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July 8, 2020

42nd Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

vol. A

Hansard Transcripts

vol. B

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcript 2020-Jul-08 vol. A (PDF)

L173A - Wed 8 Jul 2020 / Mer 8 jui 2020

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L’ONTARIO

Wednesday 8 July 2020 Mercredi 8 juillet 2020

Notice of reasoned amendment

Orders of the Day

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

Members’ Statements

Long-term care

Small business

Municipal finances

Mental health services

COVID-19 response

Médailles et distinctions honorifiques de la gouverneure générale / Governor General’s medals and honours

Health care

Child care

Town of Innisfil

Workplace safety

Special report, Auditor General

Question Period

Long-term care

Education funding

Government accountability

Transportation infrastructure

Health care

Ontario economy

Curriculum

Mental health and addictions strategy

Services d’optométrie / Optometry services

Public transit

Personal support workers

Anti-racism activities

Special-needs students

Mental health and addiction services

Long-term care

Deferred Votes

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

Introduction of Bills

COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à favoriser la reprise économique face à la COVID-19

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Ontario economy

Petitions

Long-term care

Economic recovery

Long-term care

Broadband infrastructure

Long-term care

Long-term care

Anti-racism activities

Anti-racism activities

LCBO

Tenant protection

Orders of the Day

Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à rétablir la confiance chez les consommateurs

Royal assent / Sanction royale

Rebuilding Consumer Confidence Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à rétablir la confiance chez les consommateurs

The House met at 0900.

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

Prayers.

Notice of reasoned amendment

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that, pursuant to standing order 74(b), the member for Timmins has notified the Clerk of his intention to file notice of a reasoned amendment to the to the motion for second reading of Bill 195,

An Act to enact the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020. The order for second reading of Bill 195 may therefore not be called today.

Orders of the Day

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

Resuming the debate adjourned on July 7, 2020, on the motion for third reading of the following bill:

Bill 175,

An Act to amend and repeal various Acts respecting home care and community services / Projet de loi 175, Loi modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): When Bill 175 was last debated, I understand the member for Davenport had the floor. She can continue her speech. Member?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. I hope everybody slept well—or better than I did. My air conditioning is on the blitz, so you have to feel for me today.

Just to review what I was talking about yesterday in regard to Bill 175, we talked about the need for overhaul of the home and community care system, that being unquestioned by all sides of this House—the fact that many of the issues we’re dealing with today emanate from the introduction of competitive bidding around home care back in the days of the Mike Harris Conservative government.

We talked quite a lot about the 15 years of Liberal government, where there was, I think we all could agree—except perhaps the independents here—the failure of the previous government to address some of those issues and those inequities in home care and community care. I think we’ve all said that.

I have to say, I listened very intently to my colleagues from both sides of the House talking about the issues, which again, I think we can, to some extent, really agree on, but we absolutely disagree on the approach that should be taken.

I think it’s fair to say that we, on this side, also believe that the continuation of debate around this bill at this time is not only taking us in the wrong direction but it’s missing an opportunity. That’s what I keep hearing from my constituents who have written to me about this legislation: that it is not only that we may have issues with the bill itself but also that in this moment, when we are facing really historic challenges, when we’ve gone through a pandemic with COVID-19, like nothing we’ve ever really seen before, we wouldn’t use this opportunity to actually reconsider, perhaps, some of the direction that the government was going to be taking.

I really don’t understand why the government would want to push ahead. I’ve heard, “Oh, the urgency,” “We have to fix the issue,” and, “It’s been like this for so long.” But the failure to, for example, have more than, I think it was, three days of committee hearings; the failure to actually really consider and provide opportunity for more fulsome debate and consideration of the concerns that stakeholders, experts, front-line workers, the very people that we call and that this government calls the “heroes”—I think somebody yesterday referred to the PSWs as “angels,” and no disagreement here.

But why can’t we then be listening to those very people who are telling us that this legislation does not address the fundamental issues, particularly with regard to those front-line workers, the conditions of work, their ability to care for the people who are the most vulnerable in our society and their need for respect and dignity?

I want to read to you a letter I received from a constituent of mine. I’ll just say that Randall is his name. He wrote to me and he said, “Bill 175 does not outline a standard basket of services or standards for care, meaning that home and community care services could differ across the province. This would undoubtedly lead to inconsistency, fragmentation and inequity of services and standards, and could open the door to increased privatization.

“Resuming the consideration of Bill 175 during the pandemic and conducting public consultations with little notice, for only three days, and at a time when many stakeholders, including the health sector and advocacy groups, are occupied with COVID-19, is not the way to carry out meaningful consultations or create good policy and laws....

“Bill 175 does not address any of the longstanding issues with home and community care, such as access to care, standards of care, quality of care, or staffing problems. As it was written before COVID-19”—and let’s just remember that: This was written before COVID-19. My goodness, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that we have work to do, people, but we need to learn from the lessons and challenges that have been presented.

Then Randall concludes by saying, “It also ignores the experiences of the past four months and fails to address concerns highlighted by the pandemic.” I think that’s really well said. I really appreciate that.

I also want to read just a couple of lines from another constituent of mine, Julie, who actually cc’d me on a letter to the Premier. I know the Premier has received many, many letters from my constituents and from others. This is what she says. “Premier Ford, I want you to make caring for seniors the priority—not corporate profit. We must learn from past mistakes. You know that more privatization means less care. We can afford to treat our seniors”—and she’s speaking specifically about seniors here—“better.”

I wanted to share that because, really, I have a whole pile of papers of letters I’ve received from people who either have themselves been receiving home care, or who have family members in community care, who have very strong opinions about this, because when you’re caught in the moment—and I have to say, too, that when you’re in that moment, it’s often that you’re dealing with a lot of challenges. It’s not really the easiest time to voice your concerns. So I really respect everybody and thank them for writing to me.

We’ve talked about all of these things. I mentioned yesterday my concern about the development of this legislation, how it was developed in backrooms with no public consultation. There was lots of consultation with big corporate lobbyists, we know—the member from Ottawa Centre took us through that yesterday—but it was really railroaded through, at really breakneck speed, before the 750,000 people who will be impacted by it even knew it was happening.

Then COVID hits and then the government uses their emergency powers, and we know that there’s new legislation before us that will even extend their ability to continue to use those emergency powers, which I think we have a whole bunch of questions about in terms of democracy and the power and importance of this House and our roles. But using those powers, continuing to move forward and ramming it through with just three days of consultation and hearings is really inadequate, especially when you’re talking about legislation that is ultimately going to dismantle all remaining public governance and control of home care.

We talked as well yesterday—my colleagues have talked about the fact that this is poor policy because it benefits private interests who, at the end of the day, are seeking to increase their market share, make profits. That’s what they do. That’s what it exists for. They’re for-profit. But that does not serve the public good in every instance, we know, based on the research, based on expert opinion, when it comes to health care and home care in particular.

As I conclude, I want to remind the government of some of the NDP amendments that my colleagues on the committee brought forward that I really appreciated. I won’t go through all of them. There were 19 of them, and they were really well considered. But they were all voted down, which is really astonishing.

When I go back to my constituents and they say, “What are you doing to fight against the privatization of home care?”, I can say, “We are trying.” We’ve got a majority government who has decided what they want to do without listening to anybody, without really considering the impact on those folks who are going to be most impacted, and particularly those health care heroes we all talk about. It is devastating, I think, for folks to understand how our system works right now. So a big plug there for democratic reform; that would help.

We had three amendments that we put forward to just simply take for-profit out of this legislation, and the Liberals abstained from those votes. I asked the member for Ottawa South, I believe it was, yesterday why they chose to do that. I got a very disappointing answer, I think it’s fair to say. I would have expected more, but then why would I? They did nothing to change the system when they were in power, when they had an opportunity.

Anyway, with that, I want to thank everybody for their comments, for allowing me an opportunity to put forward some of the perspectives of my constituents. I hope that we will be—perhaps still maybe there’s the opportunity to reconsider the direction the government has decided to take to at least put in place things like standards of care. I think that would make an enormous difference.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Questions?

Mrs. Robin Martin: Thank you to the member opposite for her comments this morning and yesterday. I heard you say that you were reflecting the views of a constituent: “Let’s call him Randall.” So let’s call him Randall. You said that he didn’t know what the services were because there was no core basket of services reflected in the legislation.

I was just going to ask if you had perhaps directed constituents to the fact that there was a regulatory posting for a 60-day period fully open for public comment and comment by members of the opposition as well on summaries of the regulations, which were posted, which included this: “Scope of” home and community care “services.... The ministry is proposing to maintain the ‘community services’ outlined in the” 1994 act and the “regulation 386/99.” And there’s a list of services here including—I don’t know—25 other services, and also ones we’re considering adding, like aphasia services, pain and symptom management—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much.

Now back to the member from Davenport for your response.

Ms. Marit Stiles: What I meant to say earlier, and I want to correct this: When I said, “Let’s call him Randall,” it’s just because I don’t want to use his last name in here. I don’t have his last name with me; I just wrote it down as “Randall.” He’s a member, by the way, of the National Association of Federal Retirees. I’ll make sure we share a copy of his letter with you, to the member from Eglinton–Lawrence who seems to doubt his existence, which is bizarre to me.

But I do want to say: What Randall is saying is that Bill 175, the legislation, does not include that. So it exists in regulation? That’s our whole point here. You’re removing those important components from the legislation so that they can basically be made without any debate in this House at the whim of the cabinet. I think that is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to me, it’s unacceptable to Randall and it’s unacceptable to many of my constituents.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions?

M me France Gélinas: I will quote from Lilian Rivet from Hanmer, who called me to complain about the bill. She says, “Why are you”—she’s actually writing to the government—“pushing this legislation through so quickly, 10 days is much too quickly? I think you’re doing this to hide your intentions from the people.

“When it’s a good idea you take things very slowly and talk over and over again about an initiative. It always takes forever to make good changes.

“You hide it because it will cost the little people in my community more once everything is privatized. The government won’t be overseeing it and people will be paying more, not just in money but in tears.

“Why won’t you be honest about this bill and let people see it? I want to get out to protest but I only learned about this two days ago. I’m a senior with a crutch. I feel you’ve intentionally tried to keep my voice out.

“You know this is wrong.”

My question is: How many of the 800,000 people who receive home care were consulted to make sure this bill fits them?

