 Thank you very much It is now time for oral questions. I recognize the leader of his majesty's loyal opposition Good morning speaker my questions to the premier Earlier this year the government made some sudden and very specific changes to the official plans of six municipalities They carved up 4700 hectares of farmland and green space for more sprawl leaving municipalities scrambling Now the NDP official opposition has obtained an internal government memo that reveals stark warnings about and I quote potential contentious issues That could come from these changes It warns relations with First Nations would be hurt that forcing this on municipalities would Override all the work they've done on local planning Speaker to the premier why did the government push ahead with these drastic changes despite these very serious warnings from their own staff Thank you very much mr. Speaker Of course, we were working we're working constantly with our municipal partners We've made it very clear to all of our our municipal partners that we Intend to build 1.5 million homes across the province of Ontario. We haven't made that a secret It is something that has driven us since 2018 at the same time we are seeing thousands of people coming to the province of Ontario from other parts of of Canada to To participate in what is the economic growth and prosperity here in the province of Ontario at the same time Over the next decade millions of people will come from all over the world and because of that Mr. Speaker not only because of people coming from other parts of the of Canada not only because of the immigration that is coming to this country But because we want Fundamentally to get people out of their parents basements and into homes where their response home of their own mr. Speaker We are going to continue to focus on building homes for the people of the province of Ontario despite the opposition Speaker that answer is not going to cut it because this is not happening in a vacuum This is a land grab happening at the same time as this government was carving up the green belt order Let's look at Barry the government actually reduced density targets for new developments in Barry And that means higher infrastructure costs for people of in Barry and bore sprawl But guess what bigger bucks bigger bucks for a select few land speculators The government's memo warned that these changes would make it harder for the city to meet its own housing targets Speaker to the premier if this was actually about housing Why is his government pursuing policies that will make it even harder for future generations to find a home? Well, mr. Speaker mayor noddles doing a great job up in Barry. He wants to build homes. He wants to contribute He has capacity with his water and sewage and he's asking to build more homes that's why we're doing it we consulted with the mayor and We're gonna build the 1.5 million homes that the opposition doesn't want to build You notice they don't want to do anything they vote against building homes vote against building hospitals vote against long-term care They vote against expansion of roads and highways and bridges. They vote against everything This province would be a disaster if you were ever on the side of the The memo also covers this government's 2,300 hectares of forced sprawl in Waterloo region Throwing out all of the Consultation and the planning work that the region had already done the government's own Internal memo warned against this and it said that third-party requests were prioritized over evidence-based solutions by expert planners This government knew this was wrong. They knew it So speaker back to the premier why did his government proceed with this plan for forced boundary changes and who made these third-party requests? Minister of municipal affairs and housing. Mr. Speaker. What's what's exciting about that question. Isn't that the fact that the NDP? Don't want to build homes. What's exciting about that question Is it underlines the economic success that we are seeing order in the Kitchener Waterloo area, right? Ontario we're seeing that despite the opposition of the NDP and And and the Liberals the liberal the liberal leader the interim liberal leader just called building houses or virus He called it a virus and that underpins 15 years of liberal government rule in the province of Ontario It is not a virus to have people have a home ownership that generations of Ontarians have wanted mr. Speaker it is not a virus for Ottawa People have the dignity of a job that didn't when he and the NDP were in power in the province of Ontario We're growing Our communities are growing and they want to participate with us. They want to build homes They want to meet those targets and many of our communities want to exceed the targets Speaker back to the premier There's a reason that we need to pay close attention to the amendments to official plans It was amendments to York's official plan where the government quietly signaled plans to open up to more Protected green belt sites to speculators The premier says he will supposedly reverse this green belt grab So will he also reverse the changes to York's official plan? Because the land she referenced were never actually removed from the green belt mr. Speaker she forgot to mention that but what we will continue to do is across the province of Ontario Where we are making billions of dollars investments in transit and transportation where we're building brand-new go train stations We will in from Waterloo come to ensure that we build homes around those infrastructure Investments mr. Speaker and it again underlines. What's happening in York region? We have people who need employers in York region when you come to downtown Stovel Help wanted signs are in the windows because the economy is booming our agricultural sector is booming Our high-tech sector and mark them is booming it kills the opposition because for 15 years They work with the Liberals to bring the province to its knees fine I'm excited because you know what the Ontario that we have today is booming. It's moving in the right direction Restart the car Supplementary that's a no speaker. That's a no Interesting because Guess who that benefits guess who that benefits another speculator with ties to the preorder and to his party Speaker the integrity commissioner revealed evidence suggesting Michael I could not hear the member who duly had the floor Interjections are always out of order I will continue to call out members by name if need be start the clock leader the opposition Speaker and I'll start over again Because guess who those changes benefit Another speculator with ties to this premier and his party Speaker the integrity commissioner revealed evidence suggesting Michael Rice asked for a parcel of land in Richmond Hill to be removed from the Greenbelt land he didn't yet own But mr. Rice seemed to know that this government was planning to open up this land for speculators So he made a deal to buy the land at a rock bottom price and then this government Changed the boundaries to