you, Minister. Please continue the great work.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Are there questions to the member for Mississauga East–Cooksville?

Mr. Percy Hatfield: I do have a question for my good friend from Mississauga East–Cooksville.

He talked about the tenants in his riding. I have wonderful tenants in my riding, as well, in high-rises. I heard from them this week, in one building in particular, where the landlord has put in a notice that he’s going to raise the rents by 5% on the 1st of December. The deadline coming in is for January. The landlord has given notice—5%, the 1st of December—trying to get ahead of the deadline, obviously. In this building, there’s a whole bunch of seniors on fixed incomes.

I want to know what the government plan is to head off all these landlords coming in now and saying, “I’m going to raise it 5%,” before you put your freeze on.

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: What I know is that this bill is going to help the people of this province to make sure that—especially next year, because we haven’t come out of this pandemic yet. We are still in this pandemic. What I know is that this is going to help the residents of this province, especially the tenants, to have the security or the peace of mind—to make sure that their rent is frozen. If they are struggling, we as a government want to make sure that they’re not struggling with paying their rent because—that peace of mind that they will have in making sure that, with the rent and everything.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Questions?

Ms. Christine Hogarth: My question for the member is about the increased fine piece.

We’ve taken advice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and health experts, and we thought that, due to the recent spread of COVID-19—we hear about parties happening and people not following the social distancing practices that we’ve all asked people to do.

Do you think that it is important that this legislation is passed as quickly as possible so those new offences can be established?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to my colleague for the question.

Mr. Speaker, what I have seen in the last few weeks is the fact that, yes, a lot of people are not listening to the advice of the health officials or the government. We see that parties are happening. Again, as we have said—and even the Premier has said many, many times that 99.9% of the people of this province are listening to the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health or the health officials. Unfortunately, there is a small percentage of people who are not listening. Maybe these new fines will help our government to make sure that these individuals don’t continue with this kind of habit, moving forward.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I listened to the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville talk about the importance of ensuring that people don’t have to risk losing their home in the middle of a pandemic.

Has he read Bill 204? Has he read Bill 184? Does he understand that the legislation we’re debating today does absolutely nothing to prevent somebody from being evicted and that the legislation that his government passed earlier actually fast-tracks the process to allow people to be evicted?

Can the member explain how this legislation will prevent anyone from being evicted from their place of residence?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

Yes, I have read the bill, and that’s why I was able to go out there and explain to my constituents about the rent freeze and how it’s going to help them during this crisis.

Madam Speaker, since the beginning of COVID-19, our government has called on landlords and tenants to come together and just be reasonable with one another, and many landlords and tenants across the province have done that, and I truly appreciate that. I have spoken with many landlords and businesses and tenants who have worked together to make sure that these residents or businesses are able to live and operate without being evicted.

The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Lisa Gretzky): Questions?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: To the esteemed member: I know that people in my riding of Chatham-Kent–Leamington are struggling. Many are struggling to pay rent, and they welcome this legislation.

This move to freeze rents in 2021 is a positive step to protect the 1.7 million Ontarians who rely on rental housing.

Could you please tell this House more about what our government has done to support renters during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to my colleague for the question.

Our government is proposing this rent freeze as part of our initiative to make sure that the people of this province have the peace of mind that they are not going to lose their homes or, basically, are not going to be evicted. That’s why we are introducing this bill. This freeze would also include apartments, townhomes and other places where we are just making sure that the people—and when it comes to the investments that we are making, as you know. we have been investing millions and millions of dollars to make sure that the people of this province—

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

Ms. Judith Monteith-Farrell: Since 1997, a landlord in Ontario has been able to charge a new tenant any rent the landlord chooses. It’s called vacancy decontrol. For example, think of an apartment where a tenant is currently paying $1,000. When the tenant moves out, or is evicted, the new tenant could be charged $1,500 or $2,000 a month by the landlord. There is no limit.

Ontario doesn’t have comprehensive rent control, and it’s tenants who have lost out as the average rent has skyrocketed. Why does this bill not end vacancy decontrol?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member opposite for the question.

When we talk about this bill and the relief that it is going to bring to the people of this province, we are talking about—again, I’m going back to my original point—making sure that during this crisis, the people of this province know that they don’t have to worry about a rent increase. That’s why the minister brought this bill forward—to give that peace of mind to the people of this province. When you’re putting food on the table, with rent and other expenses, and if you have, unfortunately, lost your job, you are under tremendous pressure. This is exactly what our government is trying to do—take that pressure away, making sure that they don’t have to worry about the increasing rent—

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

Mr. Jim McDonell: Thank you to the member for such an encompassing, 20-minute speech.