Ms. Marit Stiles: I thank the member from Nickel Belt for that question. It very much reflects the concerns I’ve heard from my constituents in Davenport throughout, which is that this government made a conscious decision to continue to barrel through with this legislation at breakneck speed, railroading over 800,000 people who would be impacted, in the middle of a pandemic. I think your constituent from Nickel Belt is a good indication of that: folks who already feel like their voices are not heard. So I think it’s really tragic that the government has proceeded in this manner.

I know that many of the constituents of mine that I hear from feel that many aspects of the legislation actually also reduce their voice and their power, including, by the way, I should mention, the creation of the super-agency that essentially is going to meet in private, in secret.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions.

Mr. Vincent Ke: Thank you for the member from Davenport’s comments. Speaker, we all know, including the members of the opposition, that the current system is not working to provide sufficient quality care for Ontario’s senior citizens, and it is definitely not prepared to care for the growing aging population in the future.

My question is: By opposing this Bill 175, which modernizes the current system, how can the members of the opposition expect our senior citizens, who have contributed their whole lives to our great country, to wait for the most fundamental care they need and deserve?

Ms. Marit Stiles: I appreciate the member’s question. I have to say that I would be very proud to stand against this legislation. I’m sad to; I wish we were fixing the problems in home care and in community care. I honestly, in good conscience, could not support the direction the government is taking because my own experience and research and past job experience, actually, has shown me that everything that’s being proposed here will result in, I think, what will be a reduction in the quality of care and service, particularly for folks who rely on home care.

Especially at this moment, when we’re celebrating all of those great PSWs and other front-line health care workers, I think what this legislation fails to do is to address their wages, their benefits and the quality of their work. It’s going to make it even harder to attract people into that line of work. I think that’s going to be bad for everyone. So I’m quite comfortable, and in good conscience could not support this legislation as it currently is.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions.

Ms. Jennifer K. French: They say you should never read the comments, but I’m going to read some of the comments today in response to an

article called “Ford Government Moving Ahead with Home Care Privatization Bill.” Pauline Hammond had said:

“Care and mercy over profit ...

“Show the people of this province you have seen the deplorable conditions in LTC” homes and “vow to never let this happen again!”

Bonnie Robinson says, “We need more standardization and accountability, not less. This piece of legislation will make home care, which is vital for people to stay in their homes and not take up placements in hospitals and long-term-care homes, with little or no government oversight. This is not the direction to go.”

And Sue Gammond says, “Home care is a disaster that is worse than the long-term-care home. Health care workers are undervalued and burned out and are actively leaving the sector. The leadership in the government has set such low standards of care that it is impossible for the caregivers to do their jobs.”

I’d ask the member for Davenport: Despite all of the comments from the government to the contrary, does this bill do anything for those workers so they can do their jobs and support seniors?

Ms. Marit Stiles: Thank you very much to the member for those comments and for sharing the comments. I agree with you. I’m not always keen on reading the comments on articles, but I really feel that those comments reflect what I have heard from my constituents and what I think all of us on this side heard. And I know that the members opposite have heard those because they’ve often been cc’d to us as well. So we know how people feel out there, and the concerns they have.

To the member: I think the government is hoping, perhaps, that maybe this will fly a little bit under the radar for a lot of people, in this moment when people are struggling with so much under COVID-19. But I think this legislation does nothing. We know it does nothing to actually address those deplorable conditions that you mentioned. We know that the continuation and expansion of privatization of home care means that we will not see more standardization and more accountability, and certainly not better-quality jobs for those who we call our health care heroes.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Further questions? The member from Mississauga–Streetsville.

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Thank you and good morning, Speaker. It’s always interesting to hear the NDP members of this House. They always seem so enamoured with the previous PC government. But what they fail to mention, as always, is their own government, Speaker; the government of the NDP led by Bob Rae. They ran in an election in 1990 claiming to overhaul the long-term-care-home sector. In fact, in developing their own long-term-care reforms in 1991, the NDP released Redirection of Long-Term Care and Support Services in Ontario: A Public Consultation Paper, which took a whole long five months of consultation.

Just a little over a year into its mandate, however, they changed their tune. They showed none of its commitments, by reversing what they called the Liberals’ dangerous policy. They claimed, “Long-term-care facilities will be an important part of the service system but not a growing segment. The number of long-term-care beds will not increase.”

Five years into their mandate, just before not being re-elected, they finally passed legislation. My question is: Why don’t you recognize we have a majority government to represent the people of Ontario, including our seniors, those who deserve and need our services—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you. Back to the member from Davenport for your response.

Ms. Marit Stiles: I appreciate the member’s question. I think she misspoke when she say we were enamoured with the previous PC government. That was certainly not the case.

I will remind her that it was when Mr. Harris came into power that they introduced the competitive bidding system, which is the foundation, the root, of the destruction of home care and community care in this province.

I’m going to say it: I can’t comment on how long—I can tell you, I would rather have good legislation right now than have this legislation that—

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Thank you very much. Further debate?

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge the situation we have experienced here in Ontario and right across the world. The situation caused by COVID-19 is unlike anything we’ve seen before. We’ve had to do the unthinkable: close our economy, ask people to stay home, close schools, and so much more. Over 112 days have passed since the Premier declared a state of emergency in the province, and the end is in sight. But this wouldn’t be possible without the support of the over 14 million people who call this province home, and I thank you for that.

I’m pleased to see that the Legislature continues to sit and members are in this House to continue the work that is so important to the people and our communities.

During this time, we have all had to adapt. Businesses, government and other sectors have had to change the way things have been done, and we all know how difficult change is, especially in government. But that’s what this bill, put forward by the Minister of Health, is all about. It’s put forward for our health care workers, who want to deliver the best possible care to our patients. We’ve seen the dedication first-hand over the past few months, and as we have all said here in the Legislature and back home in our communities, we are extremely grateful.

When patients fall through the cracks in home and community care, it’s not because of our health care workers but rather because of the antiquated system and frameworks in which they must operate. The current legislation respecting home and community care is the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994. While the legislation and delivery models it supports may have been effective 26 years ago, they do not meet the needs of patient care today.

Specifically, the act hasn’t kept pace with the changing demographics and increasing client acuity; increasing opportunities for care at home; client preferences; innovation in technology and delivery; and changes in sector governance. It’s time for legislation that keeps up with the changing times and enables the best possible care for our communities. Ontarians deserve nothing less.

One thing that has been brought up quite often in this House, and especially in many of my remarks, is this concept of silos in government and the broader public sector. For those who may not be familiar, or perhaps we have some folks watching at home, the silo I’m talking about is exactly what comes to mind: a structure that is narrow, rigid and top-down. Things don’t flow from one silo to another, or if they do, it’s a slow and tedious process.

I’ve seen it in health care, Speaker. I was vice-chair of the board of directors for Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. “This budget can only be used for this.” “That department can only do that.” “This department won’t talk to that department.” That was nine to 15 years ago, but these kinds of issues still exist today.

But what baffled me most was when I saw it in government. Like many members who were elected to the Parliament for the first time, my first year, especially, was spent meeting with residents, businesses and stakeholders to hear their thoughts and ideas. Any time I met someone, I would ask, “Have you met with the previous government?” Of course, many of them had; no shock there.

But what was shocking was how many times some of these groups or people met with the government, and specifically with how many ministries: “I met with ministry Y, but they said it also involved ministry X, so I should meet with them.” “I met with ministry X, but they said it was actually more of ministry Y, so I had to arrange a meeting with them,” and so on and so forth. They wouldn’t talk to each other.

We have been working hard to change this in government, but the impacts aren’t nearly as severe as they can be in the health care system. Under the current system, patients must interact with home care separately from primary care and hospital care. This can lead to appointment after appointment, assessment after assessment, even just to get alternative care set up. Ontario health teams want to embed home care into other care settings so patients experience integrated home care and not a patchwork.

Care plans are currently rigid and restrictive. Any changes to care that patients seek must be authorized by a home care coordinator, and the care plans that will be approved have a set number of hours or visits, with service maximums that really can curtail service. What we seek, along with Ontario health teams, is flexible care planning that is based on patient outcomes and care coordination that is closer to the front lines and as responsive to patient needs as could be possible.

The last thing that someone in need of care should have to do is navigate bureaucracy and administration just to make a simple request. Luckily, we have a plan. Alongside regulation, the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020, if passed, will allow us to:

—improve the patient experience;

—enable a flexible delivery model;

—maintain continuity of care;

—help personal support workers;

—empower health care professionals; and

—take a concrete step towards ending hallway health care.

Last year, more than 700,000 Ontarians received home care, and 600,000 used community support services. Care at home frees up capacity in our hospitals—and especially now, where patients really do prefer to be. This legislation will enable Ontario Health to fund home and community care services as an integrated health service through our Ontario health teams.

While the 1994 legislation doesn’t keep up with changing needs, it’s not necessarily broken. There are elements of the previous act that we will be retaining, including:

—the definition of home and community care services and their respective eligibility criteria;

—the requirement for an established complaints process;

—inclusion of home care in the jurisdiction of the Patient Ombudsman;

—the ability to fund Indigenous organizations through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Act; and

—the right to appeal certain decisions to the Health Services Appeal and Review Board.

We are maintaining restrictions that limit the delivery of community services to non-profit corporations. And most importantly, we are preserving the existing approach with respect to client copayments, where only community services can have copayments, and if a patient is currently not making a copayment, they will not pay a copayment under the framework and legislation being proposed.

Under the current system, health care workers often don’t have access to the information that they require to provide appropriate care to our patients with varying needs. With privacy and control over your personal health care, especially the data, at the top of mind, patients who want it will have access to virtual care and more electronic communications with providers, making it easier to stay in touch.

Care providers will be able to work as a team, enjoying better working conditions and providing better care. If the patient consents and the situation is clinically appropriate, home and community care services could be delivered virtually to support the monitoring of patients with chronic conditions, with a nurse checking in as needed. Nurses or therapists could also use video conferencing to work with personal support workers in the home to provide a more specialized care.

Speaking of PSWs, the shift of home and community care to local integrated models will help us better use the resources we have and create conditions that may attract more people to the field. Prior to the pandemic, I had the opportunity to shadow a PSW one morning and see first-hand the work that they do. It is challenging, and the system to support them isn’t what it needs to be. New models of care enabled by the legislation can improve working conditions for care providers, like personal support workers, by improving team-based decision-making closer to the patient.

At the same time, our government is continuing to take steps to improve workforce capacity through improved scheduling practices and enhanced training opportunities.

