 It is now time for all questions. I recognize the leader of His Majesty's Royal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My question is a premier. This week, elderly and frail patients in alternate level of care beds will start being charged $400 per day for remain in hospital. Advocates told this government yesterday that the $400 fee is, quote, a bludgeon and, quote, used to coerce seniors' consent. To make matters even worse, Speaker, this government is willing to move frail elderly patients into homes that could actively be in COVID-19 outbreak or had a large number of deaths during the pandemic. Speaker, does the Premier think it's acceptable to move elderly patients into homes with poor pandemic track records or homes with active COVID-19 outbreaks? We will apply for the government, the Minister of Long-Tongued Care. Excuse me. In fact, what we are doing is helping seniors who are on the long-term care waiting list who are in hospitals and want to be in a long-term care move into that long-term care home. You know, I was just in a long-term care home on Friday and the daughter and a resident came up to me and said after four months of being in a hospital, moving into the long-term care home was a game changer for them. It has meant the world, this person, mother and daughter are now able to visit easier, they're able to get more social activities, they are making friends, Mr. Speaker. She said it has been a game changer and she wished that she had done it sooner. Now this is a testament not to the bill that we brought in that allows this to happen, Mr. Speaker. This is a testament to the hard work of the people who are working in long-term care across the province of Ontario. And it is made possible because of the investments that we have made in long-term care, over $13 billion worth of investments to improve long-term care to turn a patient into a resident of a home. A supplementary question. Well, it's interesting that the minister is willing to move patients into a home with an act of COVID-19 outbreak, extraordinary, very interesting. Again to the minister of long-term care. This government should have the health and safety of every Ontarian on their minds each time they put forward new policies. But with Bill 7, the government is asking frail, elderly Ontarians to shoulder the burden of an underfunded and understaffed health care system. That's simply not fair. The government should be investing in the health care system, in our nurses, in our health care workers, that's where they should be putting dollars. The minister of seniors and their families deserve to know that when they choose to go to a home, their needs will be met. To the minister, what criteria are hospitals directed to follow to determine if a long-term care home has suitable staffing levels, equipment, and care protocols for a patient to be moved there without compromising the quality of their care? Mr. Long-Term Care, it's interesting that the NDP now somehow care about long-term care. They didn't care about long-term care when they held the balance of power. Of course, it was of no interest to them. They didn't care about long-term care when we were bringing North American leading investments into long-term care. They voted against those investments. We're building 60,000 new and upgraded beds in every part of the province, Mr. Speaker. We're bringing long-term care into small communities across the province because our seniors, you know what they have said to us? They have said they want to be in communities that they have not built closer to their family and friends, Mr. Speaker. That's what they have said, and that's exactly what we're doing, Mr. Speaker. We are investing in long-term care for hours of care per day per resident. And North American leading standard, Mr. Speaker, those are the investments that we're making, and we're doing it with our residents in long-term care, with the professionals who are working in our long-term care homes, and we will get the job done because the right... Thank you. The final supplement through the members tonight are the polls. Thank you. And my question is to the Premier, and I want to say it again, 5,000 seniors have died under this government watch in long-term care facilities. Bill Sebb was rammed through the House with no public comment period and no consultation. There's no opportunity for workers, family members, or stakeholders to raise their concerns with this government effectively, forcing the elderly patients into long-term care homes they didn't choose. We know that the care varies across the sector, and we know that workers are burned out and leaving the sector. Families should never have to worry that their family member will be moved to a home that they don't have enough staff. Big issue. Will the minister guarantee that patients will not be forced into homes whose staffing levels are lower than their own provincial standards? Thank you. It's unsurprising to me, colleagues, that the member actually asked that question because had he read the Fixing Long-Term Care Act that he voted against, he would know that that can actually happen. It is right in the bill, Mr. Speaker. A patient who is wanting to become a resident of a home can not be discharged into a home that doesn't have the resources needed to care for that person, Mr. Speaker. It is a hallmark of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act. Another hallmark of the Fixing Long-Term Care Act is four hours of care, 27,000 additional health care workers. We increased the food allocation, Mr. Speaker. We're building 60,000 new and upgraded beds in his own writing. In his own writing, he voted against $50 million of additional support for health care workers in the homes where over 450 new and upgraded beds in his own writing voted against it, voted against the staffing, Mr. Speaker. We'll get the job done because they have never, ever cared about the sector. We care about the people who are in those homes. Thank you. The next question, the member for Davenport. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Premier. Speaker, five former mayors of Toronto have joined the chorus of people speaking out against Bill 39 and this government's latest attack on a fundamental democratic principle, majority rule. Majority rule is a core value in council chambers and legislative assemblies, not just across this country but around the world. But instead of respecting the voice of voters in Ontario, this government is doing an end run around democracy, shifting power away from people and into the hands of wealthy developers. Speaker, why does the Premier think our democratic institutions can be swept aside whenever they're just inconvenient for him? Thank you. Applaud. The Minister of Political Affairs. How is it? Well, thanks. Thanks, Speaker. Today, November 22, is National Housing Day. It's a day to reflect on our government's action to get shovels in the ground faster. One of those commitments that we made to Ontarians during the election, we also made it to big city mayors and regional chairs in January when the Premier and I hosted a summit was we were going to give those mayors the tools to be able to get shovels in the ground faster. We did it immediately after our election. We tabled the Strong Mayors' Building Homes Act, which was passed by the legislature again without the support of the party of no and the Democratic Party. And then the Premier made it crystal clear that we were going to continue to extend those strong mayor powers to other communities because we need mayors in those six regions along with the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to be able to have the tools to get shovels in the ground faster. That's why we've tabled Bill 39, and that's why we'll continue to table a housing supply action plan every year in our mandate. Here, here. Couple of questions. Speaker, back to the Premier. This government was just forced to repeal a bill in Olympic record time when they tried to take away the charter rights of workers in this province. But I'll tell you, if Ontarians thought that we were dealing with a changed Premier, they were mistaken. This government was willing to use the notwithstanding clause to suppress the wages of the very lowest paid workers in our province. They're willing to change the law to carve up the green belt for sprawling development. And now they're willing to undermine democracy again, letting just eight people of 26 pass laws that affect over 3 million people in Toronto. Does the Premier recognize how dangerous and how reckless this government's actions are to our democracy? Well, you know, Speaker, I'm not going to take any lessons from new Democrats in terms of housing policy. Nobody's interested in their leadership race. Nobody's interested in their policies. Again, they presented these same policies during the election. They were rejected. Opposition, Governor. We're going to continue to build upon the success of our housing supply action plan. We're going to continue to work with mayors, to listen to Mayor Tory, to deliver on changes that Mayor Tory has asked for to be able to get shovels in the ground. We're not going to take any lessons from this acclaimed leader and this failed new Democratic Party. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's like a bunch of little kids realizing that they're losing a game and in the middle of it, they try to change the rules, you know? It's really embarrassing, Speaker. We don't agree on everything in this House, that's for sure. But I would have thought we would all agree on the basic tenets of our democratic system. The government is also giving themselves the power to appoint regional chairs in Niagara, in Peel, in York, a move that is completely undercutting local decision making. People, whether they live in Toronto or Peel or Niagara or York, deserve to have their voices heard and their concerns represented by their locally elected representatives. Will the Premier do the right thing and just withdraw Bill 39 today? You know who's losing, Speaker, because of the NDP style in Ontario? Young families who don't have a path to home ownership right now. To new Canadians who will choose Ontario as the opposition to come in our country and raise a family and create an opportunity for that senior who wants to live in the community that they grew up and raised their family in, but don't have a path to downsize. That's who's losing because of new Democrats voting against every single solitary policy that this government is putting in to deal with housing supply. We're in a housing crisis. We need to build housing supply. Why do you keep opposing all of the measures that have come forward? We're going to stand all the time, Speaker, for that young family who want to have a home that meets their needs in the budget. We'll always stand for that senior who wants to have a housing opportunity where they live and we'll always stand up for that new Canadian. I'm pleased that there's a great deal of enthusiasm in the House today, I think. And if you repeatedly ignore my request to call you to order, I will warn you. And then we'll progress from there. We have to be able to have our discussion and the Speaker has to hear what's being said by the members of the floor. Start the clock. The next question, Member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Speaker. My question is to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. Last week, the outgoing Waterloo Council asked the province to defer Bill 23 until the incoming Council has had a chance to review it. Councillors have expressed legitimate concerns that the bill was introduced the day after municipal elections and, quote, seems aimed at limiting comment from incoming duly elected officials. Councillor Bodali also called the legislation environmentally problematic, citing flooding concerns and protections for wetlands. Now Waterloo is not alone in their request to defer Bill 23. Councils in York, Niagara, St. Catharines, Collingwood and Burlington have all passed motions requesting deferment of Bill 23 and more fulsome municipal consultations. This is a reasonable request. Understanding the full impact of this legislation is important. Will the Minister respect the request to municipalities and defer Bill 23 until newly elected municipal councils have a chance to review the legislation? Speaker, I've stood in this House and talked about what defer and delay does to the high price of a home. You look at the fees that add over $116,900 to the cost of a home in the greater Golden Horseshoe. You look at the amount of time the studies that have been tabled to show that the time it takes to get shovels in the ground has increased some 30 or 40 percent. It takes way too long to get housing built in the province. We are a prosperous, we're a growing province. It's the best place to live in Canada. And we want to make sure that our municipal partners do their part. We've given them a housing pledge. We want them to buy in to our 1.5 million homes plan over the next 10 years. And each and every one of them, Speaker, ran on a platform of building housing. Now is not the time to defer. Now is the time to get shovels in the ground faster and create opportunity across the territory. Supplementary question. You know, Mr. Speaker, this government has made so many mistakes. They've gone to court over a dozen times and you've lost every single time because you rushed through legislation. Speaker, new councils are just getting sworn in and won't be able to review the legislation until their first meeting in December. AMO, representing 444 municipalities, has told this government that preliminary analysis of the bill indicates a transfer of over $1 billion a year in costs from private sector developers to property taxpayers without any likelihood of improving housing affordability. So it's not going to work. We're actually trying to help you by getting it right. Will the minister respect the voices of the citizens of