include his property Driving its value up dramatically Did the premier and did this government give preferential treatment to mr. Rice? Mr. Miss Colter's Absolutely not because the land was never removed from the green belt or the land was never removed from the green belt It was never removed from the protection of the Oak Ridge's marine land planning act. Mr. Speaker that change never Happened, but you know what we're gonna continue to do. We're gonna continue to do what they don't want us to do We're gonna continue to focus on building an economy that is stronger than ever We're gonna continue to focus on making sure that the next generations of Ontarians can get out of their parents basement and can go find a home of their own We're gonna continue to focus on policies that have given us more housing starts than in the last 15 years we're gonna continue to focus on policies that have given us more Affordable rental housing starts in over 15 years. You know why that is? Because we're removing the obstacles that they put in place This isn't about housing for them. It's not about the economy for them. Mr. Speaker. What it's about is not Understanding how to build a bigger better stronger on terror because for 15 years they work with them and they fail Speaker this is not and it never has been about building housing in the province of Ontario And the people the member for Sault Ste. Marie will come door a number of members down at that in the chamber will come door The member for Ottawa South could come door. I apologize for your the opposition I know why they're getting so agitated. It's because people in this province People in this province feel really let down. They feel Remember for Kitchener Conestoga will come door the minister of energy will come door We're not going to continue this way I'm not going to keep interrupting the member who has the floor because of excessive heckling Start the clock leader the opposition Yeah, it's hilarious people in this province. They're suffering. They feel let down by this government. They're hurting They're frustrated. They're watching a government that isn't helping them But is embroiled in scandals of their own making They're seeing the pattern of preferential treatment that this government gives to their insider friends and donors And that's why these Undemocratic changes that I've been talking about this forced sprawl is being called green belt grab 2.0 So speaker back to the premier Will he stop making excuses for his insider friends and start fixing this mess? Mr. Speaker Talk to the 700 000 people that are working today that weren't working when you were in government in the levels That you chase 300 000 jobs out of the province Talk to the people up in germ that don't have to pay the tolls on the 412 and 418 that you implemented and the liberals Implemented talk to the people that 8 million people that got a check back from the government for the license stickers Talk to the people that fill up every single day and save 10.7 cents per leader that you are against You're against building homes building hospitals building long-term care You are against absolutely everything in this province and thank god Thank god, we're running the province and not you two that Absolutely destroyed the province for 15 years Remind the members to please make their comments through the chair The next question the member for hamilton west and castor dundas my question to the premier This government unilaterally moved more than 1000 acres of farmland inside urban boundaries in wellington county An internal government memo notes that these changes occurred before The county had completed a lands needs assessment and municipal comprehensive review Instead of letting wellington county assess where it could grow sustainably and cost effectively the government just went ahead and Arbitrarily added 1000 acres to furgus and elora. The government doesn't even know the impact on ground water or the cost of infrastructure So premier, why would your government impose such risk on the people of wellington county without any evidence whatsoever to support this decision? Very clear that we intend to build 1.5 million homes across the province of ontario We've also made it very clear to our municipal partners that we expect them to work with us Look at the members own home community in hamilton Despite the fact that their own planners said that they don't have enough land to meet their targets of building homes They refuse to expand the water outcome door. So we had to make sure that we did that, mr. Speaker You know why because hamilton is expected to grow to over 800 000 people over the next decade Speaker it is our responsibility to ensure that there is enough land available over the next two decades To meet the targets that we are setting now We have a very aggressive and ambitious target for 2031 1.5 million homes to put ourselves back on track. Mr. Speaker We will not be diverted from that despite the opposition of the ndp and the liberals who all they like to do an obstacle after Obstacle after obstacles. So you know what we're going to do We're going to remove those obstacles that we're going to make sure our municipal partners work with us to build those homes Minister of labor come to order the member for orleans come to order supplementary question Thank you. Let me set this minister straight member for orleans come to order exceeded our housing targets within our existing boundaries And in bellville the government ordered the city to sprawl eastward across Provincially significant wetlands in the bell creek system the government's own internal memo says there may be legal risk Because the decision may not conform with the government's own provincial policy statement Why is this government forcing bellville to make changes to its official plan that it knows might be illegal Actually, mr. Speaker The city of hamilton chose to ignore its own planners Who very clearly outlined that the existing urban boundaries did not have enough land to meet the long-term housing needs of the residents Right now. What does that mean colleague? What does it mean? Right? It means that in future years There is not going to be enough land available. It is exactly why we're in a housing crisis today You have just admitted to the entire province Why it is that you are such a failure in working with them because you don't think long term for you It's all about today for us. It's about tomorrow and building a better future for the next generation Our whole job about being here is working to give the next generation something better than we receive That's the difference between you and us and we will not be sidetracked on that Maintaining my patience So i'm going to move to warnings if you're warned and if i have to speak to you again, you'll be named Order start the clock the next question member for brantford Thank you speaker My question is for the minister of economic development job creation and trade The previous liberal government with support from the ndp turned a blind eye