The legislation will also allow Ontario health teams to deliver more innovative models of home and community care. Patients will benefit from primary care, hospitals, home and community care, and long-term care being able to work as a team to meet individuals’ care needs. Ontario health teams will work together to understand a patient’s full health care history and directly connect them to the different types of care that they need.

My office hears regularly from constituents who have problems with health, long-term care, and home and community care services, like I’m sure many in this House have. People are facing delays in getting care because of bureaucracy, administration or multiple assessments—which, over time, become inconsistent—or, alternatively, because the type of care that they have been receiving is no longer appropriate, and they haven’t been given steps or support as to how they can proceed. We want the OHTs to be a one-stop shop for patients and their families and be available 24/7 to support those in need of help.

Again, these instances aren’t people problems. My office has a very good relationship with organizations like our local health integration network, or the LHIN, who work to resolve issues to the best of their ability once brought to their attention. The problem lies within the current system as it is designed.

We realize that these changes won’t take place overnight, and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that home and community care services continue uninterrupted during the transitional period to Ontario health teams. Local health integration networks are being refocused into interim organizations called Home and Community Care Support Services, which will deliver home and community care and coordinate long-term-care-home placement. This is to ensure continuity of care and avoid the risk of service disruption that would result from changing employment relationships and service contracts with home care providers.

The wind-down of the LHINs is planned in a phased approach and will be done over time. During the transition, patients, their families and caregivers will continue to access home and community care services in the same way and use the same contacts.

To reiterate, the passage of this legislation and the implementation of the framework it supports will have several positive impacts. It will make it easier for people to access home and community care in hospitals, primary care and community settings. Hospitals, primary care settings and others will be able to arrange for home care directly for those patients instead of referring people to a separate home care organization. Doing so will reduce burdensome administration and delays for patients.

It will help people to connect to their care providers through secure video conferencing and remote telemetrical monitoring devices. People with chronic conditions will be monitored at home with a nurse checking in as needed. Nurses or therapists can use video conferencing to work with a personal support worker in the home to provide more specialized care when appropriate.

It will provide more choice for people with high-care needs to get care in new community settings. Patients will be discharged from hospital into a transitional care setting to gain strength and functionality to return home.

And it will keep people healthier at home by empowering care teams to work together. Enabling front-line care providers to make more decisions about care, integrating home care into primary care and acute care, and breaking barriers to access information to support this care will create teams that work together to support patients.

No doubt, the past few months have shone a light on Ontario’s health care system. It’s more important now than ever that we continue to work to ensure that our health care system—our publicly funded health care system, that is—is and will remain the best in the world. This means looking at the system holistically and implementing changes while looking at results on a system-wide basis.

Our government has already taken steps to increase capacity in our health care system, and this legislation would allow us to build on our progress while supporting individualized, effective, efficient and innovative alternative levels of care. We need to ensure that our system keeps pace with the changing needs of Ontarians and takes advantage of new technology, data and information sharing. Better ways of organizing the system will allow us to more effectively deliver the high-quality and fully integrated care patients need and expect.

The work was extremely important before COVID-19 hit, and it’s even more important now, as the virus gives us greater urgency to deliver better home and community care for Ontarians. While this work to transform the home and community care system continues, we will ensure that there is no interruption to services for those receiving them.

Health care has always been a priority for this government, and in 2018 the Premier launched the Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine, chaired by Dr. Rueben Devlin, who sadly recently passed away. I offer my sincere condolences and sympathy to his family, especially during these already difficult times. Under his leadership, the council released two reports outlining strategic priorities and actions that will lead to improved health and wellness outcomes for Ontarians, high patient satisfaction, and more efficient use of government investment, using an effective delivery structure.

The most recent report, released last June, outlined 10 recommendations to the government. Among them:

—put patients at the centre of their health care, ensuring they are well supported and treated with dignity;

—improve patients’ and providers’ ability to navigate the health system;

—support patients and providers at every step of their health care journey;

—improve options for health care delivery, including increasing the availability and use of a variety of virtual care options; and

—provide better alternatives in the community for patients who require a flexible mix of health care and other supports, all of which the legislation before us today supports.

This bill allows us to take an important step forward in addressing the inadequacies of our health care system, and it’s the first of many steps. On behalf of my community of Mississauga–Streetsville, I wish to thank the minister and the parliamentary assistant for their work and encourage everyone across this House to support this bill.

Speaker, I move that the question now be put.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Ms. Tangri has moved that the question be now put.

There has been in excess of six hours and 20 minutes of debate time and 12 speakers. Therefore, I am satisfied that there has been sufficient debate to allow this question to be put to the House. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

Therefore, all those in favour of the motion that the question be now put, please say “aye.”

All those opposed to the motion that the question be now put, please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, this vote will be deferred until after question period today.

Vote deferred.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): Orders of the day? I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Paul Calandra: No further business.

The Deputy Speaker (Mr. Rick Nicholls): No further business. Because of that, this House will stand recessed until 10:15 this morning.

The House recessed from 0940 to 1015.

Members’ Statements

Long-term care

Ms. Peggy Sattler: COVID-19 has exposed long-standing systemic problems in Ontario’s long-term-care homes, including the deep reliance on family caregivers to meet residents’ needs. The visitation restrictions have been incredibly difficult for anxious family members and often detrimental to the health of their loved ones.

The lifting of the restrictions, however, has raised other concerns among London West constituents. Ann Bigelow wrote that the requirement for a clean COVID test in the last two weeks “is just ridiculous. If I have no symptoms, the test won’t say I have the virus, and I could just pick it up the next day.”

Tammy Goddard told me that her parents were effectively imprisoned since mid-March in their room in a retirement home, but “we can now take them out, bring them back within 12 hours, and who knows where we may take them or if I or anyone that sees them wears their mask?”

Long-term-care home resident Nancy, who hasn’t seen her family since March 7, said, “I feel that being 88 years old does not give me too much longer to enjoy my family. I’m afraid they will hold off on in-home visits until all the homes are out of quarantine, which seems very unfair. In this weather, I can’t go outside because of a bad heart.”

Speaker, family caregivers deserve visitation guidelines that keep their loved ones safe, but also recognize the essential contribution that caregivers make to resident health and well-being.

Small business

Mr. Vijay Thanigasalam: Throughout these unprecedented times, our government has stepped up and shown that it will always fight for and protect the people of Ontario.

Small businesses have been hit the hardest by the economic impacts of COVID-19. This is especially true in my riding of Scarborough–Rouge Park.

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a virtual round table with small business owners in Scarborough–Rouge Park alongside Minister of Finance Rod Phillips and a surprise appearance from Premier Ford. We discussed the challenges that small businesses are facing and what our government plans to do to help them.

I also had the opportunity to visit small businesses in Scarborough-Rouge Park. Our local business owners such as Rosa’s Pasta, Highland Creek MedSpa, Amigos, Fratelli Village Pizzeria, Riviera Barbershop and many others are working hard to implement and follow necessary precautions to reopen safely. I want to thank the residents of Scarborough–Rouge Park for supporting the local businesses in our riding during this difficult time. Shop local; shop safe; shop confident.

Municipal finances

Ms. Sara Singh: It’s an honour to rise here today. On July 6, mayors and chairs from across Ontario represented by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Mayors and Regional Chairs of Ontario and the Large Urban Mayors’ Caucus of Ontario met to discuss the COVID-19 financial emergency. Municipalities across this province have been hit hard by the pandemic.

To protect municipal services, we need immediate provincial and federal support to cover lost revenue and the additional costs caused by COVID-19. This call for action by Ontario municipalities is part of a national effort led by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to secure at least $10 billion in emergency relief for Canadian municipalities to be funded by the federal and provincial governments. But we have yet to hear from the federal government and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on whether he’s going to deliver on this commitment.

Speaker, the time for a commitment is running out. Now halfway through the budget year, municipalities have no choice but to consider plans to balance their budget by raising property taxes, user fees and charges or by cutting services. Difficult conversations about cost savings and reductions are taking place at council meetings across this province. Supports to children, family supports, reducing or cancelling transit services, staffing adjustments: These are all cuts that are on the table.

This province needs to step up. When will this minister commit to providing the funding that municipalities are in dire need of?

Mental health services

Mr. Deepak Anand: Some moments leave a deep mark in our life. On Saturday, the night of June 20, I got a call from Mr. Imtiaz of Malton Masjid regarding 62-year-old Mr. Ejaz Choudry, who tragically died in a police-involved incident. We all can agree that any death in our community is a tragedy. These incidents have shaken the families and my community, and it is clear that more needs to be done.

Peel police, with CMHA, has mobile crisis rapid response teams. These teams respond to the emergency calls where mental health concerns are identified, and assist individuals in distress. A crisis worker with a specially trained police officer provides an on-site assessment to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. I call on the Peel Police Services Board to work collaboratively with the government to expand these types of proven, successful programs that will support those experiencing a mental health crisis, including the mobile crisis rapid response teams in Peel region.

I want to convey my heartfelt thanks to Malton Masjid for financially supporting the family, Jame Masjid for donating $10,000, and to the whole community for coming together and donating over $128,000 through GoFundMe to support the family. These recent tragedies remind us that more work needs to be done, and there is an urgent need for constructive dialogue.

COVID-19 response

Ms. Marit Stiles: Today it is a real pleasure to rise to pay tribute to the people, community organizations and small businesses in my riding of Davenport who have gone above and beyond to help us get through the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have had competing mutual aid groups and care pods spring up to organize help, street by street. Davenport Mutual Aid Network, Davenport Helps and the cluster at West Neighbourhood House have been connecting people with food supports, PPE and running errands—an incredible model that I know will be with us long after the virus. Sistering shifted location and their entire model to serve a population in desperate need.

Local businesses have stepped up, too. Nosso Talho on Bloor West has provided free groceries to seniors in isolation. Sugo in Bloordale delivered food to families in crisis. Itacate Mexican restaurant on St. Clair and Oakwood served hundreds of free meals, free of charge, to front-line workers and those who had lost their jobs. And when Casa dos Açores heard about six families in need through Working Women Community Centre, they quickly organized a food drive to help them out. Abrigo Centre had extra gloves. They donated them to the folks at the Oasis community centre.

Speaker, these are just a few of the many inspiring stories of compassion and solidarity that have helped us get through this difficult time. I am so proud of my community. To all of Davenport’s pandemic heroes, from the front-line health care and essential workers to the neighbours who banged a pot or lent a hand, thank you.

Médailles et distinctions honorifiques de la gouverneure générale / Governor General’s medals and honours

M lle Amanda Simard: Chez nous à Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, on ne manque jamais de choses à célébrer, et ce n’est certainement pas la pandémie qui va changer ça.