Waterloo and across this province and provide these democratically elected councils time to review the legislation that impacts their environment, their communities and budgets? It is a reasonable request on behalf of municipalities and this minister who has that responsibility should at very least listen to them. Stop the clock. The member for Renfrew, Nipissing, Pembroke, come door to the minister of labour, come door to the minister of energy, come door to start the clock. Minister of municipal affairs and housing to reply. Speaker, more homes built faster is part of our strong foundation for transformative change in Ontario. We know that last year was the best year in over 30 in the province. We had over 100,000 housing starts, but we know given the economy and factors that are outside of our control that we're not going to get there this year. So we need to put a strong foundational plan in place. More homes built faster is that foundational plan and we need to get to our goal. We need to be able to, especially now that there are so many new Canadians coming because of the federal government's decision, we need to make sure that transformation happens at the municipal level. And transformation isn't easy. We need all of our municipal partners to do their part. They need to work with us. They need to work with the federal government on ensuring that we can shovels in the ground faster, but we're in a housing crisis and we need everyone to be working collaboratively moving forward. Now is not the time to delay. A member for Toronto Centre will come to order. The next question, the member for Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. In my riding the Stormont Dundas, South Glen Gary, the City of Cornwall continues to be a hub for economic investment opportunities. Today, Cornwall is proudly home to one of our country's largest and most advanced logistics and manufacturing operations. Many of our companies have succeeded in Canada and worldwide, but in order to remain competitive, our manufacturers and businesses need a government that works with them. Speaker, will the Minister please explain how our government supports manufacturers and businesses who are creating jobs in Cornwall and across our province? Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Cornwall isn't just a great place to live and work and raise a family. It's one of the most competitive places to invest as well. In the last two years, a hundred million dollars has invested there with help from our regional development programs. Biscuits Leclerc has an 80 million dollar project creating 76 jobs with 1.5 million dollars of our support. Now this is a sweet deal for Cornwall, for Hawkesbury and for Brockville. They'll all see upgrades to their plants as they enter new markets. Now we also supported Cornwall's auto sector through an OAMP investment for Mooreburn's $429,000 project to implement industry 4.0 technologies. Speaker, this is how we're supporting businesses in Cornwall. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for his answer. Initiatives like the Regional Development Program and the Ontario Automotive Modernization Program are significant for businesses across Ontario as they contribute to our province's economic prosperity. It is long overdue that businesses in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario receive their fair share of support and our government is stepping up and showing leadership. I am proud of the entrepreneurial drive evident from the business community in my riding. Many individuals are ready and willing to work hard to create successful businesses. Speaker, will the minister explain how our government is helping entrepreneurs in my riding start and grow their businesses? Mr. Economic Development. God elected, we vowed to provide entrepreneurs with all they need to succeed. This meant eliminating mountains of the Liberals' red tape. It meant fixing the Liberals' unaffordable hydro and lowering taxes. And now, Speaker, entrepreneurship in Ontario is alive and well. We support a network of regional innovation centres, small business centres and futurepreneur Canada. In Cornwall, we fund the small business centre with almost a half a million dollars annually. We provide $85,000 for their summer company and their starter company plus programs. And that helps students and young entrepreneurs turn ideas into businesses. And we provide almost $33,000 in digital transformation grants. It went to local businesses to help them get their businesses online. Speaker, this is just the start that entrepreneurs in Cornwall need to succeed. The next question is for Scarborough, South West. Thank you very much, Speaker. Speaker, the government's own Housing Affordability Task Force outlined that a shortage of land is not the cause of the housing crisis. Land is available both inside and in the existing built-up areas and on undeveloped land outside the green belt. At our emergency town hall on bill 23 last week, we heard from community members and experts, including a member of the original Task Force that drew up the green belt plan who shared how dismayed they are by the government's undermining of the purpose of the green belt and its permanence. In fact, there are designated white belt specifically for development and growth. But this government still continues to target the green belt. Despite all the evidence and the fact that the Premier actually promised this province in 2018 that he won't do that and the vehement opposition from experts, from housing advocates, from community leaders, and much more, why is this government opening up the green belt for development? Thanks for the question. I'm going to start with the first part of your question. Which was her meeting regarding more homes built faster. So that bill, which is making its way through the legislature if it passed, contains about 50 actions that the government's put forward to tackle our housing supply crisis, right from requiring an opportunity for gentle densification within urban and rural communities to, you know, moving on to something that I think is very exciting. And that's our attainable housing program, that I'm working with the Minister of Infrastructure on. The modifications are part of our commitment to Ontarians. We looked Ontarians in the face in the June election and said, if you reelect us under the leadership of Premier Ford, we are going to move the housing supply action plan in terms of policies, procedures, legislation every year of a four-year term. We're acting on that. And as well, the member opposite knows that that housing affordability task force is our long-term roadmap that will help guide us with the other changes we're going to make. It's a very simple, yet very transformative exercise. Speaker, destroying the green belt is not the answer. We know what happened after the hurricane Hazel devastation and how it devastated our province. In fact, it was the provincial government that amended the act to enable conservation