as over 300 000 Manufacturing jobs left this province their policies left us dependent on other jurisdictions for critical goods In contrast our government took a proactive and common sense approach We recognize that in an area era of geopolitical uncertainty We need a resilient manufacturing sector so that we can make products in ontario again Under the leadership of this premier this minister and our government Manufacturing employment is now at one of its highest levels since 2008 and is thriving in many parts of our province Speaker can the minister please provide an update on the successes in ontario's manufacturing sector and their contributions to ontario's prosperity Speaker this friday our government will join with the hardworking men and women who work in ontario's world class manufacturing sector in celebrating manufacturing day And throughout manufacturing month in october will recognize the immense contributions made to our economy Speaker ontario is home to more than 814 000 men and women who turn out finished products every day at our 36 000 manufacturing companies Here's an interesting fact speaker in july ontario added more manufacturing jobs than all 50 us states combined So to the manufacturing worker speaker, we say have a great manufacturing day and thank you for everything that you're doing to support our province supplementary question Thank you speaker and thank you to the minister for his answer It is great news to hear that our manufacturing sector is thriving again The previous liberal government gave up on the manufacturing sector as they watched jobs flee the province Thanks to their agenda of higher taxes and more red tape under our government We are witnessing manufacturers investing more in ontario and we are continuing to see even more jobs being created in the sector We cannot afford to lose that momentum Our government must continue to do all that we can to keep moving forward In building a stronger ontario speaker Can the minister please explain what our government is doing to advance job growth in the manufacturing sector? Thank you minister of economic development We understand that vital success that comes from These regional communities that we work with across the province. That's why we put a regional development program in place We've invested one hundred and ten million dollars to support 90 companies in the last four years Those companies themselves have invested one billion dollars And created two thousand two hundred good paying jobs And our ontario made manufacturing investment tax credit is lowering the cost for companies looking to invest In new equipment and new machinery and by reducing the cost of business by eight billion dollars annually We've seen the creation of nearly 40,000 good paying manufacturing jobs since we took office Speaker we will always support and promote our world-class manufacturing sector Thank you Thank you very much speaker I want to provide the the opportunity for the minister of municipal affairs and housing to correct the record Yesterday the minister insisted that mr Masoudi had never been registered to lobby the government the lobbyist register tells a very different story It shows that the firm mr Masoudi owns atlas strategic advisors was indeed registered and lobbying the government on behalf of numerous clients between 2022 and 2023 So let's give the minister another opportunity one more chance speaker Why was mr. Masoudi given a contract to write speeches for the premier at the same time that he was actively lobbying this government? Again, mr. Speaker it is actually the individual who lobbies A member of government or a member of the opposition. It's not the company It's individuals who register with the integrity commissioner. I'd be happy to to help on that mr. Masoudi, of course No longer has a contract with the government order mr. Speaker This is all about the same thing, right? It's about the opposition that the ndp have to building homes in the province of ontara. We were very clear We made a public policy decision that was not supported by the people of the province of ontara when we said that we would try to accelerate The building of 50,000 homes on the green belt that was not supported by the people of the province of ontara We apologized for that and we're moving on we accepted all 15 recommendations of the auditor general But mr. Speaker make no doubt about it We are going to double down and making sure that we build those 1.5 million homes That is a goal that we've had since 2018 and we will not be sidetracked on that mission mr. Speaker Thank you very much speaker I didn't hear an actual answer in that non answer what I heard was excuses and I heard a technical response So speaker, let's try this one more time It's worth noting that the government didn't hire mr. Musari by name to provide these services to the government following his departure But instead they hired the company that they that he owns Atlas strategic advisors to write the premier speeches and provide communication advice They only they also admitted that this undertaking was already happening just until a few weeks ago Just a few short weeks speaker that same company is registered to lobby and is actually doing quite a bit of lobbying In fact, the integrity commissioner has been looking into this and I quote looking into atlas strategic advisors for allegations of illegal Lobbying since june by the minister's own admission mr. Musari was providing these services only until a couple weeks ago People deserve honest and lawful government does the minister understand that this arrangement with a close friend of the premier Could could potentially be an illegal lobbying Yeah, mr. Speaker the commissioner will will investigate that and we'll look at that mr. Speaker At the same time the premier was very clear He expected more and mr. Masoudi is no longer employed by caucus research and services But make one mistake about it as I just said mr. Speaker and I'll say it again I'm not ashamed of the fact that we have said that we made a mistake when we wanted to build on the green belt We made a mistake because we want to accelerate the construction of 50 000 homes across the province of ontario The premier was very clear on that We apologize. We accepted the 15 recommendations of the auditor general But make no mistake about it and I say this very clearly to people who are right now in their parents basements Students who are wondering where their first home where their first apartment is going to come Students on our campuses across the province who can't find homes because we can't get Horns built in communities that refuse to build them We'll up and tangle the obstacles we'll get the job done and we will build for the people of the province of ontario Without a guarantee the next question the member for sarnia lampton Thank you. My question is for the minister of labor immigration training and skills development For far too long many ontarians have had to make the decision to uproot their lives and move or face Long commutes