Le 1 er juillet dernier, 123 Canadiens ont reçu des médailles et des honneurs de notre gouverneure générale, et je suis fière de dire qu’encore une fois, bon nombre de mes résidents figurent sur cette liste distinguée.

Le capitaine Jacques Gagné de Rockland a reçu la Médaille du souverain pour les bénévoles pour son soutien aux familles militaires. Yves Berthiaume de Hawkesbury a reçu la Médaille du service méritoire pour son travail avec Optimist International. Jonathan Pitre d’Embrun a reçu la Croix du service méritoire, à

titre posthume, et sa maman, Tina Boileau, a reçu la Médaille du service méritoire, tous deux pour avoir sensibilisé la population à l’épidermolyse bulleuse.

Je suis tellement fière de nos gens, monsieur le Président. Nos communautés sont bien connues comme étant parmi les meilleures places où vivre au Canada, et ça, c’est grâce à nos gens—au bon monde comme Jacques, Yves, Jonathan et Tina.

And for Jonathan and Tina, I need to add something. They say you die twice: The first time, physically, and the second time, when your name is no longer remembered. I want Tina to know that Jonathan Pitre will never be forgotten. Thank you, Tina, for giving us this precious gift that has touched us all in a very special way—our butterfly child.

Health care

Mr. Lorne Coe: Over the next 12 years, Whitby is set to be one of the fastest-growing municipalities in Durham region. As a result, we need to ensure that supports are in place for everyone in the community to thrive. With the planned expansion of the Oshawa Clinic Group to Whitby in 2024, Whitby residents will have better access to the right care, at the right time and in the right place. This new facility will be a one-stop convenience for the majority of non-acute health care needs, and open 364 days of the year. As the member of provincial Parliament for Whitby, I’m proud that this clinic is the largest group practice in Canada, which will connect both specialists and family physicians.

Speaker, I’d like to thank the transportation minister, Caroline Mulroney, and the associate minister for the GTA, Kinga Surma, for helping to release the land for the clinic—thank you, Ministers—and Minister Elliott for her leadership on the Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act and the difference it will make in the lives of patients and families in the town of Whitby.

Child care

Mr. Peter Tabuns: Speaker, there’s huge anxiety and growing anger amongst Ontario’s parents, particularly women, that school and child care will not be there for them and their children come this fall. Through the height of the pandemic, I was calling into my riding; I would talk to families where either both parents were essential workers, both were working at home, or a mixture. They were looking after their children at home and they were stressed to the max.

Speaker, on top of all of those stresses, they didn’t know if child care or school would be there for them and their families when they were called back to work. Right now, it looks like it’s not there. Child care centres can’t figure out how to make the finances work if they have to have fewer children in the centre for health reasons.

With less than two months to go before schools reopen, we don’t have a solid plan, and one of the substantial options on the table is a hybrid where children go to school half the time. Without child care, without full-time schooling, parents can’t return to work, and Speaker, what that will mean most of the time is that women will not be returning to work. That’s a disaster for them personally and for this society.

We’re not in the 1950s. Women are not expendable. Fund child care so that they are viable. Take the necessary steps in staffing and space to make sure that students can go back to school full-time. Don’t abandon parents.

Town of Innisfil

Ms. Andrea Khanjin: It is my privilege to serve the people of Barrie–Innisfil in this Legislature, and I am really proud to serve. This year marks the 200th anniversary of the town of Innisfil. Yes, Mr. Speaker, the town of Innisfil is older than the Dominion of Canada. In 1820, the first European settlers to Innisfil were the Hewson family, who came by way of the Holland River and beautiful Lake Simcoe to settle in what is now Big Bay Point, the famous location of Davidson’s restaurant—and I know that our deputy mayor, Dan Davidson, really wishes he could celebrate this coming year.

Soon after that, though, Mr. Speaker, John and George Warnica and John Clayton, through their work, led to the creation of not only Highway 11 but also what is now known as Yonge Street. Their pioneering spirit demonstrated awe-inspiring accomplishments. While the land that they settled was fertile, these families had to overcome many unforgiving challenges to survive day to day. When I think of everything these settlers lived through and the everyday conveniences which we enjoy today that they lived without, I’m inspired by their tenacity and their ability to overcome challenges.

On this day we celebrate the 200th birthday of Innisfil, so from me to all of the Innisfil residents: Have a happy birthday, remember our great history, those that came before us and, of course, the presence of our Indigenous peoples in Innisfil. Happy birthday, Innisfil.

Workplace safety

Mrs. Belinda C. Karahalios: Our government recently gave business owners and workers another tool to increase their confidence so that they can get back to work safely. Like I said during the many consultations I held in my riding of Cambridge, employers and workers know their workplaces best. I also heard that a guidance document would be helpful in preparation for reopening, which is why we introduced the first-ever Ontario general workplace guidance document. This guide will help employers protect their employees and others from the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

The guide comes with a template that they can fill in to develop a unique COVID-19 safety plan that caters to the needs of their workplace. Our materials help them identify risks, determine a safety plan and communicate the actions being taken to others in the workplace.

In addition to our workplace safety guide, we have released over 130 sector-specific guidance documents to help support employers and workers.

Mr. Speaker, the health and safety of workers and others is our highest priority. Our government is committed to protecting the people of Ontario and supporting businesses during these unprecedented times. Our workplace safety guide will help Ontario move forward from this crisis and safely reopen.

Special report, Auditor General

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I beg to inform the House that I have laid upon the table a report from the Office of the Auditor General entitled Special Report on Ontario’s Costs for Services Provided to Irregular Border Crossers.

The member for London West has informed me that she has a point of order.

Ms. Peggy Sattler: I seek unanimous consent for the official opposition to stand down our leads until the Premier arrives.

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

Question Period

Long-term care

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Good morning, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. Yesterday, the Premier expressed shock that many of Ontario’s long-term-care homes keep residents in rooms without air conditioning and acted as though he was completely unaware that his government gives licences to long-term-care homes without any requirement that they provide air conditioning. It’s all the more amazing because the Premier has been told that this is the case by families who have been pleading with this government to take action, and he heard it directly here in the Legislature over two years ago from MPPs who were doing their jobs, telling the Premier what was happening in long-term care.

Every time there are public reports of appalling conditions in long-term care, the Premier feigns shock. Is the Premier truly unaware of what’s happening in long-term care?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you to the opposition for the question. Let me reiterate: The health, well-being and safety of our long-term-care residents and staff is a priority for our government. It is a commitment of our government. Operators of our long-term-care homes have a clearly stated responsibility to provide a safe environment for residents. It is an obligation for homes, and this is non-negotiable. There is no change made by our government during this pandemic that has detracted from that requirement.

But the lack of air conditioning speaks to the neglect that this sector has had over 15 years, and as a family physician for almost 30 years, I can tell you that this problem dates back many, many years.

Our government created a new ministry in the summer of 2019 to address the issues in long-term care. This is one of them that we will address, and you’ve heard the Premier say that he is committed to addressing this issue of heat-related problems in our long-term-care homes.

Really, if you look at the design standards, the design manual in 2015 requires homes to have an air cooling system. Some of the issues surrounding COVID-19 have limited fan use. We’re looking at this. Our Premier is committed, our government is committed, and we will address this.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Unfortunately, this government has been all talk and no action. The Premier knew over two years ago that there was no air conditioning in many of the homes. So for him to stand at a podium yesterday and suggest that he had no idea and had all the sympathy in the world for those poor residents who are sweltering in long-term care just defies probability, Speaker.

The most important issue here is making sure that no more of our seniors are left to swelter in their rooms in long-term care. The Premier promised yesterday, as the minister just repeated, to take action. We want to see the action desperately, Speaker, as do families with loved ones in long-term care.

On this side of the House, we’re ready to pass legislation today that will that ensure that air conditioning in every room is a requirement of long-term-care homes. The government is putting a bill forward today. Will it have this provision inside of it?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thanks, again, for the question. Under our regulations, every long-term-care home in Ontario must ensure that there is a written plan dealing with preventing and managing hot-weather-related illness in the home. It must meet the needs of residents—and we respond immediately to any reports of serious harm, concern or risk to a resident.

But I want to mention that since becoming the leader of the NDP in 2009—so that means for over nine years—the leader of the official opposition has not once raised the issue and has never asked the question. Instead, she was content to prop up the Liberal government as they neglected Ontario’s long-term-care sector. I ask: Did you just learn about this, too? I ask—

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: You know, written plans do nothing for seniors who are sweltering in long-term care. The bottom line is, people are sick and tired of watching the Premier yell about this crisis in long-term care for the cameras, only to the turn around and do nothing at all about it.

A month ago, the CBC reported “sweltering” temperatures in residents’ rooms at Vista Care in Woodbridge due to a lack of proper air conditioning. Another Vista Care resident without air conditioning was found dehydrated from the heat. Yesterday, we received this letter from Jeanette—I’ll ask a page to send it over to the minister—whose mother, Rosa Mary Abrahams, lives at Midland Gardens:

“There is no air conditioning at this place and my mom and I dare say other residents are left to swelter. I cry every day. I just bought a fan and a mini AC that uses ice cubes, I can only hope and pray that those will be allowed in for her.”

We are ready to make this a law today, Speaker. Is the Premier prepared to act today and back up his words of yesterday?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you once again. I will say it again: Our government is committed to addressing the shortcomings of long-term care left behind by the previous Liberal government and the now opposition who supported that government. That is a sad statement, that it has taken so long for a government to come to power like our government, like our Premier to address these long-standing issues.

There is no question that there are shortcomings. I look at members sitting across, one of them a parliamentary assistant during the McGuinty era for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. What was done during that time? I ask: Where were you for the last 15 years?

Our government and our Premier are committed to addressing these issues, and we will do exactly that.

Education funding

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also to the Premier—but I would remind the minister that it was her government that actually cut funding to long-term care and rolled back resident quality inspections. So they’re taking us backwards, Speaker: making things worse instead of better.

But look, this question to the Premier is about the economic recovery. It’s really clear that without a concrete plan to reopen schools, there will be no economic recovery. Without a concrete plan to make sure child care spaces are affordable and available to all who need them—it’s what parents, teachers, workers, employers, New Democrats and everyone else in between have been saying since this pandemic began.

