 It is now time for question period, and I recognize the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. Thank you, Speaker. My first question is to the Premier. This weekend, 49 more people lost their lives to COVID-19, and all projections show that things are going to get worse. Just over a week ago, the Premier told Ontarians that his new COVID framework was good enough, that it had the right balance. We now know his own experts disagreed. Who was the Premier listening to when he ignored public health advice and gambled with people's lives? The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. In fact, advice was taken from many public health experts, our Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Public Health Measures Table, Public Health Ontario, and there are dozens and dozens of public health specialists behind all of those groups also offering advice. We also looked at data and evidence from other jurisdictions, but as one of the doctors from Public Health Ontario indicated that she was only required to take a look at disease indicators, whereas in making decisions with respect to how to deal with COVID-19 as government, we also have to look at indicators such as social isolation, mental health and depression issues, and issues related to health other than just COVID-19. So we're very clear, we've been clear from the beginning we have been taking public health advice, but we also have other health indicators that we have to take a look at in making decisions with respect to the framework. Thank you. The supplementary question. Well, Speaker, in fact, the framework that this government released was not the one that experts recommended. In fact, experts went ballistic when they saw the framework that this government released. Instead of listening to doctors and scientists and health experts, the Premier ignored them and watered down their recommendations and then pretended that he had their backing. Shameful. He caved to political pressure from people who think that businesses should be open at all costs because he doesn't want to spend the money to support businesses and workers in this province. So will the Premier admit that if public health officials had not come forward and blown the whistle on him, his original reckless and dangerous framework would still be in place? Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. And I would say to the leader of the official opposition through you that I strongly disagree with all of her assertions. First of all, we have from the beginning of this pandemic taken the advice, taken the recommendations of the public health officials, and we continue to do that. Because every single the recommendation by every single physician, something that we're going to take into consideration. Yes, we take all of it into consideration, but then we have to come up with a framework. We have to come up with a framework that's going to make sense, both in terms of dealing with COVID-19, but also dealing with the mental health effects, with the suicides that are being brought forward by people who are losing their businesses or by virtue of social isolation. That is what we've been listening to, and we will continue to listen to that public health advice going forward, because this is a rapidly changing situation with COVID, and we have to be adept and nimble to be able to change as well. Response? Because we stuck with the same framework from the beginning. We wouldn't be dealing with the situation that we're dealing with now. We have to keep moving forward with it in order to be able to get ahead of COVID-19 as much as possible. Thank you very much. And the final supplementary. Thank you, Speaker. On November 3rd, the Premier himself said, and I quote, this framework was developed in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Public Health Measures Table, local medical officers of health, and other health system experts. On November 4th, quote, everyone had their input on it, I think they did an extremely good job. On November 5th, quote, we have well over 100 docs giving us all this information. You know, it's not just Dr. Williams. But Public Health Ontario and the Niagara Chief Medical Officer have both disputed all of that, Speaker. No one knows who the Premier is really listening to, but it's about time he starts listening to the experts. Why won't this government, this Premier, come clean about how he watered down the recommendations made by doctors and scientists to contain the second wave? And will he take responsibility for the mess that we're in because of his decisions? Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry will come to order. The response? Minister of Health. Well, I'm not quite sure what the leader of the official opposition is alluding to with respect to whom the Premier is consulting with, but I can assure her through you, Speaker, that we are listening to the public officers of health. We are listening to Dr. Williams. We are listening to Public Health Ontario, the Chief Public Health Measures Table, and the local medical officers of health. We've set up this framework to be flexible so that it can account for conditions across the province, but also to respond to individual conditions in individual regions. That's why we have to set it up that way, because as the leader of the official opposition well knows, the situation in Peel right now is very different than the situation in northwestern Ontario. So we have to be flexible. We have to be responsive. And we were responsive last week, and we changed not the entire framework. We changed some of the thresholds because that was what was requested by the local medical officers of health, who we listen to on a daily basis. Thank you. The next question. Thank you, my next question is also for the Premier, but I can tell the Minister of Health that those experts blew the whistle on this government, and that's why they had to can their initial thresholds. But this question is about something else, Speaker. For families with loved ones in long-term care, the second wave is not merely an inconvenience. It's devastating. 229 seniors have lost their lives already in the second wave, and outbreaks are spreading rapidly, especially through for-off-profit facilities. On Friday, the government claimed once again that they're building an iron ring around long-term care. This is the same empty promise that the Premier made back in the spring before the devastating loss and chaos that we saw then. So my question is, how can the Premier expect anyone to believe him this time? Minister of Long-term Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for the question. In terms of the outbreaks in Wave 2, I think it's important for all of us to understand the anguish that families are going through residents and staff, and my heart goes out to everyone. The world is reeling under the impact of COVID-19. And we see across Canada similar situations in other provinces. We are continuing to learn about COVID. 