every day in order to find employment Unfortunately, this means that people experience the loss of leaving their communities because many businesses are located in large cities or downtown Toronto building up communities across our province will help to strengthen our economy and build a stronger ontario for the next generation That is why it's important that our government continues to implement Innovative solutions that bring economic development opportunities to more communities across Ontario Speaker can the minister please share what our government is doing to help bring good jobs to every part of minister of labor Thank you speaker and i'd like to thank that member for his work and for his mentorship He's been such a strong advocate for sarnia and it's true speaker as someone who's proudly from rural ontario We recognize that we need all corners of this province flourishing if we're going to unlock the economic potential and might that is ontario And i'm proud speaker to highlight two important funds that our ministry is working on The incredible teams working on to support rural ontarians is skills development fund Which is open right now till november and the capital stream speaker This is making a difference. You know this morning. I just met with b farmers processing capabilities is a big big issue For so many farmers in communities like mine We talked about the skills development fund and as an important tool to unlock the capabilities of the next generation in processing This is just one small example of a difference this government's making to unlock the potential that is rural ontario Supplementary question Thank you speaker and thank you to the minister for that response It's good news that the wsib head office is moving to london Which will save taxpayers money Help workers and also bring more jobs to local communities in southwest nontario Good jobs are a catalyst for reviving neighborhoods Inspiring communities raising optimism and creating potential for greater economic and social prosperity People should be able to work near their families friends and the places they know and love That is why our government must continue to deliver on the actions that show respect for the working people of ontario Speaker can the minister please elaborate and explain how those decisions such as relocating the wsib head office To london would help to build a stronger ontario. Thank you. Minister of labor immigration training and skills development You know speaker sometimes it's small changes that make the world of difference It's this premier this government that recognize when you have all the agencies boards and commissioned on the most expensive Strip of real estate in downtown, toronto We asked ourselves is that the best use of taxpayer dollars or employer dollars in the case of the wsib the answer speaker is No, we're saving a hundred million dollars by moving that facility to london ontario And what does that mean speaker? What does that mean? What does that mean? It means we can expand maybe if you'd listen you'd learn something about the firefighters in orleans that i met with So that means expanding expanding thyroid thyroid cancer thyroid cancer speaker Speaker thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer expanded coverage for firefighters in that members community of orleans and speaker We'll take no lessons from a man that can't get the bloody transit in ottawa right and he's heckling us We're going to get workers working in the province of ontario save taxpayer dollars Thank you very much Remind members to make your comments through the chair The next question remember for nickel belts. Thank you. Thank you speaker question to the premier Earlier this year the government changed the official plan of water loopy turbo robelville and others which Changed more than 4 000 acres Inside urban limits The government was warned regarding potential litigous question linked to this question The government was warned that Relationships with first nations would be affected. Mr. Speaker. Why did the government bring those drastic changes to urban Borders despite warnings from its own staff Mr. Mr. As I just said mr. Speaker like I I'm proud of the fact that we are seeing such Incredible economic growth in that part of the province right kitchen or waterloo southwestern ontario is seeing tremendous amount of people Want to be in that community now. It's not just building homes, right? We have to build long-term care homes I've been in all parts of southwestern whether from leamington brantford Brant we're we're building long-term care homes in all of those in all of those communities because The ndp and the liberals never made it a priority. We are I was in windsor and in windsor opening up meadowbrook place Which is the first social housing to be built in that community in over 30 years, mr. Speaker But we need to build more. You know why we need to build more in that community We need to think about more than just today We have to think about tomorrow because this minister and this premier are landing economic development Unseen in this province ever 25. Is it 25 billion dollars worth of investment coming to southwestern ontario? They need places to live and we will deliver for them in the part of the province that is growing like wildfire, mr. Speaker will get Have to say mr. Speaker the media qualify the changes To official plans from municipality. They call it green belt 2.0 Not only are they attacking the ecosystem and Agricultural lands, but they are also giving a preferential treatment to speculators Enriching these friends To the expense of the public will the minister examine all modifications brought to the municipal official plans And will he Make sure that the changes are based on proofs and not on the On the government's choices the opportunity to comment that on that the only one that has of course is Hamilton and we know why Hamilton is commenting on that because they disagreed with their own planner's assessment that they didn't have Enough land available to meet the long-term goals of housing in their community mr. Speaker So they're fighting us to stop housing from being built in their community not today Not tomorrow, but in the future mr. Speaker and that is everything that is wrong with the ndp, right? It's everything that is wrong about them. All they think about is today They have no concern about the future of the province of ontario. That is why with the liberals they help put Red tape in the way. They built up huge debt and deficits. They destroyed the energy sector They meant they they wiped out jobs response And it kills them you hear the member for leans. He's so upset that we've got 700 000 jobs back in the province of ontario Right, it's all upset. I'm not upset. I think it's a good thing The next question The member for Ottawa vanyan q. Speaker my question is for the premier The construction of iway 4 13 will require the destruction of sensitive lands currently within the green bell Yet the premier has been very clear about his