authorities to retain and regulate lands for conservation and the safety of our communities. It is not the answer, but this minister wants to talk about housing. Let's talk about housing. Poppy, a young woman in my riding who escaped unimaginable domestic violence, almost died, has been waiting, has been struggling actually to breathe, Speaker, because she lives in a basement apartment where it's hard for her to breathe. And the doctors have said that she might actually need a second surgery actually if she's had multiple surgeries. So she might need another surgery because she lives in a basement apartment. She's been waiting for years, for years for affordable housing, Speaker. And this is just one of the so many stories of those who are waiting for affordable housing. If this bill is actually about affordability, Speaker, why isn't there anything in this bill that specifically calls for building affordable housing for the people like Poppy and those who are waiting for affordable housing? I should know that the billions of dollars we've spent over the last four years on affordable housing that that member and her party voted against it every single solitary time. I want to correct her record, Speaker, because she talked to it with the Greenbelt and the proposal that we're consulting with Ontarians right now would in effect add 2,000 acres to the Greenbelt. And in addition would provide an opportunity to build a minimum of 50,000 homes. Why is that number appropriate? Well, it goes back to an answer that I gave earlier in question period. The best year in this province's history in over 30 was last year when we had 100,000 sites. So that is even higher than the 69,000 homes that were built on average per year for the last order of the years. So 50,000 at a minimum is very important. The proposal that we're consulting on provides an opportunity but also an opportunity to grow the Greenbelt by over 2,000 acres. It's good public policy. Member for Chatham Kent Leamington. Speaker, a recent 3M Canada survey shows that although 96% of Canadians believe that the country's workforce needs more skilled trades workers, 76% also said they would never pursue a career in the skilled trades. This is worrisome news for Ontario. Skilled trades are vital to our economy. Current projections show that by 2025, one in five new jobs in Ontario will be in the skilled trades. Our government must continue to act by addressing the ongoing labour shortage in the skilled trades. Speaker, can the Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development tell the House what our government is doing to get more people working in the trades? Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the member from Chatham Kent Leamington for his leadership in Southwestern Ontario promoting the skilled trades. Speaker, our government has an ambitious plan to build, working together with Ontario's leading construction unions and builders. Last week, I joined leaders representing 14 private sector unions from across our province, including Mark Arsenault, business manager for the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, who represents over 150,000 hardworking tradespeople who are building our future. Alongside our Minister of Finance and the Solicitor General, we announced an additional $40 million for a skills development fund. And Mr. Speaker, we're expanding the fund to include training for high school students for the first time in Ontario history. We're on a mission to get more young people into our skilled trades, and I'll have more to share in our supplementary. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you for the Minister for that response. I'm pleased that our government is making the necessary investments in our skilled trade system. That said, we must make sure that these good, meaningful jobs are within reach for everyone. Unfortunately, the apprenticeship process has lacked diversity, as demonstrated by the low percentage of apprentices from underrepresented groups. A diverse workforce is an important asset for Ontario's economy, ensuring diversity is essential for many reasons, including promoting individuals' different strengths and skills, which leads to better outcomes and problem-solving on the job site. Speaker, can the Minister please explain how the Skills Development Fund will provide opportunities for those wishing to pursue a career in the trades? Our Skills Development Fund is investing $3.5 million to support four building trades, province-wide training initiatives. These programs will help nearly 2,000 young people launch rewarding careers in the skilled trades and put them on a path to union-sponsored apprenticeships. Training like this is how we're preparing the next generation for six-figure salaries developing our ambitious infrastructure plans, including building 1.5 million homes by 2031. Mr. Speaker, within two years, we funded 388 training projects and trained nearly 400,000 workers for in-demand jobs across every sector. Mr. Speaker, to build an Ontario that leaves no one behind, labour, government and business must work together. We need all hands on deck, and Mr. Speaker, we're not slowing down. The next question, the member for Thunder Bay. Thank you very much. My office has been overwhelmed with phone calls and emails from organizations and residents of Thunder Bay Superior North expressing their deep concern at the environmental damage that Bill 23 will bring. I will read an excerpt from one of those constituents. By far the greatest and most significant threat facing Ontario today is the threat of climate change and loss of biodiversity. Sacrificing wetlands to provide more housing start locations is a very short-sighted solution to an immediate housing issue, but will result in much more significant long-term impacts on the future of the earth for us and for my children and my grandchildren. Will the Premier remove the parts of Bill 23 that undermine regional conservation authority's ability to protect wetlands needed for everyone's survival in the face of climate change? Great question. Thank you. Great. Minister, Mr. Harrison. Speaker, Bill 23 contains, as I said earlier in question period, about 50 initiatives that the government has put forward to really supplement our housing supply action plan. We went to Ontarians with a clear plan that they accepted to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years, and we're implementing that plan with bills that we've already passed in this session, bills that are before the House, bills that will be debated today in the House and have been debated today in the House. All of those measures put together will help get shovels in the ground faster. In terms of some of the issues that the member talked about, we believe that we need to work collaboratively with conservation authorities. We believe that their work is of value and that they should concentrate on those measures like flood mitigation, which really was part of the foundation of their creation