Tonight, trustees at the Toronto District School Board will be debating an emergency resolution calling on this province to craft a school year that works better for families and looks at innovative solutions to get students back into classrooms full-time. Will the Premier work with them?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you to the member opposite for the question. Mr. Speaker, contrary to the pessimism of the member opposite, we do have a plan. We have a plan to get students in class each and every day in September.

Our commitment, Speaker, has been from the beginning to ensure that safety is the guiding prerequisite. I don’t think that should be an issue of debate in this House. We must ensure that our youngest learners, the most vulnerable within our families and our communities, remain safe. And it’s likewise for our staff.

This is an issue that I think, yes, the government has been seized with for months. It is why, as a lesson learned from this COVID experience, we have made a determination to be prepared for each circumstance—yes, an in-class, day-to-day delivery with health and safety protocols; yes, an online option should, God forbid, that be required; and a blended option if public health requires us to have a quantum of no more than 15 children. It is a prudent way forward.

On investment, Speaker: Every single student in this province has been funded $250 more. Per-pupil funding is up: in the Toronto District School Board, $55 million more in September to ensure there’s a safe and positive restart to September.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, parents have already been struggling during this pandemic to balance home-schooling their kids while trying to work at home at the same time, and the Premier’s plan to have no plan is not working for parents. As one business owner told the Aurora Banner, “‘I think the whole part-time plan, it’s going to turn people’s lives upside down, including teachers’ lives. I would like to actually reopen our office, but it all depends on schools being back.’”

Now, without a clear plan for the return to school, a plan that supports child care, parents will not be able to balance going back to their offices and job sites when our economy fully reopens again. Does the Premier just expect some parents to stay home forever, Speaker?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Mr. Speaker, it is this government that understands fully the relationship between child care and schooling, and the importance of getting people back to work. It’s why, over the past weeks, we’ve unveiled a plan for child care that does two things:

(1) It creates a backstop to ensure that operators in every hamlet and village and town in our province remain sustainable and viable for the coming months and years ahead, but (2) in addition provides additional ancillary funding for operating costs to let these operators continue to operate in the province.

What it also does is that it protects consumers. It ensures that fees cannot go up and spaces cannot be given away as a condition for the province’s funding. We’re leveraging federal support. We’re working with all levels of government to do this. We’re seeing child care operators reopen province-wide each and every day. It’s our commitment to support a recovery that ensures parents are able to get back to work in the province of Ontario.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: Well, Speaker, if schools remain closed part-time and child care remains unavailable or unaffordable, it is unfortunately women who are going to be hurt the most. But whether it’s firing teachers, nurses and health care workers, rolling back the wages of the lowest-paid workers, or whether it’s refusing to step up with direct financial supports and rent relief to the millions of women who lost their jobs because of the pandemic, women get the message that this government just doesn’t care about them.

Is the Premier prepared to explore increased investments and innovative solutions to ensure that every available space that can be used is being put to use and that more teachers, more early childhood educators and more education workers can be hired so we can fully reopen in September?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: We obviously agree that we need to have a strong child care sector in order to enable parents—particularly women, as noted—to get them back to work. We agree. We absolutely agree with that premise. It’s why, working in conjunction with the Minister of Finance, the minister of children and youth and many others, we are building a plan to ensure that child care operations are stable.

When it comes to schooling and funding: $730 million more this September as a decision point by this government to ensure the safe restart is successful; $250 more per child. Every single board in the province of Ontario is receiving more funding—more funding for cleaning, more funding for technology, $15 million more to procure upwards of 37,000 tablets and computers, $10 million more for mental health—in addition to the historic doubling by the Premier of mental health funding in the province of Ontario.

Speaker, these are real investments. They’re going to make a difference. They’re going to keep kids safe in September.

Government accountability

Ms. Andrea Horwath: My next question is also for the Premier. For decades, governments of all stripes have recognized that any plans for emergency management require broad political support, for an obvious reason: In a democracy, we need to balance the need to respond quickly and effectively with the need for transparency and to protect democratic rights.

Yesterday, in an unprecedented move, the government tabled unnecessary legislation to dramatically change emergency management law in this province. Does the Premier really think that less transparency is a responsible way to handle such fundamental issues during such a critical time?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Solicitor General.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Thank you, Speaker. The member opposite and I can agree on one thing, and that is that the health and safety of all Ontario residents is our foremost and number one concern.

What we are doing with tabling the legislation yesterday is that, if supported by the Legislature, we will be transitioning—we will be bridging the gap, if you may—from taking Ontario away from a declaration of emergency into very targeted areas where we need to continue to protect the residents of Ontario, and those, frankly, include our most vulnerable: our seniors, our young people.

So the legislation does have the protections in place, and frankly, the accountability in place. There is a proposal within the legislation that says that every 30 days, the Premier or the minister-designate must appear in front of a select committee. We have question period in July. When was the last time we had question period three days a week in this Legislature? That is accountability. That is what Premier Ford is doing, and that is what our government is doing.

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

Ms. Andrea Horwath: The minister is talking about bridging the gap behind closed doors—bridging a gap behind closed doors, completely out of sight of any scrutiny or accountability to the people of Ontario. That is a very dangerous thing to do, Speaker.

The Premier promised to work collaboratively—does anybody remember that?—collaboratively and transparently to combat the pandemic. But over its course, we have seen this Premier repeatedly refuse to share basic information about what this government is doing. He literally refuses to tell the public who’s making the decisions at the COVID-19 command table. Even to this day, he hasn’t given that information out. Now he wants new legislation that grants the government considerable new powers and makes them less accountable to the people of this province.

Why does the Premier believe he needs the power to make decisions behind closed doors, without scrutiny and without debate?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Accountability. Question period in July. Unprecedented. Every single day, the Premier stands in front of a podium and answers questions from the media—every single day since the pandemic began. What we are trying to do—and I wish that the member opposite would understand and listen—is that we are transitioning away from a declaration of emergency to very targeted protections that need to be in place to ensure the safety of Ontario residents. I’m happy to stand with the Premier and ensure that that continues.

What is the member opposite suggesting—that we should stop everything and we should go back? You only have to look to certain jurisdictions to the south to understand what happens when you move too quickly: You end up re-closing things down. There is no one in the province of Ontario who wants to do that because, frankly, 13 million people have worked very hard to get us this far.

Transportation infrastructure

Mr. Lorne Coe: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Ontario’s economic recovery is a key priority for the government in the weeks and months ahead. The investments we make today are key to ensuring a prosperous future for Ontario families.

Our government’s efforts to streamline highway construction and accelerate the delivery of major transit projects are critical. Our proposed changes will stimulate the economy and build up Ontario’s infrastructure to ensure the quick and seamless movement of goods and people. Speaker, can the minister tell us about the announcement she made earlier this week?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member from Whitby for the question. Our government has been clear in our commitment to invest in transportation infrastructure. We’re not only building faster, we’re also building better. I’d like to acknowledge my colleague the Associate Minister of Transportation for advancing the transit-oriented communities program.

Our plan for developing transit-oriented communities will allow us to develop complete communities focused on connecting people to transit and housing that is safe and affordable. We’re engaging closely with our stakeholders and we will continue to move forward with this plan in close partnership with municipal and local input.

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

Mr. Lorne Coe: Thank you, Minister, for that answer. Transit-oriented communities are a key part of our government’s plan to build a modern, integrated transit system for the greater Toronto area.

I understand that this legislation also touches on highway construction. You’ll know, Speaker, that highways are critical to keeping people connected and goods moving across the province. As the Minister of Transportation is working hard to speed up public transit projects, I also understand that she’s looking to accelerate highway construction. Can the minister tell us about how she intends to do that?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you again to the member for the question. Transportation-related construction is vital to Ontario’s recovery as a major driver of economic activity and a significant source of job creation. As the member from Whitby stated, our government is looking to speed up the construction of major highway projects. Construction on these projects will drive job creation and it will build the critical infrastructure that Ontario needs to keep people and goods moving.

Our plan aims to shorten the time frames related to land assembly. We will always treat people fairly and appropriately compensate owners, tenants and others impacted by these projects. This will never change. Delivering these critical projects sooner will spur economic growth and create countless Ontario jobs. This is what Ontario needs as we pull together during these unprecedented times.

Before I close, Mr. Speaker, I would just like to wish the Associate Minister of Transportation a very happy birthday.

Health care

Miss Monique Taylor: My question is for the Premier. Loretta lives in my riding and has needed surgery since before this pandemic started. Now she is in severe distress and has visited the emergency room three times in the past week alone due to unbearable pain. Her doctor is very sympathetic but wasn’t able to get the operating room that he needed to

schedule her eight-hour surgery. Loretta is suffering and has had to fight hard for the health care that she needs.

Speaker, when will hospitals be able to help constituents like Loretta get the surgeries they need in order for them to go on living their lives?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. I cannot stress enough, Mr. Speaker, that nothing is more important than protecting the health and well-being of Ontarians. To ensure that the province was prepared to respond to a number of outbreak scenarios, we followed the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We requested that hospitals take a careful, planned approach to ramping down elective surgeries and other non-emergent clinical activities.

As we emerge from this pandemic—and the pandemic is still evolving; we are still in a state of emergency in Ontario, and we must be vigilant. We must be aware of potential for second phases and second waves, and we follow the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. We were looking at the capacity of our hospitals before, including long-term care, and understanding that that plays a role. But we are moving forward with our planned reopening of the economy, and we’ve since provided guidance to hospitals to begin the process of resuming scheduled care.

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

Miss Monique Taylor: When Loretta reached out to my office, she was desperate for help. Each time she rushed herself to the emergency room, she was provided with medication to ease her pain, but they told her they could not provide the operation that she needs and they sent her home. Over and over, she was told that she couldn’t get the surgery needed.

Loretta had to advocate for herself for weeks to finally be able to book a surgery date. With some help from my office—and people shouldn’t have to go to their MPPs to be able to get the emergency surgery they need—I’m pleased to say that she will finally be able to receive the care that she needs soon.

But my question is simple: Will the Premier tell us why patients in Ontario should have to fight and contact their MPPs to get the surgeries that they need?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you again for the question. Resuming scheduled, elective surgeries and hospital-based care for patients requires tremendous organization and many different pieces of the puzzle to understand how that can be coordinated and integrated. This was advice followed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health. It is related to understanding hospital capacity. I’m very glad to hear that the individual you mentioned is able to get the care that she needs. People should be able to get the care they need when they need it.

These are extraordinary times that we’re in. Certainly COVID has wreaked havoc for many people and caused hardship, but we are making progress in resuming elective surgeries, following the best expert and scientific advice, balancing the risks between capacity in the hospital and surge capacity that’s necessary for a second wave. All of these must be balanced, and we are making progress. I’m glad to hear that the individual who you mentioned is receiving her care.