support for this project The premier already promised ontarians that he would not touch the green bell and then promised 8.3 billion dollars worth of land to france through flawed and biased process The premier recently apologized for removing those lands and has once again Committed to protecting the green bell. Mr. Speaker protecting the green bell and building iway 4 13s are incompatible goals Will the premier please be clear with ontarians? Will he once again remove lands from the green bell so he can build iway 4 13 Or will he learn from his mistakes and finally keep his promise to ontarians? Order to apply the premier Well, mr. Speaker the member from Ottawa Maybe forgot back in The election we won an overwhelming majority Largest since 1929 And it was based the 4 13 That their government put the originally the original route in So they flip flop back and forth We're building the 4 13. We had a clear mandate from every riding in mississauga every riding in brampton Every riding in calden The whole region wants the 4 13. They don't believe in building They don't believe in spending 184 billion dollars and building in destruction not only are we building the 4 13 We're building the bradford bypass. We're building highway 7 We're expanding 401 east out to your area so people can get back and forth a lot quicker We're expanding highway 3. We're building this province because it was ignored for 15 years And we're building homes for the young students that we're gonna Start the clock supplementary question Thank you for answering but not answering the question. Mr. Speaker ontarians Do not need more highways cutting through the green belt. They need more public transit Highway 4 13 has been widely recognized as a terrible investment It is estimated that at cost of over 6 billion dollars The new highway would move 7 000 people per hour at peak capacity But investing the same 6 billion dollars in public transit instead could move over three times that number of people This government claims to be fiscally responsible But it is clear that highway 4 13 does not make financial sense for everyday ontarians Despite the many questions surrounding this project the government refuses to provide ontarians with a clear business plan for it Will the premier explain why ontarians should trust this government decision regarding The highway 4 13 when it refuses to be transparent about how much the project will cost And how many actors of prime land will be destroyed To apply the minister of transportation Thank you very much, uh, mr. Speaker. I can't believe what the members opposite are saying here I want to take them on a trip through whether it's brampton or mississauga I offer many things anytime any day of the week, mr. Speaker the people Of brampton the people of mississauga who are stuck in gridlock the members officer are so far out of reality Mr. Speaker, this is about a project that is going to bring home over 350 million dollars in gdp. We're going to create over 3 000 jobs and we're going to unlock Thousands of homes we're going to unlock thousands of jobs by building this unfortunately, mr. Speaker The members opposite refused to listen to the people of brampton mississauga for 15 years They never invested in those cities. They never invested in those readers under the leadership of premier ford We're building the highway 4 13 we're building the brad for bypass for building new hospitals All across this province it's fun. This government believes in building and investing in infrastructure and transportation And we will take no lessons from the members opposite on how to For windsor to come see Thank you, speaker first. I want to give my appreciation the minister of municipal affairs and housing for celebrating the province's investment In 3 100 meadowbrook truly a home that its residents can be proud of Speaker my questions for the minister of long-term care Speaker all seniors in ontario deserve to be treated with dignity and receive the quality of care that they need The success of investments made by our government into building and redeveloping long-term care homes has become a reality In many communities of cross problems including my own with 36 new and 60 upgrade beds at brouillette manner in to come see However at the same time ontario seniors are entering long-term care homes later Than ever before and often with more medically complex needs Our government must continue to do all the weekend to minimize the need for these residents to be transferred to acute care hospitals Because the long-term care homes do not have equipment supplies and services that they need Speaker can the minister please explain how our government is supporting long-term care homes to better address the increasing need of care for our seniors And to respond the minister of long-term care Well, thank you very much. You know this morning. We've had a lot of talk of investing in the next generation But we also have to remember where we came from. We need to talk about the generation that created us That's our seniors and I'm glad the member asked that question Let's not forget that the liberals failed to invest into our seniors This led to an underfunding of the long-term care sector huge weightless and unnecessary hospitalizations And in some cases this forced our seniors To move to long-term care homes way outside their community to receive the care that they needed That's why this government is investing over 120 million dollars this fiscal year to support residents with complex medical needs The member's right. Seniors are living longer. That means there's more complications That's why this investment includes 20 million dollars into the local priorities fund a fund that allows ontario health to make Targeted investments in staffing equipment and service services. This local priorities fund had a tremendous first year supporting 189 projects across the problem. We're not going to stop there. We're going to continue to invest in our seniors Thank you minister for for giving that answer. It's truly reassuring that the residents with complex needs Can receive the care that they deserve in the comfort of a home instead of a hospital And there are six more new homes being rebuilt and expanded just in the Windsor region alone. Thank you to you minister Thank you the previous minister for that I've truly seen the impact of the local priorities fund firsthand The village of aspen lake, which coincidentally was where my grandmother lived is a long-term care home in east riverside It's received 199 thousand 65 dollars from the local priorities fund to help purchase equipment That will make access to care faster and more convenient as a government We must maintain our commitment to ensuring that residents in the long-term care homes get the quality of care And quality of life that they need and deserve both now and in the future Can the minister please elaborate on how our government is expanding Specialized services in long-term care homes that will support residents with complex needs And I will elaborate and I