originally. We think we can work collaboratively, ensure that those checks and balances are in place, but at the end of the day, we're in the middle of a crisis and we need to get shovels in the ground to build more housing. That's a question from the very superior member. Premier, recreating a wetland, which is one of the things that you've offered this additional 2,000 acres in a different area or watershed, is a little bit like cutting off an arm and saying, oh, don't worry about it. I've got a spare arm over here. We'll just use that one. It doesn't work. There's no logic to it. There's no science to it. At the same time as you're removing the ability of conservation authorities and municipalities to manage the lands in their regions, you are downloading millions of dollars in cost to them and leaving them with the legal liabilities should there be future problems with flooding or drinking water. Bill 23 is a direct attack on the well-being of all communities for the short-term benefit of those who will profit from building where they should not build. I can tell you the builders will be long gone when the consequences of these bad decisions come knocking. Again, I ask, will the Premier restore the ability of conservation authorities to fulfill their mandate to protect the integrity of local watersheds? I've already answered about the mandate, but I want to emphasize to this member and her party of no, that we're in the middle of a housing crisis. Too many Ontarians have lost hope in the dream of home ownership and our government is going to restore that home. We're going to restore the hope for that young family. They can do their NIMBY chance all they want on that side of the house and they'll continue to stand up and be the party of NIMBYism and bananaism in the province. That's what new Democrats are. We're going to continue, Speaker. Regardless of their howls and their yells, we're going to continue to stand up for seniors, for new Canadians, and for young families that don't have the hope to restore their hope. We're going to get shovels in the ground faster and we're going to be successful in getting 1.5 million homes built over the next decade. Next question, member for Orléans. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. The government shows and the Premier's shows in the flip-flop on their promise to allow over 7,000 hectares of the green belt to be developed, much of it high quality farmland, Mr. Speaker. Now, Ontario is blessed with some of the best and most productive farmland in the world. In 2018, when this government was elected, the average weighted price of corn in Ontario was just about $197. This year, Mr. Speaker, it's over $331. That's a 67% increase. Soy has gone from 472 to 745, 57%. Barley from 244 to 390, a 63% increase. When you pave under farms, Mr. Speaker, crop prices go up. That means higher prices at the grocery store. Government's side come to order. Higher bread prices, higher vegetable prices, higher prices for chicken and beef and milk. Now, Mr. Speaker, Fordflation, Fordfl- Stop the clock. Just a second, just a second. Just a second. I'm having difficulty for some reason hearing the member for Leanne's question. It could be the physical distance. It could be some other factor. I need to be able to hear the member who has the floor. Start the clock. Government House Leader to reply. Over into a Vic farmers from the green belt, was the Liberal Party of Ontario. And they did it in my writing, Mr. Speaker, a family that had been on and farming for over 200 years was evicted so that they could create a park. A park that never opened, Mr. Speaker. That is the legacy of the Liberal Party. Now, he gets up in this house and talks about increasing costs of food. Well, how about those farmers who have a carbon tax that you support each and every day in this place? That is what is causing the price of food to go up. That is what is costing our farmers. We said it the day we got elected. Didn't we, colleagues? We said a carbon tax would cost the people of Ontario in everything they did. We took the federal government to court. We asked them to join us to stop a carbon tax that will hurt our farmers, that will hurt people of the province of Ontario. They laughed at it, instead supported their federal government. To make their comments to the chair, the supplementary question. Thanks, Mr. Speaker. And of course, they didn't stop at the green belt. The City of Ottawa recently added about 1,200 hectares to their urban boundary with clear intent to provide lands for housing growth while ensuring sensitive ag lands and those that were difficult to develop were not included. The minister, after delaying for more than a year, has decided to add 50% more land to the boundary. He's adding 207 hectares in Finlay Creek in the Carleton Riding that were not recommended because of lack of city infrastructure. 65 hectares in Fernbank, 65 hectares in Fernbank that were not recommended due to servicing problems, including the absence of road connections. After delaying for a year, after driving up housing prices in Ottawa for a year, why does this minister feel that the residents of Finlay Creek and Greeley and Stitsville should have to endure higher property taxes while sitting in gridlock because of lack of infrastructure? Stop the clock. I'm sure most members appreciate applause in the House when they say something, but not when it's intended to deliberately interrupt or embarrass another member. Let's stop doing that. Start the clock. Minister of Municipal Affairs to report. A lot to unpack, Speaker, on that, but I'll try my best. So first of all, on the green belt comment, don't take my word for it. I'll just quote Charles Sousa, the former Liberal MPP for Mississauga South and Finance Minister under Catherine Gordon, who's a member of our Green Belt Council. I recognize the importance of the green belt, Sousa said, but growth will be happening north and south of the Green Belt and we have to make sure it's done right. On his second comment regarding the City of Ottawa Official Plan, just like all official plans, we're in the middle of a housing crisis. We have to ensure that those residents of Ottawa, including the ones that are represented by our exemplary member for Carlton, need to have that opportunity to realize the dream of home ownership. You know, official plans are the most important tool that municipalities have to make sure that when it shovels in the ground and create that opportunity for people in Ottawa so that they can realize the dream of home ownership. You can't have a council that ignores planning advice on putting land within the urban boundary. That just doesn't... Remember for Scarborough East. Thank you, Speaker. Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the world with over 90% of our power generation coming from zero... creating zero emissions. Nuclear power and hydroelectricity are the foundation of our energy system, strength that they... as they provide low cost, reliable and emissions free electricity. We know that Ontario's energy advantage is good for our environment and is the envy of jurisdictions in Canada and around the world. That said, Ontarians want to know how our clean energy production can benefit our economy. Speaker, can the Minister of Energy please tell the people of my riding how Ontario's clean electric grid system benefits our economy? Good question. Minister of Energy. Well, thanks very much to the member opposite from Brampton for the great question this morning. Our government knows that a reliable and affordable electricity grid isn't just good for the economy. It's also great for the environment, Mr. Speaker, and we've stabilized electricity prices since the harmful days of the previous Liberal government through programs like the comprehensive electricity plan which has stabilized rates, Mr. Speaker, and it's allowed manufacturing jobs and new investment to come back to our province like the $3.6 billion investment at Stellantis and the member opposite's riding and down in the Windsor region as well. But it's more than just that, Mr. Speaker. Stabilizing our electricity rates also means that companies can now invest in electrifying their industrial businesses like we're seeing in the green steelmaking process is coming soon to Hamilton and Sault Ste. Marie, Mr. Speaker. It's because of a stable, reliable, affordable electricity grid that we will see reduced emissions in other parts of our economy while at the same time watching our economy in this province grow. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Minister, for that answer. It's good to know that procuring new natural gas generation will help reduce emissions and ensure that our grid remains affordable and reliable. Widespread electrification of our transportation network and industries is undeniably a good thing. The Minister mentioned in his response about the comprehensive electricity plan which is assisted in returning manufacturing jobs back to our province. Ontarians are however concerned about the cost of this program. Speaker, can the Minister please elaborate on this plan and why it's necessary? Thanks to the member from Brampton. The comprehensive electricity plan is reducing electricity costs for more than 50,000 industrial and commercial customers by 15% to 17%. But to the member's question, why is that program necessary? Well, I can tell you it's necessary because of a decade of Liberal mucking up the energy policy in our province, Mr. Speaker. They signed contracts under the Green Energy Act, locked in for 20 years, many at 80 cents a kilowatt hour, Mr. Speaker. When our clean, reliable, affordable nuclear power was available for 8 cents a kilowatt hour, while our hydroelectric was available for 4 cents a kilowatt hour, the Liberals kept signing these contracts that were driving up the price of electricity and we're going to continue to drive up the price of electricity by 6, 7, 8% year over year through the end of the decade. The comprehensive energy plan is meant to fix the problems that were created by the Liberal government and we are bringing back a stable electricity system to our province so that our economy can thrive, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. A parent in my riding got in touch with our office after an email circulated asking parents for donations to pay for paper towels and soap for the classroom. This is while the recent FAO report forecasts a historic $6 billion spending shortfall within the public education sector alone over the next six years. That's money that could be used today by this government to fix and save our schools during today's crisis. My question is to the Premier. How is it acceptable that families, many of whom are already facing the worst affordability crisis in this province's history over the last 40 years, are being asked to pick up the bill for public education because this government refuses to? Thank you. To respond, the Minister of Education. Well, Mr. Speaker, let me just start off with the recognition that students are in class this morning, which is exactly where they belong. I just want to express gratitude to all the parties for working together to ensure stability for children. I want to thank our workers who provide critical support for the children of this province and I want to thank parents for their incredible patience. I will note, Speaker, that what's guided the government in our negotiation was keeping kids at the classroom. That is what matters most to our Premier and our government and we've delivered that in partnership with both the union and the trustees of the province. We did so by presenting a fair deal for all parties and the greatest beneficiary of this outcome is our kids who have stability finally for the coming school year. And Mr. Speaker, with respect to investment, I will note to the member that the funding has been increased this school year to the highest levels ever recorded. This September, there's a 650 million to our increase for children in the province. We've increased staffing by 7,000 and we're going to continue to do more to ensure children have a quality education and that they learn right to June. Thank you, Speaker. Back to the Premier. The government's 2022 budget stated and I quote, education sector expense is projected to be lower primarily because school boards experienced a decline in non-government revenue from sources such as fundraising. Speaker, the fact that our education sector is reliant on bake sales, philanthropy and volunteerism is a system failure, not a solution. What about schools and parents who cannot afford to raise hundreds if not thousands of dollars this is inequity in action? This is frankly stacking the deck against our students. The question is back to the Premier. Will this government commit to increasing education spending to ensure students have everything they need including hygiene, health and safety basics during a pandemic to thrive in the classroom without turning to struggling families to cover the government's shortcomings. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, if the members opposite are concerned about the costs on parents then they will vote for the catch-up payments we brought forward to help those very payments very parents get through the second on the difficulty. It is ironic, Speaker, to hear the members on one hand suggest that parents have costs that are unaffordable and yet oppose measures to put money directly into their pockets to help them with their kids and catch up. Mr. Speaker, it is an unacceptable choice. We want to do both. We want to increase investments in public and funded schools. When it comes to school supplies there's over 11 billion dollars this school year alone in the pupil foundation grant to provide schools with those resources but in addition to increasing funding in publicly funded schools we are also providing direct support to parents because we know they are best positioned to invest, support and care for their kids. Thank you. The next question is for the Premier. People love the green belt. They want the Premier to keep as many promises not to pave over the places they love the farmland that feeds us the nature that protects us especially when we already have enough land slated for development to address the housing crisis land in places where people want to live close to where they work their family and transit not in unaffordable places with long expensive commutes we know that developing the green belt will help a few land speculators turn millions into billions. Speaker, why is the Premier breaking his many promises not to pave over the green belt when his own housing task force clearly stated that we do not need to open the green belt for development to address the housing crisis? Minister Nispol-Fares and housing. Speaker, I want to thank the honourable member for his question always disappointed in him not supporting our government's community housing renewal social services relief fund all of our housing supply action plans pretty well everyone universally he's he's either voted against or spoke against never supported our call to asking the federal government for the 480 million that were owed even though some federal greens have indicated support for that at the end of the day our consultation with Ontarians are going to do two things it's going to grow the green belt by over 2000 acres which which I think is a is a very positive opportunity including the Periscope Moraine that this member had a private members bill in respect to but at the same time it'll provide an opportunity with with 50,000 homes at a minimum on land that's existing it's serviced it's adjacent to an urban area these locations were selected for a purpose and the purpose is to get shovels in the ground faster Speaker, I voted against the government's housing bills because they won't solve the housing crisis I want to vote for bills that actually solve the crisis let's be clear dismantling environmental protections attacking local democracy paving over farmlands wetland and nature downloading costs on the property taxpayers forcing people into long expensive commutes will not solve the housing crisis I've put forward plans that show how good planning zoning changes that allow forplexes and walk up four-story apartments mid-rise apartments along transit corridors and arterial roads clamping down on housing speculation investing in deeply affordable co-op and non-profit housing those are the solutions that will solve the housing crisis will the minister say no to what the land speculators want and yes to the solutions they'll actually deliver housing that's affordable in the communities people want to live in Minister, Mr. Polter, it's an item Speaker, so here's what this guy's voted against when it comes to the housing file he's voted against our community housing renewal strategy which will provide which has provided over $4 billion to our community housing advocates to deal with rent supplements bolstering homeless shelters and supportive housing something that he's talked about but always seemed to vote against what what else has he voted against the speaker the social services relief fund which we provided our municipal partners $1.2 billion to improve homeless shelters to protect staff and to support vulnerable people but he also vote and this is what I what I can't believe that he actually has done this but he voted against our creation of the homelessness prevention program where we added $25 million where we consolidated a number of supportive housing programs to try to make it streamlined and to be able to have a coordinated municipal response each and every time doesn't matter whether it's four billion for community housing $1.2 billion for social services relief fund or $25 million for homelessness each and every time no green party and this leader vote against that measure members for Waterloo come to order the member for Brampton North come to order the next question the member for Scarborough Center Good morning Mr. Speaker with winter impacting our cities more people dependent are already busy public transit system we know the GTA will become home to another million people over the next 10 years our transit system is strained and people are feeling the impact of the neglect by the previous liberal government quite simply transit expansion need are to occur right now I understand that the government invest in the Ontario line will deliver transit relief to the city core and connect my constituents Scarborough Center to downtown from the TTCs line too Mr. Speaker can the associate minister of transportation please provide an update to everyone in Ontario thank you the associate minister transportation thank you very much speaker for the question and those are the great people of Scarborough calling the member and he's doing great work he's answering that call speaker we recently marked a crucial milestone in the building of the Ontario line the crown jewel of our multi-billion dollar GTA transit expansion plan and I'm glad to inform the member that on November 9th our government awarded the Ontario transit group the contract to design build and finance the south portion of the Ontario line from exhibition and Ontario place to the Dawn Yard Portal we also recently issued two qualification requests for the Ontario line's northern segment to support underground station and tunnel building between the Gerrard Portal and the Dawn Valley Bridge as well as the construction of three kilometres of elevated tracks in Thorncliffe Park and Flemington Park speaker 15 years Torontonians were stuck with zero transit growth from the NDP back Liberals well speaker with this milestone our government is filling the transit gap that we inherited from the Liberals by building a world-class relief line that will connect riders to the grid and get them from point A to point B speaker thank you to the associate minister for the update after 15 years of liberal and NDP failing to get shovels in the ground Ontario line presents a tremendous opportunity to expand transit at the same time building the Ontario line and other major transit projects will benefit not only riders but all of Ontario speaker can the associate minister explain what our government is doing to ensure that a critical transit project is delivered for people of my riding Scarborough Centre the associate minister of transportation thank you speaker and I'm glad to inform the member that the transit expansion in fact does benefit everyone in this province including those in Scarborough and in every corner speaker for riders Ontario line will cut crowding by 15% on line one which is the busiest stretch of our subway and what's more speaker riders from Thorne Cliff Park who have needed transit for way too long will be finally able to commute to the downtown core in speedy time 26 minutes from 42 speaker the member's point it's called the Ontario line and it benefits all Ontarians by supporting 4,700 jobs a year