I know that I hear the other side talk about renovictions, but we’ve taken care of that previously, in Bill 184, by having landlords actually now having to provide that information if it is challenged through the Landlord and Tenant Board. And we’ve increased the fines for landlords who are guilty of such a thing. We’ve doubled them, up to $250,000 if it’s a corporation.

Maybe you could you elaborate on some of the benefits of the rent freeze that we’re putting into this bill?

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the member.

This is exactly what we have been saying. We want to make sure that the tenants in this province continue to feel that this government has their backs. With this freeze, we just want to—

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

Mr. Jeff Burch: It is a pleasure today to rise and speak to Bill 204, the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, which—it will come as no surprise to the government—we on this side of the House believe is a wholly inadequate bill to address any of the issues with the second wave. It’s a piece of legislation that deals with four major issues: a residential rent freeze for 2021; a commercial evictions ban extension until October 30, which, my colleague from Waterloo has pointed out a number of times, is quickly approaching; merging provincial and municipal enumeration under the municipal voters list; and the increased penalties for hosting overcrowded events during the pandemic.

With respect to merging provincial and municipal enumeration, the bill transfers responsibility for preparing and maintaining voters lists from the Municipal Property Assessment Corp. to the province’s Chief Electoral Officer, who will now maintain a single registry for both municipal and provincial elections. This change has long been requested by municipal clerks and is long overdue.

With respect to crowded events, this bill authorizes law enforcement to shut down overcrowded public events or gatherings whose attendance exceeds the number of people allowed under provincial orders, which, of course, we in this House are in favour of. Hosting an event now carries steep financial penalties of up to $100,000.

Ontario needs a comprehensive second wave strategy; threats of fines cannot be the only options. We’re well into the second wave. It’s something the government has known about for some time, that we would be dealing with a second wave, and this bill is very inadequate for dealing with that as it relates to residential renters or, certainly, businesses, which I’ll be talking a lot about.

Also, I would like to point out that these fines are actually higher than the fines for for-profit long-term-care homes who violated their oaths, causing deaths in long-term-care facilities. So you have to wonder where the priorities are.

With respect to a rent freeze, there has, I think, been some misunderstanding from what I’ve heard so far in the House. This bill amends the Residential Tenancies Act to set the guideline rent increase for residential tenants at 0% for 2021, instead of the 1.5% increase that would have applied. Across-the-board rent freezes are a welcome move. No one should be facing a rent increase when their financial stability has been shattered by COVID-19. No one should be forced out of their home in the middle of a pandemic, Speaker. However, freezing rents for 2021 is by no means going to rectify the very serious economic circumstances our constituents are facing.

Back in 2018, I spoke in this House regarding this government’s action in decreasing ODSP rates. ODSP was set to increase an already meagre 3%, and this government reduced that number to 1.5%. That same year, this government allowed rent increases of 1.8%. This increase could apply to all tenants, including tenants in affordable housing. The problem is one of simple math, which legal clinics have pointed out: 1.5% minus 1.8% equals homelessness. That’s the part of this government’s record on rents.

Rents were increasing at a rate that was unsustainable for most people in this province, and they have been for a long time. Many people in Ontario who were behind on rent were paying more than 50% of their income just to keep a roof over their head. That’s why a rent freeze for one year, while welcome, will not give the people of this province what they need.

Many people started this pandemic behind the eight ball. For thousands, CERB was the first time they knew they had consistent income that they could rely on. I met with two legal clinics recently, Justice Niagara and Niagara North Community Legal Assistance, who can clearly see on the ground what’s happening with this government’s action, with their failure to act with people on ODSP and other social supports.

I’m going to spend the remainder of the time on small business concerns, because that’s certainly what we’re hearing lately. There’s a lot of fear out there. We hear numbers like one in six, one in seven businesses could go bankrupt—in the restaurant industry, much more than that. Small and medium-sized businesses have been fighting to keep their heads above water since this began. The current commercial evictions ban does not go far enough, as the stringent criteria allows just a few businesses to qualify.

I can’t emphasize enough how important a direct rent subsidy to businesses is to get our community through the next number of months. That’s really, for me and for my constituents, the big thing that’s missing from this government’s actions.