will remind this legislature that Windsor Essex comes Ignored for so long when it came to our seniors and it took the leadership of this premier and this minister of housing To fix that situation. What the member highlights is exactly those investments local priorities He mentioned one very specific to his writing a wide variety of needs Seniors aren't at long-term care with the same needs speaker. We need to recognize it That's why we're expanding those specialized services including our behavior specialized units an innovative model Design to support residents with complex care challenges like dementia speaker We're not going to stop there last week. We're in Cambridge Kitchener Guelph. We're going to go across this entire province We're going to make sure can we take care of our seniors with record investments Not just into building homes, but into human health resources speaker. I'll remind this house Seniors took care of us. It's our turn to take care of that Thank you very much my question is to the premier Speaker the people of Kitchener Waterloo have been waiting a decade for two-way all-day go service Despite Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster's promise yesterday that Kitchener Waterloo would finally get trains and I quote Every 15 minutes are better on the Kitchener line. The people of KW still have no timeline 10 years of waiting For what we were promised is simply unfair Yesterday's go train network outage that caused such chaos is exactly the reason why public the public requires A comprehensive plan and timeline and this needs to be very transparent Too many students so many students are left behind and waiting for buses. Those buses are packed A three hour commute is not acceptable for the people of Kitchener Waterloo to the new minister of transportation When will Kitchener Waterloo finally get two-way all-day service every 15 minutes as they were originally promised To respond the minister of transportation Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker This government has made record and historic investments in goal rail transit across this province In fact on the kitchen line just a couple of months ago with the former minister of transportation in our entire team We announced it and the revised station upgrades to the bramley go station. Mr. Speaker We appreciate and understand how important this is that is why we have increased services on the Kitchener line And will continue to make those investments even though that member opposite has voted against our Investments each and every time when we talk about goal rail investment The increases that we've made in this province every single budget or fall economic statement That member has stood up in this house and voted against that Against that investment that is unacceptable on this side of the house will continue to make those investments and build transit across this province supplementary question So we'll vote for legislation that works, but right now nothing is working on the Kitchener line speaker The president and ceo of the kw chamber of commerce said that more trains will deliver and I quote up to 170 000 New jobs billions in new investment from the private sector Still there's no train from Toronto to Kitchener in the morning So people can get to those jobs in Kitchener Waterloo. There's no direct train on the weekends We don't have a ghost station or plan to ensure safe drop-off and pickups for commuters. The service is slow It's infrequent. It's unreliable and we all know that trains are good for business good for people and good for the environment But again to the minister of transportation Why doesn't Kitchener Waterloo deserve what they were originally promised and when can they finally expect to see two-way all day service Every 15 minutes stop leaving Kitchener Waterloo waiting at the station Mr. Speaker we are moving forward with Two-way all-day service every 15 minutes against across across the system This is something that is really important to us and we made those investments And in fact, I'd like to remind that member opposite every time that we have made investments to improve tracks to improve platforms across any line She has stood in this house and voted against each and every single one of those investments Thanks to the great advocacy of members on that Kitchener line Whether it's the members from Kitchener from Waterloo on this side of the house and this government We're committed to building that transit system across this province to Investing in goal rail and that's why we've also launched the largest investment in public transit in the history of this province So over 70 billion dollars in the next 10 years are being invested across Not only the Kitchener line, but across this province and every single one of those investors Members opposite have voted against whether it's improving the Kitchener line Whether it's improving goal rail transit whether it's building subways like the Ontario line the Scarborough extension There's one common denominator the members opposite are against Question the member for dawn valley east Mr. Speaker my question is for the premier It seems that every time the premier makes a major public policy decision Wealthy well connected insiders always seem to come out on top We saw it with the green belt where a small group of insiders became billionaires overnight Are we really supposed to believe that this decision was about one and a half million homes and not about 8.3 billion dollars? Accordingly when it comes to the premier's expansion of private for-profit health care Can we blame Ontarians for wondering where his priorities truly lie? Mr. Speaker this week A walking clinic in Ottawa is operating that will charge patients desperate for primary care $400 a year just to have the privilege of paying for visits And we know that's not the only one of these kinds of clinics popping up in Ontario to the premier While cash for access arrangements may be commonplace within this government Is it fair that he expects the people of Ontario to to count this as a norm within their own health care system? Okay government health government house leader from the member opposite who Just recently endorsed the only person in the province who still supports building on the green belt What a question from that gentleman. You know what mr. Speaker? We have said that we are not going to do that We're going to continue to make investments in building homes across the province of Ontario And because of that we have to make more investments in building hospitals all over. You know why we're doing that I'll tell you why we're building hospitals and reinvesting in hospitals in long-term care because for 15 years The government that you are now in a party member of Literally never did it they built 611 long-term care homes across the province So I would ask the member this I would ask the member this If he could call his partner and say listen people have spoken We need help building homes But building on the green belt isn't the way to do it I