during construction cutting overall fuel consumption by more than 7 million leaders a year and generating up to 11 billion dollars in economic activity for our province speaker in fact every 1 billion dollars invested in transit helps support 10,000 jobs and boost Ontario's real GDP by another 1 billion dollars speaker unlike the Liberals and NDP we're saying yes to building transit yes to connecting the Greek yes to the people of Ontario and to the great people of Scarborough Thank you speaker my question is to the Premier Ryan and his family live in a two bedroom apartment in London West that was built in 2021 he pays $2,015 a month and just received notice of a $350 rent increase which is more than 17% and seven times the provincial rent increase guideline that's an additional $4,200 a year that Ryan will somehow have to find at a time when groceries utilities insurance and other bills just keep rising if he can't make it work Ryan will have no choice but to move out and this could keep happening year after year speaker will the Premier act now to prohibit the exorbitant rent increases that tenants like Ryan face annually in buildings that were constructed since 2018 we'll have to go back to 2018 when the government made the decision in the fall economic statement to lift rent controls we did it for one purpose we did it to incentivize the construction of purpose built rental buildings in Ontario so what did that decision what did that accomplish well last year in 2021 we had the highest level of purpose built rental construction since the early 90s and that was so successful despite the fact that new democrats didn't support that initiative it showed that it's success part of what we're doing in bill 23 is we're again incentivizing the construction of rental accommodation by eliminating the development charges so we can get shovels in the ground faster so the tenants in London all across Ontario will have affordable rental opportunities that's exactly why the government put this policy in place Speaker another London West constituent is a private sponsor for a refugee family from Syria he had less than two months noticed to find rental accommodation for the sponsored family with very few options he signed a lease on a post 2018 apartment and later learned that the landlord is not bound by the provincial rent increase guideline which was nowhere mentioned in the lease agreement he is concerned that unethical landlords could use rent increases to force out tenants they may not want like a refugee family an action that would clearly be prohibited by Ontario's human rights code can the Premier explain why he is allowing landlords to use unaffordable rent increases as a way to effectively evict tenants from their housing Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing well again speaker I don't know the the details of the case that the member opposite is outlining but what I do know is that we provide strong tenant protections at the landlord tenant board and also through the rental housing enforcement unit that's part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing so what I would say to that family is to contact those two organizations you know but again speaker I want to highlight that that this government has made some significant tenant protections as part of our strengthening community housing and protecting tenants in Ontario and I want to again let those tenants know what new democrats did when they had an opportunity to stand up for increased fines against unethical landlords they voted against this speaker no that's a question the member for Sarnia Lampton thank you speaker to you and to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery people with disabilities face many challenges and obstacles in their daily lives and tenants with accessibility needs should not have to worry about spending endless hours filling out repetitive paperwork to obtain accessible parking permits for far too long complicated bureaucratic processes have created confusion and unnecessary hardship for those who already face many difficulties speaker can the Minister please explain how our government is providing relief and making life easier for Ontarians with disabilities to apply to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery thank you very much speaker and I thank the great member for Sarnia Lampton for his great speaker we are improving our services to make life easier for all Ontarians especially those with accessibility needs I'm happy to say that Ontarians are able to apply for renew and replace lost or stolen accessible parking permits online from the comfort of their home Mr. Speaker I had the opportunity to visit Aeronoke Kids a leader in medical and support services for youth with physical and developmental disabilities in Mrs. Saga and witness first hand how bringing more accessible parking permit services online will help families caregivers and organizers organizations supporting those with disability needs speaker under premier for leadership our government is working with individuals organizations and communities to identify prevent and remove barriers for all persons with disabilities well thank you speaker and thank you minister for that response modernizing government services and ensuring accessibility for all Ontarians should be a major priority of any government but especially this government the addition of online services for accessible parking permit is a significant step in that direction it is disappointing that for many years individuals with disabilities had to apply either in person or by mail using a process that could take up to seven weeks to finish speaker could the minister of public and business service delivery please elaborate on what other measures we are implementing to make services more accessible for everyone thank you thank you speaker and I again thank the member for this question speaker this improvement builds on our government's work to make it faster easier and more convenient for Ontarians to renew their important IDs and documents Mr Speaker Ontarians can now access over 40 critical services online anytime and anywhere that makes renewing their driver's license license plate or health card a breeze taking only a few minutes and Ontarians can sign up for convenient digital reminders so they never forget to renew on time speaker these online options are saving people precious time and letting them focus on what matters most in their life I encourage everyone to take advantage of these services at Ontario.ca slash renew thank you very much that concludes our question for you for this morning but the member for St. Catherine's has a point of order order thank you speaker for letting me rise on this point of special day to wish my grandson Grayson James Walter Ucran a very happy fourth birthday happy birthday Grayson hope you have a wonderful day Grammy and G Minnie and Roger love you to the moon and back no further business this morning this house stands in recess until 3pm