Ontario economy

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: My question is to the Minister of Finance. Later today, the federal government will be releasing their economic snapshot, which demonstrates the extent of their support for Canadians during the pandemic.

Speaker, the Premier seems to think that the federal government should foot the entire bill for moving our country and our province through this pandemic. The federal government has stepped up, but the Premier has not committed the province to doing its part.

Now that the pandemic is subsiding, it is time for Ontario to invest in its own economic recovery. But tens of billions of dollars of this government’s spending is in the form of tax deferrals, which they plan to eventually collect from businesses.

In August, when the government intends to share its economic update, more small businesses will have closed and parents will be facing impossible choices and decisions about either their children’s safety or their schooling. Speaker, will this minister release an economic update this month, as the federal government has already done, not in the dog days of summer?

Hon. Rod Phillips: I thank the member for her question. She will remember, no doubt, as all the members of the House will, that this government and this Legislature produced a document, and was the first government in Canada to produce a document, that responded to COVID—$17 billion that this member supported, voted for. This member and the rest of the members of this Legislature supported those early moves to make sure that this government and, in fact, this Legislature were supporting health, businesses and communities.

Mr. Speaker, the Ontario government has been at the forefront of responding to COVID-19. That is why we’ve seen the results that we have. We have taken a safe and responsible approach. We do look forward to the federal government’s update. I guess a fiscal update, not a full one-year report, which we provided. We look forward to that, we look forward to continuing to work with them and we look forward to working with the member opposite and to provide the supports that Ontarians need.

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

Ms. Mitzie Hunter: Minister, I too look forward to working with you to respond to the needs in a manner which is timely.

Speaker, I have heard from organizations in my riding that they are worried that when they are reopening, they will not be insurable. Tam Heather Curling and Tennis Club in Scarborough–Guildwood remains closed, in part due to the uncertainty regarding their insurance.

Voluntary associations and organizations that follow pandemic guidelines should be protected from litigation as a result of COVID-19, or else they may have no other option but to close forever because they are simply deemed uninsurable.

Minister, does the government have a plan to protect the public and also the countless cultural, sports and other organizations that are facing issues of insurability right now?

Hon. Rod Phillips: Again, I appreciate—and the member has raised an important question. Our government is looking comprehensively at what is required and, as I mentioned, has already made significant investments—in fact, historic investments—in terms of support: the largest funding for health care in history; the Minister of Education has touched on the historic investments we’re making in this space in both child care and education. We are looking broadly and comprehensively at what is required for the economy to recover. That includes the issues that you’ve raised, and we will look forward to reporting back to the Legislature as those plans come forward.

I say again to the Legislature, we do look forward to Minister Morneau’s update today. The federal government has been an important partner of the government of Ontario, and we look forward to that continued partnership.

Curriculum

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Good morning, Speaker, and thank you. My question is to the Minister of Education.

Parents in my riding have been frustrated for years with the decline in the quality of math in our schools. Their kids are struggling with basic concepts and have not yet been supported by a strong curriculum. They know, and our government knows, how important math is for students, not just for their chosen post-secondary pathway but for everyday life. Can the minister please share some details of how our new elementary math curriculum is a substantial improvement on the previous curriculum?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you very much to the member from Mississauga–Streetsville for her advocacy for financial literacy and an updated math curriculum in the province of Ontario.

Speaker, it has been 15 years since the last time the elementary math curriculum was updated. For a decade under the former government, we saw stagnation of scores. In fact, roughly half of students could not meet the provincial math standard.

We have a challenge when it comes to numeracy in the province. It’s why the government is fulfilling a commitment we made to the people of Ontario to go back to basics with a new, improved and modernized curriculum that actually, for the first time, builds understanding of the value of money by codifying financial literacy from grades 1 through 8.

Mr. Speaker, we’re also for the first time teaching coding and computational skills to make sure that our young people, the next generation, are set up for the jobs of the future. We have a focus on fundamental math concepts, with a focus on learning and recalling numbers, such as automaticity. The aim, of course, is that young people know those fundamentals through life. We want them to succeed. It’s why we have a four-year math strategy, $200 million allocated to lift those math scores up, improve financial literacy and coding as well as numeracy in the province of Ontario for the next generation.

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

Mrs. Nina Tangri: Thank you to the minister for the answer. These changes were desperately needed. It’s exciting that we finally see an updated and strengthened math curriculum after 15 years. Parents and students across my riding have shared overwhelmingly positive feedback on these changes.

Improving math is a critical component of our plan to equip students with the skills they need to succeed in the classroom, in post-secondary education and in the workplace. Going back to basics is key, but so is learning how to adapt to the jobs of today and tomorrow. Can the min-ister please describe how our new curriculum will help set our students up for success in a changing world?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: Thank you again to the member for the question. Speaker, what we’ve seen through the COVID-19 reality is great disruption to the economy and to sectors of the workforce. We know that in order to give our young people competitive advantage, in order to ensure that they have the skills they will need now more than ever in a very competitive global marketplace, we need to ensure our math curriculum—I would argue all curricula in the province—is aligned with labour market needs.

That disconnect is perhaps one of the significant impediments to their ability to get jobs. It is not a coincidence that we have twice the rate of youth unemployment in this country, that we have a 200% ratio of income to debt for millennials. We’ve got to do better, and the time is now to do it. The Premier has been absolutely clear. We need financial literacy and coding and these types of life skills that they can apply for taxes, to understand debt and concepts that are fundamental in the future of their lives.

That’s why we’re doing that. It’s why we’re starting this September. It’s why we’ve unveiled a $200-million four-year math plan. It’s why we’re asking new educators to meet a grade 9 math standard. We are going to lift scores up and we’re going to give hope to these young people to succeed in the marketplace.

Mental health and addictions strategy

Mr. Kevin Yarde: My question is to the Premier. People in Brampton and Mississauga are devastated by the deaths of D’Andre Campbell and Ejaz Choudry. They know that their deaths are part of a long-standing and unacceptable pattern of violence against Black, Indigenous and racialized Ontarians, and they are tired of governments wringing their hands, extending condolences and then doing nothing to address the deadly impacts of systemic racism in our communities.

This week, the mayors of Brampton and Mississauga made clear that they also want to see fundamental change in our policing. They are backed by communities and they are backed by us, the NDP, in calling for a full implementation of the Tulloch report on street checks and police oversight.

Will the Premier listen to the people of Brampton and Mississauga and commit to implementing these reports today?

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): The Solicitor General.

Hon. Sylvia Jones: I was actually pleased to see the opinion piece from Mayor Brown and Mayor Crombie, because the first recommendation they called for was that we pass the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act, and we are doing that now. We are doing the due diligence. We are doing the consultation with police associations, with chiefs of police, to make sure we get this right.

I understand that there is a strong need to bring forward the Comprehensive Ontario Police Services Act and give it royal assent, but in all conscientiousness, I cannot do that without consulting first and making sure that the many regulatory pieces that are included with that COPS Act are embedded to ensure that we get it right.

We are doing that consultation. We’ve been doing it now for over a year. I have to say that the associations, the communities, the police services boards have been very, very helpful in those consultations, and the regulations are coming down shortly. We’re getting the due diligence right—

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

Mr. Kevin Yarde: People in Brampton and Mississauga are calling for fundamental change to policing and for government to meaningfully invest in our communities. They don’t want armed police responding to mental health crises. They do not want what happened to D’Andre Campbell and Ejaz Choudry to ever happen again. The mayors of Brampton and Mississauga agree and so does the NDP. The mayors said, “These are the calls that should be handled by mental health professionals, trained in de-escalation techniques and counselling—not police.” Returning to the status quo simply is not acceptable.

Will the Premier join us in advocating for a new response to mental health crises that will actually keep people in need of support safe?

Hon. Sylvia Jones: Respectfully, a $3.8-billion investment commitment that our government made when we came into office—we are a government that has said consistently mental health and addictions is an issue we intend to deal with in this term. We’ve done that with the very first minister responsible for mental health and addictions, appointed by Premier Ford. If that doesn’t send a clear message that we are serious about dealing with mental health in all its forms—it’s not just a Solicitor General issue. It’s not just a Ministry of Health issue. We’ve made investments in education.

We’ve made investments in health. We’ve made investments in policing and corrections. It is across government, across ministry.

If the member opposite has other ideas that he would like to share, bring them on, because the one thing that we are passionate about and we believe in strongly is that mental health is not just when you call 911. However, I will say, when the people of Ontario dial 911, they expect help, and we will ensure that our police have the services that they need to make that help be provided.

Services d’optométrie / Optometry services

M lle Amanda Simard: My question is to the Minister of Health. Au cours des deux dernières semaines, j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer plusieurs optométristes de ma région, qui sont non seulement des fournisseurs de soins de santé importants pour nos communautés, mais sont également des propriétaires de petites entreprises avec des défis énormes à surmonter, présentement empirés par les pressions de la pandémie actuelle.

J’ai été surprise d’apprendre qu’aucun ajustement aux frais couverts par l’assurance-santé n’a été fait depuis 2009, donc depuis 11 ans, et que jusqu’à présent, aucune négociation à cet effet a eu lieu avec le gouvernement.

Est-ce que la ministre de la Santé peut confirmer si son gouvernement négocie actuellement, ou prévoit négocier, avec les optométristes de l’Ontario pour rectifier cette situation problématique de couverture inadéquate par l’assurance-santé?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you very much for the question. Merci pour la question. Our government is actively working to make sure that any negotiations that need to be done are being done. I cannot comment specifically on the optometry situation, but I can tell you that COVID has certainly put a dent in some of our activities. But all the efforts will be ongoing to make sure whatever needs to be done in these processes is completed and carried on.

I know that the Minister of Health has been working very hard with a number of groups to address their concerns and proceed with the negotiations that are current. I know that, in the Ministry of Long-Term Care, it’s very much the same situation. COVID has taken a little bit of steam out of us, but we are back on track now and making sure that the measures that we need to take care of are being addressed. So I appreciate your concern about that, and I can raise that with the Minister of Health.

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

M lle Amanda Simard: Encore à la ministre de la Santé. En plus du défi des frais couverts par l’assurance-santé, la goutte qui fera déborder le verre pour ces professionnels et propriétaires : la pandémie actuelle. La COVID-19 a pris un système déjà précaire et l’a rendu encore plus fragile. Les optométristes ont dû diminuer significativement leur charge de patients pour s’assurer de respecter les règles imposées et assurer la santé de leurs patients. Ils ont dépensé des milliers de dollars en fournitures non prévus dans leurs budgets, et ils le font à leurs propres frais.