wonder if he might do that for the response to the person he just endorsed in the liberal leadership because I've Saw the other candidates and they are simply against that as well The supplementary question That's not necessary mr. Speaker because it's not going to happen But I'd like to remind the premier of a saying he has burned into the minds of fontarians this year He said all you need is your ohib card never your credit card Kind of reminds me of that famous video where we promised not to touch the green belt And then he did History is repeating itself Walking clinics like the one in Ottawa are just the beginning Bill 60 which was executed swiftly just like the green belt Was said to be about clearing the surgical backlog, but it's just another cash cow It opens the floodgates for private clinics to profit here on publicly funded surgeries Meaning the people of Ontario will be bankrolling clinics that have a financial incentive to provide the lowest quality care possible Mr. Speaker the premier said that real leadership is about being able to admit when you've made a mistake Will he reverse his decision on private for-profit health care the same way he reversed his decision on the green belt The deputy premier and minister of health Here I want to be very clear And I want the member opposite and everyone to understand that we have always and we will never Tolerate clinics organizations to charge ohib funded services We will make sure In terms of Expanding the access to primary care and to Surgical diagnostic centers 100 we need to do what we have done it You know I talk about a change that the premier made in january where we expanded cataract surgeries We have now as of that one change had 19,000 Minor eye surgeries in the province of intero because we made an extension in Understand that the member opposite is Suggesting that he would like to shut down some of these organizations that have been doing Minor surgeries in communities for decades in the province of intero Thank you Thank you very much. The next question the member for peter burl core cut Thank you speaker My question is to the minister of agriculture food and rural affairs. Oh great minister Livestock industry is essential to ontario's agriculture and food industry in peter burl county Beef farmers generate over 11 million dollars in farm cash receipts back in 2022 The beef sector continues to be an integral part of my local economy And of course of ontario's growing economy Can the minister please explain how our government is ensuring that our beef sector continues to fuel our economy And feed our growing population minister of agriculture food and rural affairs The member from peter burl for being a genuine champion not only of rural communities But our agricultural industry as well And he's spot on when he talks about the contributions that ontario beef farmers make to our overall gdp And that translates into tens of thousands of jobs right across this province And ontario beef farmers understand that they finally have a government that listens and understands Never was i more proud earlier this year to stand with the minister of finance and the minister of colleges and universities To announce a unique initiative whereby the minister from colleges and universities Oversaw a partnership between university of guelph and lakehead to expand the veterinary program And my ministry at agriculture food and rural affairs compliments that with a veterinary incentive program To ensure that large animal vets aren't sent it to work in under serviced areas That's just one example of response Another example would be just the briefing I had from the minister of labor where we're talking about how we can better support The growth of the opportunities and capacities of our meat processing plants more It's a supplementary question Thank you speaker. I want to thank the minister for a response It's necessary that our government continues to support our beef farmers from farm to fork and I personally am going to support our beef farmers from farm to fork to stomach Today at lunch having additional Processing capacity and the stable workforce is essential for a growing beef sector for ontario to make Food get to market Speaker can the minister please explain how funding initiatives by our government will ensure Ontario is building the capacity that we need to grow this agricultural industry Minister of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, you know, we're investing hardly because we Recognize the opportunities that lie ahead of us So we just recently announced a 12 million dollar program to enhance processing capacities Not only in our meat processing plant speaker, but also with abattoirs across this province and that builds on $14 million investment through the canadian agricultural partnership earlier And this matters why it matters because ontario beef farmers know they have a government that stands with them As they travel the world to make sure that countries that are looking for good quality beef products Come to ontario first and that matters because there's a huge opportunity in terms of export And that translates into jobs right here at home Whether it's cargill in guelph or cardinal meats and brampton nor pack in norwich or st. Helens right here in toronto We are producing from farm to processing plant to table protein people can count on around the world Thank you very much Thank you speaker speaker my question to the minister of energy Minister recently said he would respect the city of thorough world resolution rejecting the increase of gas burning power capacity in that city Toronto City Council has twice voted against expansion of gas burning at the portlands energy center Will he respect the wishes of toronto city council to protect the environment Protect ratepayers wallets and protect public health by blocking expansion of gas burning at the portlands energy center To apply the minister of energy Mr. Speaker let me first start by saying that we're very fortunate in ontario to have An electricity system that is 90 clean among the cleanest electricity systems Not just in north america, but the entire world mr. Speaker and our intention is to keep it that way because it's attracting new investment Into our province mr. Speaker when the ndp and the liberals teamed up previously and we saw electricity prices soaring We saw communities that had energy projects forced into their communities We changed that in 2018 when we became the government mr. Speaker We gave municipalities the ability to make decisions on what would be located in their projects So in the case of thorough that the member opposite mentions We won't be putting a new gas plant in that community because the members of that council have voted no to that Having said that mr. Speaker We are at the peak of our nuclear refurbishment process here in ontario And we're going to need to ensure that we have the power for all the growth that we're seeing and I look forward to the supplementary Again to the minister of energy The royal bank of