92% of our long-term care homes in Ontario have not a single resident case. And I want to give my appreciation to all of the frontline staff, all of the people who are working so hard around the clock, seven days a week, for many, many months. And I appreciate that dedication and perseverance and everyone knowing that they have a role to play in making our province resilient to COVID-19. My heart goes out to everyone. We will continue to put every measure, every tool in place, and take the medical advice and scientific advice as we move forward. Thank you. The supplementary question. What people want, Speaker, is for the government to step up and fix long-term care and not have more people die day after day because of their inaction. That's what people want. That's crystal clear to families of residents that are devastated by the failures of our long-term care system, that this Premier will not act to save their loved ones. He is not acting to save them. Throughout the first wave, the Premier made empty promise after empty promise. But he left seniors in our long-term care homes extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. And instead, he rewrote the laws so that private operators couldn't be sued for the failure to take care of residents and to protect them. Instead, he protected for-profit long-term care chains and not the seniors that actually live in them. Today, families of long-term care residents have come to Queen's Park to protest the four government's plans. What does the Premier have to say to them? The Parliamentary Assistant and Member for Durham. Thank you, Speaker. Let me be absolutely clear. Files and organizations that ignore public health guidance and act with gross negligence or intentional misconduct will not be protected by this legislation. To be clear, the narrow targeted civil liability protection in this legislation has only to do with the inadvertent transmission of COVID-19 and nothing else. This legislation does not protect any other type of negligence that we heard from the opposition previously in this House we're hearing about today and we heard about at committee, like a resident that's not given proper medication or if a long-term care provider fails to provide the necessities of life. They also won't be protected if they fail to communicate adequately with families. Ontarians will continue to be able to file claims and seek justice in the courts for all of these matters, Speaker. And the final supplementary. Well, Speaker, let me be perfectly clear. Everybody knows what this government is doing, that they are taking away justice for those families, that they are making it harder for people to get the justice and the accountability that they deserve. Let me be very clear about that. The first wave exposed the need to change our long-term care system. We needed urgent investment to hire frontline staff and to boost infection control and take vulnerable homes away from for-profit operators who have failed to protect residents. Residents in for-profit homes, Speaker, are three times more likely to catch COVID-19 than those in non-profit facilities and instead of acting, the Premier's response was to make it impossible for residents to sue them. Will the Premier take any action whatsoever to remove for-profit chains from long-term care and take the urgent action necessary to save people's lives? Once again, the Minister of Long-Term Care. Thank you, Speaker, and thank you to the member opposite for the question. I know there's assertions being made about inaction and I find it ironic that it's the previous government supported by the opposition who failed to act for many, many, many years. Our government is taking action and has been taking action since day one. That is made clear by all the staffing efforts that have been put forward not only to deal with the long-standing crisis that was neglected for so many years, but now to deal with the COVID-19 issue, the return of service, the fast-tracking, the resident support aids. All of this has been ongoing work by many, many people. That is why we have taken the IPAC expertise and made sure that our staff has training in IPAC, supporting our homes in terms of IPAC funding as well. That's why we put $243 million early to provide staffing support to the intersection control. That's why we added more than a half a billion dollars to support our homes in long-term care with additional measures. That's why we continue to take every measure possible. Our action is- Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Nicol Bel. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question goes to the Premier. With record high COVID case count almost daily, Ontario hospitals are in crisis, many of them full at overcapacity, facing 140,000 people's surgical backlog and flu season right around the corner. Our hospital has been left scrambling because the government has refused to listen to their advice. Mr. Speaker, when the fourth government rushed to reopen, they claimed that they had the backing of health experts. Hospitals were really clear. They did not agree. Why did the government ignore the advice of Ontario's hospitals? Mr. Bel. Thank you. Well, in fact, we have been in constant communication with Ontario's hospitals. I've had numerous conversations with Mr. Dale, the head of the Ontario Hospital Association, and I would just like to read a quote from the OHA with respect to the changes that were made to the framework last Friday. The OHA thanks the provincial government for listening to the concerns of the hospital sector and its system partners and for its leadership in responding rapidly to the alarming COVID-19 modeling data presented yesterday. That says it all, I believe, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. The supplementary question. Mr. Speaker, we are at a critical time in this province battle against COVID-19, and I would say our hospitals have never been more important, but because of this government underfunding and dragging their feet on adopting recommendation, our hospital are vulnerable to being overrun with COVID-19 patients or influenza patients, they are sounding the alarm the whole time. But the fourth government caved to political pressure from people who think that businesses should be open at all costs. Why are Ontario hospitals, along with physicians, nurses and many other frontline healthcare workers, routinely ignored by this government and reduced to having to plead publicly to get the government to do the right thing? Minister Bell. Thank you, Speaker, and I would say that from the beginning of this pandemic, the health and well-being of Ontarians has been our government's primary, most important consideration and always will be. We will take whatever steps we need to take to protect people, and we have already done that. We have injected hundreds of millions of dollars into our health sector. Our budget that was presented several weeks ago, spending has increased by 9.2 billion on health, a 14.4 percent increase, and we have recently spent over $116 million to create another 724 spaces. Since March, we have increased the number of hospital spaces by over 3,000 spaces, and that is in areas across the province, but particularly in the hotspot areas. We know that they need additional resources, and we are supplying hospitals with a personal pandemic equipment with additional capacity, with additional resources to make sure that they can help in some cases in our long-term care homes. We are going to support our hospital sector because they are the front lines in this pandemic, and we will do whatever we need to do to help them. Thank you. The next question, the Member for Durham. Thank you, Speaker. Traits of the Ontario spirit like innovation and entrepreneurship have always been strong in Oshawa and in my constituency of Durham. For decades, our region has been home to good quality Ontario-made jobs. We have a world-class auto manufacturing sector with world-class auto workers. Speaker, will the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade outline to this house what the recent GM announcement means for Oshawa, Durham Region, and for Ontario? The Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Last month, we have seen nearly $5 billion in proposed auto investments in Ontario's world-class auto sector from Ford, Fiat Chrysler and now General Motors. Speaker, when is the last time we have ever seen any investment like that? Well, GM's announcement of $1.4 billion represents a significant investment in the region of Durham and is an important sign of confidence in Ontario's world-class auto sector. They've also announced an investment of $109 million in their engine plant in St. Catharines and $500,000 in their Woodstock Parts Distribution Centre. GM has said it will create up to 1,700 new high-quality Ontario-made jobs. Our government welcomes this tremendous news, and we congratulate GM, their workers, Unifor, the people of Oshawa and Durham Region, and all of Ontario's world-class auto sector workers in this achievement. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And I want to thank the Minister for the work he's done on this file over the last two years to really support our manufacturers in Ontario. And there's really a buzz in Durham Region with this announcement. There's an excitement and energy that this deal has brought to Oshawa and to the whole Durham Region. It's really great to see that also Ford, Fiat Chrysler, along with GM continue to recognize the important role Ontario has played in the auto sector. And it's also so very important for our parts producers, our mold makers, and the entire supply chain. With the Minister outlined to this House some of that work that he's done over the past two years to support Ontario's world-class auto manufacturing sector in creating jobs and attracting investment. Minister of Economic Development. Speaker from day one, our government has worked to reduce the cost of doing business in Ontario, and this has influenced the auto sector in making their decisions. Businesses now save $7 billion every single year through lower WSIB premiums that accelerate capital cost allowance, less red tape, and of course lower taxes. New measures in budget 2020 such as significant business property tax and electricity reductions enhance the conditions for economic growth and new investment. Ontario's automotive manufacturing sector has provided jobs, opportunities, and economic growth to our province for decades and will now again be key to our economic growth and recovery. We'll always continue to work with our federal colleagues, auto workers, and the entire sector to ensure the right conditions are in place to protect and grow good quality Ontario-made jobs and ensure the auto sector remains sustainable and competitive for decades to come. The next question, the member for Davenport. Good morning, Mr. Speaker. This question is for the Premier. Last week Ontarians were shocked to learn that the government ignored the advice of public health experts when developing its latest COVID-19 framework. But for parents, teachers, and education workers, Mr. Speaker, it was less surprising because when it comes to schools, this government has ignored expert advice for months. Those experts said that to prevent outbreaks, classes should be kept at 15 students or fewer. But rather than put forward the funding to make that happen, this government has let classes grow larger along with the risk to our kids and school staff. With the pandemic surging out of control, will the Premier finally listen to the experts and stop collapsing smaller classes into bigger ones? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. To reply, the Minister of Education. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the question from the member opposite. I will note, Speaker, that our plan brought forth and supported by the Chief Medical Officer of Health has helped ensure we have reduced the risk within our schools. I will note for colleagues amongst the 1.5 million children within our schools today, there are roughly 664 active cases. And when you juxtapose or you compare rather in contrast on Tarot's approach to reopening, following the advice, ensuring the resources and financing is placed with Quebec, an equal comparator, they have roughly 1 million fewer students. We have 50 percent more students. We have 30 percent more schools. And yet they have almost two times the rate of COVID transmission within our schools. We have improved and rather put in place every layer of prevention to mitigate the spread and to make sure that schools remain safe places. It's why in Toronto and in regions right across this province and every school board funding is up. And as you know, within the budget, there's additional funding put aside to ensure that our kids remain safe through the worst of this pandemic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister has stood here and assured us for months that everything is running smoothly. But it's cold comfort, Mr. Speaker. For the anxious parents who are looking at exponential case increases, it feels more like this government is asleep at the switch, offering zero, zero new dollars in the budget to protect our schools. I am thinking today of the parents, the students and staff at Turner Felton Secondary School in Brampton, who got word on Friday that there was an outbreak at the school with five confirmed cases, five closed classrooms or the families at 683 other schools across the province with reported cases right now. After last week's colour coded framework fail, the Premier reversed course. Will he do so again and fill the gaps in his school plan before any more families have to go through the stress and anxiety of an outbreak? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And the Minister of Education. Mr. Speaker, I think we should be informed by the medical experts who have opined on the plan. In the words of Dr. Michael Soverman, the Medical Director of Infectious Diseases at St. Joseph's Hospital London, quote, for the vast majority of children and the vast majority of teachers, this has been a safe and effective intervention that has led to children restarting their education, which has led to long-term benefits for us all. Mr. Speaker, in this province while we see transmission rise, there is one school closed in Ontario. 85% of schools have no reported active cases at all. 664 students have active cases of COVID amongst 1.5 million children. I do not take for a moment the great levels of angst that all of us face as numbers rise, but within our schools, given the incredible work of our public health and our school boards and our teachers, we are seeing rates of transmission remain low, and that is a good thing. And that's why, Speaker, we invested $1.3 billion fully supported with a protocol endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and we should have confidence within our frontline staff, teachers, doctors, and nurses to do everything they continue to do to keep COVID out of our schools. Thank you very much. Next question, the member for Cambridge. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and good morning. My question is for the Premier. Late last week, the Premier imposed customer limits of 10 on businesses in Hamilton, Halton, and York, making it impossible for many to operate. The Premier threatened we are staring down a barrel of another lockdown. But for the 7,658 Canadians who filed for bankruptcy in September, they've already seen enough, and bankruptcies are expected to continue to rise. Shutting down businesses in regions has not reduced case numbers, as promised. The only thing it has done is hit low-income Ontarians, the hardest. They are most likely to lose their jobs and the last to recover. My question then, when will the Premier let people get back to work? Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Mr. Speaker, this government's approach has been very clear from the outset. We are focused on the right health outcomes, and that is also the right economic outcome. Mr. Speaker, as we have had to adapt through this crisis, through this global crisis, we have made sure that our response has been to support business. And I'm pleased to say that today, the portal to be able to accept applications for the $300 million program to support those businesses is now open, and that will be part of the support that we're providing. But, Mr. Speaker, we understand that the health concerns of individuals, the health concerns of business need to be at the forefront to make sure we have a functioning economy. So we will continue to make our judgments based on the best health advice, and we will continue to balance that with the needs of our economy and the needs of our small businesses. The supplementary question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. COVID is a tragedy, and the Premier's measures and response are a travesty, but not everyone sees it that way. On September 29th, the Premier's good friend, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, appeared on the United Nations video conference to state that he saw COVID as an opportunity. I couldn't believe it. Prime Minister Trudeau said COVID was an opportunity for a reset to reimagine our economic system and to meet the UN's 2030 agenda goals. Since the Premier is following the Prime Minister in all policy areas, I'd like to know, does the Premier agree with Prime Minister Trudeau and view COVID as an opportunity for government to reset our economy? Yes or no? Minister Finance. So, Mr. Speaker, COVID is clearly the challenge of our generation, both from an economic and from a health perspective, and we're very much treating it that way. I'll take the opportunity just to, again, inform the legislature, again, that the portal, the vital supports that we have talked about for businesses that are affected in the red and control areas open now, and that applications can begin to be accepted. This is to make sure that we're paying the property tax and the electricity bills. So it is, I'll just quote the website if you don't mind, Mr. Speaker, Ontario.ca forward slash COVID supports. Ontario.ca forward slash COVID supports. This is part of a coordinated effort with the federal government, who have committed to providing both relief from a rent perspective, and I would again encourage all members that's now in the Senate at the federal parliament, but to move that forward quickly, our businesses do need the support, both of the federal and the provincial government. That support is coming, Mr. Speaker, starting today with the opening of this portal, and we'll continue to support our small businesses and continue to support the health care of Ontario. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Grantford Grant. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the minister responsible for small business and red tape production. Mr. Speaker, as the minister of finance just said, Ontario has never faced a challenge like the one we've experienced over the last few months, but COVID has made one thing abundantly clear. Small businesses are counting on all levels of government to take strong action to cut red tape and respond to their needs through this crisis so they can focus on what's critically important. Minister, can you please tell me how our government is supporting businesses as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19? Thank you. I wish the minister with responsibility for small business and red tape production. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the member for Grantford Grant, who has been incredible in helping and facilitating conversation with small business owners, not only in his riding but across the province. As a government, we understand how important small businesses are and essential to our province's economy. Small business owners, entrepreneurs have overcome significant challenges and made sacrifices to continue contributing to our communities through these unprecedented times. We have to do our part to support them on their way to recovery. In addition to putting forward billions in dollars of support, one part of that plan is the Ontario Main Street Recovery Act. This legislation introduced will support small businesses by modernizing rules to help them innovate and meet the challenges of today. One major change that will be permanently implementing is off-peak delivery of goods across Ontario. This will help ensure our supply chains are healthy and strong as we go into the future. And the supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. And through you, I'd like to say thank you very much for that answer, Minister. As you know, COVID-19 has resulted in new expenses for many different types of small businesses. Many businesses in my riding have seen their expenses increase due to the pandemic. One of the biggest expenses is the cost of personal protective equipment or as we call it PPE. PPE is essential as they protect staff and customers. Can the minister please explain how the government is helping businesses offset the costs of PPE? Thank you. The associate minister. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Our government has been exploring ways to alleviate cost pressures on businesses as they recover from the impacts of COVID-19. That is why in the Main Street Recovery Plan, we introduced a wide range of changes that will help small businesses with their costs. One of them is a $1,000 PPE grant for eligible Main Street businesses in retail, food, and other service sectors. This grant will be directed at the smallest businesses. Ontario has never faced a challenge like the one we are facing. Businesses need PPE to protect their staff and customers. We will continue to take strong action and help our businesses respond to the challenges of the pandemic. As a government, we know small businesses face unique challenges. We're determined to hear directly from them so they can focus on what's most important, rebuilding, rehiring, and reemerging stronger than ever before. Very much. The next question, the member for Waterloo. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the premier. Over the weekend, the premier told Ontarians to only leave the house for essential trips. Meanwhile, thousands of non-essential businesses are allowed to remain open even in the red control framework. The premier can't have it both ways. He can't ask Ontarians to stay home and expect businesses who rely on in-person services to make money. Businesses have been waiting for five weeks for provincial support and more months, actually, for the new rent relief program. While the premier telling people to stay home, it's clear that businesses are going to need more than the 300 million the government has currently offered them. Is this government willing to spend more to save small businesses and also to keep people safe? Mr. Finance. So, Mr. Speaker, of course, the answer is yes, as the member would have seen in the recent budget. Mr. Speaker, historic changes by this government to make fair the property tax system in this province, to make sure that businesses across the province benefit from lower education property tax. Mr. Speaker, making permanent the employer health tax reduction, that alone is going to have 30,000 businesses paying lex taxes, and I do, I'm sure, that the member will reflect on that as she considers voting on the budget. Mr. Speaker, additional supports that the Mr. Small Business has already spoken about through the Digital Main Street program, helping businesses go online, making sure that they're able to support their customers, not just as storefronts, but as a digital business as well. So, Mr. Speaker, yes, there are many new supports I have more to speak about in my supplementary, but we appreciate the opportunity from the member to speak about these. Electric question. To say, the businesses in Ontario have been waiting too long for that money. Speaker, this government is actually sitting on $9.3 billion in unused funds. The Financial Accountability Officer recently confirmed this. We believe the Financial Accountability Officer, this is $9.3 billion not going to schools, not going to long-term care, and certainly not going to businesses. That money should be used to stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep businesses viable for our economic recovery. The House is on fire, and instead of using the tools at its disposal, this Premier is hoarding the money. Speaker, to the Premier, keeping people safe is actually good for the economy. How many more businesses have to close before this government steps up to support them through this challenging time? Minister of Finance. Mr. Speaker, I know the member would never willfully misrepresent things, so I can only assume she has not read the budget, where it's indicated that $2.6 billion is the amount of contingencies left. But I'm sure that that's at the back of the budget, so I'm sure she'll get to it, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, let me talk about what people in her own region have talked about in terms of support. They say I'd like to join, this is Karen Redmond, Mr. Speaker, to the regional chair of Waterloo Region. I'd like to... Member for Waterloo, come to order. I'd like to join MPP's Mike Harris and Amy Fee outside Waterloo headquarters in announcing the tax relief for businesses that they're receiving in the region of Waterloo. Mr. Speaker, the mayor of Waterloo, the member just talked about mental health on the topic of mental health and small business investments. COVID-19's impacts have been wide-ranging. I'm very thankful for the government making additional investments in mental health, including the arts and small business sector supports. Every bit helps as we try to get away through this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, keep you. Thank you very much. The next question. The member for Scarborough-Gildwood. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the premier. Speaker, people are dying from COVID-19 in Ontario. And it seems like we're breaking records in positive cases nearly every day. And with testing numbers down at an alarmingly high rate, the positivity rate is at 4.5% across Ontario. In pockets of my riding of Scarborough-Gildwood, the rate is above 11%. As a result, COVID-19 is re-entering our long-term care system with devastating effects. Scarborough is facing two of the worst outbreaks at Rockcliff Community Care, where over two-thirds of the residents have come down with COVID. Seven have died at Kennedy Lodge Nursing Home, just around the corner from where I grew up, 30 residents have died since the second wave took hold. Many staff are also infected. Speaker, through you to the premier. Question. Why has he downloaded the responsibility of fighting this pandemic to the local public health units? But in his budget, he has not provided them with any new investments. Why is the premier stiffing the public health... Thank you. Minister of Long-Term, here. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member opposite for the question. Our government's number one commitment is to the safety and well-being of Ontarians. And our top priority is long-term care, as we fight a virus very similar to other countries that are struggling with long-term care. And our integrated approach is really designed to make sure that we assess and access the expertise of so many groups, whether it's Ontario Health, the medical officers of health, the chief medical officer of health, Toronto Public Health, the Scarborough Health Network, which is assisting with Rockliffe Home. And the others are integrated with hospitals to provide the IPAC expertise, to provide the support. So this is an integrated process and it's actually multi-government as well. And it's taking everybody to be responsible, to do what they can to resolve this threat that is happening around the world. We will continue to take every measure and advance long-term care. Thank you. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. I really want this minister to hear that what you're doing in hotspots is not working because people are dying. So you have to change and you have to do more. Speaker, the second wave is taking hold across this province. It's not just in Ottawa or the GTA. Last week, Waterloo Region asked to move to a higher tier of restrictions. Kingston saw 10 new cases in one day in a region that only reports 26 active cases. Hospitals are on track to exceed their ICU thresholds for cancelling elective surgeries in a matter of weeks. The second wave could be controlled if the government was willing to reset its approach and to take decisive action. But sadly, your budget, tabled in the midst of a second wave pandemic, is the budget of prudence when Ontarians are looking for action. Speaker, through you, what will it take for this government to act? Is it more dust in long-term care or a complete collapse of our health care system? Thank you. Mr. Finance. Mr. Speaker, again, and I know it takes the time to read, but almost $800 million more investment in our long-term care sector, Mr. Speaker. $270 million for public health and support for community health services. $2.5 billion more this year for hospitals. Mr. Speaker, we respect and understand what our frontline health care workers are going through. That's why we provided $1.1 billion of support to purchase PPE, Mr. Speaker, to make sure that that's available. Mr. Speaker, it is a severe misreading of that budget to say anything but that it is making historic investments. As we've committed to, this government will do what it takes to support Ontarians, to support our health care heroes, to support our long-term care sector. Next question. The member for Miss Saga, East Cookeville. East Cookeville. Thank you very much, Speaker. COVID-19 has challenged all of us in many unprecedented ways. Unfortunately, some of the most affected have been our veterans. The pandemic has increased mental health challenges and feelings of isolation in addition to the dire financial circumstances facing our legions. Remembrance Day looked different this year, but our government continues to support those who serve. Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. Minister, can you tell us how the province is supporting and honoring our brave veterans who fearlessly and unconditionally sacrificed for our freedom? Mr. Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Cultural Industries. Thank you very much, Speaker. And my thanks to the member for Miss Saga, East Cookeville, for raising this important issue. As you know, on the Friday prior to Remembrance Day, Whole Foods in Nations Capital and elsewhere across Ontario decided that they were going to ban employees from wearing the poppy. So I think first and foremost, I stand here with, I know, all members of the Legislative Assembly in preserving and protecting the right of Ontario workers to wear the poppy, regardless of where they were. I was with the Premier at an announcement in Ottawa the first post-budget where the Premier amplified his disgust. That's why our government will be bringing in legislation to open up the Remembrance Week Act to protect the rights of Ontario workers. But that's not all, Speaker. Our ministry and our government work together to launch a media campaign through digital and online video. We also announced support through the Ontario Trillium Foundation to support our local legions. We announced Heroes to Hard Hats campaign with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to announce houses for heroes in the city of Kingston so that we can support our homeless veterans. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue for us. I'll have more to say on two other significant... Thank you very much. Please supplement your question. Thank you very much, Speaker, and thank you to the Minister for the answer. While that is great news and other concern, I will highlight is the fact that our Canadian service members and veterans face significant challenges when returning from deployment or transitioning back to civilian life. In the past and especially during COVID, we have seen firsthand the healing power of sport. Our veterans are some of the most talented and driven in the world. However, there is a need for more opportunity for their talents to be showcased here at home. While... Will the Minister tell the House what the government is doing to assist our veterans with the rehabilitation and reintegration into community life? Minister. Thank you very much. It was a very important question. Our veterans have fought to liberate nations. They've kept the peace world away, and, of course, they fought tyranny in Afghanistan and the Taliban. I think it's only fitting that last week, Speaker, on behalf of the Legislative Assembly, myself and the Premier as well as her Honour, a little bit doubts about unveiled the Afghan War Memorial, of which you are a part of, Speaker. I thank you and your team for being an important part of that. We also announced a $3 million investment into the Baller Games to support over 500 veterans and participants who fought and lost either limbs or are wounded or suffering from PTSD to deal with those challenges through the healing power of sport we were with, the former Master of Corporal, Mike Troner, who lost his legs in Afghanistan. He went on to compete at the Invictus Games, and, Speaker, he is now going to compete for Canada in Tokyo, 2021. Just the type of investments this government is prepared to make in order to support our serving men and women, as well as our veterans who have kept us safe time and time again. Thank you. The next question, the member for Kitchener-San. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is to the Premier. It is becoming increasingly clear that this government's pandemic response is leaving vulnerable Ontarians behind. A report from the Toronto Foundation has shown that COVID-19 is deepening the divide between the rich and poor along racialized lines, disproportionately impacting the lives of Black, Indigenous, and racialized Ontarians. Years of liberal neglect and conservative government's failure to invest in these communities have left vulnerable Ontarians alone to navigate the impacts of COVID-19. Racialized communities are in crisis, and there are no targeted supports in sight from this government. We need a provincial strategy to address this deepening divide. Mr. Speaker, will the Premier commit to creating a provincial strategy to address the root causes of racism that have left racialized communities more vulnerable during this pandemic? The Minister of Children, Community and Social Services. Well, thanks very much, Mr. Speaker. And thanks to the member opposite for the important question. And we've been working extremely hard throughout the pandemic to ensure that we're getting supports to those who need it most. And many come from the area that the individual across the aisle has just mentioned. My colleague, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and I were very quick to act early on in the pandemic. Around March 22nd, 23rd, we introduced the Social Services Relief Fund, Mr. Speaker. That was a lot of money. That was $200 million that went to support people who were in need during a very, very crucial time in the pandemic, Mr. Speaker. There was so much uncertainty in those opening weeks. People didn't know if they were going to have a job the next day. Those from racialized communities were also feeling challenges during that time. Those in our indigenous communities were also extremely challenged in that time. And that's why we brought forward even more funding, Mr. Speaker, focused on those individuals. We also increased funding in the Black Youth Action Plan, Mr. Speaker, which I think is very, very important. And there was a substantial increase in... Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and back to the Premier. The connection between structural racism and the pandemic is being recognized across Ontario. In 2011, under the Liberal government, public health planners in Kitchener warned that there were five neighborhoods at risk of poor health outcomes due to high poverty rates among other social factors. These neighborhoods are highly racialized, and these are neighborhoods where newcomers can afford to settle in Kitchener. Now, under the Conservatives, residents from these five neighborhoods, a combined population of 85,000 people have been hit harder by this pandemic and people living in more affluent parts of the region. Waterloo record reporters call this disturbing. I call this structural racism. We need a coordinated provincial strategy to invest in, protect, and support racialized communities. So I will ask again, will the Premier commit to a provincial strategy to address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, and racialized Ontarians? Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services. Thanks again, Mr. Speaker, and thanks again to the member opposite for the question. That's exactly what we're doing, Mr. Speaker, and I think it was evidenced in the budget delivered by the Minister of Finance a couple of weeks ago when we made a substantial investment into the Black Youth Action Plan, doubling the funding to $60 million, Mr. Speaker. We're very, very proud of that investment. We're very proud of the Premier's Council on Equality of Opportunity, headed up by Jamil Giovanni, who's doing an outstanding job at making sure we're looking into all of those critical circumstances on the ground and ensuring those individuals, particularly those young people from those communities, have the opportunities that we have, Mr. Speaker, and that's why we're making the investments that we are, substantial investments, Mr. Speaker. The budget also included a significant amount of money to support homelessness, Mr. Speaker. We want to make sure that everyone from every community has an equal opportunity in Ontario. Thank you. The next question is for Glen Gary, Prescott Russell. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Premier and his government ignored the advice of Ontario's top doctors, resulting in skyrocketing COVID-19 cases and a new wave of deaths in long-term care homes. For months, public health experts, nurses, doctors, and concerned Ontarians have been pleading with this government to take action to curb the spread of COVID-19 before it got out of control. Instead, the Premier pledged to loosen public health restrictions and hot zones across the province. The Premier has betrayed the trust of Ontarians, especially our most vulnerable and their families. Mr. Speaker, how can the Premier justify ignoring the advice of public health officials taking so long to listen to healthcare experts and not taking action to curb the spread of COVID-19, bringing us to the alarming situation that we are in today? That's right. The Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. Thank you, Speaker. In fact, we have been taking the advice of public health experts since this pandemic began, because the health and safety of all Ontarians is our number one priority, has been and always will be. So we have been listening to the public health experts, Dr. Williams and his team, the Public Health Ontario, the Public Health Measures Table, backed up by a number of experts behind all of them. We've been listening to their advice. That's how we created the framework. The framework has been set up to allow communities to know where they stand, public health units to know where they stand, to know when they're in danger, when they are going to be moved from one category to another. People need to know where we're headed and what precautions they need to take. But the public health measures that are most important are the ones that are the simplest. Make sure you can continue with physical distancing, wear a face covering where you can't do that, wash your hands thoroughly and carefully, and stay home if you don't feel well. Everybody has a responsibility here. Everyone has a role to play to keep these. Thank you, and the supplementary question. Mr. Quistan, encore one more. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, to the Premier. Here's delayed decision-making and confusing contradictory messaging has clearly been contributing to the significant spread of COVID-19. I've spoken to hundreds of people in the past week and every single one of them expressed frustration with this government's lack of clarity. How can Ontarians follow public health measures when people can't even understand them? Mr. Speaker, updated modeling outlined last week showed that we could have upwards of 6,500 COVID-19 cases per day by mid-December if immediate action is not taken to dramatically curb the spread. Healthcare associations are all saying that this is putting too much strain on our hospital system and could result in cancelling or delaying elective surgeries once again. Mr. Speaker, how can Ontarians trust that the Premier's current public health measures announced on Friday are enough to prevent this happening again when his last actions, or rather inactions, were a complete flop? Yes. Mr. Health. Well, we have been taking action, decisive action, quick action since the beginning of this pandemic, but it is, this is an unprecedented time and the pandemic is making its way across the entire world. It's not just in Ontario. And we have been taking action, listening to what the public health experts have had to say and being transparent with the people of Ontario with what's going on. We've released the modeling. We're the first province to release modeling. We have weekly updates for people to understand how many cases there are in their public health unit, what the case count is, how many deaths, unfortunately, the numbers resolved and so on. We have Dr. Williams and his team coming out twice a week to let people know what's happening. We have been completely open, transparent and accountable with all of the information regarding COVID-19. But I think it's also really important to bear this in some sort of context. And when you take a look at the number of cases per 100,000, Ontario 649 compared to places like Florida, 4,089, or even Quebec, 1,000. Thank you. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for Parkdale High Park. Thank you, Speaker. My question is for the Premier. Lakeside Longton Care Home in my riding of Parkdale High Park has been an outbreak for a month. There have now been six deaths, 29 resident cases, 13 staff cases, and the situation is only getting worse. Lakeside desperately needs more trained front-line staff and faster testing results. It's been a month since I asked the minister to take action. Why hasn't the minister acted? Minister Longton Care. Thank you, Speaker. And thank you to the member for the question. I can assure the member that Lakeside is improving. There are many eyes on this and I personally assess and scrutinize all the homes to understand where the issues are and to work as a team across ministries, across government, across public health agencies, working with our medical officers of health, working with Ontario Health, working with our hospital partners to make sure that these homes get the support that they need. There is no home in Ontario right now in critical shortage. Are, is the situation long-standing in terms of staffing, yes. But this wave two is very different from wave one and our homes are holding. That doesn't mean we stop with our diligence and our relentless efforts to make sure that these homes get every support possible. So Lakeside is stabilizing. Response? It is getting the support that it needs and we will continue to take every measure that's necessary to address the concerns that the member has. Thank you. A supplementary question. This is not what families, residents and staff at Lakeside are saying. And in the words of Christiane, whose mother is at Lakeside and has written to the minister and I quote, please don't insult us with a public relations approach. End quote. An iron ring was promised around long-term care and the government has had months to prepare for a second wave. Instead, the premier and the minister are busy protecting private for-profit long-term care chains. The four government failed seniors in the first wave and is failing seniors again in the second wave. How much worse does it have to get before the minister acts? Mr. Long-term care. Thank you. You know, I take exception to those remarks. We need to understand, we need to understand the tragedy that is in long-term care homes in wave one. Understand the lessons that have been learned. Wave two, our homes are doing much, much better thanks to the lessons that we've learned and thanks to the collective efforts of thousands of people. The staffing is being addressed not only on an emergency basis because of COVID but also the long-standing issues that were neglected for many, many years for decades and for specifically 10 years where we could have had the runway to address this. That previous government supported by your group did nothing, absolutely nothing to address it. We are taking action with the staffing return to service with the resident support aids, with rapid training, with making sure that they are supported with the proper PPE and the IPAC. Our homes are holding and we will continue to take every measure putting at the heart of our concerns the residents in long-term care which overreach absolutely everything. It must be about the residents and the staff. Thank you very much. Member for Simcoe grade. Speaker, my question today is for the minister of education. I want to thank the minister