This

section of Bill 204 is very similar to Bill 192. Businesses are only eligible if they qualify under the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program, and if their landlords did not already apply. So the evictions ban does not apply to businesses if the landlord has previously been approved for the program but is no longer receiving assistance.

Since the start of the program, we’ve seen the impacts on those who fall through the cracks from exceptions. In my riding, Ryan, who owns Tailgates in Welland—a real community treasure and local restaurant—when COVID-19 hit, his 190-seat restaurant could only serve 25 guests. The landlord expected full rent and refused to take

part in the commercial rent assistance program, making him ineligible for help. That’s the story of so many small businesses.

In Port Colborne, a local chiropractor, Dr. David Salanki, had to cash in his retirement savings because his landlord refused to apply for the Ontario-Canada emergency rent assistance program. His once-thriving practice was decimated when he had to close his practice due to the pandemic, and with an income of just over $9,000 total from March to May, there was no way Dr. Salanki could afford to pay his $11,400-a-month rent for April and May. After 30 years in the same location, he was given an ultimatum: Pay or leave. On May 12, I wrote the Premier about Dr. Salanki’s situation, and I have yet to receive a response.

Another interesting issue as we see the pandemic unfold, with respect to small business, is the difference between large businesses like banks and insurance companies and small businesses that you might find in the downtown of a small community. In February, I wrote a letter to the RBC president, David McKay. The RBC was pulling out of my hometown, Thorold, despite a $12.4-billion profit. Banks are making record profits even now. All they’ve really done is deferrals.

One can really question whether they’re doing their part, as well as insurance companies, who, I think, we know have often failed to pass on savings to the consumer during this really difficult time. This is why we need direct supports for business.

I want to talk about downtowns a little bit. Downtown areas are the heart of our communities. As city councillors, my friend the member from St. Catharines and I worked hard to revitalize the St. Catharines downtown. South St. Catharines is part of my riding, as well. With many municipalities like Thorold currently working to revitalize their main streets, now, more than ever, we have to ensure that these vital pillars of our community are supported.

Downtown businesses rely on one another, Speaker. When one fails, others face challenges. In Niagara, we have seen the impact of very difficult times on our communities. In the early 2000s, Niagara faced devastating job losses. The loss of jobs at GM, closures of Welland facilities like GrafTech, Stelco’s pipe operation, Henniges Automotive, Fantom and John Deere, to name a few, saw thousands of people in our community lose their jobs, and we saw the ripple effect on small business, on business areas and on people. The fear of that kind of ripple effect happening is very real for people now, with Ontario entering a second wave.

The members from St. Catharines and Niagara Falls and I held a press conference on Friday. We joined together with other members in releasing an updated plan to support jobs in our community by helping local businesses. We call it Save Main Street, and it’s something we hope that this government will listen to. It’s what we believe this government should do, and if we were in government, it’s what our government would do.

It includes:

—a ban on all commercial evictions;

—a 75% commercial rent subsidy, which I mentioned is absolutely crucial for many small businesses in all of our communities as we get into the second wave;

—a made-in-Ontario plan for sick days for all—I’m glad to see some federal action happening on that;

—a fund to help small business with safe-reopening costs and remote-work set-up costs;

—more non-profit and public child care spaces for working parents—many of the members of our caucus have talked about the importance of a she-covery and how important it is that we address the disproportionate affect that this pandemic has had on women; and

—an end to insurance gouging, which I’ve already mentioned.

I can’t emphasize enough how important a direct rent subsidy to businesses is in getting our community through the next number of months.

It’s not just St. Catharines downtown in my riding—in Thorold, we’ve had some great initiatives to revitalize the downtown area. Recently, the mayors of Port Colborne, Welland and Thorold came together with their local MP and the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority—and you’ll probably know that the Welland Canal runs right through my riding, through the communities of St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne. This meeting was to advance the development of three hubs in the jurisdictions along the canal facing canal properties.

The prediction before the pandemic was that it could bring 50 new businesses in the next five years to this area. It’s a great initiative. But, of course, with this happening, we don’t want to see those kinds of plans that people have spent time and resources on endangered because we’re not supporting our small businesses enough.

There are some businesses in my riding that have also had a really hard time dealing with a lot of the confusion around rules in my riding. I just want to mention Howells pumpkin farm. A lot of pumpkin farms all across the province are struggling to provide some opportunities for families to get together in a safe environment. Many of them were not allowed to open because they were coming under rules that were probably not meant for farms, with respect to people gathe