canada The electricity distributors association of both said it would be effective and cheaper To invest in energy efficiency rather than ramping up gas burning to meet demand in this province Both recognize that investing in our homes our businesses our institutions can cut energy use Save money protect the climate and reduce air pollution Why won't he respect Toronto City Council's resolution to take the cheaper and environmentally better route to meeting energy needs in this city Minister of energy So let's be clear mr. Speaker what the member opposite is advocating for is higher electricity prices and blackouts and brownouts in the city of Toronto That's what that member is advocating for no question. Mr. Speaker We are investing in energy efficiency programs the conservation demand management programs We have a billion dollars in that four-year framework, mr. Speaker and we're out consulting with municipalities and other stakeholders on a new cdm energy efficiency program for Ontario But we saw the track record of the liberals and the ndp teaming up on energy policy for many years Mr. Speaker electricity prices were soaring in this province out of control Manufacturing jobs were leaving for other jurisdictions. Mr. Speaker since we became the government. We've seen 700,000 new Manufacturing jobs coming to Ontario Why is that? Energy policy that makes sense. Mr. Speaker that's predictable. That's affordable and reliability something you won't get with those Thank you speaker my question is for the associate minister of housing For people who are experiencing Or at risk of homelessness it is essential that they have access to the right supports and services While our government has made significant investments in programs to help the most vulnerable ontarians The reality is is that our province needs to continue addressing the issues of affordable housing and homelessness More resources are needed to build upon the work already underway and to bring forward more solutions to address these serious matters Our government must continue to demonstrate our firm commitment in addressing housing and service needs For the most vulnerable in our communities Speaker Can the associate minister please explain what are what actions our government is taking to increase the availability Of affordable housing options and support services for those in our province who need it most. Thank you The associate minister of housing Well, thank you speaker and thank you to the member for brantford brant. Yes He's indeed right the rise in homelessness throughout our province is compelling That is why we've been working with our municipal and nonprofit leaders like indwell To tackle homelessness and supportive housing for example Last march, uh, this government invested 6.8 million dollars in capital spending and capital investment to grow 85 years for hamilton mountain will come to order minister mistful fairs and in august last year We invested two hundred and seventy thousand dollars in support in operational funding for uh, 40 new supportive housing So bottom line speaker is this government has invested 700 million dollars in the last year up 200 million dollars in the homelessness prevention plan of 42 percent We'll always give a hand up to those in need. This government is getting the job done supplementary questions Thank you speaker Every person in ontario deserves a safe and affordable place to call home It's very welcome news that greater funding investments by our government have delivered on providing Vulnerable ontarians with the supports they need for housing as well as mental health and addictions care However, the nature and scope of homelessness is different in every region There is not a one-size-fits-all solution And that's why our government must continue to work closely with community partners to make the most impact In reducing and preventing homelessness Speaker can the associate minister Please explain how our government is working with municipalities and the nonprofit sector in addressing housing needs And support services for individuals and families in our communities. Thank you associate minister Well, thank you speaker And thank you again to the member from brandford brandford's question when it comes to homelessness In support of housing ontario the need has never been greater That is why i've been meeting with Municipalities mayors counselors and supportive housing managers throughout this province And i've been encouraged frankly by the collaboration all have shown from all levels of government For example speaker last week i was in st. Thomas in my riding valgan middle sex london Where we announced 1.2 million dollars of supportive housing for 45 new units at the station You know when we got together we're very excited the mayor was there 200 people showed up community leaders Indwell leadership was there. It's something to behold. It's a great example We invite everyone to come to st. Thomas again speaker those in need will always get a hand up from this government We are committed to housing stability throughout this province. We will get the job done Thank you Thank you to the premier According to recent food banks canada report 43 percent of people in ontario feel they are worse off than last year The evidence food banks are struggling across the province the director of thunder bays regional food distribution center Notes that over the next four years their costs will increase by 80 percent Incredibly since 2021 the london food bank has seen a 91 percent increase in people coming to them for food So no things are not a thousand percent better than when the premier took office five years ago The ndp has a plan to address this crisis by doubling o w and odsp and implementing real rent control When will the premier stop the gravy train for his friends and take the obvious and necessary steps to address food Insecurity in this province Minister children community and social service Well, thanks very much speaker, and I thank the honorable member for the question Mr. Speaker I would just like to remind the honorable member that it was her and her party that have voted against the five percent increase And another six and a half percent order largest increase in odsp rates in decades in the province, mr. Speaker It's this government and this party that's fighting to make life more affordable for ontarians But along the way, mr. Speaker, you've discovered this all day all all week the week before they're against housing They're against long-term care They're against school and they're now clearly showing they're against the people of this province For us to be able to lift them out of poverty to make sure that we provide the support for people who need them The largest increase in support in social assistance every single member across voted against us But mr. Speaker, that's okay because the ontarians elected this government members of this caucus And the majority middle to stand up for every single person in this province and we won't let them down Period for this morning