for his recent announcements regarding funding for elementary schools within the Simcoe County District School Board. However, my constituents are disappointed that little progress is being made on the much needed replacement of Banyumora High School in Alliston. The building is over 70 years old, it's been at or near the top of the board's capital priority list for at least five years now and I've been encouraging its replacement for almost a decade. Structurally the building is beyond repair, it would require a mechanical, a major mechanical and electrical upgrades, it's full of asbestos. And so I asked the minister, will he ensure that Banyumora High School is assessed in the coming months? So its replacement will be properly considered in the spring round of funding announcements for new schools in Ontario. The minister of education. Thank you, Speaker. Thank the member opposite for the question. I do know that the particular school in 2011-2019 received over $2.2 million of funding to at least incrementally improve the state of that facility, recognizing that there's growth in your community and there's a need for renewal. So we can certainly work offline to better understand the needs of your community. Obviously, there are billions of dollars of requests that come before the ministry of education for capital. I'm very proud that amid this pandemic, amid the pandemic, we've now unveiled two rounds of investment, roughly a billion dollars of monies flowing to improve schools right across this province, including in rural parts of the province, but recognizing there's clearly more to do and I look forward to working with the member to ensure schools across our province receive the upgrades that our parents receive. Response. Supplementary question. Well, thank you for that answer, Mr. Speaker, to the minister. I'm a proud graduate of Banting Memorial. In fact, my first elected office, I was prime minister in grade nine and the honorable Pauline McGibbon, the Lieutenant Governor, came and opened our model parliament that year. That's how big a deal it was. But a lot changed in 40 years. Banting not only serves Alaston as the minister may know, it draws students from Beatton, Tottenham, Huckley Valley, and Agila Township. And these are all communities in Central County that are rapidly growing. So I just invite the minister to come up and maybe see the school for himself. Take a tour. That would be real offline. That would be out of here and down there. And I think you'll see that the school that's 50 years old is long due for replacement. And while you're at it, can you bring along the minister of health and take a look at the hospital? Mr. Education. Thank you very much. I know that all members of the cabinet stand ready to support all members of this house in improving the state of infrastructure. Over 100 billion dollar infrastructure plan by the government in the context of schools. We have 12 billion dollars set aside over the next decade to renew schools given under the former government where we saw just too many of them not receive the repair that I think parents and kids and educators themselves deserve. And that's why, Speaker, we are working to remediate that backlog, putting more money in place in the context of your school board. And with respect to COVID, we provide them just shy of 11 million dollars in net new funding for Simcoe board. But obviously in the context of this school, I'd be happy to join the minister of health and others to visit to better understand that need. And obviously work with you to ensure that that school receives the funding that it deserves. Thank you very much. The next question, the member for London West. Thank you, Speaker. My question is to the Premier. Speaker, this morning, the kindergarten at Byron Southwood Public School in London is being collapsed. A much loved ECE is being reassigned online after nine years in the classroom and eight new students are joining the class. Parent Andrea Henning wrote, it is not the year to be enforcing the changing ratios in the classroom. Please prioritize the safety of the children going to school in person. Parent Marcy Breamhard wrote, how are the children supposed to social distance with more kids in the class? Parent Tanya Seaman wrote, children from age three to five struggle to grasp the significance and concept of social distancing. Adding more bodies into the classroom makes this even more of an impossible task. Speaker, why is the safety of kindergarten students at Byron Southwood and in collapsed classrooms across the province not a priority for this government? Minister of Education to reply. Well, Speaker, we are fully committed to ensuring that kids remain safe in our schools. That's why the plan we've unveiled in this province stands alone in this country. It's fully endorsed, fully funded, but endorsed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health, which I think in itself should provide confidence to parents that we are following the medical expertise of the leading pediatric doctors in the country who've informed us to put in place every layer of prevention to reduce the risk. In the context of classroom sizes, I will note that 2,700 more teachers are working today because of government investment to enable the smallest classroom size in the province. It is not a coincidence that there are 2,700 net new teachers that there is well over 470 ECs, well over 12 or 85 more custodians. That is because we have thoughtfully put in place the funding to ensure schools remain safe, to ensure we do everything possible to reduce the risk for our kids. The supplementary question. Thank you, Speaker. It's not just Byron Southwood, an additional 1,000 Thames Valley District School Board students are beginning to learn from home today after making the switch from in-class instruction to virtual learning. With 35 schools and outbreak in the Middlesex London Health Unit, the decision by parents to keep kids at home is completely understandable. But the collapse of classrooms and the reassignment of staff is causing major disruption, chaos, and upset across the system. It is also, as noted by School Board Director Mark Fisher, not in the best interest of either staff or students. Will the Premier admit that his refusal to follow the advice of experts for the safe reopening of schools and to fund smaller classrooms has put the well-being of students at risk? Mr. President. Speaker, in the London District Catholic School Board, for example, the class size there supports the Ministry in kindergarten is roughly around 20. In grades one to three is 20.5 students. And in grades 40 to 24.5, which as the member knows is well below the provincial standard, well below the provincial average. We have put in place unlocking $1.3 billion of investment. We lead Canada with the most significant financial investment in the safe reopening of school. We have put in place a high threshold, a very strong protocol, informed by the best medical and scientific minds in this country to ensure our kids remain safe. And the, and I think it underscores, as reported by state kids, the need for all layers of prevention. We accept that premise, which is why we put that in place. And the fact that there are 2,700 more teachers to enable smaller classrooms, which has helped us to reduce the risk of COVID in our schools, underscores that we are doing what is absolutely necessary to protect all families and all students in Ontario. Thank you. That concludes our question period for this morning. We now...