Le tout, en plus d’absorber les coûts des pertes liées aux couvertures inadéquates de l’assurance-santé. Ce statu quo ne peut plus continuer.

Monsieur le Président, quand le gouvernement commencera-t-il à négocier avec les optométristes pour assurer une révision et une mise à jour des frais couverts par l’assurance-santé, et rectifier cette situation le plus tôt possible?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Merci pour la question. I know that the Minister of Health values the role of optometrists. The work that they do for Ontarians is very much appreciated. We have to gradually reopen the economy, and we have asked regulatory colleges to develop guidance to ensure the high quality and safe clinical care of patients before services begin, and this guidance includes personal protective equipment information and guidance, physical distancing and staffing issues.

Our government relies on health regulatory colleges to govern their respective professions in the public interest and ensure its members provide health care services in a professional, safe and ethical manner.

In recent years, the cost of OHIP-insured optometry services has risen in line with utilization. I know that the Ministry of Health will continue to work with the Ontario Association of Optometrists to understand their concerns, and I will relay your question to her.

Public transit

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: My question is to the Minister of Transportation. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we make the right investments as Ontario recovers from COVID-19. Our government has always had a clear mandate to build better public transit, and we are keeping that promise. We have made more progress on public transit infrastructure in two years than the last 15 years combined under the previous Liberal government.

The Building Transit Faster Act is a key piece of legislation to ensure we get shovels in the ground quickly for our four priority projects. With the passage of this bill, we are in good shape to finally deliver the integrated and modern transit network the GTA needs. Can the minister please tell us what the passing of the Building Transit Faster Act means for us moving forward?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member from Mississauga East–Cooksville for the question. COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on all of our lives, and Ontarians have all done their part to stop the spread. Despite the challenges that the pandemic has brought, it is critical that we remain focused on long-term transit planning. That’s why our government is committed to ending the culture of delays and getting shovels in the ground to build a better, brighter future in the GTA.

The opposition agrees that the GTA needs a more robust transit network, but they have no plan to get this done. The Building Transit Faster Act will eliminate the barriers that have held up projects in the past. It’s a shame that the NDP voted against this critical bill, but I have good news for them. You still have an opportunity to work constructively with us, and I look forward to sharing more in the supplementary.

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

Mr. Kaleed Rasheed: Thank you to the minister for her response. The debate on this bill in this Legislature has shed light on our shared objective of building better public transit. The opposition agrees that the GTA is in dire need of a modern, integrated transit network. They agree that investing in transit is the smart thing to do, yet in voting against the Building Transit Faster Act, the NDP have contributed to this political gridlock that has prevented big projects from getting built. Can the minister tell us what our next steps are following this bill’s passage?

Hon. Caroline Mulroney: Thank you to the member for the question. Our government is focused on smart transportation planning. This is about connecting more people to more opportunities in ways that improve the overall quality of life of Ontarians. The Building Transit Faster Act is the means to do that.

Mr. Speaker, the issue of public transit should not be partisan. Ontarians expect and deserve all levels of government to work collaboratively to get this done. Ontario and Toronto need our four priority projects. We continue to call on the federal government to come to the table and fund at least 40% of these critical projects. So I urge the members opposite to get off the sidelines and join us in calling on the federal government to fund their fair share.

Personal support workers

Mr. Michael Mantha: My question is to the Premier. This government has praised front-line workers for being heroes. However, we know that actions don’t always match their words.

Family-funded PSWs have been excluded from the pandemic pay. One of my constituents, Nancy Riley from Blind River, has been raising this issue and has written to the Premier hoping to get an answer as to why she couldn’t and is not receiving the top-up.

Family-funded PSWs have to spend out of pocket to get the PPE they need on top of having to travel from house to house, risking exposure to themselves and their patients. Why has this government excluded family-funded PSWs from pandemic pay?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. First, I want to emphasize the important role that personal support workers play all across Ontario for our most vulnerable people, not only in long-term care but in hospitals and other settings, and in family settings as well. They are truly front-line heroes.

I know that the Ministry of Health has been working very hard, along with the Treasury Board, to make sure that the pandemic pay is flowed. Certainly, we’re looking at a wide range of front-line workers to be covered by that.

The reality is that that pandemic pay is coming. It is in the process of being channelled. Not everyone has been part of that program. We know that personal support workers are often underpaid, and we’ve seen that in long-term care. We understand and acknowledge the need to address that issue, particularly in long-term care.

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

Mr. Michael Mantha: Again to the Premier: Front-line workers have been putting their lives at risk for the well-being of others. If someone believes that they have been exposed to COVID-19, Public Health Ontario recommends that they self-isolate. However, in a dispute between the Ontario Nurses’ Association and several long-term-care-home operators, an arbitrator ruled that long-term-care workers voluntarily isolating aren’t eligible to receive the paid leave.

When someone believes that they have been exposed to COVID-19, they need to self-isolate. They cannot put their colleagues or their patients at risk. Will this government ensure that all workers, and most particularly health care and long-term-care workers, be guaranteed 10 paid sick days a year?

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: Thank you for the question. In terms of the pandemic pay, over 375,000 of Ontario’s front-line and support workers across several sectors will receive pandemic pay. It is the largest of its kind in the country and is unprecedented in the province’s history.

I’ll say it again: Our government values the commitment that our front-line workers showed day in and day out. They were there for patients in hospital, there for residents in long-term care—absolutely critical—and we acknowledge their significance and important role.

We authorized a temporary $4-an-hour pandemic premium for the next four months—our long-term-care personal support workers supported in that regard. It will be provided retroactively for work performed from April 24, 2020, to August 13, 2020. Employees working over 100 hours per month will receive lump-sum payments of $250 per month for each of the next four months.

We value our front-line workers. Thank you for the question.

Anti-racism activities

Mr. Deepak Anand: My question is for the Minister of Education. Monday morning, I woke up to a front-page story in the Toronto Star about how our government is tackling the systemic racism in Ontario’s education system.

I’d like to thank the Minister of Education for his commitment to fixing these serious problems. Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please tell this House why it is so important to stamp out racism and what action the government is taking to help eradicate racism from our schools?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member from Mississauga–Malton for his leadership in the area of combating racism in schools in Peel and across the province.

Speaker, when 47% of Black students are enrolled in applied courses yet less than 20% of non-Black students are enrolled in those courses; when they’re four and a half times more likely not to graduate; when only one third seeks post-secondary education; and, in the context of suspensions, when Black kids are more than twice the rate suspended than non-Black kids, according to Toronto District School Board data that has been released, it is so obvious we have a problem in this province. Systemic racism is real, and it must take all of us to be courageous and to confront it.

That’s why we will be bringing forth a plan that challenges the status quo, that gives hope and opportunity to these children who for too long have felt isolated and ignored by government. They expect better.

As the minister, the parliamentary assistant and I have been conducting round tables. We’ve heard of a need for action in suspensions, a need for action to deal with streaming in grade 9, and better training of our educators, of our trustees and of our staff. We endeavour to do that, Speaker, in this province.

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

Mr. Deepak Anand: Thank you to the minister for the answer. The data speaks volumes. I’m thrilled to hear that our government is taking decisive action to stamp out systemic racism in our schools. I know that more needs to be done.

Over the past few years, various incidents have shown that at the highest echelon of the school system, racism is still apparent and pervasive. I have been dismayed by the instances at the Peel District School Board, and it is sad to see the actions of a trustee at the Ottawa Catholic School Board as well. I know that my Ottawa-area colleague, like the MPP from Carleton, has been following this affair at the board closely.

Through you, Mr. Speaker: Can the minister please share our government’s response to these types of incidents and what further action we are taking to make sure that all—and I mean all—students are respected?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I, too, am disturbed by the comments of that trustee in question. I’ve spoken very closely to the member from Nepean, the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. Like her, I share deep concern related to the comments and the impact that those comments and words have on this young man’s life.

I’ve spoken to the father of this young man, and it is so obvious that they expect better, and accountability and justice for this type of bad judgment demonstrated by trustee Blackburn. As stated by members of the community, it was shameful, it was racist and it was abuse of her privilege. It is clear that this trustee must do the right thing and step down.

Our government is committed to eliminating all forms of racism within our school, improving behaviour and ultimately codifying the element of respect within our schools. In the coming days, we will announce our plan to implement real change within our system and to give hope and opportunity to these children—accountability, justice and economic opportunity that they deserve for the coming years, Speaker.

Special-needs students

Mr. Joel Harden: My question is for the Premier. Speaker, students with disabilities and their families are wondering when this government will announce something—anything—to make sure that their learning needs are going to be supported this fall. COVID-19 has hit people with disabilities particularly hard in many ways, including the move to distanced learning. Online platforms are not always accessible for all students, and in-class resources are more difficult or even impossible to access from home.

Without new supports, Speaker, there’s a real risk that students who were already struggling before COVID and during COVID will continue to struggle this fall when schools reopen, in whatever form the government decides they can. Premier, will you release a plan to ensure that all learners, particularly those with disabilities, will be supported?

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

Hon. Stephen Lecce: I want to thank the member opposite for the question. We do agree that these particular children will need continued support and heightened levels of support, given the challenges that they would have faced over the past months while being at home.

What I’ve directed school boards to do for this summer is to continue to provide a continuity of access to special education and mental health supports that normally would end at the end of school in June. We’ve asked them to continue funding those to create continuity. We’ve asked them, for September, for their IEPs and IPRCs to continue unimpeded. We’ve asked for a check-in of every parent by the school board to ensure that they’ve got the tools they will need to succeed. We’ve added additional funding in special education this year in the GSN—the highest contribution ever made.

We’ve also added an additional $10 million to hire more psychologists and more psychotherapists, as well as other important social workers to assist these students.

We know that there is more to do in this respect. We’ve added additional funding in the Support for Students Fund. There’s more support specifically tailored for spec ed educators because we know they’re going to be important to the restart and to the success of these young people in September.

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

Speaker, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. All this government and all this minister needs to do is answer the voice mails, answer the multiple emails, answer the appeals.

In all sincerity, Speaker, after the break of question period, I’m happy to sanitize my phone, walk across the aisle, and give the minister—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I overlooked it the first time, but you can’t use props during question period or in the House.

Response?

Hon. Stephen Lecce: You know, Speaker, I actually speak to Mr. Lepofsky quite often. I spoke to him just two weeks ago in advance of our reopening plan. I’ve spoken to the AODA Alliance, and likewise I’ve spoken to the Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education on a biweekly basis throughout this pandemic. So you don’t need to share your phone; I am in contact with him, and I care deeply about it.

In fact, it was his opinion and his recommendation to me that there be a check-in of every student by the school boards before September. We adopted that recommendation; I thought that was prudent.

Speaker, in addition, what he has also called for is additional access to support and funding. What we’ve done is increased the GSN, the largest investment in special education, because we recognize, most especially with those families, that they face challenges. We’re going to continue to invest in them.

We’re going to continue to provide mandatory professional development for all educators in the area of mental health, and we’re going to continue to ensure that there is staffing in place to help these kids succeed in September.

Mental health and addiction services

Mr. Billy Pang: Speaker, my question this morning is for the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Minister, COVID-19 has affected so many Ontarians across the province in many different ways. Our government knows that these unprecedented times have been especially hard on Ontarians, including on their mental health.

Across Ontario, we have seen an increase in those experiencing stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges as people and families have been supporting our shared goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19 and moving forward with the reopening of our province.

Constituents in my riding know that our government is committed to ensuring Ontarians are able to access services and supports when and where they need them. Minister, could you please explain to the members of this Legislature what our government has done to address mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: Thank you to the member from Markham–Unionville for that question. Mr. Speaker, our province—in fact, our whole world—has been affected by an outbreak almost unprecedented in our province’s and our country’s history.

We know that when people are experiencing something new and unfamiliar to them, that can cause many people to experience stress and anxiety, among other mental health challenges. That’s why I was proud to stand with Premier Ford to announce our $12-million investment commitment to mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak here in Ontario. This commitment will soon be expanded.

At ontario.ca/coronavirus, Ontarians and their families can now easily find information about the many available mental health care options to help meet their unique needs, including online therapy options, among other services and supports. Mr. Speaker, we are here as a government to support and help all the people of Ontario when and where they need mental health supports.

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

Mr. Billy Pang: Thank you, Minister, for that excellent answer. I know that my constituents will be pleased to hear that our government has taken immediate action to address the mental health challenges of all Ontarians during this difficult time.

Minister, I know that you have been meeting with mental health and addictions service providers and many other organizations over the past few months to hear directly from them about the challenges they have been facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several organizations in my riding that have been affected in some way by the COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario.

Minister, could you please explain to the members of this House how our government has responded to the various challenges affecting mental health and addictions service providers during this COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario?

Hon. Michael A. Tibollo: As part of our commitment to addressing the mental health of all Ontarians, our government established a Mental Health and Addictions COVID-19 Response Table, chaired by the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health. Members of this response table represent organizations from across the sector and, since day one, have been focused on ensuring that available services and supports are maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every week since this table was first established, I’ve been hearing from every member present at the table about the challenges being faced by service providers across the province. Each member of this table has been connecting with provincial and regional COVID-19 tables to ensure any issues impacting our mental health and addictions system are quickly resolved.

This government’s overriding priority has always been to ensure that every Ontarian has access to high-quality services and supports when and where they need them. We’ll continue listening—

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

Long-term care

Ms. Jennifer K. French: My question is to the Premier. It was reported last week that as we careened into COVID-19, the Minister of Long-Term Care went to the Treasury Board for support and funds to address the problems they already knew about in long-term-care homes, but was refused.

Folks in Pickering now know the awful history of complaints and non-compliance at Orchard Villa, and that those complaints were well known to the government, as CBC reported. So what happened, exactly? Did the Minister of Long-Term Care ask for support and get denied by the President of the Treasury Board, the MPP for Pickering—Pickering, where Orchard Villa has been known to be a home at risk for years and 78 people have died?

This government won’t allow an inquiry. They haven’t pulled the licence for Orchard Villa. They want to give private, for-profit homes indemnity. Bill 161, now law, will restrict class action lawsuits like the families of Orchard Villa are pursuing. Their former PC staff and party brass are suiting up as lobbyists in the private senior care sector.

Over 1,800 deaths have been in long-term care, and the government is doubling down on profit protection and playing politics. Speaker, I’m not playing. I stand with families and seniors and ask: When will this self-serving government start serving seniors and their loved ones?

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

Hon. Merrilee Fullerton: I appreciate that question. I want to make it really clear and correct some misinformation that was mentioned earlier. Our government is spending more than any previous government on long-term care. There have been no cuts to long-term care, despite the narrative. In fact, the Treasury Board has provided $1.75 billion to address capacity issues, and our government has made long-term care a priority.

We invested $23 million for a minor capital fund. In last year’s budget, we committed $72 million more to long-term care than the year before. In the economic update this spring, we invested an additional $80 million to improve and maintain quality of care and overall resident experience. On top of that, we provided $243 million in emergency funding for surge capacity, infection control and more staffing.

Our government has not only demonstrated concern for long-term care but it has put money behind it. That is more than any other previous government. So please—

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning.

Deferred Votes

Connecting People to Home and Community Care Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 pour connecter la population aux services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire

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

Bill 175,

An Act to amend and repeal various Acts respecting home care and community services / Projet de loi 175, Loi modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois en ce qui concerne les services de soins à domicile et en milieu communautaire.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): We have a deferred vote on a motion for closure on the motion for third reading of Bill 175.

On July 7, 2020, Ms. Elliott moved third reading of Bill 175,

An Act to amend and repeal various Acts respecting home care and community services. Mrs. Tangri has moved that the question be now put.

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

The division bells rang from 1136 to 1206.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 64; the nays are 24.

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

Ms. Elliott has moved third reading of Bill 175,

An Act to amend and repeal various Acts respecting home care and community services. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard a no.

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

All those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

Interjections: Same vote.

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

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 64; the nays are 24.

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

Be it resolved that the bill do now pass and be entitled as in the motion.

Third reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): This House stands in recess until 1 p.m.

The House recessed from 1207 to 1300.

Introduction of Bills

COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 / Loi de 2020 visant à favoriser la reprise économique face à la COVID-19

Mr. Clark moved first reading of the following bill:

Bill 197,

An Act to amend various statutes in response to COVID-19 and to enact, amend and repeal various statutes / Projet de loi 197, Loi modifiant diverses lois pour faire face à la COVID-19 et édictant, modifiant et abrogeant diverses lois.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? I heard some noes.

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

Those opposed will please say “nay.”

In my opinion, the ayes have it.

A recorded vote being required, I’m going to ask the Clerks to prepare the lobbies.

The division bells rang from 1301 to 1331.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): The ayes are 59; the nays are 22.

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

First reading agreed to.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I’ll invite the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to give a brief explanation of his bill.

Hon. Steve Clark: I’ll defer my comments, Speaker, to ministerial statements.

Statements by the Ministry and Responses

Ontario economy

Hon. Steve Clark: I rise in the House today to speak to our proposed COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act. This legislation is key to our province’s economic restart and recovery, to help us as we get back on track after the COVID-19 outbreak.

We are emerging from one of the most challenging periods this province and this country have ever seen. COVID-19 has impacted everyone in our province: our friends, our neighbours and our families. In its wake, it has created personal and financial hardship greater than we could ever have imagined.

But while this pandemic has kept us physically apart, Ontarians have shown us and shown the country, shown the world, our Ontario spirit. Businesses across our province have donated essential PPE and quickly changed their business operations to make sanitizer and face shields. Ontarians have delivered groceries to those who couldn’t leave their homes, stood on their balconies and their doorsteps to cheer for our essential workers, and kept their distance from the ones they love the most just to keep us all safe.

This brings me to our essential workers and front-line health care workers. Thanks to their heroic efforts, we were able to flatten the curve and save countless lives. Our hospitals increased capacity and, as part of a robust action plan, deployed specialized teams, including public health and home care staff, to protect residents and staff in long-term-care homes. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of our health care heroes and our essential workers from the bottom of my heart. We owe each and every one of them a great deal of gratitude.

I’d also like to thank all Ontarians who did their part and are continuing to do their part by following public health advice, such as physical distancing, wearing masks and regularly washing hands. It is because of every single Ontarian that we have been able to avoid the worst-case projections and instead chart a path to reopening and to recovery.

Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government took immediate action to protect the people of Ontario, declaring an emergency and making the difficult but necessary decision to close much of the province’s non-essential businesses, because nothing—nothing—is more important to our government than the health and safety of Ontarians.

Through every phase of the crisis and recovery, we have listened to the best advice of our health care experts.

Mr. Speaker, we took swift and decisive action in the face of the crisis, which included a $17-billion package in relief for families, supports for businesses and funding for health care. We took action to support our health care workers, deliver relief to all essential workers and their families, and help businesses weather the crisis. Thanks to those actions, we are safely reopening our province.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation I introduced earlier today is part of our government’s plan to get Ontario back on track while ensuring that we remain ready for any scenario. To create jobs and get our economic engine going again, we need to get key infrastructure projects built faster, attract new jobs and investment, and adjust regulations to help businesses adapt to this new environment. To help communities bounce back, we must ensure municipalities have the tools and resources they need to deliver the services to Ontarians as effectively as possible while addressing their most pressing challenges.

And to help Ontarians recover their livelihoods, we must protect consumers. We must modernize services, improve our education system, and ensure that all young people in Ontario have the opportunity to succeed. No region and no community can be left behind if Ontario is going to get back on track to growth and prosperity once again.

Speaker, the first priority of the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act is to restart jobs and development. We will get Ontario working again. Thousands of Ontarians were put out of work in the past few months because of the pandemic. As we gradually and safely reopen the province, businesses are reopening and welcoming employees back. We are making strategic investments to strengthen local economies and to create new jobs. We are welcoming the world to invest in Ontario, with the creation of a new investment-attraction agency, providing a one-stop shop for strategic investors and job creators that moves at the speed of business.

Invest Ontario will play a pivotal role in our economic recovery, supporting our strategic domestic firms and attracting businesses from around the world who want to take advantage of our strengths and business-friendly environment so that they can create good jobs right here.

Our government will also continue to invest in local infrastructure projects, to not only create good-quality jobs, but to improve our quality of life. Whether it’s highways, transit or bridges, we will build these projects faster to boost Ontario’s economic recovery. We will create thousands of jobs, opportunities for businesses and ensure that every community enjoys a higher standard of living. In 2020-21, we have committed, Speaker, over $2.6 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges. That means reducing co